ELECTRONIC PATH ENTERING FOR AUTONOMOUS OR SEMI-AUTONOMOUS TRAILER BACKING

1 . A method of controlling a backing system for a vehicle and trailer assembly comprising:

initiating a path input mode on a electronic input device associated with an electronic control unit for a backing system;

inputting an intended backing path by defining the intended backing path with an input control mechanism for the electronic input device; and

ending the path input mode on the electronic input device.

2 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising instructing at least one vehicle system with the electronic control unit to move the vehicle and trailer assembly along the intended backing path to a final vehicle and trailer assembly position.

3 . The method of claim 2 , wherein the steps of initiating the path input mode, inputting the intended backing path, ending the path input mode, and instructing the least one vehicle system are repeated for each leg of the intended backing path prior to moving the vehicle and trailer assembly on a successive leg of the intended backing path.

4 . The method of claim 1 , wherein inputting an intended backing path with the input control mechanism further comprises using one of a joystick, a roller ball, a knob, a slide device, at least one physical button, at least one touch screen button, a handheld electronic device, and voice control inputs to define the intended backing path.

5 . The method of claim 1 , wherein inputting the intended backing path further comprises controlling a locator on a display screen of the electronic input device with the input control mechanism to move the locator over the display screen thereby defining each leg of the intended backing path.

6 . The method of claim 1 , wherein inputting the intended backing path further comprises entering each leg of the intended backing path prior to inputting a successive leg of the intended backing path.

7 . A method of controlling a backing system for a vehicle and trailer assembly comprising:

initiating a path input mode with a voice command to an electronic input device associated with a control unit for a backing system;

inputting an intended backing path by voice command instructions input to the electronic input device; and

ending the path input mode with a voice command to the electronic input device.

8 . The method of claim 7 , further comprising instructing at least one vehicle system with the electronic control unit to move the vehicle and trailer assembly along the intended backing path to a final vehicle and trailer assembly position

9 . The method of claim 7 , wherein inputting an intended backing path according to voice command instructions further comprises a separate voice command for each leg of the intended backing path.

10 . The method of claim 7 , wherein inputting an intended backing path according to voice command instructions further comprises utilizing a relative direction and a distance input for each leg of the backing path.

11 . The method of claim 7 , wherein inputting an intended backing path according to voice command instructions further comprises directing an on-screen locator with the voice commands to define each leg of the backing path.

12 . A method of controlling a backing system for a vehicle and trailer assembly comprising:

initiating a path input mode on a electronic input device associated with a control unit for a backing system;

inputting an intended backing path into a handheld electronic device by moving the handheld electronic device over each leg of the intended backing path;

inputting the intended backing path into an electronic input device from the handheld electronic device; and

ending the path input mode on the electronic input device.

13 . The method of claim 12 , further comprising instructing at least one vehicle system with the electronic control unit to move the vehicle and trailer assembly along the intended backing path to a final vehicle and trailer assembly position.

14 . The method of claim 13 , further comprising confirming an operator is in a driver seat for the vehicle prior to instructing the at least one vehicle system with the electronic control unit to move the vehicle and trailer assembly.

15 . The method of claim 12 , wherein inputting an intended backing path into the electronic input device from the handheld electronic device further comprises electronically connecting the handheld electronic device to the electronic input device with a wireless connection.

16 . The method of claim 12 , wherein ending the path input mode occurs prior to inputting the intended backing path into an electronic input device from the handheld electronic device.

17 . The method of claim 16 , wherein inputting an intended backing path into the electronic input device from the handheld electronic device further comprises electronically connecting the handheld electronic device to the electronic input device with a wired connection between the handheld electronic device and the electronic input device.