System and method for associating camera sensors on a vehicle

• US 10,112,536 B2
• Filed: 08/08/2014
• Issued: 10/30/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 08/08/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: RM Acquisition LLC (Rand McNally & Company)
• Original Assignee: Bendix Commercial Vehicle Systems LLC (Estate of Heinz Hermann Thiele)
• Inventors: Jones, Karl H., Kuehnle, Andreas U.
• Primary Examiner(s): Smith, Jelani A
• Assistant Examiner(s): Castro, Paul A
• Application Number:
  US14/455,594
• Publication Number:
  US 20160039342A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,544 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2300/105 using multiple cameras
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2300/302 combining image information with GPS information or vehicle data, e.g. vehicle speed, gyro, steering angle data
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2300/406 using wireless transmission
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2300/802 for monitoring and displaying vehicle exterior blind spot views
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/181 for receiving images from a plurality of remote sources

Abstract

A camera system on a vehicle includes an electronic control unit, a base sensor, on a first portion of the vehicle, and a remote sensor on a second portion of the vehicle. The base sensor and the remote sensor communicate with the electronic control unit. The electronic control unit associates the remote sensor with the base sensor based on respective signals received from the base sensor and the remote sensor representing respective measurements of a first physical quantity by the base sensor and the remote sensor.

Claims

1. A camera system on an articulated vehicle, the camera system comprising:

an electronic control unit;

a base camera, including a base sensor, on a first portion of the articulated vehicle, the base sensor communicating with the electronic control unit; and

a remote camera, including a remote sensor, on a second portion of the articulated vehicle, the remote sensor communicating with the electronic control unit, the base sensor being initially uncoupled from the remote sensor, the first portion of the articulated vehicle being initially unassociated from the second portion of the articulated vehicle, and the electronic control unit coupling the remote sensor with the base sensor and configured to associate the first portion of the articulated vehicle with the second portion of the articulated vehicle based on comparisons of signals received from the base sensor and the remote sensor representing respective measurements of dynamic longitudinal accelerations of the first portion of the articulated vehicle and the second portion of the articulated vehicle over a time period, the comparisons representing sums of absolute values of differences of the respective dynamic longitudinal accelerations of the first portion and the second portion at predetermined time intervals over the period of time.

2. The camera system as set forth in claim 1, wherein:

the electronic control unit couples the remote sensor with the base sensor and associates the first portion of the articulated vehicle with the second portion of the articulated vehicle based on the comparison of the signals received from the base sensor with the signals received from the remote sensor over the time period.

3. The camera system as set forth in claim 2, wherein:

the signals received by the electronic control unit from the base sensor represent the measurement by the base sensor of the longitudinal acceleration of the first portion of the articulated vehicle; and

the signals received by the electronic control unit from the remote sensor represent the measurement by the remote sensor of the longitudinal acceleration of the second portion of the articulated vehicle.

4. The camera system as set forth in claim 1, wherein:

at least one of the base sensor and the remote sensor wirelessly communicates with the electronic control unit.

5. The camera system as set forth in claim 1, wherein:

the base sensor is an accelerometer; and

the remote sensor is an accelerometer.

6. An electronic control unit, comprising:

means for receiving base signals from a base unit on a towing portion of an articulated vehicle, the base signals representing measurements of a dynamic longitudinal acceleration of the towing portion of the articulated vehicle;

means for receiving remote signals from a remote unit on a towed portion of the articulated vehicle, the remote signals representing measurements of a dynamic longitudinal acceleration of the towed portion of the articulated vehicle, the base unit being initially uncoupled from the remote unit and the towing portion of the articulated vehicle initially being unassociated from the towed portion of the articulated vehicle;

means for comparing the signals received from the base unit representing a sum of absolute values of differences of the measurement of the dynamic longitudinal acceleration of the towing portion of the articulated vehicle over a time period with the signals received from the remote unit representing the measurement of the dynamic longitudinal acceleration of the towed portion of the articulated vehicle over the time period; and

means for coupling the remote unit with the base unit and associating the towing portion of the articulated vehicle with the towed portion of the articulated vehicle based on the comparison of the signals received from the base unit and the remote unit over the time period representing the respective measurements of the longitudinal accelerations of the towing portion and the towed portion of the articulated vehicle.

7. The electronic control unit as set forth in claim 6, wherein:

the signals received by the electronic control unit from the base unit represent the measurement by the base unit of the longitudinal acceleration of the towing portion of the articulated vehicle; and

the signals received by the electronic control unit from the remote unit represent the measurement by the remote unit of the longitudinal acceleration of the towed portion of the articulated vehicle.

8. A method for associating a base camera on a towing portion of a vehicle with a remote camera on a towed portion of the vehicle, the method comprising:

receiving base signals, in an electronic control unit, from a base sensor, on the towing portion of the vehicle, representing a measurement of a dynamic longitudinal acceleration of the towing portion of the vehicle;

receiving remote signals, in the electronic control unit, from a remote sensor, on the towed portion of the vehicle, representing a measurement of a dynamic longitudinal acceleration of the towed portion of the vehicle, the base sensor being initially uncoupled from the remote sensor and the towing portion of the vehicle initially being unassociated from the towed portion of the vehicle;

determining a comparison value as a sum of absolute values of differences of the base signals and the remote signals; and

transmitting a signal in the electronic control unit to couple the base camera with the remote camera and associate the towing portion of the vehicle with the towed portion of the vehicle based on the determining step.

9. The method for associating a base camera with a remote camera as set forth in claim 8, further including:

determining if the comparison value is below a predetermined threshold comparison value.

10. The method for associating a base camera with a remote camera as set forth in claim 9, further including:

determining to couple the base camera with the remote camera and associate the towing portion of the vehicle with the towed portion of the vehicle if the comparison value is below the predetermined threshold comparison value.

11. The method for associating a base camera with a remote camera as set forth in claim 8, further including:

determining a longitudinal acceleration of the towing portion of the vehicle based on the measurement of the dynamic longitudinal acceleration of the towing portion of the vehicle; and

determining a longitudinal acceleration of the towed portion of the vehicle based on the measurement of the dynamic longitudinal acceleration of the towed portion of the vehicle.

12. A system for associating portions of an articulated vehicle, the system comprising:

an electronic control unit on a towing portion of the articulated vehicle;

a base sensor on the towing portion of the articulated vehicle and communicating with the electronic control unit, the base sensor sensing a dynamic longitudinal acceleration of the towing portion and transmitting base signals representing the dynamic longitudinal acceleration of the towing portion; and

a remote sensor on a towed portion of the articulated vehicle and wirelessly communicating with the electronic control unit, the remote sensor sensing a dynamic longitudinal acceleration of the towed portion of the articulated vehicle and transmitting remote signals representing the dynamic longitudinal acceleration of the towed portion, the base sensor being initially uncoupled from the remote sensor and the towing portion of the vehicle being initially unassociated from the towed portion of the vehicle, the electronic control unit receiving the base signals and the remote signals and coupling the remote sensor with the base sensor and associating the towing portion of the vehicle with the towed portion of the vehicle based on comparisons representing sums of absolute values of differences of the base signals and the remote signals at predetermined time intervals over a period of time.

13. The system for associating portions of an articulated vehicle as set forth in claim 12, further including:

a second remote sensor on a second towed portion of the articulated vehicle and wirelessly communicating with the electronic control unit, the second remote sensor sensing a longitudinal acceleration of the second towed portion of the articulated vehicle and transmitting second remote signals representing the longitudinal acceleration of the second towed portion, the electronic control unit also receiving the second remote signals and coupling the second remote sensor with the base sensor and associating the towing portion of the vehicle with the towed portion of the vehicle based on comparisons representing sums of absolute values of differences of the base signals and the second remote signals at the predetermined time intervals over the period of time.

14. The system for associating portions of an articulated vehicle as set forth in claim 13, further including:

a third remote sensor on the second towed portion of the articulated vehicle and wirelessly communicating with the electronic control unit, the third remote sensor sensing a longitudinal acceleration of the second towed portion of the articulated vehicle and transmitting third remote signals representing the longitudinal acceleration of the third towed portion, the electronic control unit also receiving the third remote signals and coupling the third remote sensor with the base sensor and associating the towing portion of the vehicle with the second towed portion of the vehicle based on comparisons representing sums of absolute values of differences of the base signals and the third remote signals at the predetermined time intervals over the period of time; and

a fourth remote sensor on the second towed portion of the articulated vehicle and wirelessly communicating with the electronic control unit, the fourth remote sensor sensing a longitudinal acceleration of the second towed portion of the articulated vehicle and transmitting fourth remote signals representing the longitudinal acceleration of the fourth towed portion, the electronic control unit also receiving the fourth remote signals and coupling the fourth remote sensor with the base sensor and associating the towing portion of the vehicle with the second towed portion of the vehicle based on comparisons representing sums of absolute values of differences of the base signals and the fourth remote signals at the predetermined time intervals over the period of time.

15. A system for wirelessly associating portions of an articulated vehicle, the system comprising:

an electronic control unit on a towing portion of the articulated vehicle;

a base sensor on the towing portion of the articulated vehicle and communicating with the electronic control unit, the base sensor sensing a dynamic longitudinal acceleration of the towing portion and transmitting base signals representing the dynamic longitudinal acceleration of the towing portion; and

a remote sensor on a towed portion of the articulated vehicle and wirelessly communicating with the electronic control unit, the remote sensor sensing a dynamic longitudinal acceleration of the towed portion of the articulated vehicle and transmitting remote signals representing the dynamic longitudinal acceleration of the towed portion, the base sensor being initially uncoupled from the remote sensor, the towing portion of the vehicle being initially unassociated from the towed portion of the vehicle, and the electronic control unit receiving the base signals and the remote signals and coupling the remote sensor with the electronic control unit and associating the towing portion of the vehicle with the towed portion of the vehicle based on whether a comparison acceleration value determined between the base sensor and the remote sensor is less than a predetermined comparison threshold value;

wherein the base signals represent the respective longitudinal accelerations of the towing portion at predetermined time intervals over a period to time;

wherein the remote signals represent the respective longitudinal accelerations of the towed portion at the predetermined time intervals over the period to time; and

wherein the comparison acceleration value is determined as a sum of absolute values of differences of the respective longitudinal accelerations of the towing portion and the towed portion at each of the predetermined time intervals over the period of time.

16. The system for wirelessly associating portions of an articulated vehicle as set forth in claim 15, wherein:

the electronic control unit verifies the coupling of the remote sensor with the electronic control unit and the association of the towing portion of the vehicle with the towed portion of the vehicle based on subsequent base signals from the base sensor and subsequent remote signals from the remote sensor.