Driver Aid and Autonomous Tractor-Trailer Parking and Loading Dock Alignment System

A system comprising:

• a steering wheel having a plurality of lights, the steering wheel being constructed to control orientation of one or more wheels of a vehicle, thereby controlling a direction of movement of the vehicle;
• and
• a controller operatively coupled to the plurality of lights, the controller being operable to execute stored instructions to:
• plan a route for the vehicle from a first location to a second location;
• determine a current location of the vehicle with respect to the planned route;
• and
• control, based at least in part on the determined current location of the vehicle, one or more of the plurality of lights to activate, the activated one or more lights indicating to an operator a position of the steering wheel for the vehicle to follow the planned route.

A vehicle comprising:

• one or more wheels;
• a steering wheel having a plurality of lights, the steering wheel being constructed to control orientation of the one or more wheels, thereby controlling a direction of movement of the vehicle;
• and
• a controller operatively coupled to the plurality of lights, the controller being operable to execute stored instructions to:
• plan a route for the vehicle from a first position to a second position;
• determine a current position of the vehicle with respect to the planned route;
• and
• control, based at least in part on the determined current position of the vehicle, one or more of the plurality of lights to activate, the activated one or more lights indicating to a driver in the vehicle a position of the steering wheel for the vehicle to follow the planned route.