System and method for determining position of a position device relative to a moving vehicle

• US 9,640,077 B2
• Filed: 09/02/2015
• Issued: 05/02/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 09/04/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: BackSafe Systems, Inc
• Original Assignee: BackSafe Systems, Inc
• Inventors: Wayman, Michael J., Thompson, Kevin J., Johnson, Kirk R., Brusseau, Michael John
• Primary Examiner(s): Badii, Behrang
• Assistant Examiner(s): TESTARDI, DAVID A
• Application Number:
  US14/843,151
• Publication Number:
  US 20160068157A1
• Time in Patent Office: 608 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/22 for reverse drive
• 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 15/027 Parking aids, e.g. instruction means
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/008 communicating information to a remotely located station transmission systems for measured values G08C
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/005 including pedestrian guidance indicator
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/168 Driving aids for parking, e.g. acoustic or visual feedback on parking space

Abstract

There is disclosed a vehicle backing system configurable by a driver or spotter as a function of the type of the vehicle being backed up and a spotter'"'"'s position and/or a position of another vehicle located at a rear of a first vehicle.

Claims

1. A vehicle backing system comprising:

a base unit adapted to be installed in a vehicle;

a wand adapted to be carried by a spotter and configured to be docked to the base unit;

wherein the system includes means for determining a position of the wand relative to the base unit, and

wherein the base unit includes;

a) means for learning positions of rear corners of the vehicle;

b) means for determining from the position of the wand and the positions of the rear corners of the vehicle whether the spotter carrying the wand is in a proper position to eliminate a blind spot at a rear of the vehicle; and

c) means for recording information regarding whether or not the spotter is in the proper position to eliminate the blind spot when the vehicle is shifted into reverse.

2. The vehicle backing system as recited in claim 1, wherein the base unit is configured to instruct a user to touch the rear corners of the vehicle with the wand so that the positions of the rear corners of the vehicle are learned by the base unit.

3. The vehicle backing system as recited in claim 1, wherein the base unit further includes means for wirelessly transmitting the recorded information for analytical use.