Granted Patent B2

US 12,371,107 · App. 17/938,463 · Granted Jul 29, 2025

Inventors: Mahmoud Yousef Ghannam (Canton, MI); Bradford Scott Bondy (St. Clair Shores, MI); Muhannad Anwar Hamdan (Canton, MI); Christian Wegner (Grosse Ile, MI)

B62D33/0273B62D33/03E05F15/43E05F2015/433E05Y2900/516E05Y2900/546

Abstract

Claims (85)

1. A vehicle comprising:

a tailgate configured to move between a retracted position and an extended position;

a first detection unit configured to detect a tailgate latch state;

a second detection unit configured to capture a vehicle cargo box view;

a third detection unit configured to capture a vehicle rear view;

a control unit communicatively coupled to the first detection unit, the second detection unit and third detection unit, wherein the control unit is configured to:

obtain a first input from the first detection unit;

determine, based on the first input, that the tailgate is in the retracted position or in the extended position;

obtain, based on the tailgate being in the extended position or between the retracted position and the extended position, a second input from the second detection unit;

identify, based on the second input, that a field of view of the second detection unit is obstructed;

activate the third detection unit based on the second detection unit field of view being obstructed;

determine, based on a third input from the third detection unit, that a tailgate extended orientation is an intermediate position by determining that a field of view of the third detection unit comprises a view of a ground underneath the vehicle and a structure of the vehicle;

calculate a tailgate level using a length of the tailgate and an angle of the tailgate in the intermediate position;

determine, based on the third input, a presence of an obstacle in proximity of a vehicle rear side;

determine, based on the third input, whether an obstacle height is above the tailgate level;

calculate a distance between the obstacle and a tailgate edge based on the tailgate extended orientation when the obstacle height is above the tailgate level; and

notify a vehicle user when the distance is less than a predetermined threshold.

2. The vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the control unit is further configured to:

determine whether the vehicle is in a reverse mode; and

obtain the first input based on the vehicle being in the reverse mode.

3. The vehicle of claim 1 further comprising a first tailgate latch and a second tailgate latch, and the first detection unit is configured to detect the tailgate latch state by determining a first tailgate latch state and a second tailgate latch state.

4. The vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the tailgate is a split tailgate having a first part and a second part, wherein the first part and the second part are side-hinged, and wherein identifying the tailgate extended orientation comprises determining an angle between a rear bottom edge of a cargo box of the vehicle and a bottom edge of the first part of the tailgate.

5. The vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the control unit is further configured to:

identify the tailgate extended orientation based on the second input and an angle between a vehicle rear side edge and a tailgate side edge.

6. The vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the control unit is further configured to:

calculate a length of an extended tailgate portion based on the tailgate extended orientation; and

calculate the distance between the obstacle and the tailgate edge based on the length.

7. The vehicle of claim 1 further comprising ultrasonic sensors mounted in a vehicle rear fascia, wherein the control unit is further configured to:

obtain a fourth input from the ultrasonic sensors;

determine the presence of the obstacle based on the fourth input; and

determine whether the obstacle height is above the tailgate level based on the fourth input.

8. The vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the control unit is further configured to:

calibrate an ultrasonic sensor distance baseline based on the distance; and

notify the vehicle user based on the calibration.

9. A method to assist a vehicle user during backup of a vehicle having a tailgate, the method comprising:

obtaining, by a processor, a first input from a first detection unit configured to detect a tailgate latch state, wherein the tailgate is configured to move between a retracted position and an extended position;

determining, by the processor, whether the tailgate is in the retracted position or in the extended position based on the first input;

obtaining, by the processor, a second input from a second detection unit based on the tailgate being in the extended position or between the retracted position and the extended position, wherein the second detection unit is configured to capture a vehicle cargo box view;

identifying, by the processor, that a field of view of the second detection unit is obstructed based on the second input;

activating, by the processor, a third detection unit based on the second detection unit field of view being obstructed, wherein the third detection unit is configured to capture a vehicle rear view;

determining, by the processor and based on a third input from the third detection unit, that a tailgate extended orientation is an intermediate position by determining that a field of view of the third detection unit comprises a view of a ground underneath the vehicle and a structure of the vehicle;

calculating, by the processor, a tailgate level using a length of the tailgate and an angle of the tailgate in the intermediate position;

determining, by the processor, a presence of an obstacle in proximity of a vehicle rear side based on the third input;

determining, by the processor, whether an obstacle height is above a tailgate level based on the third input;

calculating, by the processor, a distance between the obstacle and a tailgate edge based on the tailgate extended orientation when the obstacle height is above the tailgate level; and notifying, by the processor, the vehicle user when the distance is less than a predetermined threshold.

10. The method of claim 9 further comprising:

determining whether the vehicle is in a reverse mode; and

obtaining the first input based on the vehicle being in the reverse mode.

11. The method of claim 9 , wherein the vehicle comprises a first tailgate latch and a second tailgate latch, and the first detection unit is configured to detect the tailgate latch state by determining a first tailgate latch state and a second tailgate latch state.

12. The method of claim 9 , wherein the tailgate is a split tailgate having a first part and a second part, wherein the first part and the second part are side-hinged, and wherein the first detection unit is further configured to detect the tailgate latch state of the first part and the second part.

13. The method of claim 9 , further comprising:

identifying, by the processor, the tailgate extended orientation based on the second input and an angle between a vehicle rear side edge and a tailgate side edge.

14. The method of claim 9 , further comprising:

calculating a length of an extended tailgate portion based on the tailgate extended orientation; and

calculating the distance between the obstacle and the tailgate edge based on the length.

15. The method of claim 9 further comprising:

obtaining a fourth input from ultrasonic sensors mounted in a vehicle rear fascia;

determining the presence of the obstacle based on the fourth input; and

determining whether the obstacle height is above the tailgate level based on the fourth input.

16. The method of claim 9 further comprising:

calibrating an ultrasonic sensor distance baseline based on the distance; and

notifying the vehicle user based on the calibration.

17. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium in a distributed computing system, the non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having instructions stored thereupon which, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to:

obtain a first input from a first detection unit configured to detect a tailgate latch state of a tailgate in a vehicle, wherein the wherein the tailgate is configured to move between a retracted position and an extended position;

determine whether the tailgate is in the retracted position or in the extended position based on the first input;

obtain a second input from a second detection unit based on the tailgate being in the extended position or between the retracted position and the extended position, wherein the second detection unit is configured to capture a vehicle cargo box view;

identify based on the second input that a field of view of the second detection unit is obstructed;

activate the third detection unit based on the second detection unit field of view being obstructed;

determine, based on a third input from a third detection unit configured to capture a vehicle rear view, that a tailgate extended orientation is an intermediate position by determining that a field of view of the third detection unit comprises a view of a ground underneath the vehicle and a structure of the vehicle;

calculate a tailgate level using a length of the tailgate and an angle of the tailgate in the intermediate position;

determine a presence of an obstacle in proximity of a vehicle rear side based on the third input;

determine whether an obstacle height is above the tailgate level based on the third input;

calculate a distance between the obstacle and a tailgate edge based on the tailgate extended orientation when the obstacle height is above the tailgate level; and

notify a vehicle user when the distance is less than a predetermined threshold.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 17 , having further instructions stored thereupon to:

determine whether the vehicle is in a reverse mode; and

obtain the first input based on the vehicle being in the reverse mode.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 17 , having further instructions stored thereupon to:

identify the tailgate extended orientation based on the second input and an angle between a vehicle rear side edge and a tailgate side edge;

determine whether a second detection unit field of view is obstructed; and

activate the third detection unit to identify the tailgate extended orientation based on the second detection unit field of view being obstructed.

20. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 17 , having further instructions stored thereupon to:

obtain a fourth input from ultrasonic sensors mounted in a vehicle rear fascia;

determine the presence of the obstacle based on the fourth input; and

determine whether the obstacle height is above the tailgate level based on the fourth input.

Assignments (1)

Continuity (1)

References Cited (23)