# US 12,110,022 B2 · Remote parking control for vehicles coupled in a towed recharging arrangement

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- Number: US 12,110,022 B2
- Document ID: US12110022B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 17/359,951
- Filed: 2021-06-28
- Published: 2022-12-29
- Granted: 2024-10-08
- Earliest claimed: 2021-06-28
- Assignees: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
- Applicants: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
- Inventors: Stuart C. Salter; Kenneth P. McHugh; Peter Phung; Erick M. Lavoie; Hamid Golgiri; John R. Van Wiemeersch
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12110022B2

## CPC

- B60W 30/16: Control of distance between vehicles, e.g. keeping a distance to preceding vehicle
- B60L 53/36: by positioning the vehicle
- B60L 53/68: Off-site monitoring or control, e.g. remote control
- B62D 1/00: Steering controls, i.e. means for initiating a change of direction of the vehicle
- B62D 15/0285: {Parking performed automatically}
- G05D 1/0016: {characterised by the operator's input device (input arrangements for computing systems in general G06F3/00)}
- G05D 1/0038: {by providing the operator with simple or augmented images from one or more cameras located onboard the vehicle, e.g. tele-operation (images analyzed by a computer and used for automatic navigation G05D1/0246)}
- G05D 1/223: Command input arrangements on the remote controller, e.g. joysticks or touch screens
- G05D 1/2247: {providing the operator with simple or augmented images from one or more cameras}
- G06F 3/04817: using icons (graphical or visual programming using iconic symbols G06F8/34)
- G06F 3/0488: using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures
- G06F 3/04883: for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text
- H04L 67/125: involving control of end-device applications over a network
- H04M 1/724098: {Interfacing with an on-board device of a vehicle (for hands-free speaking in vehicles H04M1/6075)}
- H04W 4/40: for vehicles, e.g. vehicle-to-pedestrians [V2P]
- H04M 2250/22: including a touch pad, a touch sensor or a touch detector
- Y02T 10/70: Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries
- Y02T 10/7072: Electromobility specific charging systems or methods for batteries, ultracapacitors, supercapacitors or double-layer capacitors
- B60W: CONJOINT CONTROL OF VEHICLE SUB-UNITS OF DIFFERENT TYPE OR DIFFERENT FUNCTION; CONTROL SYSTEMS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR HYBRID VEHICLES; ROAD VEHICLE DRIVE CONTROL SYSTEMS FOR PURPOSES NOT RELATED TO THE CONTROL OF A PARTICULAR SUB-UNIT
- B60L: PROPULSION OF ELECTRICALLY-PROPELLED VEHICLES (arrangements or mounting of electrical propulsion units or of plural diverse prime-movers for mutual or common propulsion in vehicles B60K1/00, B60K6/20; arrangements or mounting of electrical gearing in vehicles B60K17/12, B60K17/14; preventing wheel slip by reducing power in rail vehicles B61C15/08; dynamo-electric machines H02K; control or regulation of electric motors H02P); SUPPLYING ELECTRIC POWER FOR AUXILIARY EQUIPMENT OF ELECTRICALLY-PROPELLED VEHICLES (electric coupling devices combined with mechanical couplings of vehicles B60D1/64; electric heating for vehicles B60H1/00); ELECTRODYNAMIC BRAKE SYSTEMS FOR VEHICLES IN GENERAL (control or regulation of electric motors H02P); MAGNETIC SUSPENSION OR LEVITATION FOR VEHICLES; MONITORING OPERATING VARIABLES OF ELECTRICALLY-PROPELLED VEHICLES; ELECTRIC SAFETY DEVICES FOR ELECTRICALLY-PROPELLED VEHICLES
- B62D: MOTOR VEHICLES; TRAILERS (steering, or guiding on a desired track, of agricultural machines or implements A01B69/00; wheels, castors, axles, increasing wheel adhesion B60B; vehicle tyres, tyre inflation or tyre changing B60C; connections between vehicles of a train or the like B60D; vehicles for use on rail and road, amphibious or convertible vehicles B60F; suspension arrangements B60G; heating, cooling, ventilating or other air treating devices B60H; windows, windscreens, non-fixed roofs, doors or similar devices, protective coverings for vehicles not in use B60J; propulsion plant arrangements, auxiliary drives, transmissions, controls, instrumentation or dashboards B60K; electric equipment or propulsion of electrically-propelled vehicles B60L; power supply for electrically-propelled vehicles B60M; passenger accommodation not otherwise provided for B60N; adaptations for load transportation or to carry special loads or objects B60P; arrangement of signalling or lighting devices, the mounting or supporting thereof or circuits therefor, for vehicles in general B60Q; vehicles, vehicle fittings or vehicle parts not otherwise provided for B60R; servicing, cleaning, repairing, supporting, lifting, or manoeuvring, not otherwise provided for, B60S; brake arrangements, brake control systems or parts thereof B60T; air-cushion vehicles B60V; motor-cycles, accessories therefor B62J, B62K; testing of vehicles G01M)
- G05D: SYSTEMS FOR CONTROLLING OR REGULATING NON-ELECTRIC VARIABLES
- G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N)
- H04L: TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION (arrangements common to telegraphic and telephonic communication H04M)
- H04M: TELEPHONIC COMMUNICATION (circuits for controlling other apparatus via a telephone cable and not involving telephone switching apparatus G08)
- H04W: WIRELESS COMMUNICATION NETWORKS (broadcast communication H04H; communication systems using wireless links for non-selective communication, e.g. wireless extensions H04M1/72)
- Y02T: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES RELATED TO TRANSPORTATION

## Abstract

Electrified vehicles are coupled together by a towing device for in-flight energy transfer. A remote-controlled parking system collects images from vehicle-mounted cameras to produce a 360° overhead live streaming image that is displayed on a smartphone linked to a vehicle controller. A user interface (UI) on the smartphone accepts a first touch from the user on the streaming image showing the vehicles at a starting position in order to specify a maneuver endpoint. The controller calculates a sequence of steering actions to create a path to the endpoint. The UI displays the calculate path as an overlay on the live image. The UI generates an activation signal in response to a second touch input on the touchscreen, and forwards the activation signal to the vehicle controller during the second touch input to move the vehicles according to the actuator commands only while the user maintains the second touch input.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A remote-controlled vehicle interface system, comprising:
a vehicle controller configured to (1) collect a plurality of captured images from a plurality of cameras disposed in a pair of electrified vehicles coupled together by a towing device for in-flight energy transfer wherein electrical energy is supplied from a battery pack of one of the electrified vehicles to a battery pack in the other one of the electrified vehicles, wherein each electrified vehicle is adapted to perform independent propulsion, braking, and steering actions, (2) calculate a sequence of steering actions to be executed by both electrified vehicles to follow a path for maneuvering from a starting position to an endpoint, and (3) generate respective vehicle actuator commands for both electrified vehicles to automatically navigate the electrified vehicles along the path in response to a manual activation signal from a user; and
a mobile wireless device linked wirelessly to the vehicle controller and including a touchscreen display for presenting a user interface to the user, wherein the user interface comprises:
(A) displaying a live streaming image on the touchscreen display having a 360° overhead perspective of a region around the electrified vehicles;
(B) accepting a first manual touch input from the user on the live streaming image while the electrified vehicles are at the starting position in order to specify the endpoint;
(C) displaying the path calculated by the vehicle controller as a path overlay on the live streaming image; and
(D) generating the manual activation signal in response to a second manual touch input from the user on the touchscreen display and forwarding the manual activation signal to the vehicle controller only during the second manual touch input in order to move the electrified vehicles according to the vehicle actuator commands to be performed by both electrified vehicles while the user maintains the second manual touch input.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1 wherein the user interface further comprises displaying an activation icon indicating an area on the touchscreen display for receiving the second manual touch input.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1 wherein the user interface further comprises accepting the second manual touch input at an area on the touchscreen display corresponding to the path overlay.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1 wherein the user interface further comprises displaying a user icon on the touchscreen display indicating a detected position of the user in the live streaming image.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1 wherein the user interface further comprises displaying a missing data overlay on the live streaming image corresponding to regions within a predetermined distance of the electrified vehicles which are hidden in the plurality of captured images.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1 wherein the user interface further comprises an alert to the user when the vehicle controller fails to calculate the sequence of steering actions to be executed by both electrified vehicles to maneuver from the starting position to the endpoint.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1 wherein the path from the starting position to the endpoint is along a reverse driving direction of the electrified vehicles.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1 wherein the path from the starting position to the endpoint is along a forward driving direction of the electrified vehicles.

### Claim 9

An in-flight vehicle charging system wherein electrical energy is transferred between two electrified vehicles moving together as a unit, wherein each electrified vehicle is adapted to perform independent propulsion, braking, and steering actions, comprising:
a first electrified vehicle comprising 1) a first controller adapted to be coupled to a second controller in a second electrified vehicle via a communication link, 2) an electrically-controlled steering actuator responsive to a sequence of steering actions from the first controller for a parking maneuver from a starting position to an endpoint, 3) a plurality of cameras collecting a plurality of captured images of surroundings of the first and second vehicles, 4) a rechargeable battery system configured to store electrical energy used to provide propulsion of the first electrified vehicle, wherein the rechargeable battery system is adapted to exchange electrical energy with a second vehicle which is coupled to the first electrified vehicle in a towing relationship; and
a user interface configured to execute on a mobile wireless device linked wirelessly to the first controller and including a touchscreen display for presenting the user interface to the user;
wherein the user interface comprises:
(A) displaying a live streaming image on the touchscreen display using the captured images, wherein the live streaming image has a 360° overhead perspective of a region around the first and second electrified vehicles;
(B) accepting a first manual touch input from a user on the live streaming image while the first and second vehicles are at the starting position in order to specify the endpoint;
(C) displaying a calculated path from the starting position to the endpoint as calculated by the first controller using a path overlay on the live streaming image; and
(D) generating a manual activation signal in response to a second manual touch input from the user on the touchscreen display and forwarding the manual activation signal to the first controller only during the second manual touch input in order to move the vehicles according to the sequence of respective steering actions to be performed by both electrified vehicles while the user maintains the second manual touch input.

### Claim 10 (depends on 9)

The system of claim 9 wherein the user interface further comprises displaying an activation icon indicating an area on the touchscreen display for receiving the second manual touch input.

### Claim 11 (depends on 9)

The system of claim 9 wherein the user interface further comprises accepting the second manual touch input at an area on the touchscreen display corresponding to the path overlay.

### Claim 12 (depends on 9)

The system of claim 9 wherein the user interface further comprises displaying a user icon on the touchscreen display indicating a detected position of the user in the live streaming image.

### Claim 13 (depends on 9)

The system of claim 9 wherein the user interface further comprises displaying a missing data overlay on the live streaming image corresponding to regions within a predetermined distance of the vehicles which are hidden in the plurality of captured images.

### Claim 14 (depends on 9)

The system of claim 9 wherein the user interface further comprises an alert to the user when the first controller fails to calculate the sequence of steering actions to be executed by both vehicles to maneuver from the starting position to the endpoint.

### Claim 15

A method of controlling first and second electrified vehicles coupled together in a towing arrangement for in-flight transfer of a charge between battery systems of the vehicles wherein electrical energy is supplied from a battery pack of one of the electrified vehicles to a battery pack in the other one of the electrified vehicles, the method comprising the steps of:
collecting a plurality of captured images from a plurality of cameras disposed in the electrified vehicles;
combining the captured images into a live streaming image having a 360° overhead perspective of a region around the electrified vehicles;
displaying the live streaming image on a touchscreen display of a wireless mobile device carried by a user;
receiving a first manual touch input from the user on the touchscreen display at a location on the live streaming image while the electrified vehicles are at a starting position for conducting a parking maneuver in order to specify an endpoint for the parking maneuver;
calculating a sequence of respective steering actions to be executed by both electrified vehicles according to a path for maneuvering from the starting position to the endpoint;
displaying the path as a path overlay on the live streaming image;
generating a manual activation signal in response to a second manual touch input from the user on the touchscreen display only during the second manual touch input;
generating vehicle actuator commands for both electrified vehicles to automatically navigate the electrified vehicles along the path in response to the manual activation signal; and
stopping the vehicle actuator commands when the manual activation signal is not present and when the endpoint is reached.

### Claim 16 (depends on 15)

The method of claim 15 further comprising the step of displaying an activation icon indicating an area on the touchscreen display for receiving the second manual touch input.

### Claim 17 (depends on 15)

The method of claim 15 further comprising the step of accepting the second manual touch input at an area on the touchscreen display corresponding to the path overlay.

### Claim 18 (depends on 15)

The method of claim 15 further comprising the step of displaying a user icon on the touchscreen display indicating a detected position of the user in the live streaming image.

### Claim 19 (depends on 15)

The method of claim 15 further comprising the step of displaying a missing data overlay on the live streaming image corresponding to regions within a predetermined distance of the electrified vehicles which are hidden in the plurality of captured images.

### Claim 20 (depends on 15)

The method of claim 15 further comprising the step of alerting the user when there is a failure to calculate a valid sequence of steering actions to be executed by both electrified vehicles to maneuver from the starting position to the endpoint.