Patent ID: 8888121

Claim:
Apparatus for guiding an operator of a towing vehicle being moved toward a hitch-mating position with respect to a vehicle to be towed, wherein the vehicle to be towed is a trailer having a trailer hitch, the apparatus comprising: (a) a video camera adapted to be carried on a towing vehicle so as to generate an image of a field of view including a portion of a vehicle to be towed, during a time when the towing vehicle is approaching the hitch-mating position; (b) an alignment beam projecting device adapted to be mounted on a hitch ball on the towing vehicle and aimed directly upward; (c) a video display device adapted to be located in view of the operator of the towing vehicle and to display the image generated by the video camera during the time when the towing vehicle is approaching the hitch-mating position; and (d) a target adapted to be mounted adjacent the trailer hitch on the vehicle to be towed, the target including an inclined target plate located in a position wherein a beam of light projected directly upward from the alignment beam projecting device will impinge visibly on the target and wherein the target will be within the image generated by the video camera, when the video camera and the alignment beam projecting device are mounted on the towing vehicle and the towing vehicle is near the hitch-mating position and approaching the hitch-mating position with respect to the vehicle to be towed.