Patent ID: 11875575
Assignee: MAGNA ELECTRONICS INC.
Field: Audio-visual technology (Electrical engineering)
Classification: CPC G  B  H | IPC B  G  H

Claim 8:
9. A vehicular trailering assist system for a vehicle, the vehicular trailering assist system comprising:
a camera disposed at a rear portion of a vehicle equipped with the vehicular trailering assist system, the camera viewing at least rearward of the vehicle, wherein, with a trailer hitched to the vehicle via a pivoting joint hitch connection of the trailer to the vehicle, the camera views at least a portion of the trailer hitched to the vehicle;
wherein the camera captures frames of image data that include image data representative of at least a portion of the trailer hitched to the vehicle;
an electronic control unit (ECU) comprising electronic circuitry and associated software;
wherein the electronic circuitry comprises an image processor operable to process frames of image data captured by the camera;
wherein, with the trailer hitched to the vehicle, the ECU, responsive to processing of frames of image data captured by the camera during a calibration maneuver by the vehicle, determines a trailer template of the trailer hitched to the vehicle;
wherein the ECU, during a turning portion of the calibration maneuver, and at least in part via processing of frames of image data captured by the camera during the turning portion of the calibration maneuver, determines a trailer collision angle based on the determined trailer template;
wherein the ECU, after completion of the calibration maneuver, and via processing of frames of image data captured by the camera as the vehicle is driven along a road, determines a current trailer angle of the trailer relative to a longitudinal axis of the vehicle as the vehicle is driven along the road;
wherein the ECU, responsive to determining the current trailer angle, determines whether the current trailer angle is within a threshold amount of the determined trailer collision angle;
wherein the ECU, responsive to the current trailer angle being with the threshold amount of the determined trailer collision angle, notifies a driver of the vehicle;
wherein the calibration maneuver comprises a first portion where the vehicle drives in a straight line, a second portion where the vehicle turns 180 degrees and a third portion where the vehicle drives straight;
wherein the ECU determines the trailer template during the first portion of the calibration maneuver;
wherein the ECU determines the trailer collision angle during the second portion of the calibration maneuver; and
wherein the ECU determines the trailer collision angle after a trailer angle of the trailer relative to the vehicle enters a steady state during the second portion of the calibration maneuver.