Systems and methods for movable hitch receiver

• US 9,796,226 B2
• Filed: 12/30/2014
• Issued: 10/24/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 12/30/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC (General Motors Company)
• Original Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC (General Motors Company)
• Inventors: Turner, Phillip M., Gillett, Jr., Richard O., Pastor, Stephen R., Klingler, Thomas A., Mao, Xiaofeng
• Primary Examiner(s): Mawari, Redhwan K
• Assistant Examiner(s): WHALEN, MICHAEL F
• Application Number:
  US14/585,552
• Publication Number:
  US 20160187888A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,029 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60D 1/246 for actuating the hitch by powered means
• 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 1/44 horizontally
• CPC Class Codes: B60D 1/62 involving supply lines, electric circuits, or the like

Abstract

Methods and apparatus are provided for moving a receiver associated with a hitch frame of a vehicle. The method includes receiving data indicating a hand wheel angle; determining, with a processor, a position for the receiver relative to the hitch frame based on the hand wheel angle; and outputting one or more control signals to a motor coupled to the receiver to move the receiver relative to a longitudinal axis of the vehicle based on the determination.

Claims

1. A method of moving a receiver associated with a hitch frame of a vehicle, comprising:

receiving data indicating a current range of a transmission of the vehicle;

receiving sensor data indicating a current position of the receiver on the hitch frame;

controlling, by a processor, the receiver to a desired position based on a value of the current range;

wherein when the current range is other than a reverse range, determining, by the processor, the desired position to be a center position relative to a longitudinal axis of the vehicle and based on the current position of the receiver on the hitch frame, outputting one or more control signals to a motor coupled to the receiver to move the receiver relative to the longitudinal axis of the vehicle to the desired position; and

wherein when the current range is the reverse range, determining, by the processor, the desired position based on a speed of the vehicle and a hand wheel angle, and based on a received activation input, retrieving, by the processor, from a look-up table stored in a datastore, the desired position for the receiver on the hitch frame based on the hand wheel angle and the speed of the vehicle, and outputting one or more control signals to the motor coupled to the receiver to move the receiver relative to the longitudinal axis of the vehicle to the desired position.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the receiving data indicating the hand wheel angle further comprises:

receiving the hand wheel angle from a steering assist unit of the vehicle.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving manual input data from an input device indicating a user desired movement for the receiver; and

outputting one or more control signals to the motor based on the input data to move the receiver relative to the longitudinal axis of the vehicle.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving input data further comprises:

receiving input data from an input device remote from the vehicle.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

when the current range is the drive range, determining whether the hand wheel angle is greater than a fifth threshold, based on the determination that the hand wheel angle is greater than the fifth threshold, determining, by the processor, the desired position for the receiver based on a difference between the hand wheel angle and the fifth threshold, and outputting the one or more control signals to the motor to move the receiver to the desired position.

6. A vehicle, comprising:

an engine having an engine control module;

a movable hitch system including a receiver movably coupled to a hitch frame and a motor having an output shaft coupled to the receiver to move the receiver on the hitch frame;

a source of data that provides a hand wheel angle, a vehicle yaw rate, a force acting on the motor associated with the receiver and a vehicle speed;

a control module, having a processor, that;

determines the vehicle yaw rate is greater than a first threshold;

determines whether the hand wheel angle is less than a second threshold;

determines whether the force acting on the motor is greater than a third threshold;

determines whether the vehicle speed is greater than a fourth threshold; and

based on the determination that the vehicle yaw rate is greater than the first threshold, the hand wheel angle is less than the second threshold, the force acting on the motor is greater than the third threshold and the vehicle speed is greater than the fourth threshold, outputs a throttle position for the engine control module to control a speed of the engine and outputs one or more control signals to the motor to move the receiver on the hitch frame.

7. The vehicle of claim 6, further comprising:

a source of vehicle speed data that indicates a speed of the vehicle,

wherein the control module retrieves, from a look-up table stored in a datastore, a location for the receiver on the hitch frame based on the hand wheel angle and the vehicle speed data, and the control module outputs the one or more control signals to the motor to move the receiver on the hitch frame based on the retrieved location.

8. The vehicle of claim 6, further comprising a user input device that receives user input to manually move the receiver, wherein the control module outputs the one or more control signals to the motor to move the receiver on the hitch frame based on the user input.

9. The vehicle of claim 6, further comprising:

a source that indicates a current range of a transmission,

wherein the control module;

when the current range is the drive range, determines whether the hand wheel angle is greater than a fifth threshold;

based on the determination that the hand wheel angle is greater than the fifth threshold, determines a position for the receiver on the hitch frame based on a difference between the hand wheel angle and the fifth threshold; and

outputs the one or more control signals to the motor to move the receiver on the hitch frame based on the determined position.

10. The vehicle of claim 6, wherein the receiver is movable in a direction substantially perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of the vehicle.

11. The vehicle of claim 6, wherein the source of user input is remote from the vehicle.