Trailer backup assist system with waypoint selection

• US 9,969,428 B2
• Filed: 04/01/2015
• Issued: 05/15/2018
• 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, Shutko, John, Pilutti, Thomas Edward, Trombley, Roger Arnold
• Primary Examiner(s): Black, Thomas G
• Assistant Examiner(s): Kong, Sze-Hon
• Application Number:
  US14/676,197
• Publication Number:
  US 20150203156A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,140 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 display system for a vehicle attached to a trailer is provided herein. The system includes a display configured to show an aerial view of the vehicle and the trailer and a plurality of waypoints, each indicating a possible parking location for the trailer. The system also includes a device that interfaces with the display and is operable to select one of the plurality of waypoints and set a trailer orientation for the selected waypoint.

Claims

1. A trailer backup system comprising:

a display showing an aerial view of parking locations relative a vehicle and a trailer, each parking location represented as a box that is overlaid on the display;

an input device for selecting a parking location and setting a trailer orientation thereat by manipulating a trailer-shaped model displayed inside the box associated with the selected parking location and having an indicator pointing to the front thereof wherein the input device comprises a rotatable knob configured to toggle between the boxes, and wherein the box to which a toggle position is currently assigned has an enlarged border so as to be visually distinguishable from the other boxes; and

a controller for generating a backing path for achieving the set trailer orientation at the selected parking location.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the parking locations are located in proximity to at least one of the vehicle and the trailer shown on the display.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the parking location is selected by depressing the rotatable knob.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the input device comprises a touch screen configured to register at least one touch event for setting the trailer orientation associated therewith.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the backing path is shown on the display.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the controller generates the backing path based on a 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.

7. The system of claim 5, wherein the input device is operable to modify the backing path shown on the display by changing a curvature thereof.

8. A trailer backup system comprising:

a display showing an aerial view of parking locations relative a vehicle and a trailer, each parking location represented as a box that is overlaid on the display;

an input device for selecting a parking location and setting a trailer orientation thereat by rotating a trailer-shaped model displayed at the selected parking location, wherein the trailer-shaped model has an indicator pointing to the front thereof, and wherein the input device comprises a rotatable knob configured to toggle between the boxes, and wherein the box to which a toggle position is currently assigned has an enlarged border so as to be visually distinguishable from the other boxes; and

a controller for generating a backing path for achieving the set trailer orientation at the selected parking location.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein each of the parking locations are located adjacent to a side of at least one of the vehicle and the trailer.

10. The system of claim 8, wherein the parking location is selected by depressing the rotatable knob.

11. The system of claim 8, wherein the input device comprises a touch screen configured to register at least one touch event for setting the trailer orientation associated therewith.

12. The system of claim 8, wherein the backing path is shown on the display.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the controller generates the backing path based on a predetermined depth of the selected parking location, a predetermined width of the selected parking location, and a predetermined width of an initial path on which the trailer is currently located, wherein the depth of the selected parking location, the width of the selected parking location, and the width of the initial path are set by an operator of the vehicle.

14. The system of claim 12, wherein the input device is operable to modify the backing path shown on the display by changing a curvature thereof.

15. A trailer backup system comprising:

a display showing an aerial view of parking locations relative a vehicle and a trailer, each parking location represented as a box that is overlaid on the display;

an input device for selecting a parking location and setting a trailer orientation thereat by rotating a trailer-shaped model displayed at the selected parking location, wherein the trailer-shaped model has an indicator pointing to the front thereof, and wherein the input device comprises a rotatable knob configured to toggle between the boxes, and wherein the box to which a toggle position is currently assigned has an enlarged border so as to be visually distinguishable from the other boxes; and

a controller for generating a backing path shown on the display and based on the selected waypoint, the set trailer orientation, and backing parameters comprising a 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, the backing parameters being predetermined by an operator of the vehicle.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein each of the parking locations are located adjacent to a side of at least one of the vehicle and the trailer.

17. The system of claim 15, wherein the parking location is selected by depressing the rotatable knob.

18. The system of claim 15, wherein the input device comprises a touch screen configured to register at least one touch event for setting the trailer orientation associated therewith.

19. The system of claim 15, wherein the controller further generates the backing path based on the location of objects detected relative the vehicle and the trailer.

20. The system of claim 15, wherein the input device is operable to modify the backing path shown on the display by changing a curvature thereof.