US 11,697,414 B2
System and method for remote automated vehicle alignment with a trailer for hitching
Kyle Simmons, New Boston, MI (US); Luke Niewiadomski, Dearborn, MI (US); Roger Trombley, Ann Arbor, MI (US); Frederic Christen, Walhorn (BE); Christoph Kessler, Langerwehe (DE); Katherine Rouen, Livonia, MI (US); Erick Michael Lavoie, Van Buren Charter Township, MI (US); Hamid M. Golgiri, Livonia, MI (US); Bruno Sielly Jales Costa, Santa Clara, CA (US); Nikhil Nagraj Rao, Cupertino, CA (US); Vidya Nariyambut Murali, Sunnyvale, CA (US); John Michael Celli, Westland, MI (US); Frank Golub, Oak Park, MI (US); Seyed Armin Raeis Hosseiny, Canton, MI (US); Bo Bao, Bloomfield, MI (US); Siyuan Ma, Detroit, MI (US); and Hemanth Yadav Aradhyula, Dearborn, MI (US)
Assigned to FORD GLOBAL TECHNOLOGIES, LLC, Dearborn, MI (US)
Filed by Ford Global Technologies, LLC, Dearborn, MI (US)
Filed on Mar. 17, 2020, as Appl. No. 16/821,034.
Prior Publication US 2021/0291832 A1, Sep. 23, 2021
Int. Cl. B60W 30/18 (2012.01); B60W 10/20 (2006.01); B60W 10/04 (2006.01); B60W 50/10 (2012.01)
CPC B60W 30/18036 (2013.01) [B60W 10/04 (2013.01); B60W 10/20 (2013.01); B60W 50/10 (2013.01); B60W 2300/14 (2013.01); B60W 2554/801 (2020.02); B60W 2554/802 (2020.02)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A system for assisting in aligning a vehicle for hitching with a trailer, comprising:
a vehicle steering system;
a vehicle human-machine interface positioned within the vehicle;
a wireless communication module;
a detection system outputting a signal including scene data of an area to a rear of the vehicle; and
a controller:
receiving an automated hitching system activation command from a user within the vehicle, via the vehicle-human machine interface;
after receiving the automated hitching system activation command, receiving, via the wireless communication module, an automated hitching initiation command by the user external to the vehicle from an external wireless device; and
after receiving both the automated hitching system activation command and the automated hitching initiation command:
receiving the scene data and identifying the trailer within the area to the rear of the vehicle;
deriving a backing path to align a hitch ball mounted on the vehicle to a coupler of the trailer; and
controlling the vehicle steering system to maneuver the vehicle including reversing along the backing path.