The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Sep. 06, 2022
Filed:
Oct. 15, 2019
Ford Global Technologies, Llc, Dearborn, MI (US);
Xue Iuan Wong, Dearborn, MI (US);
Vidya Nariyambut murali, Sunnyvale, CA (US);
Shannon Brooks-Lehnert, Ann Arbor, MI (US);
Lihui Chen, Rochester, MI (US);
FORD GLOBAL TECHNOLOGIES, LLC, Dearborn, MI (US);
Abstract
Upon initiation of trailer-hitching, an image is obtained of an area behind and in a horizontal plane with respect to a vehicle, the area including a rearwardly extending trailer hitch, with a hitch ball mounted thereto, mounted to the vehicle. The hitch ball is located in the image. An overshoot zone, having a length extending from a vehicle rear bumper to a nearest point on the vehicle hitch ball and having a width that is a sum of a diameter of the hitch and two times a lateral offset, is defined within the area, as is a misaligned zone having a border extending from the vehicle rear bumper to a line tangent to a rearmost point of the hitch ball. A vehicle action is caused upon determining that the trailer coupling is detected in the overshoot zone or the misaligned zone.