Ford Global Technolgoies, LLC

Douglas J Rogan

Luke Niewiadomski

Roger Arnold Trombley

Nikhil Nagraj Rao

Chen Zhang

Bruno Sielly Jales Costa

Shannon Brooks-Lehnert

Seyed Armin Raeis Hosseiny

Bo Bao

Kenneth Michael Mayer

Steven Wayne Friedlander

Peter Ling

Vidya Nariyambut Murali

Li Xu

Donald Jacob Mattern

Tarik Safir

Sam Harris

Arnav Sharma

Shruthi Venkat

Erick Michael Lavoie

Yi Zhang

Eric L Reed

Kyle Simmons

Dongran Liu

Robert Bell

Mohamed El-sawah

Hira Khan

A vehicle hitching assistance system includes a controller executing an initial alignment process including searching for a trailer within a specified area of image data that is less than a total field of the image data in directions corresponding with both a longitudinal distance between the vehicle and the trailer and a lateral direction perpendicular to the longitudinal distance, presenting an indication to a driver of the vehicle to reposition the vehicle when the trailer is not identified within the specified area, and removing the indication when the trailer is identified within the specified area. The controller further executes an automated backing process upon identifying the trailer within the specified area, including identifying a coupler of the trailer and outputting a steering signal to the vehicle to cause the vehicle to steer to align a hitch ball of the vehicle with the coupler of the trailer during reversing.

Application of auxiliary lighting in automatic hitch operation

A trailer sideswipe avoidance system for a vehicle towing a trailer includes a sensor system configured to detect an object in an operating environment of the vehicle. The trailer sideswipe avoidance system also includes a controller that processes information received from the sensor system to determine whether an object detected in the operating environment of the vehicle is in a forward travel path of the towed trailer as the vehicle turns. The trailer sideswipe avoidance system further includes a visual display that displays bird's eye view representations of the vehicle and the trailer and a collision warning band that extends around at least a portion of the bird's eye view representation of the trailer. A portion of the collision warning band changes color based on the controller determining that the object is in the travel path of the towed trailer.

Trailer sideswipe avoidance system

A monitoring system for a vehicle includes a plurality of surveillance sensors in connection with the vehicle and configured to capture sensor data proximate to the vehicle. A position sensor is configured to detect a location of the vehicle. A controller determines a surveillance mode for the vehicle based on the sensor data and a plurality of security factors associated with the location of the vehicle. The controller activates the surveillance mode in response to the security factors and monitors the sensor data. The controller further filters a plurality of security events from a plurality of benign events and selectively outputs alerts in response to the security events and the benign events.

System and method for vehicle security monitoring

A hitch assist system for a vehicle comprises an imaging system that receives image data of a hitch ball and trailer coupler, and a controller. The controller estimates a distance between a point on each of the hitch ball and trailer coupler. The points are parallel to a plane defined by a surface beneath the hitch ball and trailer coupler. The controller tracks the distance with a pixel-domain comparison between each of the points responsive to the distance being less than a first threshold, and maneuvers, via steering and braking systems, the vehicle along a path such that the distance is indicative of the points being coaxial.

Prevention of trailer coupler tracking jump during hitch assist operation

A system for assisting in aligning a vehicle for hitching with a trailer includes a steering system that adjusts a steering angle of the vehicle, a braking system that adjusts a speed of the vehicle, an imaging system that receives image data of a trailer disposed in an area proximate the vehicle, and a controller. The controller detects, within a threshold distance defined from a stationary point on the vehicle and the trailer, a position of a coupler from the image data, and, responsive to the position being less than the threshold distance, a status of the trailer based on the image data being indicative of a position of a hitch ball relative to the coupler within a second threshold. The controller maneuvers, via the steering and braking systems, the vehicle based on the status.

Differentiating between near trailer and connected trailer

A monitoring system for a vehicle includes surveillance sensors configured to capture sensor data proximate to the vehicle. A position sensor is configured to detect a location of the vehicle. A controller is in communication with the surveillance sensors and the position sensor. The controller calculates a security score in response to security data based on the location of the vehicle and selects an active mode for the surveillance sensors in response to the security score. The active mode is selected from a plurality of surveillance modes that vary an active operation of the plurality of surveillance sensors. The controller may change or escalate the active mode and a corresponding monitoring operation (e.g., from a first mode to a second mode) in response to a security detection.

A vehicle hitching assistance system includes a controller acquiring image data from the vehicle and identifying a trailer within a specified area of the image data and then identifying a coupler of the trailer. The specified area is less than a total field of the image data. The controller then outputs a steering signal to the vehicle to cause the vehicle to steer to align a hitch ball of the vehicle with the coupler.

A vehicle system configured to control a trailer alignment routine includes a hitch mounted on a vehicle and a controller. The controller is configured to identify a coupler position of a trailer and control motion of the vehicle to toward an aligned position. The controller is further configured to control a braking procedure of the vehicle including a plurality of concurrent deceleration control procedures in response to a portion of the vehicle passing a gradual stopping distance. The concurrent deceleration procedures include monitoring an elapsed time following the portion of the vehicle passing the gradual stopping distance and monitoring a remaining distance to the aligned position based on a velocity of the vehicle and comparing the remaining distance to a rapid stopping distance.

Overshoot protection in hitch assist operation

A vehicle system includes a vehicle brake system, an accelerometer mounted on the vehicle, and a controller. The controller receives a first signal from the accelerometer and, during reversing of the vehicle in a longitudinal direction, transmits an actuation signal to the vehicle brake system when the first signal from the accelerometer indicates a deceleration in the longitudinal direction above a predetermined rate within a predetermined time interval.

Trailer and vehicle collision detection and response during autohitch maneuvering

A vehicle has a trailer hitch, a vehicle electrical connector configured to electrically connect to a trailer electrical connector, and an imaging system oriented to captures images proximate to the trailer hitch. The vehicle also includes a proximity sensing system arranged to sense objects proximate to the trailer hitch and generate a proximity signal, an electrical connection detection system to detect an electrical connection to the vehicle trailer connector and generate an electrical connection signal, and a controller processing the captured images, the proximity signal and the electrical connector signal and determining a connection state of a trailer to the vehicle based on the captured images, the proximity sensor and the electrical connector signal, and generating an output indicative of the determined connection state.

Vehicle system and method for detecting trailer connection

A vehicle hitching assistance system including a controller determining a trailer target area to a rear of the vehicle. The trailer target area is positioned within left and right lateral vehicle steering limits, defined in a lateral direction between left and right boundaries respectively spaced inwardly of the left and right lateral vehicle steering limits by one of a system perception factor or a vehicle geometry factor, and defined in a longitudinal direction between a minimum movement limit and a maximum perception limit. The controller further identifies a trailer coupler within the trailer target area and outputs a steering signal to the vehicle to cause the vehicle to steer to align a hitch ball of the vehicle with the coupler during movement of the vehicle.

Acceptable zone for automated hitching with system performance considerations

A system for assisting in aligning a vehicle for hitching with a trailer includes a vehicle steering system, a detection system outputting a signal including object position information of an area to a rear of the vehicle, and a controller. The controller receiving the object position data and identifying a targeted trailer and at least one additional object within the area to the rear of the vehicle and controlling the vehicle steering system to maneuver the vehicle during reversing to align a hitch ball mounted on the vehicle to a coupler of the targeted trailer. Upon aligning the hitch ball with the coupler, the controller presents an indication, if it is determined that the at least one additional object is within a threshold distance of a side of the targeted trailer.

Detection and response to confined trailer in system-assisted hitch operation

A vehicle system comprises a hitch ball mounted on a vehicle. The system further comprises a plurality of sensor devices comprising an ultrasonic sensor and an image sensor. A controller is configured to process image data from the image sensor identifying a coupler position of a trailer. The controller is further configured to process ultrasonic data from the ultrasonic sensor identifying a proximity of the trailer. Based on the proximity of the trailer, the system is configured to identify the trailer in a detection range of the image sensor.

Growing community of inventors

Mountain View, CA, United States of America

Douglas J Rogan