Appeal 2007-0677
Application 10/708,677
1 the trailer to the system by positioning the steering wheel of the vehicle as if
2 they were backing the vehicle up without a trailer.2 The system monitors the
3 steering wheel position and calculates the intended position. See column 2, l.
4 64 to column 3, l. 3. The system then calculates the proper angle for the rear
5 wheels to steer the trailer to the intended position. If the rear wheels can be
6 turned to this angle the driver continues to back up, steering as if there was
7 no trailer and the system will adjust the rear wheels to locate the trailer. See
8 column 3, lines 7-13. If the rear wheels can not be turned to this angle, the
9 driver is instructed to counter steer and the system controls the steering of
10 the rear wheels to position the trailer in the intended position. Column 3 ll.
11 13-22. Deng is silent as to whether the driver is advised of the systems’
12 status visually or audibly, although the driver advisor, item 42 is depicted as
13 a speaker.
14 Mizusawa teaches a system to assist a driver in backing up a vehicle
15 to meet a trailer. See abstract. The system makes use of camera images
16 which are enhanced and displayed to the driver. See paragraph 0016. The
17 images present a view of the rear of the vehicle and include an indicator of
18 where the hitch is on the vehicle and is used in aligning the hitches of the
19 vehicle and trailer when coupling the two. See paragraph 0018.
1 In a four wheel steering system the rear wheels may turn either with or
counter to the front wheels.
2 When backing up with a trailer in a two wheel steering system the driver
has to counter steer to guide the trailer, i.e. when backing up with a trailer
you turn the steering wheel opposite the direction you would steer as if you
did not have a trailer.
5
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Last modified: September 9, 2013