Towing vehicle guidance for trailer hitch connection
First Claim
Patent Images
1. Apparatus for guiding an operator of a towing vehicle being backed toward a hitch-mating position with respect to a vehicle to be towed, comprising:
- (a) a rearwardly directed video image forming device carried on the towing vehicle;
(b) an alignment indicating light beam projecting device mounted on the towing vehicle and aimed to project a beam of light directly upward;
(c) a video display device located in view of the operator of the towing vehicle and arranged to display an image generated by the video image forming device; and
(d) a target mounted on the vehicle to be towed, in a position directly beneath a coupler portion of a trailer hitch, the target including an inclined target plate and the light beam projecting device being mounted on a hitch ball and said target plate being located so as to be struck by a beam of light projected directly upward from the light beam projecting device, and the video image forming device being mounted where the target will be within the field of view of the video image forming device, when the towing vehicle is near a hitch-mating position with respect to the vehicle to be towed.
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Abstract
Apparatus and a method for its use to assist an operator of a towing vehicle in backing the towing vehicle accurately into a position in which parts of a hitch can be mated to connect the towing vehicle with a trailer. A camera in a towing vehicle module provides the towing vehicle operator a video image of the trailer and a target mounted on it. A beam of light from the towing vehicle module and falling on the target is visible in the video image to show when the towing vehicle approaches and reaches a position in which the hitch can be mated.
114 Citations
22 Claims
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1. Apparatus for guiding an operator of a towing vehicle being backed toward a hitch-mating position with respect to a vehicle to be towed, comprising:
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(a) a rearwardly directed video image forming device carried on the towing vehicle; (b) an alignment indicating light beam projecting device mounted on the towing vehicle and aimed to project a beam of light directly upward; (c) a video display device located in view of the operator of the towing vehicle and arranged to display an image generated by the video image forming device; and (d) a target mounted on the vehicle to be towed, in a position directly beneath a coupler portion of a trailer hitch, the target including an inclined target plate and the light beam projecting device being mounted on a hitch ball and said target plate being located so as to be struck by a beam of light projected directly upward from the light beam projecting device, and the video image forming device being mounted where the target will be within the field of view of the video image forming device, when the towing vehicle is near a hitch-mating position with respect to the vehicle to be towed. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
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13. Apparatus for guiding an operator of a towing vehicle being backed toward a hitch-mating position with respect to a vehicle to be towed, comprising:
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(a) a primary hitch alignment light beam projector mounted on a hitch ball and aimed directly upward and arranged to project a beam of light directly upward along a pivot axis defined by and extending from a hitch part carried on the towing vehicle; (b) a target located directly beneath a hitch coupler on a vehicle to be towed, the target including a target plate located so as to be struck by the beam of light projected directly upward from the light beam projector when said towing vehicle is near said hitch-mating position; (c) a camera carried on the towing vehicle in a location where the camera can form an image of the target, both when the towing vehicle is positioned ahead of and ready to be backed toward the hitch-mating position and when the towing vehicle is in the hitch-mating position with respect to the vehicle to be towed; and (d) an image display device located in view of the operator of the towing vehicle and arranged to display an image of at least a part of a field of view of the camera. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16)
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17. A method for moving a towing vehicle into a desired hitch-mating position with respect to a trailer, comprising:
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(a) providing a video camera on the towing vehicle near a trailer hitch part intended to be mated with a trailer hitch coupler connected with a tongue of the trailer; (b) projecting a beam of light directly upward from a light beam projecting device aimed directly upward and mounted on a hitch ball on the towing vehicle; (c) providing a visual target including an inclined target plate mounted near the trailer hitch coupler connected with the tongue of the trailer and located so as to be struck by a beam of light projected directly upward from the light beam projecting device when the towing vehicle is near the hitch-mating position; (d) observing a video image of the target on a video imaging device while operating the towing vehicle; (e) moving the towing vehicle rearwardly toward the trailer hitch coupler while observing the video image; (f) steering the towing vehicle in response to observing the video image, while moving the towing vehicle rearwardly until the beam of light projected directly upward impinges on the inclined target plate mounted near the trailer hitch coupler; and (g) observing a video image of the inclined target member including an image of the beam of light projected directly upward impinging upon the inclined target plate while moving the towing vehicle further toward the desired hitch-mating position for mating the trailer hitch coupler connected with the tongue of the vehicle to be towed with the trailer hitch part on the towing vehicle, and moving the towing vehicle toward the hitch-mating position in response thereto, until said beam of light projected directly upward is observed to strike a predetermined part of the inclined target member. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19, 20, 21, 22)
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Specification