TRAILER LENGTH ESTIMATION
First Claim
1. A system for calculating a length of a trailer having a transmitter disposed thereon coupled to a vehicle having a trailer mount and a receiver disposed on the vehicle a first distance from the trailer mount, comprising:
- a hitch angle monitoring device;
a controller to calculate a second distance between the transmitter and the receiver as a function of a path loss propagation of a signal received by the receiver at times when the hitch angle is zero, and to set a trailer length equal to the second distance minus the first distance.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A vehicle has a wireless receiver located a predetermined distance from a trailer mount. A wireless transmitter on the trailer is located at an end of the trailer opposite the end that attaches to a trailer mount on the vehicle and communicates with the wireless receiver on the vehicle. A controller on the vehicle monitors the power returns of the signal transmitted between the transmitter and the receiver. A hitch angle monitoring system monitors hitch angle over time. The controller monitors power returns of a signal transmitted from the transmitter to the receiver and estimates a distance between the transmitter and the receiver as a function of a path loss propagation of the transmitted signal. The trailer length is equal to the distance estimated by the controller at times when the hitch angle is zero minus the predetermined distance.
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Citations
12 Claims
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1. A system for calculating a length of a trailer having a transmitter disposed thereon coupled to a vehicle having a trailer mount and a receiver disposed on the vehicle a first distance from the trailer mount, comprising:
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a hitch angle monitoring device; a controller to calculate a second distance between the transmitter and the receiver as a function of a path loss propagation of a signal received by the receiver at times when the hitch angle is zero, and to set a trailer length equal to the second distance minus the first distance. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4)
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5. A method executed by a controller on a vehicle for calculating a length of a trailer coupled to the vehicle, comprising:
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monitoring power returns of a signal transmitted from a wireless transmitter at one end of the trader to a wireless receiver on the vehicle located a predetermined distance from a trailer hitch; monitoring a hitch angle; estimating a distance between the transmitter and the receiver, the estimated distance being a function of a path loss propagation of the transmitted signal; and setting a trailer length equal to the estimated distance at a zero hitch angle less the predetermined distance. - View Dependent Claims (6, 7, 8)
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9. A trailer length calculation system for a vehicle having a trailer mount and a receiver disposed thereon a first distance from the trailer mount, the vehicle being coupled to a trailer having a transmitter, comprising:
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a hitch angle monitoring system; and a controller configured to set the length of the trailer equal to the difference between the first distance and a second distance, wherein the second distance is calculated to be a function of a path loss propagation of a signal received by the receiver when the hitch angle is zero. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12)
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Specification