Trailer identification system for trailer backup assist

• US 9,037,349 B2
• Filed: 08/27/2013
• Issued: 05/19/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 08/27/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Inventors: Trombley, Roger Arnold, Pilutti, Thomas Edward, Lavoie, Erick Michael, Nave, Christopher, Shutko, John, Lanoue, Rich, Hochrein, Bradley G., Rolfes, Nate
• Primary Examiner(s): Cheung, Mary
• Assistant Examiner(s): MAZZARA, ANNE MARIE
• Application Number:
  US14/010,644
• Publication Number:
  US 20150066296A1
• Time in Patent Office: 630 Days
• Field of Search: 701/41
• US Class Current: 701/41
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 13/06 for backing a normally drawn trailer
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 15/027 Parking aids, e.g. instruction means
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/08 Registering or indicating performance data other than driving, working, idle, or waiting time, with or without registering driving, working, idle or waiting time

Abstract

A system and method for configuring a trailer backup assist system. The system and method communicates predetermined trailer parameters, which are embedded on a tag attached to the trailer, to a controller in the trailer backup assist system. A trailer backup assist system is configured using the predetermined trailer parameters and the configured trailer backup assist system is activated to operate using the trailer parameters.

Claims

1. A method of configuring a trailer backup assist system for a trailer connected to a tow vehicle having a trailer backup assist system, the method comprising the steps of:

communicating predetermined trailer parameters embedded on a tag attached to the trailer to a controller of the trailer backup assist system on the tow vehicle;

configuring the trailer backup assist system with a trailer configuration having the predetermined trailer parameters embedded on the tag; and

activating the trailer backup assist system to operate with selected trailer configuration.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1 wherein the step of communicating further comprises the step of reading the predetermined trailer parameters from an RFID tag on trailer using an RFID reader on the tow vehicle that is in communication with the trailer backup assist system.

3. The method as claimed in claim 1 wherein the step of communicating further comprises the step of capturing an image of a tag on the trailer using a rear-view camera on the tow vehicle, the tag having a Quick Response Code imaged thereon and the rearview camera being in communication with the trailer backup assist system.

4. The method as claimed in claim 1 further comprising the steps of:

storing a trailer configuration having the predetermined trailer parameters in a memory of the controller, the trailer configuration being associated with the attached trailer; and

selecting a stored trailer configuration from the memory.

5. The method as claimed in claim 4 further comprising the step of confirming the selected trailer configuration.

6. The method as claimed in claim 1 further comprising the step of configuring the tag.

7. A trailer backup assist system in a vehicle having a trailer attached thereto, the system comprising:

a controller;

a readable tag attached to the trailer and embedded with data representative of trailer parameters; and

a reader located on the vehicle, the reader is configured to extract the data and communicate the data to the controller for configuring the backup assist system with the data.

8. The system as claimed in claim 7 wherein the readable tag further comprises an RFID tag and the reader is an RFID reader.

9. The system as claimed in claim 7 wherein the readable tag further comprises a tag having a Quick Response Code image and the reader is a rear-view camera.

10. The system as claimed in claim 7 wherein the readable tag is customizable.

11. The system as claimed in claim 7 wherein when the trailer backup assist system is configured with the data read from the tag, the trailer backup assist system becomes active.

12. The system as claimed in claim 7 wherein the controller associated with the trailer backup assist system further comprises a memory and the data representative of the trailer parameters may be stored in memory whereby, upon attaching the trailer to the tow vehicle and the reader extracting the data from the tag, the controller is configured to identify the data from memory and configure the trailer backup assist system using the stored data.

13. The system as claimed in claim 12 wherein when the trailer backup assist system is configured with the data, the trailer backup assist system becomes active.

14. A method of identifying a trailer being backed by a tow vehicle, the method comprising the steps of:

recognizing the connection of the trailer to the tow vehicle by reading, from a reader on the vehicle, a tag attached to the trailer the tag is embedded with data representative of trailer parameters;

selecting a trailer configuration stored in memory that is associated with the recognized trailer; and

configuring a trailer backup assist system using the selected trailer configuration.

15. The method as claimed in claim 14 wherein the step of reading further comprises reading an RFID tag on the trailer using an RFID reader on the vehicle.

16. The method as claimed in claim 14 wherein the step of reading further comprises a camera on the vehicle capturing an image of a Quick Response Code on the tag.

17. The method as claimed in claim 14 further comprising the step of activating the trailer backup assists system upon configuration of the trailer backup assist system.