Method and apparatus for estimating the distance from trailer axle to tongue

• US 9,042,603 B2
• Filed: 02/25/2013
• Issued: 05/26/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 02/25/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Inventors: Elwart, Shane, Shutko, John, Mayer, Kenneth Michael, Trombley, Roger Arnold, Nave, Christopher
• Primary Examiner(s): Krasnic, Bernard
• Assistant Examiner(s): PATEL, PINALBEN V
• Application Number:
  US13/775,548
• Publication Number:
  US 20140241584A1
• Time in Patent Office: 820 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 382/104
• 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 system includes a processor configured to receive a trailer image. The processor is also configured to identify an axle in the trailer image and identify a tongue-end in the trailer image. Further, the processor is configured to receive a tire image, including a wheel diameter provided on a tire. The processor is additionally configured to retrieve the wheel diameter from the tire image. The processor is also configured to identify a wheel, having an indentified diameter corresponding to the wheel diameter, in the first image. Additionally, the processor is configured to calculate a distance from the axle to the tongue-end using the identified diameter.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

a processor configured to;

receive a trailer image;

automatically identify an axle and a tongue-end in the trailer image;

receive a tire image;

retrieve a wheel diameter marked on a tire in the tire image;

automatically identify a diameter of a wheel corresponding to the axle in the trailer image;

determine a scale between the wheel diameter and the diameter; and

calculate a distance from the axle to the tongue-end using the scale.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the processor is provided as part of a cellular phone.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the processor is provided as part of a vehicle computing system.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to provide the calculated distance to a trailering control program.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein, the processor is further configured to:

determine that a wheel diameter cannot be retrieved from the tire image; and

request and receive input of a wheel diameter, if the wheel diameter cannot be retrieved from the tire image.

6. A computer-implemented method comprising:

receiving a trailer image;

automatically identifying an axle and a tongue-end in the trailer image;

receiving a tire image;

retrieving a wheel diameter marked on a tire from the tire image;

automatically identifying a diameter of a wheel corresponding to the axle in the trailer image;

determining a scale between the marked wheel diameter and the identified diameter; and

calculating a distance between the axle and the tongue-end using the scale.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the diameter is identified between two oppositional radial points of the wheel in the tire image.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein the axle includes the wheel from the trailer image, and wherein the wheel includes the tire of the tire image.

9. The method of claim 6, wherein the trailer image includes the tire image.

10. The method of claim 6, wherein, further comprising:

determining that a wheel diameter cannot be retrieved from the tire image; and

requesting and receiving input of a wheel diameter, if the wheel diameter cannot be retrieved from the tire image.

11. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium, storing instructions that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform a method comprising:

receiving a trailer image;

automatically identifying an axle and a tongue-end in the trailer image;

receiving a tire image;

retrieving a marked wheel diameter on a tire from the tire image;

automatically identifying a diameter of a wheel corresponding to the axle in the trailer image;

determining a scale between the marked wheel diameter and the diameter; and

calculating a distance from the axle to the tongue-end using the scale.

12. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 11, wherein the processor is provided as part of a cellular phone.

13. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 11, wherein the processor is provided as part of a vehicle computing system.

14. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 11, wherein, further comprising:

determining that a wheel diameter cannot be retrieved from the tire image; and

requesting and receiving input of a wheel diameter, if the wheel diameter cannot be retrieved from the tire image.