Fixed offset method for hitch detection in hitch assist operation

• Main Authors: Nagraj Rao, Nikhil, Niewiadomski, Luke, Trombley, Roger Arnold, Chen, Lihui
• Format: Patent
• Language: English
• Published: 21.02.2023
• Subjects: CONJOINT CONTROL OF VEHICLE SUB-UNITS OF DIFFERENT TYPE ORDIFFERENT FUNCTION; CONTROL SYSTEMS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR HYBRID VEHICLES; CONTROLLING; LAND VEHICLES FOR TRAVELLING OTHERWISE THAN ON RAILS; MOTOR VEHICLES; PERFORMING OPERATIONS; PHYSICS; REGULATING; ROAD VEHICLE DRIVE CONTROL SYSTEMS FOR PURPOSES NOT RELATED TOTHE CONTROL OF A PARTICULAR SUB-UNIT; SYSTEMS FOR CONTROLLING OR REGULATING NON-ELECTRIC VARIABLES; TRAILERS; TRANSPORTING; VEHICLE CONNECTIONS; VEHICLES IN GENERAL

A system for assisting in aligning a vehicle for hitching with a trailer includes a steering system that adjusts a vehicle steering angle, a braking system that adjusts a vehicle speed, an imaging system that receives image data of a drawbar assembly being receivable in a hitch receiver, and a controller. The controller is configured to detect an edge of the drawbar assembly from the image data, target an endpoint at a fixed offset from the edge and a stationary point on the vehicle, and maneuver, via the steering and braking systems, the vehicle along a path to align the endpoint with the trailer.