METHOD OF CALCULATING DIMENSIONS OF A TOWED VEHICLE

• US 20170300761A1
• Filed: 04/13/2016
• Published: 10/19/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 04/13/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC (General Motors Company)
• Original Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC (General Motors Company)
• Inventors: Chaney, JR., Michael T., Murad, Mohannad, Nickolaou, James N., Sims, III, Robert D.
• Granted Patent: US 10,360,458 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2300/806 for aiding parking
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2300/808 for facilitating docking to a trailer
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2200/04 involving 3D image data
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/10012 Stereo images
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/30252 Vehicle exterior; Vicinity of vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/62 of area, perimeter, diameter or volume
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 10/17 using hand-held instruments
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/56 exterior to a vehicle by using sensors mounted on the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/63 Scene text, e.g. street names

Abstract

A method of calculating at least one dimension of a towed vehicle includes sensing an image of the towed vehicle with an image sensing device. A feature on the towed vehicle in the sensed image of the towed vehicle is identified with a controller using a dimension determination algorithm. The dimension of the towed vehicle is determined from the identified feature of the towed vehicle, with the controller using the dimension determination algorithm. The dimension of the towed vehicle may be input into a vehicle tow controller, to enable the vehicle tow controller to control the tow vehicle.

Claims

1. A method of calculating at least one dimension of a towed vehicle, the method comprising:

sensing an image of the towed vehicle with an image sensing device;

identifying a feature on the towed vehicle in the sensed image of the towed vehicle with a controller using a dimension determination algorithm; and

determining the at least one dimension of the towed vehicle from the identified feature of the towed vehicle, with the controller using the dimension determination algorithm

wherein determining the at least one dimension of the towed vehicle from the identified feature of the towed vehicle includes using one of either a stereo disparity ranging process, or a structure from motion ranging process.

2. The method set forth in claim 1 wherein sensing the image of the towed vehicle includes sensing the image of the towed vehicle hitched to a tow vehicle, such that at least a portion of the tow vehicle and a portion of the towed vehicle are simultaneously captured in the sensed image.

3. The method set forth in claim 1 wherein the image sensing device is remote from the tow vehicle.

4. The method set forth in claim 3 wherein the image sensing device, the controller, and the dimension determination algorithm are integral with a portable hand held device.

5. The method set forth in claim 1 wherein the image sensing device is integral with the tow vehicle.

6. The method set forth in claim 5 wherein the controller and the dimension determination algorithm are integral with the tow vehicle.

7. The method set forth in claim 1 wherein identifying the feature on the towed vehicle in the sensed image of the tow vehicle includes identifying one of indicia on the towed vehicle, a first side of the towed vehicle, a second side of the towed vehicle, a forward end of the towed vehicle, a rearward end of the towed vehicle, or a center of rotation of a wheel on the towed vehicle.

8. The method set forth in claim 2 further comprising identifying the tow vehicle, from the sensed image, with the controller using the dimension determination algorithm.

9. The method set forth in claim 8 further comprising determining at least one dimension of the tow vehicle, with the controller using the dimension determination algorithm.

10. The method set forth in claim 9 wherein determining the at least one dimension of the tow vehicle includes identifying a make and model of the tow vehicle from the sensed image.

11. The method set forth in claim 10 further comprising recognizing a vehicle indicia on the tow vehicle in the sensed image with the controller using the dimension determination algorithm.

12. The method set forth in claim 10 further comprising correlating a shape of the tow vehicle in the sensed image to the make and model of the tow vehicle with the controller using the dimension determination algorithm.

13. The method set forth in claim 9 further comprising correlating the at least one dimension of the tow vehicle to a feature of the tow vehicle in the sensed image to proportion the sensed image.

14. The method set forth in claim 10 wherein determining the at least one dimension of the towed vehicle from the identified feature of the towed vehicle includes scaling the identified feature on the towed vehicle based on the at least one dimension of the feature on the tow vehicle.

15. The method set forth in claim 1 further comprising communicating the sensed image of the towed vehicle to the controller, and storing the sensed image of the towed vehicle in a memory of the controller.

16. (canceled)

17. A method of controlling a tow vehicle having a towed vehicle connected thereto, the method comprising:

sensing an image of the towed vehicle with an image sensing device;

determining at least one dimension of the towed vehicle from a feature of the towed vehicle that is identified from the sensed image of the towed vehicle, with a controller using a dimension determination algorithm;

wherein the dimension determination algorithm is operable to;

identify a feature on the tow vehicle having a known dimension, from the image of the towed vehicle hitched to the tow vehicle; and

determine the at least one dimension of the towed vehicle based on the known dimension of the identified feature on the tow vehicle;

uploading the at least one dimension of the towed vehicle to a vehicle tow controller of the tow vehicle; and

controlling the tow vehicle with the vehicle tow controller based on the at least one dimension of the towed vehicle.

18. The method set forth in claim 17 wherein sensing the image of the towed vehicle includes sensing the image of the towed vehicle hitched to the tow vehicle, such that at least a portion of the tow vehicle and a portion of the towed vehicle are simultaneously captured in the sensed image.

20. The method set forth in claim 17 further comprising identifying the feature on the towed vehicle in the sensed image of the tow vehicle, wherein the identified feature includes one of indicia on the towed vehicle, a first side of the towed vehicle, a second side of the towed vehicle, a forward end of the towed vehicle, a rearward end of the towed vehicle, or a center of rotation of a wheel on the towed vehicle.

19. (canceled)