Vehicle blind spot system operation with trailer tow

• US 9,493,117 B2
• Filed: 10/08/2014
• Issued: 11/15/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 10/08/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Continental Automotive Systems, Inc. (Continental AG), Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Inventors: Shehan, Mark Alan, Snarski, Kenneth, Mackey, Joseph, McConnell, Douglas, Kanzler, Steven Gerd
• Primary Examiner(s): Lim, Steven
• Assistant Examiner(s): Fan, Hongmin
• Application Number:
  US14/509,876
• Publication Number:
  US 20160101730A1
• Time in Patent Office: 769 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 9/008 for anti-collision purposes
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 1/00 Optical viewing arrangements; Real-time viewing arrangements for drivers or passengers using optical image capturing systems, e.g. cameras or video systems specially adapted for use in or on vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2300/808 for facilitating docking to a trailer
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/87 Combinations of radar systems, e.g. primary radar and secondary radar
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/88 Radar or analogous systems specially adapted for specific applications electromagnetic prospecting or detecting of objects, e.g. near-field detection, G01V3/00
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/931 of land vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 15/87 Combinations of sonar systems
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 15/88 Sonar systems specially adapted for specific applications seismic or acoustic prospecting or detecting G01V1/00
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 15/931 of land vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 17/931 of land vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2013/9315 Monitoring blind spots
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2013/9323 Alternative operation using light waves
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2013/9324 Alternative operation using ultrasonic waves
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2013/93272 in the back of the vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2013/93274 on the side of the vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2015/932 for parking operations
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2015/938 in the bumper area radar in bumper area G01S2013/93275; bumper with obstacle sensor of electric or electronic type B60R19/483
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/167 Driving aids for lane monitoring, lane changing, e.g. blind spot detection
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/168 Driving aids for parking, e.g. acoustic or visual feedback on parking space

Abstract

This disclosure generally relates to a vehicle blind spot detection system, method, and module for adjusting parameters of a vehicle blind spot detection algorithm based on a trailer being attached to the back of the vehicle. More specifically, based on a determination that a trailer is attached to the vehicle and the reception of trailer information corresponding to the attached trailer, an adjust to the parameters of a blind spot detection area is disclosed for ensuring the continued operation of the blind spot detection feature will take into account the attached trailer.

Claims

1. A vehicle comprising:

a body, a motor, brakes, a trailer-hitch, a processor coupled to sensors and configured to;

detect a hitched trailer, and in response;

sum individually recalled trailer-hitch, trailer, buffer, and vehicle lengths;

identify position(s) of object(s) based the sensors'"'"' signals;

automatically trigger a first response only when the position(s) are within the summed length;

only enable user-adjustment of the buffer length above a preset standard length.

2. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the first response includes automatically deactivating the vehicle'"'"'s cruise control.

3. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the first response includes flashing a light mounted on a rear-view mirror of the body.

4. The vehicle of claim 2, wherein the processor is configured to only trigger the first response when the processor detects a vehicle lane change.

5. The vehicle of claim 4, wherein the vehicle lane change is the vehicle steering into a lane having identified object(s).

6. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the detection length is parallel to a longitudinal axis of the vehicle.

7. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the recalled vehicle length is a longitudinal length from at least one of the sensors to a rear surface of the vehicle.

8. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to assess signals from at least two discrete sensors to detect the hitched trailer.

9. A method of operating a vehicle having a body, a motor, brakes, a trailer-hitch, and a processor coupled to sensors, comprising, with the processor:

detecting a hitched trailer, and in response;

summing individually recalled trailer-hitch, trailer, buffer, and vehicle lengths;

identifying position(s) of object(s) based the sensors'"'"' signals;

automatically triggering a first response only when the position(s) are within the summed length;

only enabling user-adjustment of the buffer length above a preset standard length.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the first response includes automatically deactivating the vehicle'"'"'s cruise control.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the first response includes flashing a light mounted on a rear-view mirror of the body.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the processor is configured to only trigger the first response when the processor detects a vehicle lane change.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the vehicle lane change is the vehicle steering into a lane having identified object(s).

14. The method of claim 9, wherein the detection length is parallel to a longitudinal axis of the vehicle.

15. The method of claim 9, wherein the recalled vehicle length is a longitudinal length from at least one of the sensors to a rear surface of the vehicle.

16. The method of claim 9, wherein the processor is configured to assess signals from at least two discrete sensors to detect the hitched trailer.