US 11,813,987 B2Granted

Vehicular trailer hitching assist system

AssigneeMagna Electronics Inc.

InventorsLee Karner, Kenneth Schofield, Niall R. Lynam

Life of this patent

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Abstract

A vehicular trailer hitching assist system includes a rear backup camera disposed at a rear portion of a vehicle and a control disposed in the vehicle. A display device includes a video display screen operable to display video images for viewing by a driver of the vehicle. Responsive to the driver initiating a hitching maneuver event by engaging reverse gear of the vehicle, rear backup video images derived from image data captured by the rear backup camera are displayed at the video display screen. An overlay overlays the displayed rear backup video images and aids in guiding connection of a trailer hitch of the equipped vehicle to a trailer tongue of a trailer. Continued display of rear backup video images that are overlaid by the overlay is ceased upon elapse of a threshold period of time or upon exceeding a threshold speed or upon exceeding a threshold distance traveled.

Claims88

Dependent claims

A vehicular trailer hitching assist system, said vehicular trailer hitching assist system comprising:

a rear backup camera disposed at a rear portion of a vehicle equipped with said vehicular trailer hitching assist system;
wherein said rear backup camera that is disposed at the rear portion of the equipped vehicle views at least a portion of a vehicle bumper of the equipped vehicle;
wherein said rear backup camera comprises a Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor (CMOS) imaging array;
said rear backup camera having a field of view at least rearward of the equipped vehicle;
said rear backup camera capturing image data during operation of the equipped vehicle;
a control disposed in the equipped vehicle;
said control comprising circuitry;
where said control receives a signal indicative of selection by a driver of the equipped vehicle of a transmission gear of the equipped vehicle;
wherein said control connects to a vehicle network of the equipped vehicle;
a display device of the equipped vehicle, said display device comprising a video display screen operable to display video images for viewing by the driver of the equipped vehicle during operation of the equipped vehicle;
wherein said control controls display of video images at said video display screen;
wherein, responsive to the driver initiating a hitching maneuver event by engaging reverse gear of the equipped vehicle, rear backup video images derived from image data captured by said rear backup camera are displayed at said video display screen;
wherein at least one overlay overlays the displayed rear backup video images;
wherein the at least one overlay aids in guiding connection of a trailer hitch of the equipped vehicle to a trailer tongue of a trailer;
wherein, during the hitching maneuver event, and while the driver of the equipped vehicle is maneuvering the equipped vehicle back and forth to align the trailer hitch of the equipped vehicle with the trailer tongue of the trailer, (a) said video display screen displays rear backup video images derived from image data captured by said rear backup camera that are overlaid by the at least one overlay during backward movement of the equipped vehicle with reverse gear selected by the driver and (b) said video display screen continues to display rear backup video images derived from image data captured by said rear backup camera that are overlaid by the at least one overlay during short-term forward movement of the equipped vehicle in drive gear that lasts until a threshold period of time elapses;
wherein the threshold period of time is not longer than 10 seconds;
and
wherein the continued display at said video display screen of rear backup video images derived from image data captured by said rear backup camera that are overlaid by the at least one overlay is ceased by said control upon elapse of the threshold period of time.

15 more elements

A vehicular trailer hitching assist system, said vehicular trailer hitching assist system comprising:

a rear backup camera disposed at a rear portion of a vehicle equipped with said vehicular trailer hitching assist system;
wherein said rear backup camera that is disposed at the rear portion of the equipped vehicle views at least a portion of a vehicle bumper of the equipped vehicle;
wherein said rear backup camera comprises a Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor (CMOS) imaging array;
said rear backup camera having a field of view at least rearward of the equipped vehicle;
said rear backup camera capturing image data during operation of the equipped vehicle;
a control disposed in the equipped vehicle;
said control comprising circuitry;
where said control receives a signal indicative of selection by a driver of the equipped vehicle of a transmission gear of the equipped vehicle;
wherein said control connects to a vehicle network of the equipped vehicle;
a display device of the equipped vehicle, said display device comprising a video display screen operable to display video images for viewing by the driver of the equipped vehicle during operation of the equipped vehicle;
wherein said control controls display of video images at said video display screen;
wherein, responsive to the driver initiating a hitching maneuver event by engaging reverse gear of the equipped vehicle, rear backup video images derived from image data captured by said rear backup camera are displayed at said video display screen;
wherein at least one overlay overlays the displayed rear backup video images;
wherein the at least one overlay aids in guiding connection of a trailer hitch of the equipped vehicle to a trailer tongue of a trailer;
wherein, during the hitching maneuver event, and while the driver of the equipped vehicle is maneuvering the equipped vehicle back and forth to align the trailer hitch of the equipped vehicle with the trailer tongue of the trailer, (a) said video display screen displays rear backup video images derived from image data captured by said rear backup camera that are overlaid by the at least one overlay during backward movement of the equipped vehicle with reverse gear selected by the driver and (b) said video display screen continues to display rear backup video images derived from image data captured by said rear backup camera that are overlaid by the at least one overlay during low-speed forward movement of the equipped vehicle at a speed of forward motion of the equipped vehicle that does not exceed a threshold speed;
wherein the threshold speed is not greater than 10 miles per hour;
and
wherein the continued display at said video display screen of rear backup video images derived from image data captured by said rear backup camera that are overlaid by the at least one overlay is ceased by said control when speed of forward motion of the equipped vehicle exceeds the threshold speed.

15 more elements

A vehicular trailer hitching assist system, said vehicular trailer hitching assist system comprising:

a rear backup camera disposed at a rear portion of a vehicle equipped with said vehicular trailer hitching assist system;
wherein said rear backup camera that is disposed at the rear portion of the equipped vehicle views at least a portion of a vehicle bumper of the equipped vehicle;
wherein said rear backup camera comprises a Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor (CMOS) imaging array;
said rear backup camera having a field of view at least rearward of the equipped vehicle;
said rear backup camera capturing image data during operation of the equipped vehicle;
a control disposed in the equipped vehicle;
said control comprising circuitry;
where said control receives a signal indicative of selection by a driver of the equipped vehicle of a transmission gear of the equipped vehicle;
wherein said control connects to a vehicle network of the equipped vehicle;
a display device of the equipped vehicle, said display device comprising a video display screen operable to display video images for viewing by the driver of the equipped vehicle during operation of the equipped vehicle;
wherein said control controls display of video images at said video display screen;
wherein, responsive to the driver initiating a hitching maneuver event by engaging reverse gear of the equipped vehicle, rear backup video images derived from image data captured by said rear backup camera are displayed at said video display screen;
wherein at least one overlay overlays the displayed rear backup video images;
wherein the at least one overlay aids in guiding connection of a trailer hitch of the equipped vehicle to a trailer tongue of a trailer;
wherein, during the hitching maneuver event, and while the driver of the equipped vehicle is maneuvering the equipped vehicle back and forth to align the trailer hitch of the equipped vehicle with the trailer tongue of the trailer, (a) said video display screen displays rear backup video images derived from image data captured by said rear backup camera that are overlaid by the at least one overlay during backward movement of the equipped vehicle with reverse gear selected by the driver and (b) said video display screen continues to display rear backup video images derived from image data captured by said rear backup camera that are overlaid by the at least one overlay during forward travel of the equipped vehicle that does not exceed a threshold distance;
and
wherein the continued display at said video display screen of rear backup video images derived from image data captured by said rear backup camera that are overlaid by the at least one overlay is ceased by said control when travel distance of forward travel of the equipped vehicle exceeds the threshold distance.

14 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 18/167,922Filed 13 Feb 2023 · continuation
Priority: 14 Sep 2004
Published: US 2023/0202388 A129 Jun 2023
Granted: 14 Nov 2023
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification53 codes

B60R 1/26
With a predetermined field of view: to the rear of the vehicle
B29C 45/0017
Injection moulding, i.e. forcing the required volume of moulding material through a nozzle into a closed mould; Apparatus therefor: moulding…
B29C 45/14754
Incorporating preformed parts or layers, e.g. injection moulding around inserts or for coating articles: being in movable or releasable engagement…
B60C 9/00
Reinforcements or ply arrangement of pneumatic tyres

Family

Application60/609,642Us provisional application · filed 14 Sep 2004
Application60/624,091Us provisional application · filed 1 Nov 2004
Application60/638,250Us provisional application · filed 21 Dec 2004
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Application60/677,990Us provisional application · filed 5 May 2005
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Application14/293,487Parent of this continuation · filed 2 Jun 2014
US 8,743,203 B2Parent of this continuation · filed 3 Jun 2014
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US 8,896,700 B2Parent of this continuation · filed 25 Nov 2014
Application14/641,812Parent of this continuation · filed 9 Mar 2015
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Application14/935,699Parent of this continuation · filed 9 Nov 2015
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Application16/785,816Parent of this continuation · filed 10 Feb 2020
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Application17/451,698Parent of this continuation · filed 21 Oct 2021
US 11,155,210 B2Parent of this continuation · filed 26 Oct 2021
US 2023/0202388 A1Pre-grant publication · published 29 Jun 2023
US 11,577,646 B2Parent of this continuation
US 2006/0061008 A1Published application
US 2012/0078469 A1Published application
US 2014/0267732 A1Published application
US 2015/0077565 A1Published application
US 2015/0179072 A1Published application
US 2016/0059782 A1Published application
US 2016/0375830 A1Published application
US 2018/0056871 A1Published application
US 2019/0092238 A1Published application
US 2019/0283673 A1Published application
US 2020/0172013 A1Published application
US 2020/0331389 A1Published application
US 2021/0023995 A1Published application
US 2022/0032844 A1Published application
US 11,813,987 B2This patent

From the US filing history. Foreign family members aren’t listed.