Ford Global Technolgoies, LLC

Alexander Lee Hunton

Luke Niewiadomski

Li Xu

Seyed Armin Raeis Hosseiny

Bo Bao

Phillip Curtiss Couture

A trailer flank object contact avoidance system for a vehicle towing a trailer includes a sensor system configured to detect objects in an operating environment of the vehicle and a controller. The controller processes information received from the sensor system to monitor a relative position of at least one object with respect to the vehicle during driving and determines an instantaneous path of the trailer based on a vehicle steering angle and whether the instantaneous path of the trailer would bring the trailer into contact with the at least one object. The controller issues a coaching notification to the driver that reverse driving is required to prevent contact between the trailer and the vehicle when a corrective steering angle cannot prevent contact of the trailer with the at least one object during forward driving.

Active HMI coaching to assist in the retreat from a pending trailer flank contact

A trailer detection system for a vehicle includes a trailer sensor, an imaging system, and a controller. The controller implements a trailer angle indication process including receiving and processing image data to identify a rotation point of a trailer coupled with the vehicle about a fifth-wheel hitch, left and right lateral edges of the trailer, and a distance between a rear portion of a cab of the vehicle and a front face of the trailer. Trailer yaw rate data is received and processed to determine an angle of the trailer about the rotation point, and an expected position of the front face of the trailer and at least one of the left and right lateral edges of the trailer with respect to the cab of the vehicle is calculated.

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Dearborn, MI, United States of America

Alexander Lee Hunton