System and methods for vehicle alignment control
AssigneeFord Global Technologies, LLC
InventorsLuke Niewiadomski, Li Xu
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A vehicle system configured to control a trailer alignment routine comprises a hitch mounted on a vehicle and a controller. The controller is configured to identify a coupler position of a trailer and control motion of the vehicle toward an aligned position. The controller is further configured to calculate a stopping threshold relative to the coupler position. The stopping threshold comprises a semicircle concentric to the coupler position. The controller is further configured to control a braking procedure in response to the hitch passing the stopping threshold.
Claims16
A vehicle system configured to control a trailer alignment routine, comprising:
- a hitch mounted on a vehicle;
- and
- a controller that:
- identifies a coupler position of a trailer;
- controls motion of the vehicle to toward an aligned position;
- calculates a stopping threshold identified based on a stopping distance of the vehicle relative to the coupler position, wherein the stopping threshold comprises a semicircle concentric to the coupler position and the stopping distance defines a radius of the semicircle relative to the coupler position;
- and
- controls a braking procedure in response to the hitch passing the stopping threshold.
A method for controlling a vehicle comprising:
- identifying a coupler position of a trailer in the sensor data;
- controlling motion of the vehicle to an aligned position aligning a hitch ball of the vehicle with the coupler position;
- calculating a stopping threshold based on a stopping distance of the vehicle relative to the coupler position, wherein the stopping threshold comprises a coupler boundary extending around the coupler position and the coupler boundary comprises a semicircle extending at the stopping distance about the coupler position;
- and
- controlling a braking procedure in response to the hitch entering the coupler boundary.
The method according to 12, further comprising
- calculating a trailer boundary based on a heading direction of the vehicle, wherein the trailer boundary extends from the coupler boundary.
A vehicle system configured to control a trailer alignment routine, comprising:
- a hitch mounted on a vehicle;
- a sensor configured to capture sensor data in a region proximate to the vehicle;
- and
- a controller that:
- identifies a coupler position of 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;
- calculates a stopping boundary around at least a portion of the trailer, wherein the stopping boundary comprises a coupler boundary extending at a stopping distance from the coupler and a trailer boundary extending substantially perpendicular to the vehicle heading through the coupler position;
- and
- controls a braking procedure in response to the hitch entering the stopping boundary.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.