VEHICLE TRAILER ANGLE DETECTION SYSTEM AND METHOD

• US 20160001705A1
• Filed: 09/15/2015
• Published: 01/07/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 03/21/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Inventors: Greenwood, Jeremy John, Nicholls, Stephen, Crawford, Andrew Stephen Bell
• Granted Patent: US 9,566,911 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 1/00 Optical viewing arrangements; Real-time viewing arrangements for drivers or passengers using optical image capturing systems, e.g. cameras or video systems specially adapted for use in or on vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 1/003 for viewing trailer hitches
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 1/26 to the rear of the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 1/28 with an adjustable field of view
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 1/30 providing vision in the non-visible spectrum, e.g. night or infrared vision
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2300/101 using cameras with adjustable capturing direction
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2300/108 using 'non-standard' camera systems, e.g. camera sensor used for additional purposes i.a. rain sensor, camera sensor split in multiple image areas
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2300/301 combining image information with other obstacle sensor information, e.g. using RADAR/LIDAR/SONAR sensors for estimating risk of collision
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2300/305 merging camera image with lines or icons
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2300/50 characterised by the display information being shared, e.g. external display, data transfer to other traffic participants or centralised traffic controller
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2300/802 for monitoring and displaying vehicle exterior blind spot views
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2300/806 for aiding parking
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2300/8086 for vehicle path indication
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2300/8093 for obstacle warning
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2050/143 Alarm means
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/14 Means for informing the driver, warning the driver or prompting a driver intervention
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 13/06 for backing a normally drawn trailer
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 15/021 Determination of steering angle
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 15/024 Other means for determination of steering angle without directly measuring it, e.g. deriving from wheel speeds on different sides of the car
• CPC Class Codes: G01B 11/272 using photoelectric detection means
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/0008 : checking presence/absence
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/20 : Analysis of motion motion estimation for coding, decoding, compressing or decompressing digital video signals H04N19/43, H04N19/51
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/56 : exterior to a vehicle by using sensors mounted on the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/16 : Anti-collision systems road vehicle drive control systems for predicting or avoiding probable or impending collision otherwise than by control of a particular sub-unit B60W30/08
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/166 : for active traffic, e.g. moving vehicles, pedestrians, bikes
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/167 : Driving aids for lane monitoring, lane changing, e.g. blind spot detection
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/168 : Driving aids for parking, e.g. acoustic or visual feedback on parking space
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/54 : Mounting of pick-up tubes, electronic image sensors, deviation or focusing coils
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/183 : for receiving images from a single remote source

Abstract

A vehicle 1 towing a trailer 4 is fitted with three video cameras 5, 6, 7 fitted to the rear of the vehicle and on each door mirror. A view from any camera can be presented to the driver on a display 11. A predicted trailer path, calculated in a computing unit 10, is also presented to the driver on the display 11 as guide lines overlaid on the camera view. The computing unit 10 is also configured to calculate a hitch angle by tracking the position of a trailer-mounted marker in the camera view.

Claims

1. A system for determining a hitch angle of a trailer attached to a vehicle comprising:

a rearward-looking video camera mounted on the vehicle and operable to capture images rearward of the vehicle;

an image processor for processing the captured images and locating a marker on the trailer; and

a computing unit determining a hitch angle between the vehicle and the trailer based on the located marker.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the marker comprises at least one of a mark, a sticker attached to the trailer and a vertical edge of the trailer.

3. The system of claim 1 further comprising a display for displaying a trailer view visible to a driver of the vehicle.

4. The system of claim 1, further comprising a steering angle sensor for sensing a vehicle steering angle, wherein the computing unit further calculates a predicted path of a trailer from the hitch angle and the vehicle steering angle.

5. The system of claim 1 further comprising the step of displaying the marker on a display for a driver confirmation that the selected marker is rigidly connected to the trailer.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the computing unit compares the hitch angle to a stored value and, if the hitch angle is within a predetermined range of the stored value, wherein the trailer is likely to jack-knife, generating a warning signal to the driver indicative of an imminent jack-knife event.

7. A method of determining a hitch angle of a trailer towed by a vehicle, comprising:

obtaining an image of a trailer towed by the vehicle with a rearward-looking video camera mounted to the vehicle;

tracking a marker associated with the trailer in the image with an image processor; and

determining with a computing unit a hitch angle between the vehicle and trailer based on the tracked marker.

8. The method of claim 7 further comprising the steps of:

measuring a steering angle of the vehicle; and

calculating with the computing unit a predicted path of the trailer from the hitch angle and steering angle.

9. The method of claim 8 further comprising the step of displaying the predicted trailer path on a display as an overlay track on the image.

10. The method of claim 7, wherein the marker comprises at least one of a mark, a sticker attached to the trailer and a vertical edge of the trailer.

11. The method of claim 7 further comprising the step of displaying a trailer view visible to a driver of the vehicle.

12. The method of claim 7 further comprising the step of displaying the marker on a display for a driver confirmation that the selected marker is rigidly connected to the trailer.

13. The method of claim 7 further comprising the steps of comparing the hitch angle to a stored value and, if the hitch angle is within a predetermined range of the stored value, wherein the trailer is likely to jack-knife, generating a warning signal to the driver indicative of an imminent jack-knife event.

14. A method of predicting a path of a trailer attached to a vehicle, comprising:

measuring a vehicle steering angle;

obtaining an image of the trailer with a rearward-looking video camera located on the vehicle;

tracking a marker associated with the trailer in the image;

determining a hitch angle between the vehicle and trailer based on the location of the marker;

calculating a predicted path of the trailer from the hitch angle and vehicle steering angle; and

displaying the predicted trailer path on a display.

15. The method of claim 14 further comprising the step of displaying the predicted trailer path on a display as an overlay track on the image.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein the marker comprises at least one of a mark, a sticker attached to the trailer and a vertical edge of the trailer.

17. The method of claim 14 further comprising the step of displaying a trailer view visible to a driver of the vehicle.

18. The method of claim 14 further comprising the step of displaying the marker on a display for a driver confirmation that the selected marker is rigidly connected to the trailer.

19. The method of claim 14 further comprising the steps of comparing the hitch angle to a stored value and, if the hitch angle is within a predetermined range of the stored value, wherein the trailer is likely to jack-knife, generating a warning signal to the driver indicative of an imminent jack-knife event.