Patent ID: 11872939
Assignee: MAGNA ELECTRONICS INC.
Field: Transport (Mechanical engineering)
Classification: CPC B | IPC B

Claim 0:
1. A vehicular trailer angle detection system comprising:
a rear camera mounted at a rear portion of a vehicle equipped with the vehicular trailer angle detection system, the rear camera viewing at least rearward of the equipped vehicle;
a left-side camera mounted at a left side portion of the equipped vehicle, the left-side camera viewing at least sideward and rearward of the equipped vehicle;
a right-side camera mounted at a right side portion of the equipped vehicle, the right-side camera viewing at least sideward and rearward of the equipped vehicle;
a control comprising an image processor;
wherein, with a trailer hitched at a tow ball of the equipped vehicle, and while the equipped vehicle is driven in a forward direction and towing the trailer, image data is captured by at least one camera selected from the group consisting of (i) the rear camera, (ii) the left-side camera and (iii) the right-side camera;
wherein vehicle-trailer parameters are provided to the control;
wherein the vehicle-trailer parameters comprise a steering angle of the equipped vehicle and at least two selected from the group consisting of (i) distance between a rear bumper of the equipped vehicle and the tow ball of the equipped vehicle at which the trailer is hitched, (ii) distance between the tow ball of the equipped vehicle at which the trailer is attached and an axle of the trailer, (iii) distance between the tow ball of the equipped vehicle at which the trailer is attached and a portion of the trailer and (iv) distance between the portion of the trailer and a longitudinal axis of the trailer;
wherein the vehicular trailer angle detection system determines an expected location of the portion of the trailer based on the provided vehicle-trailer parameters as the equipped vehicle is driven forward and towing the trailer;
wherein the vehicular trailer angle detection system determines an actual location of the portion of the trailer via processing at the control of image data captured by the at least one camera as the equipped vehicle is driven forward and towing the trailer;
wherein the vehicular trailer angle detection system determines an offset between the determined actual location of the portion of the trailer and the determined expected location; and
wherein the determined offset is used for calibration of the vehicular trailer angle detection system.