Vehicle blind spot system operation with trailer tow

• US 9,937,861 B2
• Filed: 11/10/2016
• Issued: 04/10/2018
• 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): Fan, Hongmin
• Application Number:
  US15/348,620
• Publication Number:
  US 20170057413A1
• Time in Patent Office: 516 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 9/008 for anti-collision purposes
• 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
• 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, one or more sensors, a trailer hitch, at least one processor in electronic communication with the sensors and configured to;

detect a hitched trailer;

load trailer and buffer dimensions based on a detection of the hitched trailer;

generate a blind spot dimension based on the loaded trailer and buffer dimensions;

identify a position of an object based the sensors;

automatically generate a blind spot warning based on the generated blind spot dimension and the identified position of the object;

only enable user-adjustment of the buffer dimension above a preset minimum.

2. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the blind spot warning is automatically deactivating the vehicle'"'"'s cruise control.

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

4. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the at least one processor is configured to trigger the blind spot warning based on the at least one processor detecting a lane change.

5. The vehicle of claim 4, wherein the lane change is the vehicle steering toward a lane of an identified object.

6. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the dimensions are parallel to a longitudinal axis of the vehicle.

7. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the at least one processor is configured to detect the hitched trailer upon receiving a user input.

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

9. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the at least one processor is configured to:

generate a blind spot area based on the generated blind spot dimension;

automatically generate the blind spot warning based on the generated blind spot dimension and the identified position of the object by automatically generating the blind spot warning when the object is inside the blind spot area.

10. The vehicle of claim 9, wherein the at least one processor is configured to extend the blind spot area behind the hitched trailer at least by virtue of the buffer dimension.

11. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the trailer hitch comprises a trailer interface and the at least one processor is configured to detect the hitched trailer via an electric signal transmitted through the trailer interface.

12. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the at least one processor is configured to detect the hitched trailer via the sensors.

13. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the preset minimum is hard coded into the vehicle.

14. The vehicle of claim 9, wherein the at least one processor is configured to detect a current position of the trailer and to update the blind spot area based on the current position of the trailer.

15. The vehicle of claim 14, wherein the trailer dimensions include a trailer width and a trailer length and the at least one processor is configured to generate the blind spot area based on both of the trailer width and the trailer length.

16. The vehicle of claim 14, wherein the at least one processor is configured to update the blind spot area based on the current position of the trailer to prevent the trailer from generating the blind spot warning.

17. The vehicle of claim 14, wherein the at least one processor is configured to update the blind spot area based on the current position of the trailer such that the trailer never occupies the blind spot area.

18. The vehicle of claim 9, wherein the at least one processor is configured to update the blind spot area as the trailer pivots with respect to the vehicle.

19. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the at least one processor is configured to confirm that an identified object is not the hitched trailer before automatically generating the blind spot warning.

20. A method of controlling a vehicle, the vehicle comprising a body, a motor, brakes, one or more sensors, a trailer hitch, at least one processor in electronic communication with the sensors, the method comprising:

detecting a hitched trailer;

loading trailer and buffer dimensions based on detecting the hitched trailer;

generating a blind spot dimension based on the loaded trailer and buffer dimensions;

identifying a position of an object based the sensors;

automatically generating a blind spot warning based on the generated blind spot dimension and the identified position of the object;

only enabling user-adjustment of the buffer dimension above a preset minimum.