IP Library › Granted Patent US 12686334
Granted Patent B2
US 12686334 · App. 18/976,333 · Granted Jul 21, 2026

Backing assistance apparatus and vehicle

Inventors: Yuki Tatsumoto (Seto, JP); Josuke Yamane (Nagoya, JP); Hirotaka Nogami (Nisshin, JP); Kazuya Nishimura (Anjo, JP); Takumi Fukunaga (Iwakura, JP)
Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
B60R1/26B60N2/002B60R2300/806G06V20/58
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12686334
App. No.
18/976,333
Granted
Jul 21, 2026
Kind
B2
Abstract

A backing assistance apparatus includes a controller configured to monitor a usage of each seat on a driver side and a passenger side of a vehicle, set a reference distance on each of the driver side and the passenger side according to the usage, and upon detecting an obstacle on a side of a space to which the vehicle is predicted to proceed when the vehicle is backing, display, on a screen that shows an image of a rear of the vehicle to assist in backing the vehicle, a guide element indicating a position that is distant from the detected obstacle by the reference distance.

Claims (18)

1 . A backing assistance apparatus comprising a controller configured to:

monitor a usage of each seat on a driver side and a passenger side of a vehicle;

set a reference distance on each of the driver side and the passenger side according to the usage;

upon detecting an obstacle on a side of a space to which the vehicle is predicted to proceed when the vehicle is backing, display, on a screen that shows an image of a rear of the vehicle to assist in backing the vehicle, a guide element indicating a position that is distant from the detected obstacle by the reference distance; and

upon detecting as the usage a situation in which a child is seated in a rear seat on the driver side of the vehicle, set a reference distance on the driver side based on a protruding length of a door of a driver seat of the vehicle when having a minimum opening degree required for a driver to get out and a protruding length of a door of the rear seat on the driver side when having a maximum opening degree.

2 . The backing assistance apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to, upon detecting as the usage a situation in which an occupant is seated or luggage is placed in the rear seat on the driver side of the vehicle, set a reference distance on the driver side based on the protruding length of the door of the driver seat of the vehicle when having the minimum opening degree required for the driver to get out and a protruding length of the door of the rear seat on the driver side when having a minimum opening degree required for the occupant to get out or for the luggage to be unloaded.

3 . The backing assistance apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to:

upon detecting as the usage a situation in which an occupant is seated in a rear seat on the passenger side of the vehicle, set a reference distance on the passenger side based on a protruding length of a door of the rear seat on the passenger side when having a minimum opening degree required for the occupant to get out; and

upon detecting the obstacle on a side of the space corresponding to the passenger side when the vehicle is backing and determining that a distance from the obstacle to the space is shorter than the reference distance on the passenger side, output a message urging the occupant to get out of the rear seat on the driver side of the vehicle.

4 . A vehicle comprising:

a camera configured to capture the image; and

the backing assistance apparatus according to claim 1 .

5 . A backing assistance apparatus comprising a controller configured to:

monitor a usage of each seat on a driver side and a passenger side of a vehicle;

set a reference distance on each of the driver side and the passenger side according to the usage;

upon detecting an obstacle on a side of a space to which the vehicle is predicted to proceed when the vehicle is backing, display, on a screen that shows an image of a rear of the vehicle to assist in backing the vehicle, a guide element indicating a position that is distant from the detected obstacle by the reference distance;

upon detecting as the usage a situation in which an occupant is seated in a rear seat on the passenger side of the vehicle, set a reference distance on the passenger side based on a protruding length of a door of the rear seat on the passenger side when having a minimum opening degree required for the occupant to get out; and

upon detecting the obstacle on a side of the space corresponding to the passenger side when the vehicle is backing and determining that a distance from the obstacle to the space is shorter than the reference distance on the passenger side, output a message urging the occupant to get out of a rear seat on the driver side of the vehicle.