US 12,110,022 B2
Remote parking control for vehicles coupled in a towed recharging arrangement
Stuart C. Salter, White Lake, MI (US); Kenneth P. McHugh, Canton, MI (US); Peter Phung, Windsor (CA); Erick M. Lavoie, Van Buren Charter Township, MI (US); Hamid Golgiri, Livonia, MI (US); and John R. Van Wiemeersch, Novi, MI (US)
Assigned to FORD GLOBAL TECHNOLOGIES, LLC, Dearborn, MI (US)
Filed by FORD GLOBAL TECHNOLOGIES, LLC, Dearborn, MI (US)
Filed on Jun. 28, 2021, as Appl. No. 17/359,951.
Prior Publication US 2022/0410895 A1, Dec. 29, 2022
Int. Cl. B60W 30/16 (2020.01); B60L 53/36 (2019.01); B60L 53/68 (2019.01); G05D 1/00 (2024.01); G06F 3/04817 (2022.01); G06F 3/0488 (2022.01); H04W 4/40 (2018.01)
CPC B60W 30/16 (2013.01) [B60L 53/36 (2019.02); B60L 53/68 (2019.02); G05D 1/0016 (2013.01); G05D 1/0038 (2013.01); G06F 3/04817 (2013.01); G06F 3/0488 (2013.01); H04W 4/40 (2018.02)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A remote-controlled vehicle interface system, comprising:
a vehicle controller configured to (1) collect a plurality of captured images from a plurality of cameras disposed in a pair of electrified vehicles coupled together by a towing device for in-flight energy transfer wherein electrical energy is supplied from a battery pack of one of the electrified vehicles to a battery pack in the other one of the electrified vehicles, wherein each electrified vehicle is adapted to perform independent propulsion, braking, and steering actions, (2) calculate a sequence of steering actions to be executed by both electrified vehicles to follow a path for maneuvering from a starting position to an endpoint, and (3) generate respective vehicle actuator commands for both electrified vehicles to automatically navigate the electrified vehicles along the path in response to a manual activation signal from a user; and
a mobile wireless device linked wirelessly to the vehicle controller and including a touchscreen display for presenting a user interface to the user, wherein the user interface comprises:
(A) displaying a live streaming image on the touchscreen display having a 360° overhead perspective of a region around the electrified vehicles;
(B) accepting a first manual touch input from the user on the live streaming image while the electrified vehicles are at the starting position in order to specify the endpoint;
(C) displaying the path calculated by the vehicle controller as a path overlay on the live streaming image; and
(D) generating the manual activation signal in response to a second manual touch input from the user on the touchscreen display and forwarding the manual activation signal to the vehicle controller only during the second manual touch input in order to move the electrified vehicles according to the vehicle actuator commands to be performed by both electrified vehicles while the user maintains the second manual touch input.