Smart offering for trailer hitching assistance

A hitching assistance system for a vehicle, comprising:

• an imager mounted with and directed away from a rear of the vehicle and outputting image data;
• a GPS module positioned within the vehicle;
• a transmission state indicator mounted within the vehicle;
• a vehicle-human machine interface positioned within the vehicle;
• and
• a controller:
• monitoring the transmission indicator, and responsive to the transmission indicator corresponding with the vehicle being in reverse:
• using at least one of the imager or the GPS module, determining if the vehicle is within a predetermined position relative to a trailer;
• and
• responsive to determining that the vehicle is within the predetermined position relative to the trailer, presenting, via the vehicle-human machine interface, an option for user selection for initiation of an automated hitching maneuver;
• and
• responsive to acceptance of the option for user selection for the automated hitching maneuver, outputting a steering signal to the vehicle to cause the vehicle to steer to position the vehicle relative to the trailer such that the trailer can be coupled with the vehicle.

A vehicle, comprising:

• a steering system
• a transmission system;
• an imager mounted with and directed away from a rear of the vehicle and outputting image data;
• a GPS module;
• a vehicle-human machine interface positioned within the vehicle;
• and
• a controller:
• monitoring a state of the transmission, and responsive to the state of the transmission corresponding with the vehicle being in reverse:
• using at least one of the imager or the GPS module, determining if the vehicle is within a predetermined position relative to a trailer;
• and
• responsive to determining that the vehicle is within the predetermined position relative to the trailer, presenting, via the vehicle-human machine interface, an option for user selection for initiation of an automated hitching maneuver;
• and
• responsive to acceptance of the option for user selection for the automated hitching maneuver, outputting a steering signal to the vehicle to cause the vehicle to steer to position the vehicle relative to the trailer such that the trailer can be coupled with the vehicle.