Capacitive monitoring of vehicle hitches
Method and apparatus are disclosed for capacitive monitoring of vehicle hitches. An example vehicle includes a hitch that includes a body, a hitch ball, and a sleeve that electrically insulates the hitch ball from the body. The example vehicle also includes a hitch module including a capacitive switch electrically coupled to the hitch ball. The hitch module is to wirelessly emit an alert that a trailer has decoupled from the hitch responsive to the capacitive switch detecting, via the hitch ball, a predetermined increase in capacitance.
1. A vehicle comprising:
a hitch including:
a body;
a hitch ball; and
a sleeve that electrically insulates the hitch ball from the body;
a hitch module including a capacitive switch electrically coupled to the hitch ball, the hitch module to wirelessly emit an alert that a trailer has decoupled from the hitch responsive to the capacitive switch detecting, via the hitch ball, a predetermined increase in capacitance.
2. The vehicle of claim 1 , wherein:
the body defines an aperture;
a protrusion extends from the hitch ball and extends through the aperture to couple the hitch ball to the body; and
the sleeve is positioned within the aperture between the protrusion of the hitch ball and the body.
3. The vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the hitch module is coupled to the hitch and provides a charge to the hitch ball to enable the hitch ball to emit an electric field to form a capacitive sensor.
4. The vehicle of claim 1 , wherein a portion of the body is positioned between the hitch ball and a ground surface to:
enable the capacitive switch in monitoring a change in capacitance above the body of the hitch around the hitch ball; and
prevent the capacitive switch from monitoring a change in capacitance below the body of the hitch.
5. The vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the hitch module determines that the trailer has coupled to the hitch responsive to the capacitive switch detecting, via the hitch ball, a first predetermined decrease in capacitance.
6. The vehicle of claim 1 , further including a light that illuminates an area around the hitch responsive to detecting that a person is near the hitch ball.
7. The vehicle of claim 6 , further including a camera that is positioned near the hitch and includes the light.
8. The vehicle of claim 6 , wherein the hitch module determines that the person is near the hitch ball responsive to the capacitive switch detecting, via the hitch ball, a second predetermined decrease in capacitance.
9. The vehicle of claim 1 , further including a first communication module for communication via a wireless personal area network.
10. The vehicle of claim 9 , wherein the hitch module wirelessly emits the alert via the wireless personal area network for the first communication module and a mobile device of a vehicle operator.
11. The vehicle of claim 10 , further including an alert controller that determines whether a key fob or a phone-as-a-key of the vehicle operator is located within a predetermined distance of the first communication module.
12. The vehicle of claim 11 , further including a second communication module for communication via a cellular network, the second communication module to relay the alert to the mobile device responsive to the alert controller determining that the key fob or the phone-as-a-key of the vehicle operator is located outside of the predetermined distance.
13. The vehicle of claim 11 , further including at least one of exterior lights and a horn to emit an alarm responsive to:
the hitch module determining that the trailer has decoupled from the hitch; and
the alert controller determining that the key fob or the phone-as-a-key of the vehicle operator is located outside of the predetermined distance.
14. The vehicle of claim 1 , further including a liftgate near the hitch and a hands-free liftgate system, the hands-free liftgate system including a proximity sensor near the hitch for detecting a presence of a vehicle operator near the liftgate.
15. The vehicle of claim 14 , wherein the hitch ball is positioned above the body of the hitch and the proximity sensor to enable the capacitive switch to monitor, via the hitch ball, a first area above the body of the hitch and the proximity sensor to monitor a second area below the body of the hitch.
16. A method comprising:
monitoring, via a capacitive switch of a hitch module, a capacitance around a hitch ball of a hitch, the hitch ball being electrically insulated via a sleeve;
detecting whether there is a predetermined increase in capacitance around the hitch ball; and
wirelessly emitting, via the hitch module, an alert that a trailer has decoupled from the hitch responsive to the capacitive switch detecting, via the hitch ball, a predetermined increase in capacitance.
17. The method of claim 16 , further including determining that the trailer has coupled to the hitch responsive to the capacitive switch detecting, via the hitch ball, a first predetermined decrease in capacitance.
18. The method claim 16 , further including:
determining that a person is near the hitch ball responsive to the capacitive switch detecting, via the hitch ball, a second predetermined decrease in capacitance; and
illuminating, via a light, an area around the hitch responsive to detecting that the person is near the hitch ball.
19. The method of claim 16 , wherein the alert is wirelessly emitted via a wireless personal area network for a first communication module of a vehicle and a mobile device of a vehicle operator.
20. The method of claim 19 , further including, responsive to determining that a key fob or a phone-as-a-key of the vehicle operator is beyond a predetermined distance from the vehicle, relaying, via a second communication module, the alert to a mobile device of the vehicle operator via cellular network and wirelessly emitting an alarm via at least one of exterior lights and a horn of the vehicle.