Abstract:
Systems and methods for using a hitch connection system to attach a vehicle to a trailer. The hitch connection system includes at feast one camera and a controller. The camera is configured to collect snags data of a vehicle hitch and a trailer coupler. The controller is configured to generate an overhead view image based on the image data. The controller is farther configured to calculate a relative height between the vehicle hitch and the trailer coupler based on the image data and generate an alert when the relative height is less ton a predetermined threshold.

Description:
RELATED APPLICATIONS 
       [0001]    This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/905,666, filed on Nov. 18, 2013 and titled “OVERHEAD VIEW FOR HITCH CONNECTION,” the entire contents of which is incorporated by reference. 
     
    
     BACKGROUND 
       [0002]    Embodiments of the invention relate to methods and systems fur aiding a driver in attaching a vehicle hitch to a trailer coupler. 
         [0003]    Due to view and sight line limitations, it is difficult to connect a vehicle hitch with a hitch-mounted device or accessory (e.g., a trailer, another vehicle, a bike rack, a cargo carrier, etc.). For example, the vehicle towing ball needs to be properly aligned with a trailer coupler in a longitudinal (up-and-down) direction and a lateral direction (side-to-side). However, while operating a vehicle, the driver cannot directly see the towing ball or the trailer coupler. 
       SUMMARY 
       [0004]    Accordingly, implementations of the invention provide methods and systems for providing an overhead view in a vehicle to allow a driver to align a vehicle hitch with hitch-mounted accessory. A distance between the vehicle hitch (e.g., the towing ball) and the mating trailer coupler can be determined based on the overhead image data. The distance information can be communicated to the driver and/or used by a controller to automatically control the vehicle. 
         [0005]    The invention also provides a hitch connection system for attaching a vehicle to a trailer. The hitch connection system includes at least one camera and a controller. The camera is configured to collect image data of a vehicle hitch and a trailer coupler. The controller is configured to generate an overhead view image based on the image data. The controller is further configured to calculate a relative height between the vehicle hitch and the trailer coupler based on the image data and generate an alert when the relative height is less than a predetermined threshold. 
         [0006]    In addition, the invention provides a method for aiding a driver in connecting a vehicle to a trailer. The method includes collecting image data of a vehicle hitch and a trailer coupler by at least one camera. The method also includes generating, by a controller, an overhead view image based on the image data. The method further includes calculating a relative height between the vehicle hitch and the trailer coupler based on the image data and generating an alert when the relative height is less than predetermined threshold by the controller. 
         [0007]    Other aspects of the invention will become apparent by consideration of the detailed description. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0008]      FIG. 1  is a diagram of a vehicle equipped with a hitch connection system. 
           [0009]      FIG. 2  is an overhead view image generated by the hitch connection system of  FIG. 1 . 
           [0010]      FIG. 3  is a diagram of a vehicle and a trailer. 
           [0011]      FIG. 4  is a diagram of a vehicle and a trailer equipped with a hitch connection system. 
           [0012]      FIG. 5  represents a process for operating the hitch connection system of  FIG. 1 . 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0013]    Before any embodiments of the invention are explained in detail, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of construction and the arrangement of components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the following drawings. The invention is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced or of being carried out in various ways. 
         [0014]    Also, it is to be understood that the phraseology and terminology used herein is for the purpose of description and should not be regarded as limiting. The use of “including,” “comprising” or “having” and variations thereof herein is meant to encompass the items listed thereafter and equivalents thereof as well as additional items. The terms “mounted,” “connected” and “coupled” are used broadly and encompass both direct and indirect mounting, connecting and coupling. Further, “connected” and “coupled” are not restricted to physical or mechanical connections or couplings, and can include electrical connections or couplings, whether direct or indirect. Also, electronic communications and notifications may be performed using known means including wired connections, wireless connections, etc. 
         [0015]    It should also be noted that a plurality of hardware and software based devices, as well as a plurality of different structural components may be utilized to implement the invention. It should also be noted that a plurality of hardware and software based devices, as well as a plurality of different structural components may be used to implement the invention. In addition, it should be understood that embodiments of the invention may include hardware, software, and electronic components or modules that, for purposes of discussion, may be illustrated and described as if the majority of the components were implemented solely in hardware. However, one of ordinary skill in the art, and based on a reading of this detailed description, would recognize that, in at least one embodiment, the electronic based aspects of the invention may be implemented in software (e.g., stored on non-transitory computer-readable medium) executable by one or more processors. As a result, it should be noted that a plurality of hardware and software based devices, as well as a plurality of different structural components may be utilized to implement the invention. For example, “control units” and “controllers” described in the specification can include processing components, including one or more processors, one or more memory nodules including non-transitory computer-readable medium, one or more input/output interfaces, and various connections (e.g., a system bus) connecting the components. 
         [0016]      FIG. 1  illustrates a vehicle  100  with a hitch  105  (e.g. towing ball) and a hitch connection system  107 . The hitch connection system  107  includes a plurality of cameras  110 A- 110 C mounted on the vehicle  100 . Image data collected by the plurality of cameras  110 A- 110 C is used to produce an overhead view of the vehicle  100 . The hitch connection system  107  also includes a controller  115  haying an electronic processing unit  120  (e.g., a processor, application specific integrated circuit (“ASIC”), etc.), a non-transitory computer-readable medium  125 , and an input/output interface  130 . The controller  115  obtains the image data through the input/output interface  130 . For example, the input/output interface  130  can be connected to the plurality of cameras  110 A- 110 C through a wired connection or a wireless connection. In some embodiments, the plurality of cameras  110 A- 110 C are connected to the input/output interface  130  over a dedicated wired connection or communicate with the input/output interface  130  over a communication bus  135  (e.g., a CAN bus). 
         [0017]    The electronic processing unit  120  included in the controller  115  executes instructions stored in the non-transitory computer-readable medium  125  to generate an overhead view image  142  of the vehicle  100  as illustrated in  FIG. 2 . The overhead view image  142  can be displayed on at least one display device  140  included in the hitch connection system  107  (e.g., an LED, LCD, or touchscreen display). The overhead view image includes three-dimensional data of the vehicle  100  and its surroundings and can include one or more overlays. For example, in some implementations, the overhead view image  142  includes a vehicle overlay that indicates the position of the vehicle  100 . The overhead view image  142  can also include overlays that highlight the hitch-mounted accessory (hereinafter referred to as a trailer  145 , but such an “accessory” can include any object that can be towed by the vehicle  100 , such as a trailer, another vehicle, a bike rack, a cargo carrier, etc.) and/or other objects detected around the vehicle  100 . In some implementations, the overhead view image  142  can also include overlays that provide instructions  144  to the driver (e.g., arrows, warnings, textual commands or information, etc.). 
         [0018]      FIG. 3  illustrates the vehicle  100  of  FIG. 1  and a trailer  145  with a coupler  150 . The controller  115  can also calculate distance information based on the overhead view image (i.e., based on the three-dimensional data represented in the overhead view image). For example, the controller  115  can determine a hitch height  155  of the hitch  105  and a coupler height  160  of the coupler  150  relative to the ground. In some implementations, the controller  115  determines a relative height  165  between the hitch  105  and the coupler  150 . The controller  115  uses the relative height  165  to warn the driver when the hitch  105  may crash into the coupler  150  or other components of the trailer  145  (as compared to connecting with the coupler  150 ) so that the driver can take appropriate action. For example, the controller  115  can generate an audible warning, visual warnings, haptic warning, or a combination thereof to warn the driver of a possible collision. 
         [0019]    In some implementations, the distance information is calculated based on the image data collected by the plurality of cameras  110 A- 110 C. In some implementations, the distance information is calculated based on the image data and the overhead view image. In some implementations, the distance information is calculated based solely on the overhead view image. 
         [0020]    In some implementations, the controller  115  is also configured to automatically operate the vehicle  100  to avoid a detected potential crash. For example, in those vehicles with active suspension, the controller  115  can be configured to automatically adjust the vehicle suspension height to avoid a collision. Alternatively or in addition, the controller  115  can be configured to automatically adjust a hitch height  155  of the hitch  105  (in vehicles equipped with an electronically adjustable hitch). In some implementations, the controller  115  can also be configured to perform similar height adjustments to level a load carried in the trailer  145  (e.g., automatically or based on manual commands). Also, in some implementations, the controller  115  is configured to automatically control the vehicle&#39;s steering angle and/or speed to help align the vehicle  100  with the taller  145  for connection. 
         [0021]    To identify the hitch  105  and coupler  150  locations, the controller  115  can be configured to display one or more images (e.g., the overhead view image  142 ) to the driver and receive an indication from the driver of the location of the hitch  105  and the coupler  150 . For example, if the vehicle  100  includes a display device  140 , the controller  115  receives touch points on the display device  140  that indicate the position of the hitch  105  and/or the coupler  150 . Alternatively or in addition, the controller  115  can automatically identify the hitch  105  and/or the coupler  150  using feature recognition. In some implementations, the controller  115  also uses prior location determinations to learn locations or improve feature recognition. 
         [0022]      FIG. 4  illustrates a vehicle  100  including a wired camera  170  and a trailer  145  including a wireless camera  175 . In some implementations, one or more wireless cameras can be used to aid a driver in connecting a trailer  145 . For example, one or more wireless cameras can be placed at various locations on the vehicle  100  or the trailer  145  to obtain a desired a field-of-view not easily obtained using wired cameras. In some implementations, the wireless cameras are removable such that they can be used with different trailers and/or manually positioned based on the vehicle, the trailer, and the connection environment. Image data collected by the wireless cameras can be used with image data collected by wired cameras to produce the overhead view image. Alternatively or in addition, the image data collected by the wireless cameras can be kept separate from the linage data collected by the wired cameras. Therefore, during operation, two different views can be provided. The particular view displayed to the driver can switch based on manual selections or automatically. For example, in one implementation, the controller  115  can provide a first overhead view when a driver is performing a trailer connection that is based on image data collected by the wired camera  170 . When the trailer  145  is connected to or close to being connected to the vehicle  100 , the controller  115  can automatically switch to a second overhead view that is based on image data collected by the wireless camera  175 . For example, after the vehicle  100  and the trailer  145  are connected or shortly before such a connection occurs, the trailer  145  may block the view of one or more cameras mounted at the rear of the vehicle  100 . Therefore, switching the wireless cameras can provide a better view for the driver when completing the connection. 
         [0023]      FIG. 5  illustrates a process  500  for operating the hitch connection system  107  to aid a driver in connecting a hitch  105  of a vehicle  100  to a coupler  150  of a trailer  145 . The steps of the process  500  are described in an iterative manner fin descriptive purposes. Various steps described herein with respect to the process  500  are capable of being executed simultaneously, in parallel, or in an order that differs from the illustrated serial and iterative manner of execution. At step  510 , the at least one camera collects image data of the hitch  105  and the coupler  150 . At step  520 , the controller  115  generates an overhead view image  142  based on the image data. At step  530 , the controller  115  calculates a relative height  165  between the hitch  105  and the coupler  150 . At step  540 , the controller  115  compares the relative height  165  to a predetermined threshold. If the relative height  165  is greater than or equal to the predetermined threshold, the controller  115  determines that the hitch  105  is a safe enough vertical distance away from the coupler  150  and the process  500  returns to step  510  to collect new image data. On the other hand, if the relative height  165  is less than the predetermined threshold, the controller  115  determines that the hitch  105  may crash into the coupler  150 , instead of mating with the coupler  150 , and the process  500  proceeds to step  550 . At step  550 , the controller  115  generates an alert to warn the driver that the hitch  105  may crash into the coupler  150 . At step  560 , the controller  115  adjusts the height of the hitch  105 . 
         [0024]    Thus, the invention provides, among other things, a hitch connection system for a vehicle and a trailer. Various features and advantages of the invention are set forth in the following claims.