Parking Aid Camera

System Diagram

Courtesy of FORD MOTOR COMPANY

Network Message Chart

Network Input Messages - IPMB

Broadcast Message	Originating Module	Message Purpose
Camera commands	APIM	Used to command the static and active guideline settings on vehicles equipped with the 6.5 in (165 mm) touchscreen.
Parking aid range to object	PAM	Used to visually highlight the zone where an object is detected by the rear parking aid system.
Transmission in reverse	PCM	Used to enable and disable the parking aid camera video display.
Steering angle status	SASM	Used to create the vehicle intended path for the active guidelines feature.

Network Input Messages - APIM

Broadcast Message	Originating Module	Message Purpose
Parking aid camera status	IPMB	Used to display the current settings for static and active guidelines and visual park aid alert.
Transmission in reverse	PCM	Used to enable the parking aid camera video display when the selector lever is in reverse.
Vehicle speed	PCM	Used to turn the video delay off after the vehicle speed exceeds a preset threshold.

Network Input Messages - FCDIM

Broadcast Message	Originating Module	Message Purpose
Transmission gear in reverse	PCM	Used to enable the parking aid camera video display when the selector lever is in reverse.

Image Display - Vehicles Equipped With A 6.5 in (165 mm) Touchscreen

NOTE: The liftgate or cargo doors must remain closed for correct operation of the video camera system.

The parking aid camera image is displayed by the FDIM when the selector lever is placed in reverse. To determine the selector lever position and enable the rear video camera display, the APIM receives the transmission gear in reverse message from the PCM through the Infotainment Controller Area Network (I-CAN), with the IPC and BCM serving as gateways. The camera generates a video signal any time it receives voltage, regardless of the current configuration. If the camera is not configured properly, some features may be inoperative. The camera is supplied voltage by the IPMB when the ignition is on. When the camera is on, the image signal is sent from the video camera on shielded twisted pair wires to the APIM, which displays the image on the FDIM.

The camera system has 4 user-selectable features in the FDIM vehicle options menu:

Fixed guidelines - assists the driver with aligning the vehicle with an object.
Active guidelines - displays the intended path of the vehicle based upon steering wheel input.
Visual park aid alert - assists the driver to visually see the object causing the parking aid system to sound.
Video delay - allows the driver to see the image behind the vehicle after the vehicle is shifted out of reverse until the forward vehicle speed reaches 8 km/h (5 mph). The image will not be displayed if the vehicle is shifted into park.

For each of these system features, except the camera delay feature, the APIM receives the FDIM touch inputs and sends the camera commands message to the IPMB via the MS-CAN, with the IPC acting as a gateway. The IPMB then sends the command to the video camera via the LIN. The video camera generates the requested feature over the video image that is sent to the APIM.

The video camera delay feature is controlled by the APIM.

The video camera retains the last known setting for the fixed guidelines, active guidelines, and visual park aid alert when the ignition is turned off, therefore the rear video camera settings shown in the FDIM when the ignition is off may not reflect the actual rear video camera settings. Within 3 seconds of the ignition being turned on, the APIM requests the last known settings from the video camera, then changes the rear video camera menu selections to the settings stored in the video camera. If fixed guideline, active guideline or visual park aid alert settings are changed in the FDIM when the ignition is off, the menu reverts back to the last known settings that are stored in the camera after the ignition is turned on.

Image Display - Vehicles Equipped With A 4.2 in (106.68 mm) Display

NOTE: The liftgate or cargo doors must remain closed for correct operation of the camera system.

The parking aid camera image is displayed by the FCDIM when the transmission is placed in reverse. To determine the selector lever position and enable the rear video camera display, the FCDIM receives the transmission gear in reverse message from the PCM through the Infotainment Controller Area Network (I-CAN), with the IPC and BCM serving as gateways. The camera generates a video signal any time it receives voltage, regardless of the current configuration. If the video camera is not configured properly, some features may be inoperative. The camera is supplied voltage by the IPMB when the ignition is on. When the camera is on, the image signal is sent from the video camera on shielded twisted pair wires to the FCDIM.

Vehicles equipped with the 4.2 in (106.68 mm) display do not have any features that can be configured by the driver. The system displays fixed guidelines that cannot be turned off. If the vehicle is equipped with front and rear parking aid, the system has the video delay feature that cannot be turned off.

Image Display - Vehicles Equipped With An Interior Auto-Dimming Mirror Display

NOTE: The liftgate or cargo doors must remain closed for correct operation of the camera system.

The parking aid camera image is displayed in the interior auto-dimming mirror glass when the transmission is placed in reverse. The interior auto-dimming mirror video display turns on when the interior auto-dimming mirror receives voltage from the reversing lamp circuit. The camera generates a video signal any time it receives voltage, regardless of the current configuration. If the video camera is not configured properly, some features may be inoperative. The camera is supplied voltage by the IPMB when the ignition is on. When the camera is on, the image signal is sent from the video camera on shielded twisted pair wires to the interior auto-dimming mirror.

Vehicles equipped with the interior auto-dimming mirror display do not have any features that can be configured by the driver. The system displays fixed guidelines that cannot be turned off.

LIN Communication

The LIN is a dedicated single wire communication network. The LIN circuit is used for communication between the parking aid camera and the IPMB. The modules use broadcast serial communication over the LIN, with the IPMB sending a message, and the camera either replying to or simply receiving the messages. The IPMB is the master module on the LIN, and it sets and stores Diagnostic Trouble Codes (DTCs) for the camera and the communication network.

The messages sent from the IPMB to the camera are:

liftgate ajar status
camera configuration data
enable/disable visual park aid alert
enable/disable fixed guidelines
enable/disable active guidelines
parking aid sensor distance to object data
steering wheel angle data

The reply messages sent from the video camera to the IPMB are:

camera status
visual park aid alert status
fixed guideline status
active guideline status
camera part number data

Visual Park Aid Alert

NOTE: The on-screen alert color transitions may not match changes in the audible parking aid alert tone frequency.

The visual park aid alert feature utilizes the rear parking aid sensor inputs from the PAM and the video camera image. When the selector lever is in reverse and an object is detected by the rear parking aid system, the parking aid range to object data is sent from the PAM through the IPMB to the camera. The camera then generates a visual highlight over the video image in the zone where the object is detected.

The visual alerts are red, yellow or green and appear as highlights on top of the displayed image to indicate in which zone the object is detected. If the visual park aid alert feature is enabled, the highlighted visual alerts are still operational even if the rear parking aid system has been disabled by the driver.

Fixed Guidelines

NOTE: The color-coded lines cannot indicate accurate or consistent distances between objects located behind the vehicle and at the rear of the vehicle. This normal condition is due to variances in vehicle ride height, including, but not limited to, vehicle loading.

The video camera fixed guidelines feature generates fixed guidelines on top of the video image to assist the driver with alignment of the vehicle. A dashed line on the displayed image represents the center of the vehicle and 3 color-coded lines (red, yellow, green) identify different zones between the rear of the vehicle and objects.

If the liftgate or cargo doors are open or a trailer is connected to the vehicle, the fixed guidelines are not shown.

Active Guidelines

The video camera active guidelines feature generates a projected path of travel guideline display on top of the video image to assist the driver with maneuvering a vehicle into a space. The steering angle status message is sent from the SASM through the IPMB to the camera. The camera then generates the projected path of travel active guideline display over the video image.

If the steering wheel is straight, liftgate or cargo doors are open or a trailer is connected to the vehicle, the active guidelines are not shown.

Video Delay

When the video delay is turned on, the video image remains displayed after the vehicle is shifted out of reverse, into any gear other than park, until the forward vehicle speed reaches 8 km/h (5 mph). With the delay off, the image displays until the vehicle is shifted out of reverse.

Only vehicles equipped with the 6.5 in (165 mm) touchscreen offer the ability to turn the video delay off. On vehicles equipped with a 4.2 in (107 mm) centerstack infotainment display, the video delay is always on and cannot be turned off.

For more information on the rear parking aid camera features, refer to the Owner's Literature.