Patent ID: 11964692
Assignee: FORD GLOBAL TECHNOLOGIES, LLC
Field: Transport (Mechanical engineering)
Classification: CPC B  G | IPC B  G

Claim 16:
17. A method for assisting a vehicle in hitching with a trailer, comprising:
acquiring image data for a field of view away from a rear of the vehicle;
executing an initial alignment process, including:
searching for a trailer, past a minimum distance from the vehicle, within a preselected area within the image data, the preselected area being less than a total field of the image data in directions corresponding with both a longitudinal distance between the vehicle and the trailer and a lateral direction perpendicular to the longitudinal distance;
outputting a video image displayable on a human-machine interface within the vehicle including the image data, a graphic overlay of a circular target area, as a representation of the preselected area, on the image data in a proportionally correlated manner; and
presenting an indication to a driver of the vehicle to reposition the vehicle when the trailer is not identified within the preselected area and removing the indication when the trailer is identified within the preselected area, the trailer remaining past the minimum distance from the vehicle; and

executing an automated backing process upon identifying the trailer within the preselected area, including identifying a coupler of the trailer and outputting a steering signal to cause the vehicle to steer to align a hitch ball of the vehicle with the coupler during reversing of the vehicle toward the trailer.