Vehicle and method of controlling a powered rear closure based on trailer connection
AssigneeFord Global Technologies, LLC
InventorsAdam Merz, Ronald M. Lovasz, Nicholas Wykoff
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A vehicle having a powered rear closure located at a rear end of the vehicle, actuatable by an actuator between a closed position and an open position, a trailer hitch at the rear end of the vehicle for connecting a trailer to the vehicle, a trailer detection system for detecting the trailer connected to the vehicle, and a controller configured to control the powered rear closure to actuate the powered rear closure to the open position when a user is detected approaching the rear end of the vehicle. The controller further inhibits actuation of the powered rear closure when the trailer is detected connected to the vehicle.
Claims12
A vehicle comprising:
- a powered rear closure located at a rear end of the vehicle and actuatable by an actuator between a closed position and an open position;
- a trailer hitch at the rear end of the vehicle for connecting a trailer to the vehicle;
- a trailer detection system comprising an electrical trailer connection detector for detecting the trailer connected to the trailer hitch at the rear end of the vehicle;
- and
- a controller configured to control the powered rear closure to actuate the powered rear closure to the open position when a user is detected approaching the rear end of the vehicle, wherein the controller further inhibits actuation of the powered rear closure when the trailer is detected connected to the vehicle.
A vehicle comprising:
- a powered rear closure located at a rear end of the vehicle and actuatable by an actuator between a closed position and an open position;
- a trailer hitch at the rear end of the vehicle for connecting a trailer to the vehicle;
- a trailer detection system for detecting the trailer connected to the vehicle;
- and
- a controller configured to control the powered rear closure to actuate the powered rear closure to the open position when a user is detected approaching the rear end of the vehicle, wherein the controller further inhibits actuation of the powered rear closure when the trailer is detected connected to the vehicle, wherein the controller further inhibits actuation of the powered rear closure to the open position when the trailer is disconnected while the user is detected proximate to the powered rear closure.
A vehicle comprising:
- a powered rear closure located at a rear end of the vehicle and actuatable by an actuator between a closed position and an open position;
- a trailer hitch at the rear end of the vehicle for connecting a trailer to the vehicle;
- a trailer detection system for detecting the trailer connected to the vehicle;
- and
- a controller configured to control the powered rear closure to actuate the powered rear closure to the open position when a user is detected approaching the rear end of the vehicle, wherein the controller further inhibits actuation of the powered rear closure when the trailer is detected connected to the vehicle, wherein the controller deactivates the inhibiting of actuation of the powered rear closure based on a user preference.
A motor vehicle comprising:
- a powered rear closure located at a rear end of the motor vehicle and actuatable by an actuator between a closed position and an open position;
- a trailer hitch at the rear end of the motor vehicle for connecting a trailer to the motor vehicle;
- a trailer detection system for detecting the trailer connected to the motor vehicle, wherein the trailer detection system comprises an electrical trailer connection detector, and wherein the electrical trailer connection detector detects at least one of a trailer brake signal and a trailer light signal;
- and
- a controller configured to control the powered rear closure to actuate the powered rear closure to the open position when a user is detected approaching the rear end of the motor vehicle, wherein the controller further inhibits actuation of the powered rear closure when the trailer is detected connected to the rear end of the motor vehicle.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.