Trailer backup assist system with waypoint selection

• US 9,926,008 B2
• Filed: 02/20/2015
• Issued: 03/27/2018
• 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: Hafner, Michael, Pilutti, Thomas Edward
• Primary Examiner(s): Black, Thomas G
• Assistant Examiner(s): Kong, Sze-Hon
• Application Number:
  US14/627,758
• Publication Number:
  US 20150158527A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,131 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60D 1/245 for facilitating push back or parking of trailers
• CPC Class Codes: B60D 1/62 involving supply lines, electric circuits, or the like
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/00 Purposes of road vehicle drive control systems not related to the control of a particular sub-unit, e.g. of systems using conjoint control of vehicle sub-units
• 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: G08G 1/14 indicating individual free spaces in parking areas
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/143 inside the vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/183 for receiving images from a single remote source

Abstract

A method of backing a trailer attached to a vehicle is provided herein. The method includes the steps of generating a plurality of waypoints on a display of the vehicle and selecting one of the plurality waypoints. The method also includes setting a trailer orientation for the selected waypoint and determining a backing path based on the selected waypoint and the set trailer orientation. The method further includes backing the trailer along the backing path.

Claims

1. A trailer backup method comprising the steps of:

generating an aerial view on a display showing a vehicle attached to a trailer, and a plurality of parking locations positioned to the sides of the vehicle and the trailer, each parking location represented by a box;

selecting one of the parking locations, wherein the box associated with a selected parking location has an enlarged border so as to be visually distinguishable from the boxes associated with unselected parking locations;

displaying a trailer-shaped model inside the selected parking location;

setting a trailer orientation by manipulating the trailer-shaped model;

determining a backing path for achieving the set trailer orientation at the selected parking location; and

backing a trailer along the backing path.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the one of the parking locations is selected using one of a rotatable knob and a touch event registered on a touchscreen of the display.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of driving a vehicle in a forward direction until the backing path has been determined.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of determining a backing path is based on backing parameters comprising a predetermined depth of the selected parking location, a width of the selected parking location, and a width of an initial path on which the trailer is currently located.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of autonomously steering the vehicle while backing the trailer along the backing path.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of modifying the backing path while backing the trailer along the backing path.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the step of modifying comprises providing a rotatable knob for adjusting a curvature of the backing path.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the box associated with the selected parking location is displayed in a different color than the boxes associated with unselected parking locations or made to blink.

9. A trailer backup method comprising the steps of:

displaying an aerial representation of a vehicle and a trailer;

generating a plurality of parking locations, each parking location represented by a box adjacent to one of the vehicle and the trailer;

selecting one of the parking locations, wherein the box associated with a selected parking location has an enlarged border so as to be visually distinguishable from the boxes associated with unselected parking locations;

displaying a trailer-shaped model inside the selected parking location, the trailer-shaped model having an indicator pointing to the front of the trailer-shaped model;

setting a trailer orientation by rotating the trailer-shaped model;

determining a backing path terminating at the selected parking location and resulting in the set trailer orientation; and

backing the trailer along the backing path.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the one of the parking locations is selected using one of a rotatable knob and a touch event registered on a touchscreen.

11. The method of claim 9, further comprising the step of driving the vehicle in a forward direction until the backing path has been determined.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein the step of determining a backing path is based on backing parameters comprising a predetermined depth of the selected parking location, a width of the selected parking location, and a width of an initial path on which the trailer is currently located.

13. The method of claim 9, further comprising the step of modifying the backing path while backing the trailer along the backing path.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the step of modifying comprises providing a rotatable knob for adjusting a curvature of the backing path.

15. A trailer backup method comprising the steps of:

displaying an aerial representation of a vehicle and a trailer;

generating a plurality of parking locations, each parking location represented by a box;

selecting one of the parking locations, wherein the box associated with a selected parking location has an enlarged border so as to be visually distinguishable from the boxes associated with unselected parking locations;

displaying a trailer-shaped model inside the selected parking location;

setting a trailer orientation by rotating the trailer-shaped model about a central point;

determining a backing path for achieving the set trailer orientation at the selected parking location; and

backing the trailer along the backing path.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the one of the parking locations is selected using one of a rotatable knob and a touch event registered on a touchscreen.

17. The method of claim 15, further comprising the step of driving the vehicle in a forward direction until the backing path has been determined.

18. The method of claim 15, wherein the step of determining a backing path is based on backing parameters comprising a predetermined depth of the selected parking location, a width of the selected parking location, and a width of an initial path on which the trailer is currently located.

19. The method of claim 15, further comprising the step of autonomously steering the vehicle while backing the trailer along the backing path.

20. The method of claim 15, further comprising the step of modifying for the backup path by using a rotatable knob to adjust a curvature of the backing path.