Hitch assist system

• US 10,768,633 B2
• Filed: 07/16/2018
• Issued: 09/08/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 07/16/2018
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Inventors: Ling, Yu, Zhang, Chen, Niewiadomski, Luke, Lin, Theresa, Lavoie, Erick Michael
• Primary Examiner(s): Butler, Rodney A
• Application Number:
  US16/035,853
• Publication Number:
  US 20200019182A1
• Time in Patent Office: 785 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60D 1/06 Ball-and-socket hitches , e.g. constructional details, auxiliary devices, their arrangement on the vehicle
• 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 1/62 involving supply lines, electric circuits, or the like
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 1/00 Optical viewing arrangements; Real-time viewing arrangements for drivers or passengers using optical image capturing systems, e.g. cameras or video systems specially adapted for use in or on vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 1/003 for viewing trailer hitches
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 1/26 to the rear of the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 1/31 providing stereoscopic vision
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2300/105 using multiple cameras
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2300/20 characterised by the type of display used
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2300/304 using merged images, e.g. merging camera image with stored images
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2300/808 for facilitating docking to a trailer
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0225 involving docking at a fixed facility, e.g. base station or loading bay parking aids B62D15/027
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0246 using a video camera in combination with image processing means

Abstract

A hitch assist system is provided herein. The hitch assist system includes a sensing system configured to detect a hitch assembly and a coupler. A controller is configured to generate commands for maneuvering a vehicle along a first path or a second path. A user input device includes a display, the display configured to illustrate the first and second paths.

Claims

1. A hitch assist system comprising:

a sensing system configured to detect a hitch assembly and a coupler;

a controller configured to generate commands for maneuvering a vehicle along a first path or a second path; and

a user input device including a display, the display configured to illustrate the first and second paths, wherein the controller determines an offset of the hitch ball relative to the coupler, calculates the first path having a positioning path and an alignment path, maneuvers the vehicle in a predefined distance along the positioning path at a first vehicle speed-setpoint, aligns the hitch ball to the coupler along the alignment path at a second vehicle speed-setpoint, wherein the second vehicle speed-setpoint is less than the first vehicle speed-setpoint, calculates the second path to align the hitch ball to the coupler, detects an obstacle proximate the vehicle, and operates the vehicle along the first path or the second path to avoid the obstacle.

2. The hitch assist system of claim 1, wherein the user input device is configured to accept instructions for moving the vehicle along the first path or the second path.

3. The hitch assist system of claim 2, wherein the display is a touchscreen having circuitry to receive an input corresponding with a location over the display.

4. The hitch assist system of claim 3, wherein the touchscreen registers one or more touch events thereon for specifying the first path or the second path.

5. The hitch assist system of claim 1, wherein the sensing system includes a rear imager located on a rear portion of the vehicle and is configured to capture one or more images of a rear-vehicle scene.

6. The hitch assist system of claim 5, wherein the sensing system further includes a side-view imager configured to capture one or more images along a side portion of the vehicle.

7. The hitch assist system of claim 6, wherein the user input device registers one or more touch events thereon for specifying a location of the hitch coupler within a respective field of view from the rear imager or the side-view imager.

8. The hitch assist system of claim 1, wherein the display illustrates an overlay of a vehicle occupation zone of the first path or the second path, the vehicle occupation zone extending outwardly of a wheelbase path of the vehicle.

9. The hitch assist system of claim 8, wherein the overlay further includes obstacles within a field of view of the sensing system.

10. A hitch assist method comprising the steps of:

determining an offset of a hitch ball relative to a coupler;

calculating a first path to align the hitch ball to said coupler, the first path having a positioning path and an alignment path;

maneuvering a vehicle a predefined distance along the positioning path at a first vehicle speed-setpoint;

aligning the hitch ball to said coupler along the alignment path at a second vehicle speed-setpoint, the second speed-setpoint less than the first vehicle speed-setpoint;

calculating a second path to align the hitch ball to said coupler,

detecting an obstacle proximate the vehicle, and

operating the vehicle along the first path or the second path to avoid the obstacle.

11. The hitch assist method of claim 10, further comprising:

displaying the first and second paths on a touchscreen display, the touchscreen display configured to register one or more touch events thereon for specifying a chosen path.

12. The hitch assist method of claim 10, further comprising:

displaying a vehicle occupation zone extending outwardly of a wheelbase on a display.

13. The hitch assist method of claim 12, further comprising:

detecting obstacles proximate the vehicle or said coupler; and

illustrating the obstacles in relation to the vehicle occupation zone on the display.

14. The hitch assist method of claim 10, wherein the positioning path and the alignment path each include a deceleration period and wherein the alignment path deceleration period is based on a comparison of a detected deceleration period compared to an estimated deceleration period.

15. A hitch assist system comprising:

an imager for capturing one or more images of a hitch assembly and a coupler;

a display generating an image patch based on the one or more images; and

a controller for;

identifying the hitch assembly;

identifying a coupler; and

displaying an overlaid vehicle occupation zone on the display that extends through the hitch assembly, the vehicle occupation zone defining an area in which a vehicle travels to align the hitch assembly with the coupler, wherein the controller determines an offset of the hitch ball relative to the coupler, calculates a first path having a positioning path and an alignment path, maneuvers the vehicle in a predefined distance along the positioning path at a first vehicle speed-setpoint, aligns the hitch ball to the coupler along the alignment path at a second vehicle speed-setpoint, wherein the second vehicle speed-setpoint is less than the first vehicle speed-setpoint, calculates the second path to align the hitch ball to the coupler, detects an obstacle proximate the vehicle, and operates the vehicle along the first path or the second path to avoid the obstacle.

16. The hitch assist system of claim 15, wherein the imager is further configured to detect the obstacle proximate the vehicle and the controller is further configured to display the obstacle in relation to the vehicle occupation zone.

17. The hitch assist system of claim 15, wherein the controller generates the first and second paths that align the hitch assembly with the coupler.

18. The hitch assist system of claim 17, wherein the display is configured as a touchscreen, the touchscreen configured to accept instructions for moving the vehicle along the first path or the second path.