System and method for communicating an object attached to a vehicle

• US 9,224,298 B2
• Filed: 10/23/2013
• Issued: 12/29/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 10/23/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Inventors: Nicastri, Paul R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Previl, Daniel
• Application Number:
  US14/061,010
• Publication Number:
  US 20150109117A1
• Time in Patent Office: 797 Days
• Field of Search: 340/435, 340988-990, 340901-902, 340/436, 340/438, 340/431, 340/443, 340/426.16, 340/426.25, 340/426.23
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/525 automatically indicating risk of collision between vehicles in traffic or with pedestrians, e.g. after risk assessment using the vehicle sensor data
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/161 Decentralised systems, e.g. inter-vehicle communication
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/162 event-triggered
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/166 for active traffic, e.g. moving vehicles, pedestrians, bikes

Abstract

An exemplary system for a vehicle having an object attached to it may include a user interface device, a controller, and a communication system. The user interface device may be configured to receive and transmit information relating to the object. The controller may be in communication with the user interface device, and may be configured to receive the information from the user interface device. The communication system may be in communication with the controller, and may be configured to transmit at least a subset of the information to at least one other vehicle.

Claims

1. A system, comprising:

a sensor at an attachment mechanism configured to detect a towable object attached thereto at a first vehicle;

an interface configured to receive user input indicating a size of the towable object in response to the sensor recognizing the towable object;

a controller in communication with the interface and configured to transmit the size of the towable object to a second vehicle in order for the second vehicle to realize a collective size of the first vehicle and the towable object.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the sensor includes a scale, and is configured to generate and transmit a signal to the controller to detect the towable object at the attachment mechanism when the scale measures a weight that exceeds a predetermined magnitude.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein the sensor includes a proximity sensor configured to detect the towable object when the towable object is within a pre-defined proximity to the vehicle, and to generate and transmit a signal to the controller when the sensor it continually detects the towable object for a predetermined time interval.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein the sensor includes an onboard camera configured to take at least one image to detect the towable object.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein the controller is further configured to prompt the user interface device for the information about the towable object.

6. The system of claim 1 wherein the size includes at least one of a height, a width, and a length of the towable object.

7. A vehicle comprising:

an attachment mechanism configured to receive an object;

an interface configured to receive user input;

a controller configured to;

receive an indication of the object at the attachment mechanism;

present an alert via the interface;

receive object size information via the interface; and

transmit the information to at least one other vehicle in order for the other vehicle to realize a placement of the object.

8. The vehicle of claim 7 further comprising a detection device configured to detect the object attached to the attachment mechanism, and to generate and transmit a signal to the controller indicating that the object is attached to the attachment mechanism.

9. The vehicle of claim 8 wherein the detection device includes a scale, and is configured to generate and transmit the signal to the controller indicating presence of the object at the attachment mechanism when the scale measures a weight that exceeds a predetermined magnitude.

10. The vehicle of claim 8 wherein the detection device includes a proximity sensor configured to sense detect the object when the object is within a pre-defined proximity to the vehicle, and to generate and transmit the signal to the controller when the proximity sensor continually detects the object for a predetermined time interval.

11. The vehicle of claim 8 wherein the detection device includes an onboard camera configured to take at least one image to detect the object, and wherein the signal includes the at least one image.

12. The vehicle of claim 7 wherein the alert includes a prompt for the information about the object.

13. The vehicle of claim 12 wherein the prompt includes selectable options including selectable types of attachable objects.

14. The vehicle of claim 13 wherein the prompt includes at least one fillable field, dropdown menu, and selection menu.

15. The vehicle of claim 7 wherein the object size information includes at least one of a height, a width, and a length of the object.

20. The method of claim 15 wherein the communication system is a vehicle-to-vehicle communication system.

16. A method comprising:

receiving, from a sensor, an indication of a towable object at a first vehicle;

receiving, via an interface, object size information for the towable object; and

transmitting, via a communication system, the object size information to a second vehicle in order for the second vehicle to realize a collective size of the first vehicle and the towable object.

17. The method of claim 16 further comprising requesting, at the interface, the object size information in response to receiving the indication of the towable object at the first vehicle.

18. The method of claim 16 wherein the object size information includes at least one of a height, a width, and a length of the towable object.

19. The method of claim 16 further comprising storing at least a subset of the object size information in at least one memory device.