Patent ID: 8427288

Claim:
A rear vision system for a vehicle, said rear vision system comprising: a video camera for capturing video images, wherein said video camera has a field of view that at least encompasses a hitch connector of a vehicle equipped with said video camera, and wherein said field of view of said video camera encompasses a tow hitch connector of a trailer when the equipped vehicle is at or near the trailer; a video display disposed in the cabin of the equipped vehicle and operable to display said video images captured by said video camera, said video display displaying said video images for viewing by a driver of the equipped vehicle to assist the driver when connecting the hitch connector of the equipped vehicle to the tow hitch connector of the trailer; wherein a graphic overlay is electronically superimposed on the displayed video images for viewing by the driver of the equipped vehicle, and wherein, at least in part, said graphic overlay assists the driver when connecting the hitch connector of the equipped vehicle to the tow hitch connector of the trailer; and wherein said rear vision system is operable to detect an object external of the equipped vehicle.