Patent ID: 9555813
Date: 2017-01-31
CPC Classifications: B60D,B60R,B60W

Claim:
1. A method of preventing instability in a vehicle-trailer combination, the method comprising: monitoring relative movement between the vehicle and the trailer using optical sensing means, wherein the optical sensing means comprises a camera; determining a trailer yaw condition in dependence on a signal output from the optical sensing means; comparing the determined trailer yaw condition to a predetermined threshold yaw condition; when the determined trailer yaw condition is equal to or greater than the predetermined threshold yaw condition, outputting an alert signal indicative of the onset of instability in the vehicle-trailer combination directly to a driver of the vehicle in order to allow the driver to take corrective measures; capturing a reference image of the trailer using the camera; monitoring the trailer during towing using the camera; and determining the trailer yaw condition based on at least one difference between a monitored image of the trailer and the reference image.