# US 10,768,633 B2 · Hitch assist system > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,768,633 B2 - Document ID: US10768633B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 16/035,853 - Filed: 2018-07-16 - Published: 2020-01-16 - Granted: 2020-09-08 - Earliest claimed: 2018-07-16 - Assignees: Ford Global Technologies, LLC - Applicants: Ford Global Technologies, LLC - Inventors: Yu Ling; Chen Zhang; Luke Niewiadomski; Theresa Lin; Erick Michael Lavoie - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10768633B2 ## CPC - B60R 1/003: {for viewing trailer hitches} - B60D 1/06: Ball-and-socket hitches - B60D 1/62: involving supply lines, electric circuits or the like - B60R 1/26: to the rear of the vehicle - G05D 1/0225: {involving docking at a fixed facility, e.g. base station or loading bay (parking aids B62D15/027)} - G05D 1/0246: {using a video camera in combination with image processing means} - B60D 1/36: for facilitating connection, e.g. hitch catchers - B60R 1/31: providing stereoscopic vision - B60R 2300/105: using multiple cameras - B60R 2300/20: characterised by the type of display used - B60R 2300/304: using merged images, e.g. merging camera image with stored images - B60R 2300/808: for facilitating docking to a trailer - B60R: VEHICLES, VEHICLE FITTINGS, OR VEHICLE PARTS, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR - B60D: VEHICLE CONNECTIONS - G05D: SYSTEMS FOR CONTROLLING OR REGULATING NON-ELECTRIC VARIABLES ## Abstract A hitch assist system is provided herein. The hitch assist system includes a sensing system configured to detect a hitch assembly and a coupler. A controller is configured to generate commands for maneuvering a vehicle along a first path or a second path. A user input device includes a display, the display configured to illustrate the first and second paths. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A hitch assist system comprising: a sensing system configured to detect a hitch assembly and a coupler; a controller configured to generate commands for maneuvering a vehicle along a first path or a second path; and a user input device including a display, the display configured to illustrate the first and second paths, wherein the controller determines an offset of the hitch ball relative to the coupler, calculates the first path having a positioning path and an alignment path, maneuvers the vehicle in a predefined distance along the positioning path at a first vehicle speed-setpoint, aligns the hitch ball to the coupler along the alignment path at a second vehicle speed-setpoint, wherein the second vehicle speed-setpoint is less than the first vehicle speed-setpoint, calculates the second path to align the hitch ball to the coupler, detects an obstacle proximate the vehicle, and operates the vehicle along the first path or the second path to avoid the obstacle. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The hitch assist system of claim 1, wherein the user input device is configured to accept instructions for moving the vehicle along the first path or the second path. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The hitch assist system of claim 2, wherein the display is a touchscreen having circuitry to receive an input corresponding with a location over the display. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The hitch assist system of claim 3, wherein the touchscreen registers one or more touch events thereon for specifying the first path or the second path. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The hitch assist system of claim 1, wherein the sensing system includes a rear imager located on a rear portion of the vehicle and is configured to capture one or more images of a rear-vehicle scene. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The hitch assist system of claim 5, wherein the sensing system further includes a side-view imager configured to capture one or more images along a side portion of the vehicle. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The hitch assist system of claim 6, wherein the user input device registers one or more touch events thereon for specifying a location of the hitch coupler within a respective field of view from the rear imager or the side-view imager. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The hitch assist system of claim 1, wherein the display illustrates an overlay of a vehicle occupation zone of the first path or the second path, the vehicle occupation zone extending outwardly of a wheelbase path of the vehicle. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The hitch assist system of claim 8, wherein the overlay further includes obstacles within a field of view of the sensing system. ### Claim 10 A hitch assist method comprising the steps of: determining an offset of a hitch ball relative to a coupler; calculating a first path to align the hitch ball to said coupler, the first path having a positioning path and an alignment path; maneuvering a vehicle a predefined distance along the positioning path at a first vehicle speed-setpoint; aligning the hitch ball to said coupler along the alignment path at a second vehicle speed-setpoint, the second speed-setpoint less than the first vehicle speed-setpoint; calculating a second path to align the hitch ball to said coupler, detecting an obstacle proximate the vehicle, and operating the vehicle along the first path or the second path to avoid the obstacle. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The hitch assist method of claim 10, further comprising: displaying the first and second paths on a touchscreen display, the touchscreen display configured to register one or more touch events thereon for specifying a chosen path. ### Claim 12 (depends on 10) The hitch assist method of claim 10, further comprising: displaying a vehicle occupation zone extending outwardly of a wheelbase on a display. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The hitch assist method of claim 12, further comprising: detecting obstacles proximate the vehicle or said coupler; and illustrating the obstacles in relation to the vehicle occupation zone on the display. ### Claim 14 (depends on 10) The hitch assist method of claim 10, wherein the positioning path and the alignment path each include a deceleration period and wherein the alignment path deceleration period is based on a comparison of a detected deceleration period compared to an estimated deceleration period. ### Claim 15 A hitch assist system comprising: an imager for capturing one or more images of a hitch assembly and a coupler; a display generating an image patch based on the one or more images; and a controller for: identifying the hitch assembly; identifying a coupler; and displaying an overlaid vehicle occupation zone on the display that extends through the hitch assembly, the vehicle occupation zone defining an area in which a vehicle travels to align the hitch assembly with the coupler, wherein the controller determines an offset of the hitch ball relative to the coupler, calculates a first path having a positioning path and an alignment path, maneuvers the vehicle in a predefined distance along the positioning path at a first vehicle speed-setpoint, aligns the hitch ball to the coupler along the alignment path at a second vehicle speed-setpoint, wherein the second vehicle speed-setpoint is less than the first vehicle speed-setpoint, calculates the second path to align the hitch ball to the coupler, detects an obstacle proximate the vehicle, and operates the vehicle along the first path or the second path to avoid the obstacle. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The hitch assist system of claim 15, wherein the imager is further configured to detect the obstacle proximate the vehicle and the controller is further configured to display the obstacle in relation to the vehicle occupation zone. ### Claim 17 (depends on 15) The hitch assist system of claim 15, wherein the controller generates the first and second paths that align the hitch assembly with the coupler. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The hitch assist system of claim 17, wherein the display is configured as a touchscreen, the touchscreen configured to accept instructions for moving the vehicle along the first path or the second path.