Vehicle maneuvering aids

• US 9,156,496 B2
• Filed: 04/17/2012
• Issued: 10/13/2015
• 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
• Primary Examiner(s): ELAHI, SHAN E
• Application Number:
  US13/448,529
• Publication Number:
  US 20120200706A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,274 Days
• Field of Search: 348/148
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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 method of predicting a path of a trailer attached to a vehicle comprising the steps of:

measuring a vehicle steering angle by a computing unit of a vehicle;

obtaining first and second views by an image processor of the vehicle, from at least two rearward-looking video cameras mounted on the vehicle;

determining a trailer view by the image processor, from the first and second camera views;

displaying the trailer view by the image processor on a screen visible to a driver;

determining a hitch angle, θ

_t, by the computing unit and a parameter store of the vehicle, between the vehicle and trailer and using the trailer view;

calculating a predicted path of the trailer by the computing unit, from the hitch angle and steering angle;

displaying the predicted trailer path by the image processor, as an overlaid track on the trailer view;

tracking a marker associated with the trailer by the image processor, across a field of view of at least one of the rearward-looking video cameras; and

converting a vertical displacement of the marker by the computing unit in the field of view to an angular displacement to determine a pitch angle.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

determining by the image processor, which of the first and second camera views shows the trailer; and

displaying the determined view captured by the first and second cameras on the screen by the image processor.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of determining the hitch angle, θ

_t, by the computing unit and the parameter store, between the vehicle and trailer and using θ

_t to calculate the predicted trailer path by the computing unit;

wherein the hitch angle θ

_t is determined by the steps of;

tracking the marker associated with the trailer by the image processor, across a field of view of at least one of the rearward-looking video cameras, and

converting a lateral displacement of the marker by the computing unit in the field of view to an angular displacement; and

wherein the marker is placed on a center-line of the trailer.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of determining the hitch angle, θ

_t, by the computing unit and the parameter store, between the vehicle and trailer and using θ

_t to calculate the predicted trailer path by the computing unit;

wherein the hitch angle θ

_t is determined by the steps of;

tracking the marker associated with the trailer by the image processor, across a field of view of at least one of the rearward-looking video cameras, and

converting a lateral displacement of the marker by the computing unit in the field of view to an angular displacement; and

wherein the marker is placed offset from a center-line of the trailer.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of determining the hitch angle,θ

_t, by the computing unit and the parameter store, between the vehicle and trailer and using θ

_t to calculate the predicted trailer path by the computing unit;

wherein the hitch angle θ

_t is determined by the steps of;

tracking the marker associated with the trailer by the image processor, across a field of view of at least one of the rearward-looking video cameras, and

converting a lateral displacement of the marker by the computing unit in the field of view to an angular displacement; and

further comprising the step of selecting the marker on the trailer by the image processor of the vehicle.

6. The method of claim 5 further comprising the step of selecting a window on the trailer as the marker by the image processor of the vehicle.

7. The method of claim 5 further comprising the step of selecting an edge of the trailer as the marker by the image processor of the vehicle.