Trailer backup assist system with object detection

• US 9,499,200 B2
• Filed: 03/26/2015
• Issued: 11/22/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 04/19/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Inventors: Hochrein, Bradley G., Rolfes, Nathaniel Abram, Mattern, Donald Jacob, Lavoie, Erick Michael
• Primary Examiner(s): Cheung, Mary
• Application Number:
  US14/669,130
• Publication Number:
  US 20150197282A1
• Time in Patent Office: 607 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 2201/022 Collision avoidance systems
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 2201/10 Automatic or semi-automatic parking aid systems
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 2230/08 Driving in reverse
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 7/20 specially for trailers, e.g. in case of uncoupling of or overrunning by trailer inertia-actuated overrun brakes B60T13/08
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 8/1708 for lorries or tractor-trailer combinations
• 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: B62D 15/0285 Parking performed automatically
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0223 involving speed control of the vehicle vehicle fittings for automatically controlling, i.e. preventing speed from exceeding an arbitrarily established velocity or maintaining speed at a particular velocity, as selected by the vehicle operator B60K31/00

Abstract

A system for backing a vehicle and a trailer is provided herein. A sensing system is configured to detect objects located in an operating environment of the vehicle and trailer. A backup assist system is configured to communicate with the sensing system and automatically control a braking system of the vehicle to slow or stop the vehicle during a backing maneuver.

Claims

1. A system for backing a vehicle and a trailer, comprising:

ultrasonic sensors configured to detect a relative positioning between the vehicle and the trailer; and

a backup assist system configured to receive information from the ultrasonic sensors and automatically modify a speed of the vehicle to prevent the vehicle from colliding with the trailer during a backing maneuver based on a distance between a corner of the vehicle and the trailer being below a minimum allowable distance.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the ultrasonic sensors are each disposed on the vehicle or the trailer.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the backup assist system communicates with a braking system of the vehicle to apply brakes to the vehicle to reduce vehicle speed as the distance between the corner of the vehicle and the trailer decreases.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the backup assist system communicates with a braking system of the vehicle to execute a hard stop of the vehicle if the distance between the corner of the vehicle and the trailer is indicative of a potential collision between the vehicle and the trailer.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the backup assist system is further configured to automatically steer the vehicle during the backing maneuver.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the minimum allowable distance is determined based on dimensions of the vehicle and the trailer and a time needed in which to execute the hard stop of the vehicle.

7. A system for backing a vehicle and a trailer, comprising:

a sensing system configured to detect a relative positioning between the vehicle and the trailer; and

a backup assist system configured to communicate with the sensing system and automatically control a braking system of the vehicle to execute a hard stop during a backing maneuver based on a distance between a corner of the vehicle and the trailer being below a minimum allowable distance.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the sensing system comprises ultrasonic sensors, each disposed on a front, side, or rear portion of the vehicle or the trailer.

9. The system of claim 7, wherein the backup assist system is configured to automatically slow the vehicle when the distance between the corner of the vehicle and the trailer approaches the minimum allowable distance.

10. The system of claim 7, wherein the minimum allowable distance is indicative of a potential collision between the vehicle and the trailer.

11. A method for backing a vehicle and trailer, comprising the steps of:

executing a backing maneuver of the vehicle and trailer;

detecting a relative positioning between the vehicle and trailer; and

automatically controlling a braking system of the vehicle to modify a speed of the vehicle during the backing maneuver based on a distance between a corner of the vehicle and the trailer.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the step of executing a backing maneuver comprises automatically steering the vehicle.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the step of automatically controlling a braking system further comprises executing a hard stop if the distance between the corner of the vehicle and the trailer falls below the minimum allowable distance.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the minimum allowable distance is determined based on dimensions of the vehicle and the trailer and a time needed in which to execute the hard stop of the vehicle.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein the step of automatically controlling a braking system comprises slowing the vehicle when the distance between the corner of the vehicle and the trailer approaches a minimum allowable distance.