Vehicle blind spot system operation with trailer tow
This disclosure generally relates to a vehicle blind spot detection system, method, and module for adjusting parameters of a vehicle blind spot detection algorithm based on a trailer being attached to the back of the vehicle. More specifically, based on a determination that a trailer is attached to the vehicle and the reception of trailer information corresponding to the attached trailer, an adjust to the parameters of a blind spot detection area is disclosed for ensuring the continued operation of the blind spot detection feature will take into account the attached trailer.
1. A vehicle comprising:
a body, a motor, brakes, a trailer-hitch, a processor coupled to sensors and configured to:
detect a hitched trailer, and in response:
sum individually recalled trailer-hitch, trailer, buffer, and vehicle lengths;
identify position(s) of object(s) based the sensors' signals;
automatically trigger a first response only when the position(s) are within the summed length;
only enable user-adjustment of the buffer length above a preset standard length.
2. The vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the first response includes automatically deactivating the vehicle's cruise control.
3. The vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the first response includes flashing a light mounted on a rear-view mirror of the body.
4. The vehicle of claim 2 , wherein the processor is configured to only trigger the first response when the processor detects a vehicle lane change.
5. The vehicle of claim 4 , wherein the vehicle lane change is the vehicle steering into a lane having identified object(s).
6. The vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the detection length is parallel to a longitudinal axis of the vehicle.
7. The vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the recalled vehicle length is a longitudinal length from at least one of the sensors to a rear surface of the vehicle.
8. The vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the processor is configured to assess signals from at least two discrete sensors to detect the hitched trailer.
9. A method of operating a vehicle having a body, a motor, brakes, a trailer-hitch, and a processor coupled to sensors, comprising, with the processor:
detecting a hitched trailer, and in response:
summing individually recalled trailer-hitch, trailer, buffer, and vehicle lengths;
identifying position(s) of object(s) based the sensors' signals;
automatically triggering a first response only when the position(s) are within the summed length;
only enabling user-adjustment of the buffer length above a preset standard length.
10. The method of claim 9 , wherein the first response includes automatically deactivating the vehicle's cruise control.
11. The method of claim 9 , wherein the first response includes flashing a light mounted on a rear-view mirror of the body.
12. The method of claim 10 , wherein the processor is configured to only trigger the first response when the processor detects a vehicle lane change.
13. The method of claim 12 , wherein the vehicle lane change is the vehicle steering into a lane having identified object(s).
14. The method of claim 9 , wherein the detection length is parallel to a longitudinal axis of the vehicle.
15. The method of claim 9 , wherein the recalled vehicle length is a longitudinal length from at least one of the sensors to a rear surface of the vehicle.
16. The method of claim 9 , wherein the processor is configured to assess signals from at least two discrete sensors to detect the hitched trailer.