HITCHING ASSIST WITH PAN/ZOOM AND VIRTUAL TOP-VIEW

• US 20160375831A1
• Filed: 06/09/2016
• Published: 12/29/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 06/23/2015
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC (General Motors Company)
• Original Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC (General Motors Company)
• Inventors: WANG, JINSONG, ZHANG, WENDE, FRAKES, RYAN M., WUERGLER, MICHAEL A., SIMS, ROBERT D. III, MURAD, MOHANNAD
• Application Number:
  US15/178,156
• Publication Number:
  US 20160375831A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60D 1/36 for facilitating connection, e.g. hitch catchers , visual guide means, signalling aids B60D1/465 takes precedence; vehicle signalling in general B60Q; optical arrangements specially adapted for viewing trailer-hitches B60R1/003
• CPC Class Codes: B60D 1/62 involving supply lines, electric circuits, or the like
• 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 1/26 to the rear of the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2300/305 merging camera image with lines or icons
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2300/808 for facilitating docking to a trailer
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 15/0295 by overlaying a vehicle path based on present steering angle over an image without processing that image
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/048 Interaction techniques based on graphical user interfaces [GUI]
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 11/00 2D [Two Dimensional] image generation

Abstract

A system and method for providing visual assistance through a graphic overlay super-imposed on a back-up camera image displayed on, for example, a touch screen for assisting a vehicle operator when backing up a towing vehicle to align a hitch ball with a trailer drawbar coupler. The method includes providing camera modeling to correlate the camera image in camera coordinates to world coordinates, where the camera modeling provides a graphic overlay to include an alignment line having a height in the camera image that is determined by an estimated height of the trailer drawbar coupler. The touch screen also operates as a human-machine interface (HMI) that improves the visual assistance by providing one or more of image panning, image zoom, picture-in-picture (PIP), and a virtual top-down hitch-view.

Claims

1. A method for providing assistance for aligning a hitch tow ball on a towing vehicle with a drawbar on a towed vehicle during a hitching process, said method comprising:

providing camera modeling to correlate a main camera image from a camera at a rear of the towing vehicle in camera coordinates to vehicle coordinates, said camera modeling providing a graphic overlay super-imposed on the main camera image and provides visual steering assistance, said graphic overlay including an alignment line having a height in the main camera image that is determined by an estimated height of the drawbar;

providing vehicle dynamic modeling for identifying the motion of the towing vehicle as the towing vehicle moves around a center of rotation;

providing human-machine interface (HMI) components for changing the main camera image; and

predicting the path of the towing vehicle as it is being steered including calculating the center of rotation.

2. The method according to claim 1 wherein providing HMI components includes providing a picture-in-picture (PIP) image in the main camera image.

3. The method according to claim 2 wherein providing HMI components includes toggling between the main camera image and the PIP image.

4. The method according to claim 1 wherein providing HMI components includes providing a virtual top-down hitch-view.

5. The method according to claim 4 wherein providing a top-down hitch-view includes providing a top-down hitch-view that is synthesized from the main camera image using camera modeling and camera calibration information.

6. The method according to claim 4 wherein the top-down hitch-view is activated manually by vehicle operator input.

7. The method according to claim 4 wherein the top-down hitch-view is automatically provided when the towing vehicle is within a predetermined range of the towed vehicle.

8. The method according to claim 7 wherein automatically providing the top-down hitch-view includes providing the hitch-view in response to a signal from an ultrasonic sensor detecting the towed vehicle when the towed vehicle is a certain range of the towing vehicle.

9. The method according to claim 1 wherein providing HMI components includes providing zoom in and zoom out of the main camera image.

10. The method according to claim 1 wherein the HMI components include panning the main camera image.

11. The method according to claim 1 wherein providing HMI components including providing HMI components through a touch screen.

12. The method according to claim 1 wherein providing HMI components includes activating the HMI components through one or more of a touch screen, stylus pen, physical push buttons or gesture recognition.

13. A method for providing assistance for aligning a hitch tow ball on a towing vehicle with a drawbar on a towed vehicle during a hitching process, said method comprising:

providing camera modeling to correlate a main camera image from a camera at a rear of the towing vehicle in camera coordinates to vehicle coordinates, said camera modeling providing a graphic overlay super-imposed on the main camera image and provides visual steering assistance, said graphic overlay including an alignment line having a height in the main camera image that is determined by an estimated height of the drawbar;

providing vehicle dynamic modeling for identifying the motion of the towing vehicle as the towing vehicle moves around a center of rotation;

providing human-machine interface (HMI) components for changing the main camera image, wherein providing HMI components includes providing a picture-in-picture (PIP) image in the main camera image, toggling between the main camera image and the PIP image, providing a virtual top-down hitch-view that is synthesized from the main camera image using camera modeling and camera calibration information, providing zoom in and zoom out of the main camera image, and panning the main camera image; and

predicting the path of the towing vehicle as it is being steered including calculating the center of rotation.

14. The method according to claim 13 wherein the top-down hitch-view is activated manually by vehicle operator input.

15. The method according to claim 13 wherein the top-down hitch-view is automatically provided when the towing vehicle is within a predetermined range of the towed vehicle.

16. The method according to claim 15 wherein automatically providing the top-down hitch-view includes providing the hitch-view in response to a signal from an ultrasonic sensor detecting the towed vehicle when the towed vehicle is a certain range of the towing vehicle.

17. The method according to claim 13 wherein providing HMI components includes activating the HMI components through one or more of a touch screen, stylus pen, physical push buttons or gesture recognition.

18. A system for providing assistance for aligning a hitch tow ball on a towing vehicle with a drawbar on a towed vehicle during a hitching process, said system comprising:

means for providing camera modeling to correlate a main camera image from a camera at a rear of the towing vehicle in camera coordinates to vehicle coordinates, said camera modeling providing a graphic overlay super-imposed on the main camera image and provides visual steering assistance, said graphic overlay including an alignment line having a height in the main camera image that is determined by an estimated height of the drawbar;

means for providing vehicle dynamic modeling for identifying the motion of the towing vehicle as the towing vehicle moves around a center of rotation;

means for providing human-machine interface (HMI) components for changing the main camera image; and

means for predicting the path of the towing vehicle as it is being steered including calculating the center of rotation.

19. The system according to claim 18 wherein the means for providing HMI components provides a picture-in-picture (PIP) image in the main camera image, toggles between the main camera image and the PIP image, provides a virtual top-down hitch-view that is synthesized from the main camera image using camera modeling and camera calibration information, provides zoom in and zoom out of the main camera image, and provides panning the main camera image.

20. The system according to claim 18 wherein the means for providing HMI components activates the HMI components through one or more of a touch screen, stylus pen, physical push buttons or gesture recognition.