Cabin and trailer body movement determination with camera at the back of the cabin

• US 9,437,055 B2
• Filed: 08/13/2014
• Issued: 09/06/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 08/13/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: RM Acquisition LLC (Rand McNally & Company)
• Original Assignee: Bendix Commercial Vehicle Systems LLC (Estate of Heinz Hermann Thiele)
• Inventors: Kuehnle, Andreas U, Gyori, Marton
• Primary Examiner(s): Butler, Rodney
• Assistant Examiner(s): BRUSHABER, FREDERICK M
• Application Number:
  US14/458,290
• Publication Number:
  US 20160049020A1
• Time in Patent Office: 755 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 1/002 specially adapted for covering the peripheral part of the vehicle, e.g. for viewing tyres, bumpers or the like integrated in the windows B60R1/001; combined with rear-view mirrors B60R1/08
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2300/105 using multiple cameras
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2300/80 characterised by the intended use of the viewing arrangement
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/30252 Vehicle exterior; Vicinity of vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/75 involving models
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/0808 Diagnosing performance data testing of vehicles G01M17/00; testing of electrical installation on vehicles G01R31/005
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/0816 Indicating performance data, e.g. occurrence of a malfunction
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/0841 Registering performance data recording measured values G01D; information storage G11B

Abstract

When calculating an angle of articulation between two portions of an articulated vehicle such as a tractor-trailer combination, a camera-based articulation angle measuring system comprises camera(s) mounted on the tractor and/or trailer that observe their counterpart and/or features on the other portion of the vehicle. The angles or locations of the counterpart features are measured in the image(s) produced by the camera(s). A geometric model is employed to convert the location and/or angular measurements into a corresponding articulation and/or roll angle for the tractor-trailer combination.

Claims

1. A system that facilitates articulated vehicle articulation angle measurement, comprising:

at least one camera coupled to a first portion of the articulated vehicle, wherein the camera monitors a second portion of the articulated vehicle, the second portion being articulably coupled to the first portion;

a processor configured to measure at least one parameter of the second portion of the articulated vehicle in an image captured by the at least one camera;

wherein the processor is further configured to execute a geometric model that converts the at least one parameter measurement into a corresponding angular value β

between the first and second portions of the articulated vehicle;

wherein the at least one parameter is an angle α

by which the second portion of the articulated vehicle appears to be offset from horizontal in the image.

2. The system according to claim 1, wherein the at least one parameter further comprises a position of the second portion of the articulated vehicle in the image.

3. The system according to claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to calibrate the angular value by executing a bias-removing averaging function over a plurality of images of the second portion of the articulated vehicle.

4. The system according to claim 1, wherein the angular value is an articulation angle between the first and second portions of the articulated vehicle.

5. The system according to claim 1, wherein the angular value is a roll angle that describes an amount of roll experienced by the second portion of the articulated vehicle during articulation.

6. The system according to claim 1, further comprising:

a plurality of sensors coupled to the first and second portions of the articulated vehicle and in communication with each other;

wherein the processor is configured to;

execute a long term averaging function that calculates a static pitch angle measurement difference between at least one sensor on each of the first and second portions of the articulated vehicle; and

dynamically measure pitch angle between the first and second portions of the articulated vehicle.

7. The system according to claim 6, wherein the sensors are accelerometers.

8. The system according to claim 1, further comprising:

a plurality of sensors coupled to the first and second portions of the articulated vehicle and in communication with each other;

wherein the processor is configured to;

execute a long term averaging function that calculates a static roll angle measurement difference between at least one sensor on each of the first and second portions of the articulated vehicle; and

dynamically measure roll angle between the first and second portions of the articulated vehicle.

9. The system according to claim 8, wherein the sensors are accelerometers.

10. A method of determining an articulation angle between a first portion and a second portion of an articulated vehicle, comprising:

receiving at least one image from a camera coupled to the first portion of the articulated vehicle, wherein the camera monitors the second portion of the articulated vehicle, the second portion being articulably coupled to the first portion;

measuring at least one parameter of the second portion of the articulated vehicle in the at least one image;

inputting the at least one parameter into a geometric model thereby converting the at least one parameter measurement into a corresponding angular value β

between the first and second portions of the articulated vehicle; and

outputting the articulation angle to a user interface for display to a user or to other vehicle subsystems;

wherein the at least one parameter is an angle α

by which the second portion of the articulated vehicle appears to be offset from horizontal in the at least one image.

11. The method according to claim 10, wherein the at least one parameter further comprises a position of the second portion of the articulated vehicle in the image.

12. The method according to claim 10, further comprising calibrating the angle by executing a bias-removing averaging function over a plurality of images of the second portion of the articulated vehicle.

13. The method according to claim 10, wherein the angular value is an articulation angle between the first and second portions of the articulated vehicle.

14. The method according to claim 10, wherein the angular value is a roll angle that describes an amount of roll experienced by the second portion of the articulated vehicle during articulation.

15. The method according to claim 10, further comprising:

executing a long term averaging function that calculates a static pitch angle measurement difference between at least one sensor on each of the first and second portions of the articulated vehicle; and

dynamically measuring pitch angle between the first and second portions of the articulated vehicle.

16. The method according to claim 10, further comprising:

executing a long term averaging function that calculates a static roll angle measurement difference between at least one sensor on each of the first and second portions of the articulated vehicle; and

dynamically measuring roll angle between the first and second portions of the articulated vehicle.

17. A non-transitory computer-readable medium having stored thereon instructions for determining an articulation angle between a first portion and a second portion of an articulated vehicle, the instructions comprising:

receiving at least one image from a camera coupled to the first portion of the articulated vehicle, wherein the camera monitors the second portion of the articulated vehicle, the second portion being articulably coupled to the first portion;

measuring at least one parameter of the second portion of the articulated vehicle in the at least one image;

inputting the at least one parameter into a geometric model thereby converting the at least one parameter measurement into a corresponding angular value β

between the first and second portions of the articulated vehicle; and

outputting the articulation angle to a user interface for display to a user or to other vehicle subsystems;

wherein the at least one parameter is an angle α

by which the second portion of the articulated vehicle appears to be offset from horizontal in the at least one image.

18. A processor configured to execute computer-executable instructions for measuring, the instructions comprising:

receiving at least one image from a camera couple to the first portion of the articulated vehicle, wherein the camera monitors the second portion of the articulated vehicle, the second portion being articulably coupled to the first portion;

measuring at least one parameter of the second portion of the articulated vehicle in the at least one image;

inputting the at least one parameter into a geometric model thereby converting the at least one parameter measurement into a corresponding angular value β

between the first and second portions of the articulated vehicle;

wherein the at least one parameter is an angle α

by which the second portion of the articulated vehicle appears to be offset from horizontal in the at least one image.

19. The processor according to claim 18, wherein the at least one parameter further comprises a position of the second portion of the articulated vehicle in the image.

20. The processor according to claim 18, wherein the instructions further comprise calibrating the angle by executing a bias-removing averaging function over a plurality of images of the second portion of the articulated vehicle.

21. The processor according to claim 18, wherein the angular value is an articulation angle between the first and second portions of the articulated vehicle.

22. The processor according to claim 18, wherein the angular value is a roll angle that describes an amount of roll experienced by the second portion of the articulated vehicle during articulation.

23. The processor according to claim 18, wherein the instructions further comprise:

executing a long term averaging function that calculates a static pitch angle measurement difference between at least one sensor on each of the first and second portions of the articulated vehicle; and

dynamically measuring pitch angle between the first and second portions of the articulated vehicle.

24. The processor according to claim 18, wherein the instructions further comprise:

executing a long term averaging function that calculates a static roll angle measurement difference between at least one sensor on each of the first and second portions of the articulated vehicle; and

dynamically measuring roll angle between the first and second portions of the articulated vehicle.

25. An apparatus that facilitates articulated vehicle articulation angle measurement, comprising:

means for capturing images, coupled to a first portion of the articulated vehicle, wherein the means for capturing images monitors a second portion of the articulated vehicle, the second portion being articulably coupled to the first portion;

means for measuring an offset angle α

of the second portion of the articulated vehicle in an image captured by the means for capturing images; and

means for converting the measured offset angle into an articulation angle β

between the first and second portions of the articulated vehicle;

wherein the offset angle α

is an angle by which the second portion of the articulated vehicle appears to be offset from horizontal in the image.