Towing vehicle guidance for trailer hitch connection

• US 8,888,121 B2
• Filed: 05/13/2011
• Issued: 11/18/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 01/25/2007
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Craft3
• Original Assignee: Target Hitch, LLC
• Inventors: Trevino, James S., Karner, James Edward, Wehrs, James A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Moise, Emmanuel L
• Assistant Examiner(s): ABU ROUMI, MAHRAN Y
• Application Number:
  US13/107,730
• Publication Number:
  US 20110216199A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,285 Days
• Field of Search: 340/431, 280/477
• US Class Current: 280/477
• CPC Class Codes: B60D 1/36 for facilitating connection, e.g. hitch catchers , visual guide means, signalling aids B60D1/465 takes precedence; vehicle signalling in general B60Q; optical arrangements specially adapted for viewing trailer-hitches B60R1/003
• CPC Class Codes: B60D 1/62 involving supply lines, electric circuits, or the like
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/18 Closed-circuit television [CCTV] systems, i.e. systems in which the video signal is not broadcast
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/183 for receiving images from a single remote source

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.

Claims

1. Apparatus for guiding an operator of a towing vehicle being moved toward a hitch-mating position with respect to a vehicle to be towed, wherein the vehicle to be towed is a trailer having a trailer hitch, the apparatus comprising:

(a) a video camera adapted to be carried on a towing vehicle so as to generate an image of a field of view including a portion of a vehicle to be towed, during a time when the towing vehicle is approaching the hitch-mating position;

(b) an alignment beam projecting device adapted to be mounted on a hitch ball on the towing vehicle and aimed directly upward;

(c) a video display device adapted to be located in view of the operator of the towing vehicle and to display the image generated by the video camera during the time when the towing vehicle is approaching the hitch-mating position; and

(d) a target adapted to be mounted adjacent the trailer hitch on the vehicle to be towed, the target including an inclined target plate located in a position wherein a beam of light projected directly upward from the alignment beam projecting device will impinge visibly on the target and wherein the target will be within the image generated by the video camera, when the video camera and the alignment beam projecting device are mounted on the towing vehicle and the towing vehicle is near the hitch-mating position and approaching the hitch-mating position with respect to the vehicle to be towed.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the target includes a light beam projector, and wherein when the target is mounted on the vehicle to be towed the target is adjustably movable to a position wherein the light beam projector can project a beam of light toward a predetermined portion of the towing vehicle.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the trailer hitch includes a coupler portion and the target is included in a towed vehicle module adapted to be attached to the trailer adjacent the coupler portion of the trailer hitch.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the alignment beam projecting device includes a laser.

5. The apparatus of claim 4 wherein the laser of the alignment beam projecting device is arranged to project a light beam directly upward when the alignment beam projecting device is mounted on the towing vehicle, and wherein the target includes a target face located so as to be struck by the alignment beam from the laser when the target is mounted on the vehicle to be towed and the towing vehicle is within a predetermined distance from said hitch-mating position.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 including a towing vehicle module including the alignment beam projecting device and means for attaching the towing vehicle module to a trailer hitch ball on the towing vehicle.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the target includes an inclined face including indicia designating a hitch-mating position, said indicia being located at a predetermined location with respect to a coupler element of a hitch of said vehicle to be towed, when said target is mounted on said vehicle to be towed.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 including a towing vehicle module including the alignment beam projecting device, and including an adaptor having a magnet and a socket of a size to fit a trailer hitch ball on the towing vehicle and including mating means for locating the adaptor on the towing vehicle module so that the alignment beam projecting device is in a predetermined location with respect to the socket.

9. The apparatus of claim 1 including a towing vehicle module that includes a long distance guidance beam projector arranged to project a beam of light within said field of view of the video camera so as to fall onto a surface of a vehicle to be towed.

10. The apparatus of claim 9 wherein when the target is mounted on the vehicle to be towed a target face included in the target is located where said beam of light from said long distance guidance projector will fall on the target face and will be visible in the image generated by said video camera when the towing vehicle approaches the hitch-mating position within a predetermined distance.

11. The apparatus of claim 10 wherein said towing vehicle unit includes a close range beam projector arranged to project a linearly scanning beam of light so that said linearly scanning beam of light falls visibly on said target face and is visible in the image generated by said video camera when said towing vehicle approaches said hitch-mating position within a predetermined distance.

12. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said video camera is capable of tracking said target.

13. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said target is part of a towed vehicle module having a body connected with a mounting device through a swivel connection and wherein the mounting device includes a lower hemispherical portion and a spring-loaded spacer arranged to fit in a ball-receiving coupler portion of a trailer hitch.

14. 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 primary hitch alignment light beam projector mounted on a hitch ball carried on the towing vehicle and aimed directly upward and arranged to project a beam of light directly upward in a position having a predetermined relationship to a pivot axis defined by a hitch part carried on the towing vehicle;

(b) a target located in a predetermined position with respect to a hitch coupler on a vehicle to be towed, the target including an inclined target plate located so as to be struck by a beam of light projected directly upward from the hitch alignment light beam projector when the towing vehicle is near the hitch-mating position;

(c) a camera carried on the towing vehicle in a location where the camera can form an image of the target when the towing vehicle is in a preliminary position from which it can be backed toward 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 of at least a part of an image formed by the camera.

15. The apparatus of claim 14 including a long distance directional guidance light beam projector arranged to project a beam of light rearwardly from the towing vehicle so as to fall onto a surface of the vehicle to be towed when the towing vehicle is in said preliminary position and ready to be backed toward the vehicle to be towed.

16. The apparatus of claim 15 wherein said long distance directional guidance light beam projector projects a beam in a vertical plane so as to be visible as a line on an object behind the towing vehicle.

17. The apparatus of claim 14 including a pair of light beam projectors mounted on the towing vehicle and projecting respective convergent beams rearwardly at predetermined angles toward the vehicle to be towed.

18. The apparatus of claim 17 wherein the beams projected by said pair of light beam projectors intersect each other and define a line of intersection extending along said pivot axis.

19. A method for moving a towing vehicle into a desired hitch-mating position with respect to a trailer, comprising:

(a) operating a video camera near a first trailer hitch part mounted on the towing vehicle and intended to be mated with a trailer hitch coupler connected with front part of the trailer, and thereby creating a video image of an area beyond the first trailer hitch part in a general direction in which the towing vehicle is to move toward the hitch-mating position, and transmitting said video image from the video camera;

(b) mounting a visual target including an inclined target plate on the trailer so that the target plate is in a predetermined location with respect to the trailer hitch coupler and is in a downwardly facing inclined orientation;

(c) projecting a beam of light directly upward from a projecting device mounted on a hitch ball having a predetermined location on the towing vehicle with respect to the first trailer hitch part mounted on the towing vehicle, the inclined target plate being located so as to be struck by the beam of light projected directly upward when the towing vehicle is near the hitch-mating position;

(d) observing said video image on a video imaging device while backing the towing vehicle toward the trailer hitch coupler;

(e) steering the towing vehicle in response to viewing the video image so as to include at least a part of said visual target in said video image, while moving the towing vehicle rearwardly toward the hitch-mating position until the beam of light projected directly upward falls on the target face;

(f) observing the video image of the visual target including an image of the beam of light projected directly upward impinging on the target plate while moving the towing vehicle further toward the desired hitch-mating position for mating the trailer hitch coupler of the trailer with the trailer hitch part on the towing vehicle; and

(g) stopping the towing vehicle when the beam of light projected directly upward falls on a predetermined part of the target plate.

20. The method of claim 19 including the step of projecting a directional guidance beam of light rearwardly from the towing vehicle, observing in said video image where said directional guidance beam of light falls on the trailer, and steering the towing vehicle in response to observing where said directional guidance beam of light falls on the trailer.

21. The method of claim 19 including the step of carrying said video camera on said first trailer hitch part on the towing vehicle.

22. The method of claim 19 including the step of adjusting the position of the visual target on the trailer to direct the visual target toward the towing vehicle before moving the towing vehicle closer to the trailer than a predetermined distance.

23. The method of claim 19 including the step of placing the video camera in a predetermined orientation with respect to the towing vehicle before moving the towing vehicle within a predetermined distance from the trailer hitch coupler.

24. Apparatus for guiding an operator of a towing vehicle being hitched to a trailer, comprising:

(a) a towing vehicle module adapted to be mounted on a towing vehicle, the towing vehicle module including a light beam projector adapted to be mounted on a hitch ball and aimed directly upward and arranged to project a beam of light in a predetermined direction relative to the towing vehicle module when the towing vehicle module is mounted on the hitch ball on the towing vehicle in a predetermined position with respect to a trailer hitch part on the towing vehicle;

(b) a trailer module adapted to be mounted on the trailer so as to be located in a predetermined position with respect to a trailer hitch coupler when said trailer module is mounted on said trailer, the trailer module including a target including an inclined target plate and having visual indicia on a target face, the target plate being located so as to be struck by a beam of light projected directly upward from the light beam projector when the towing vehicle is near a hitch-mating position.

25. The apparatus of claim 24 wherein the towing vehicle module includes a mounting device arranged to attach the towing vehicle module to the towing vehicle in said predetermined position.

26. The apparatus of claim 24 wherein the trailer module includes a mounting device arranged to attach the trailer module to the trailer hitch coupler and permit the trailer module to be swiveled.

27. The apparatus of claim 24 including a video camera arranged to be mounted on the towing vehicle so as to view said indicia of said target face when said trailer module is mounted on said trailer in said predetermined position.

28. The apparatus of claim 24 wherein said light beam projector of said towing vehicle module includes a laser and wherein said towing vehicle module includes a reflector located so as to direct a laser beam from said laser directly upward from said towing vehicle module when said towing vehicle module is mounted on a towing vehicle.

29. The apparatus of claim 28 wherein said laser beam is reflected directly upward from a location having a predetermined relationship to a hitch pivot axis location defined on said towing vehicle, when said towing vehicle module is mounted on said hitch ball on said towing vehicle in said predetermined position.

30. The apparatus of claim 29 wherein said laser beam is reflected directly upward along said hitch pivot axis when said towing vehicle module is mounted on said hitch ball on said towing vehicle in said predetermined position.

31. The apparatus of claim 24 wherein said towing vehicle module includes a video camera having a field of view including and extending on each side of a hitch-mating direction defined with respect to said towing vehicle module.

32. The apparatus of claim 24 wherein said towing vehicle module includes a pair of line-generator laser modules aligned with each other so that respective planes defined by line generation scans of the laser modules intersect with each other and define a line of intersection extending in a predetermined direction from a predetermined location with respect to said towing vehicle module.

33. The apparatus of claim 32 wherein said line extends upward above a hitch pivot axis location on said towing vehicle module.

34. The apparatus of claim 32 wherein the laser modules of said pair of line-generator laser modules are spaced apart from each other laterally, on opposite lateral sides of said towing vehicle module, and wherein each one of said pair of laser modules is arranged to project a beam directed obliquely inwardly toward a hitch pivot axis location on the towing vehicle module.

35. The apparatus of claim 34, said towing vehicle module including a centrally located line scanning laser module arranged to project a beam scanning in a vertical plane including said line and wherein said line extends upward above said predetermined location with respect to said towing vehicle module.

36. The apparatus of claim 35 wherein said predetermined location with respect to said towing vehicle module is a hitch pivot axis location defined on said towing vehicle module.

37. The apparatus of claim 24, further including a line generating laser module located in said towing vehicle module so as to project a beam in a vertical plane including said hitch pivot axis.

38. Apparatus for guiding an operator of a towing vehicle as it is being hitched to a trailer, comprising:

(a) a towing vehicle module adapted to be mounted on a towing vehicle, the towing vehicle module including first and second laser modules each capable of producing a linear scan beam pattern, the first and second laser modules being located in the towing vehicle module so as to generate beams scanned in respective vertical planes, projected generally in a hitch approaching direction and so that the vertical planes of the scanned beams intersect each other and define a line of intersection extending upwardly in a predetermined location with respect to a hitch pivot point on the towing vehicle module; and

(b) a target module including an inclined target plate and having a target face, the target module being adapted to be mounted on a trailer in a predetermined location, with the target face directed downwardly at a predetermined inclination and with the inclined target plate located so as to be struck by a beam of light projected directly upward along the line of intersection and the target plate including a surface on which an incident beam from one of said laser modules is visible.

39. The apparatus of claim 38 wherein said line defined by intersection of said vertical planes of said linear scan beam patterns extends upwardly directly above said hitch pivot point on said towing vehicle module.

40. The apparatus of claim 39 wherein said towing vehicle module includes a reflector located at said hitch pivot point and a laser module arranged to provide a main alignment laser beam reflected upward above said hitch pivot point on said towing vehicle module.

41. The apparatus of claim 40 wherein said main alignment laser beam is a scanned cruciform beam.

42. The apparatus of claim 38 wherein said towing vehicle module includes a long distance directional light beam generator oriented in a hitch-approaching direction.

43. The apparatus of claim 42 wherein said long distance directional light beam generator is a line generating laser module.