Systems and methods for magnetoelastic hitch receiver force detection
AssigneeFord Global Technologies, LLC
InventorsAndrew Niedert, Rinku Patel, Anton Rogness, Elliott Pearson
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Systems and methods for determining force direction and magnitude acting on a trailer hitch are disclosed. An example vehicle includes two magnetoelastic pins, having respective magnetic fields, configured to couple a trailer hitch receiver to a vehicle chassis. The vehicle also includes a plurality of sensors corresponding to the two magnetoelastic pins, configured to detect changes in the respective magnetic fields. And the vehicle further includes a processor configured to determine a magnitude and direction of a force acting on the trailer hitch receiver based on data from the plurality of sensors.
Claims20
A vehicle comprising:
- a trailer hitch receiver configured to receive a trailer hitch arm along an axis;
- two magnetoelastic pins, having respective magnetic fields, configured to couple the trailer hitch receiver to a chassis, the two magnetoelastic pins disposed above and perpendicular to the axis;
- a plurality of sensors corresponding to the two magnetoelastic pins, configured to detect changes in the respective magnetic fields;
- and
- a processor configured to determine a magnitude and a direction of a force acting on the trailer hitch receiver based on data from the plurality of sensors.
A method for determining a force acting on a trailer hitch receiver comprising:
- determining, via a plurality of sensors corresponding to two magnetoelastic pins coupling the trailer hitch receiver to a chassis of a vehicle, respective changes in magnetic fields corresponding to the two magnetoelastic pins, the two magnetoelastic pins disposed above the trailer hitch receiver;
- receiving, by a vehicle processor, data corresponding to the respective changes in the magnetic fields;
- and
- responsively determining, by the vehicle processor, a magnitude and direction of the force acting on the trailer hitch receiver based on the data.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.