System and methods for vehicle alignment control
AssigneeFord Global Technologies, LLC
InventorsLuke Niewiadomski, Eric L. Reed, Roger Arnold Trombley, Robert D. Klosek
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A vehicle control system comprises a sensor configured to capture sensor data and a controller configured to identify a coupler position of a trailer in the sensor data. The controller is further configured to control a vehicle alignment routine aligning the hitch with the coupler position and control an emergency braking operation in response to detecting an obstruction in the sensor data. The controller is configured to suppress the emergency braking operation in response to the obstruction corresponding to the coupler in the sensor data.
Claims15
A vehicle control system comprising:
- a sensor configured to capture sensor data;
- and
- a controller that:
- identifies a plurality of collision threats comprising a first obstruction and a second obstruction in the sensor data;
- determines the first obstruction of the plurality of collision threats to be a coupler of a trailer in response to one or more identifying characteristics of the trailer in the sensor data;
- identifies a coupler position of the coupler of the trailer in the sensor data;
- controls a vehicle alignment routine aligning the hitch with the coupler position along an alignment path;
- controls an emergency braking operation in response to detecting the second obstruction in the sensor data along the alignment path;
- and
- suppresses the emergency braking operation in response to the first obstruction based on the determination that the first obstruction is the coupler.
A method for controlling a vehicle alignment comprising:
- identifying a plurality of collision threats comprising a first obstruction and a second obstruction in sensor data;
- determine the first obstruction of the plurality of collision threats to be a coupler of a trailer in response to one or more identifying characteristics of the trailer in the sensor data;
- identifying a coupler position of the coupler of the trailer in the sensor data;
- controlling motion of the vehicle to an aligned position aligning the hitch ball with the coupler position along an alignment path;
- controlling an emergency braking operation in response to detecting the second obstruction in the sensor data;
- and
- suppressing the emergency braking operation in response to the first obstruction based on the determination that the first obstruction is the coupler.
A vehicle system configured to control a trailer alignment routine, comprising:
- a hitch mounted on a vehicle;
- a sensor configured to detect sensor data in a region proximate to the vehicle;
- and
- a controller that:
- identifies a coupler position of a coupler in connection with a trailer in the sensor data;
- controls motion of the vehicle along a vehicle heading to an aligned position, wherein the hitch is aligned with the coupler;
- controls an emergency braking operation in response to detecting an obstruction in the sensor data;
- and
- suppresses the emergency braking operation in response to the obstruction corresponding to the coupler in connection with the trailer, wherein the suppression of the emergency braking operation comprises omitting at least one of the coupler and the trailer from being identified as the obstruction in the sensor data.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.