Dual Purpose Hitch Sensor

摘要

The present invention relates to sensors for guiding a trailer while backing that can easily be installed or removed, and in particular to trailering system sensors that can be utilized for both measuring the angle formed by the vehicle and a coupled trailer (i.e., the angle formed by the centerline of the vehicle intersecting the centerline of the trailer) and the direction and/or distance to back up the vehicle during coupling. The present invention is a means and a method for sensing both the hitch angle during towing maneuvers and the direction and/or distance to the trailer to assist a driver to couple a vehicle and trailer together.

主权项

1. A trailer hitch angle measuring device comprising a measurement device (i) for determining an angle formed by the intersection of a centerline of a vehicle and a centerline of a trailer coupled to the vehicle, where the vertex of the angle is at a point on the centerline of the vehicle that coincides with a point on the centerline of the trailer coupled to the vehicle and (ii) for determining an angle formed by the intersection of the centerline of the vehicle and a centerline of a line drawn from the point on the centerline of the vehicle to the point on the centerline of the trailer when the trailer is not coupled to the vehicle, where the vertex of the angle is at the point on the centerline of the vehicle.