Display system utilizing vehicle and trailer dynamics

• US 9,555,832 B2
• Filed: 06/25/2014
• Issued: 01/31/2017
• 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: Smit, David Dean, Rupp, Matthew Y., Trombley, Roger Arnold, Pilutti, Thomas Edward, Shutko, John, Rhode, Douglas Scott
• Primary Examiner(s): Hilgendorf, Dale W
• Application Number:
  US14/314,376
• Publication Number:
  US 20140309888A1
• Time in Patent Office: 951 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/04 including control of propulsion units
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/18 including control of braking systems
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/20 including control of steering systems
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2050/146 Display means
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2300/14 Tractor-trailers, i.e. combinations of a towing vehicle and one or more towed vehicles, e.g. caravans; Road trains
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2520/22 Articulation angle, e.g. between tractor and trailer
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2540/18 Steering angle
• 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: B60W 30/045 Improving turning performance
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/06 Automatic manoeuvring for parking
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/18036 Reversing
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/14 Means for informing the driver, warning the driver or prompting a driver intervention
• 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: B62D 15/0275 by overlaying a vehicle path based on present steering angle over an image without processing that image
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 15/028 Guided parking by providing commands to the driver, e.g. acoustically or optically
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 15/029 Steering assistants using warnings or proposing actions to the driver without influencing the steering system
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 15/0295 by overlaying a vehicle path based on present steering angle over an image without processing that image
• CPC Class Codes: G01B 21/22 for measuring angles or tapers; for testing the alignment of axes
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/183 for receiving images from a single remote source

Abstract

A display system for a vehicle and trailer is disclosed. The system comprises an interface configured to receive a directional input and a controller in communication with the interface and a screen. The controller is operable to receive a hitch angle and determine a heading direction of the trailer. The controller is further operable to determine a predicted heading of the vehicle aligned with the trailer based on the hitch angle. The predicted heading of the trailer is then displayed by the controller on the screen.

Claims

1. A display system for a vehicle and trailer comprising:

an interface configured to receive a directional input; and

a controller in communication with the interface and a screen, wherein the controller is operable to;

receive a hitch angle and determine a requested heading direction of the trailer based on the hitch angle;

determine a predicted heading for the vehicle and trailer to be aligned based on the hitch angle and a prospective alignment instruction; and

display the predicted heading of the trailer on the screen.

2. The system according to claim 1, wherein the requested heading direction is controlled in response to the directional input.

3. The system according to claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to adjust the hitch angle in response to an input received by the directional input of the interface.

4. The system according to claim 1, wherein the predicted heading is determined based on a change in the hitch angle in response to a reverse distance traveled by the vehicle.

5. The system according to claim 1, wherein the predicted heading on the screen demonstrates a response of the controller to the directional input directing the controller to orient the vehicle and the trailer in an aligned configuration.

6. The system according to claim 5, wherein the aligned configuration of the vehicle and the trailer corresponds to the hitch angle approaching zero.

7. The system according to claim 1, wherein the predicted heading of the vehicle aligned with the trailer corresponds to a predicted location of the vehicle and the trailer calculated for a straightening operation based on the hitch angle received by the controller.

8. The system according to claim 1, wherein the prospective alignment instruction corresponds to a projected request for the vehicle substantially aligned with the trailer.

9. A vehicle and trailer system comprising:

a controller in communication with a screen and at least one imaging device, the controller operable to;

receive a hitch angle between the vehicle and the trailer; and

display an image demonstrating a current trajectory of the trailer based on the hitch angle and demonstrating a predicted trajectory of the vehicle and trailer aligned in a straightened configuration based on the hitch angle and a projected alignment instruction.

10. The system according to claim 9, wherein the straightened configuration is based on a repositioning operation of the vehicle controlled by the controller configured to substantially align the vehicle with the trailer.

11. The system according to claim 10, wherein the repositioning operation comprises the controller adjusting a steering angle of the vehicle while the vehicle is traveling in a reverse direction.

12. The system according to claim 10, wherein the repositioning operation is processed by the controller in response to a user input configured to control the hitch angle to align the vehicle with the trailer.

13. The system according to claim 9, further comprising:

updating the predicted trajectory of the trailer in response to a change in at least one of the steering angle and the hitch angle to provide feedback on the screen in response to a user input.

14. The system according to claim 9, wherein the controller is further operable to:

overlay the current trajectory and the predicted trajectory on image data received from the at least one imaging device.

15. The system according to claim 9, wherein the at least one imaging device is disposed proximate a rear portion of the trailer.

16. The system according to claim 9, wherein the controller is further operable to:

receive an aerial image of a location of the vehicle and overlay an aerial view of the vehicle and the trailer over the aerial image to display features corresponding to the location on the screen.

17. A method for monitoring a trailer trajectory, the method comprising:

monitoring a hitch angle between a vehicle and the trailer;

displaying a trailer heading direction on a screen based on the hitch angle and a steering angle of the vehicle;

based on the hitch angle and steering angle, determining a predicted heading of the vehicle and trailer substantially aligned based on a prospective alignment instruction; and

displaying the predicted heading on the screen.

18. The method according to claim 17, further comprising:

overlaying a model of the vehicle and the trailer demonstrating the hitch angle over image data, the image data corresponding to an environment surrounding the vehicle and the trailer.

19. The method according to claim 18, wherein the trailer heading direction and the predicted heading are displayed in reference to the model of the vehicle and the trailer.

20. The method according to claim 17, further comprising:

updating the predicted heading in response to a change in one of the hitch angle and the steering angle.