Ford Global Technolgoies, LLC

Steven Wayne Friedlander

Roger Arnold Trombley

Luke Niewiadomski

Chen Zhang

Kristopher Karl Brown

Seyed Armin Raeis Hosseiny

Bo Bao

Douglas J Rogan

Kenneth Michael Mayer

Shannon Brooks-Lehnert

Peter Ling

Stuart C Salter

Cornel Lewis Gardner

James J Surman

Ali Hassani

Kendra White

Kirk Leonard

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

The disclosure generally pertains to systems and methods for assisting a customer retrieve a package from an autonomous vehicle. In an example procedure, the autonomous vehicle may detect the customer waiting at a first spot and may determine that the first spot is unsuitable/unsafe for the customer to retrieve a package from a locked compartment in the autonomous vehicle. The autonomous vehicle may therefore instruct the customer to move to a second spot that is safer and closer to the compartment and may then execute an authentication procedure to authenticate the customer and unlock a door of the compartment. In an alternative approach, the autonomous vehicle may travel to a parking spot that is safer and closer to where the customer is waiting (rather than instructing the customer to move) before authenticating and unlocking the door of the compartment to allow the customer to retrieve the package.

Systems and methods to assist a customer retrieve a package from an autonomous vehicle

A vehicle system is disclosed herein. A display panel is disposed on the exterior of the vehicle and is configured as a user interface for receiving inputs from a user. An occupant detection device is configured to detect the position of an occupant of the vehicle. A controller is configured to receive a request for pickup from a potential passenger via a first communication; register authorization information based on the first communication; receive a request for vehicle access via a second communication that includes authorization information; and control one or more doors of the vehicle to allow the potential passenger access to the vehicle via the one or more doors in response to the authorization information registered based on the first communication corresponding to the authorization information from the second communication, wherein the controller allows access via the one or more doors based on the position of the occupant detected by the occupant detection device.

Passenger authentication system for a vehicle

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.

This disclosure relates to a method and system for an exterior display of a vehicle, such as an autonomous vehicle, configured to issue feedback prompts. An example method includes issuing a prompt via a human-machine interface on an exterior of a vehicle permitting an input indicative of an undesired condition of the vehicle.

Method and system for exterior vehicle display configured to issue feedback prompts

Growing community of inventors

Canton, MI, United States of America

Steven Wayne Friedlander