Electronic trailer guide
OwnerDavid Hernandezinventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An electronic trailer guide includes sensors and associated logic and display circuitry that serve to present information to the driver of a towing vehicle as to the direction in which he must turn the steering wheel of the towing vehicle to back a trailer into a desired position, as to whether the trailer is tilted to the left or to the right, as to whether, when backing a boat trailer down a boat ramp into a body of water preparatory to launching a boat, the water level has risen to a point beneath the towing vehicle at which there is a risk of damage to the vehicle and, as to whether, when backing a boat trailer down a boat ramp into a body of water, the water has buoyantly lifted the boat off of the trailer so that it may be launched.
Claims3
An electronic trailer guide for sensing certain parameters regarding the positional relationship between a towing vehicle and a trailer being backed into a desired position by the towing vehicle, the electronic trailer guide comprising:
- alignment sensor means coupled to the towing vehicle and the trailer at a point of attachment therebetween for sensing a degree of misalignment between the towing vehicle and the trailer;
- left and right tilt sensor means coupled to the trailer at points proximate the left and right sides thereof, respectively, for sensing a left tilt condition and a right tilt condition of the trailer;
- and
- logic circuitry/display means coupled to the alignment sensor means and to the left and right tilt sensor means, said logic circuitry/display means being responsive to said left and right tilt sensor means for providing a visual indication to the driver of the towing vehicle when either of a left tilt condition and a right tilt condition of the trailer has been sensed, said logic circuitry/display means being further responsive to said alignment sensor means for providing a visual indication to the driver of the towing vehicle of the direction in which a steering wheel of the towing vehicle must be turned in order to align the towing vehicle and the trailer.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.