Towing Vehicle Guidance for Trailer Hitch Connection

Abstract

Apparatus and a method for its use to assist an operator of a towing vehicle in backing the towing vehicle accurately into a position in which parts of a hitch can be mated to connect the towing vehicle with a trailer. A camera in a towing vehicle module provides the towing vehicle operator a video image of the trailer and a target mounted on it. A beam of light from the towing vehicle module and falling on the target is visible in the video image to show when the towing vehicle approaches and reaches a position in which the hitch can be mated.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . Apparatus for guiding an operator of a towing vehicle being backed toward a hitch-mating position with respect to a vehicle to be towed, comprising:
 (a) a rearwardly directed video image forming device carried on the towing vehicle;   (b) an alignment indicating light beam projecting device mounted on the towing vehicle;   (c) a video display device located in view of the operator of the towing vehicle and arranged to display an image generated by the video imaging device; and   (d) a target mounted on the vehicle to be towed, in a position where a light beam from the projecting device will impinge on the target and the target will be within the field of view of the video image forming device when the towing vehicle is near a hitch-mating position with respect to the vehicle to be towed.   
     
     
         2 . The apparatus of  claim 1  including the laser mounted on a hitch ball and aimed upward, and wherein the target includes an inclined target plate located so as to be struck by a beam of light from the laser when the towing vehicle is near said hitch-mating position. 
     
     
         3 . The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein said video image forming device is associated with a wireless signal transmitter arranged to transmit said image to said video display device. 
     
     
         4 . The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein the video image forming device is removable from the towing vehicle and operable remotely to communicate a video image wirelessly to said video display device. 
     
     
         5 . The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein said video display device includes a video image display arranged to be worn on the head of said operator, so as to be in view without said operator having to turn his head. 
     
     
         6 . The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein said projecting device includes
 a primary hitch alignment light beam projector arranged to project a beam of light upward along a pivot axis defined by a hitch part carried on the towing vehicle; 
 said target is located beneath a hitch coupler on the vehicle to be towed; 
 the image forming device is a camera carried on the towing vehicle in a location where the camera can form an image of the target when the towing vehicle is positioned ahead of and ready to be backed toward the hitch-mating position with respect to the vehicle to be towed; and 
 the video display device is arranged to display an image of at least a part of a field of view of the camera. 
 
     
     
         7 . Apparatus for guiding an operator of a towing vehicle being backed toward a hitch-mating position with respect to a vehicle to be towed, comprising:
 (a) a primary hitch alignment light beam projector arranged to project a beam of light upward in a position having a predetermined relationship to a pivot axis defined by a hitch part carried on the towing vehicle;   (b) a target located in a predetermined position with respect to a hitch coupler on a vehicle to be towed;   (c) a camera carried on the towing vehicle in a location where the camera can form an image of the target when the towing vehicle is in a preliminary position from which it can be backed toward the hitch-mating position with respect to the vehicle to be towed; and   (d) an image display device located in view of the operator of the towing vehicle and arranged to display of at least a part of an image formed by the camera.   
     
     
         8 . The apparatus of  claim 7  including a pair of light beam projectors mounted on the towing vehicle and projecting respective convergent beams rearwardly at predetermined angles toward the vehicle to be towed. 
     
     
         9 . The apparatus of  claim 8  wherein the beams projected by said pair of light beam projectors intersect each other and define a line of intersection extending along said pivot axis. 
     
     
         10 . A method for moving a towing vehicle into a desired hitch-mating position with respect to a trailer, comprising:
 (a) operating a video camera near a first trailer hitch part mounted on the towing vehicle and intended to be mated with a trailer hitch coupler connected with front part of the trailer, and thereby creating a video image of an area beyond the first trailer hitch part in a general direction in which the towing vehicle is to move toward the hitch-mating position, and transmitting said video image from the video camera;   (b) mounting a visual target including a target face on the trailer so that the target face is in a predetermined location with respect to the trailer hitch coupler and is in a downwardly facing inclined orientation;   (c) projecting a beam of light directly upward from a location on the towing vehicle having a predetermined location with respect to the first trailer hitch part mounted on the towing vehicle;   (d) observing said video image on a video imaging device while backing the towing vehicle toward the trailer hitch coupler;   (e) steering the towing vehicle in response to viewing the video image so as to include at least a part of said visual target in said video image, while moving the towing vehicle rearwardly toward the hitch-mating position until the upwardly directed beam of light falls on the target face;   (f) observing the video image of the visual target including an image of the upwardly directed beam of light impinging on the target face while moving the towing vehicle further toward the desired hitch-mating position for mating the trailer hitch coupler of the trailer with the trailer hitch part on the towing vehicle; and   (g) stopping the towing vehicle when the upwardly directed beam of light falls on a predetermined part of the target face.   
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 10  including the step of adjusting the position of the visual target on the trailer to direct the visual target toward the towing vehicle before moving the towing vehicle closer to the trailer than a predetermined distance. 
     
     
         12 . Apparatus for guiding an operator of a towing vehicle being hitched to a trailer, comprising:
 (a) a towing vehicle module adapted to be mounted on a towing vehicle, the towing vehicle module including a projector arranged to project a beam of light in a predetermined direction relative to the towing vehicle module when the towing vehicle module is mounted on the towing vehicle in a predetermined position with respect to a trailer hitch part on the towing vehicle;   (b) a trailer module adapted to be mounted on the trailer so as to be located in a predetermined position with respect to a trailer hitch coupler when said trailer module is mounted on said trailer, the trailer module including a target having visual indicia on a target face.   
     
     
         13 . The apparatus of  claim 12  wherein said projector of said towing vehicle module includes a laser and wherein said towing vehicle module includes a reflector located so as to direct a laser beam from said laser directly upward from said towing vehicle module when said towing vehicle module is mounted on a towing vehicle. 
     
     
         14 . The apparatus of  claim 13  wherein said laser beam is reflected directly upward from a location having a predetermined relationship to a hitch pivot axis location defined on said towing vehicle when said towing vehicle module is mounted on said towing vehicle in said predetermined position. 
     
     
         15 . The apparatus of  claim 14  wherein said laser beam is reflected directly upward along said hitch pivot axis when said towing vehicle module is mounted on said towing vehicle in said predetermined position.