US 11,964,692 B2
Application of auxiliary lighting in automatic hitch operation
Luke Niewiadomski, Dearborn, MI (US); Douglas Rogan, Mountainview, CA (US); Shannon Brooks-Lehnert, Ann Arbor, MI (US); Chen Zhang, South Rockwood, MI (US); Roger Arnold Trombley, Ann Arbor, MI (US); Peter Ling, Canton, MI (US); Kenneth Michael Mayer, Ypsilanti, MI (US); Seyed Armin Raeis Hosseiny, Canton, MI (US); Bo Bao, Bloomfield, MI (US); and Steven Wayne Friedlander, Canton, MI (US)
Assigned to FORD GLOBAL TECHNOLOGIES, LLC, Dearborn, MI (US)
Filed by Ford Global Technologies, LLC, Dearborn, MI (US)
Filed on Sep. 22, 2022, as Appl. No. 17/950,237.
Application 17/950,237 is a continuation of application No. 16/174,942, filed on Oct. 30, 2018, granted, now 11,485,413.
Prior Publication US 2023/0018061 A1, Jan. 19, 2023
Int. Cl. B62D 15/02 (2006.01); B60D 1/36 (2006.01); B60Q 1/22 (2006.01); B60R 1/26 (2022.01); B60R 1/31 (2022.01); G03B 15/02 (2021.01); G06V 20/20 (2022.01); G06V 20/56 (2022.01)
CPC B62D 15/025 (2013.01) [B60D 1/36 (2013.01); B60Q 1/22 (2013.01); B60R 1/26 (2022.01); G03B 15/02 (2013.01); G06V 20/20 (2022.01); G06V 20/56 (2022.01); B60R 1/31 (2022.01); B60R 2300/808 (2013.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A vehicle hitching assistance system, comprising:
a controller:
acquiring image data from the vehicle;
executing an initial alignment process, including:
searching for a trailer, positioned past a minimum distance from the vehicle, within a preselected area within the image data, the preselected area being less than a total field of the image data in directions corresponding with both a longitudinal distance between the vehicle and the trailer, by an amount corresponding with a maximum detection distance based on a resolution of the image data, a minimum detection distance corresponding with a proportion of the trailer relative to the total field, and a lateral direction perpendicular to the longitudinal distance by an amount corresponding with a known steering limit of the vehicle; and
when the trailer is not identified within the preselected area, presenting an indication to a driver of the vehicle to reposition the vehicle such that the trailer is within the preselected area and removing the indication when the trailer is identified within the preselected area, the trailer remaining past the minimum distance from the vehicle; and
executing an automated backing process upon identifying the trailer within the preselected 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 of the vehicle toward the trailer.