Automatic car trailer hitching and unhitching system

An automated system for aligning a vehicle tow ball with a tow cup of a trailer comprising:

• a vehicle having a tow ball mounted on the rear thereof;
• a controller connected to and controlling steering and braking systems of the vehicle, and the automated connection of the tow ball and tow hitch;
• and
• a plurality of sensors and multiple cameras configured to perform stereo photogrammetry for detecting and identifying an object within a region behind the vehicle, wherein the sensors and cameras are connected to the controller, the controller configured to utilize the data from the sensors and the cameras, in conjunction with pattern recognition systems, to identify, in use, the tow cup of a trailer located within said region behind the vehicle, and to control the movement of the vehicle in order to bring the tow ball into alignment beneath the identified tow cup so as to facilitate coupling and decoupling of the tow cup onto the tow ball, and the vehicle controller, in use, being wirelessly connectable to a controller of the trailer which is connected to jockey wheel drive means and locking jaw drive means for controlling movement of a jockey wheel and a tow cup locking jaw of the trailer.

An automated system for hitching the tow cup of a trailer to a tow ball comprising:

• a trailer having a tow cup with a tow ball cavity formed therein;
• a locking jaw associated with the tow ball cavity and moveable between a release position in which it is substantially withdrawn from the tow ball cavity so as to allow, in use, a tow ball to be inserted into or withdraw from the cavity, and a locked position in which it is extended into or under the cavity so as, in use, to lock a tow ball in the cavity;
• first drive means operable to move the locking jaw between the locked and release positions;
• a jockey wheel located proximate the tow cup and vertically moveable to raise and lower the tow cup relative to the ground;
• second drive means connected to the jockey wheel for vertically moving the jockey wheel;
• a trailer controller connected to the first and second drive means for controlling the movement of each of the jockey wheel and the locking jaw;
• a power supply for supplying power to the controller and each of the first and second drive means;
• and
• wireless communication means for receiving instructions regarding movement of the jockey wheel and the locking jaw, the communication means, in use, being wirelessly connectable to a controller in order to receive signals from the controller for operation of the first and second drive means in order to automatically engage and release the trailer from a tow ball on a vehicle.

An automated system for hitching the tow cup of a trailer to a tow ball comprising:

• a trailer having:
• a tow cup with a tow ball cavity formed therein;
• a locking jaw associated with the tow ball cavity and moveable between a release position in which it is substantially withdrawn from the tow ball cavity so as to allow, in use, a tow ball to be inserted into or withdraw from the cavity, and a locked position in which it is extended into or under the cavity so as, in use, to lock a tow ball in the cavity;
• first drive means operable to move the locking jaw between the locked and release positions;
• a jockey wheel located proximate the tow cup and vertically moveable to raise and lower the tow cup relative to the ground;
• second drive means connected to the jockey wheel for vertically moving the jockey wheel;
• a trailer controller connected to the first and second drive means for controlling the movement of each of the jockey wheel and the locking jaw;
• a power supply for supplying power to the trailer controller and each of the first and second drive means;
• and wireless communication means for receiving instructions regarding movement of the jockey wheel and the locking jaw;
• and
• an automated system for aligning a vehicle tow ball with the tow cup of the trailer having:
• a vehicle having a tow ball mounted on the rear thereof;
• a vehicle controller connected to and controlling steering and braking systems of the vehicle, and the automated connection of the tow ball and tow hitch;
• a plurality of sensors and multiple cameras configured to perform stereo photogrammetry for detecting and identifying an object within a region behind the vehicle, wherein the sensors and cameras are connected to the controller;
• the vehicle controller configured to utilize the data from the sensors and the cameras, in conjunction with pattern recognition systems, to identify, in use, the tow cup of a trailer located within said region behind the vehicle, and to control the movement of the vehicle in order to bring the tow ball into alignment beneath the identified tow cup so as to facilitate coupling and decoupling of the tow cup onto the tow ball;
• and a vehicle controller wirelessly connectable to the communication means of the trailer which is connected to jockey wheel drive means and locking jaw drive means for controlling movement of a jockey wheel and a tow cup locking jaw of the trailer,
• whereby signals from the vehicle controller are receivable by the communication means of the trailer for operation of the first and second drive means in order to automatically engage and release the trailer from a tow ball on the vehicle.