Patent WO-2019197140-A1 (WO)
Title: Apparatus for determining an angle of a trailer attached to a vehicle
Inventor: TAIANA MATTEO
IPC: B60D1/06
Filed: 2019-03-25
Abstract: The present invention relates to an apparatus (10) for determining an angle of a trailer with respect to a vehicle. It is described to acquire (210) at least one first image by a camera fixedly mounted to a vehicle at a location other than a location of a tow ball fixedly mounted to the vehicle, wherein the location of the camera is known with respect to the location of the tow ball, wherein a part of a trailer at a position of the tow ball can rotate about the tow ball, and wherein the at least one first image is acquired when the trailer is in a first orientation with respect to the vehicle, wherein the at least one first image comprises image data of the trailer. A second image is acquired (220) by the camera when the trailer is in a second orientation with respect to the vehicle, wherein the second image comprises image data of the trailer. A processing unit is provided (230) with the at least one first image and the second image. The processing unit determines (240) at least one image location of at least one feature of the trailer in one of the at least one first image. The processing unit determines (250) at least one image location of the at least one feature of the trailer in the second image. The processing unit determines (260) a system calibration comprising utilization of triangulation with respect to the at least one image location of the at least one feature of the trailer in the one of the at least one first image and the at least one image location of the at least one feature of the trailer in the second image. The processing unit determines (270) at least one 3D location of the at least one feature of the trailer when the trailer was in the first orientation comprising utilization of the at least one image location of the at least one feature of the trailer in the one of the at least one first image and the system calibration. The camera acquires (280) a third image, wherein the third image is acquired when the trailer is in a third orientation with respect to the vehicle, wherein the third image comprises image data of the trailer. The processing unit is provided (290) with the third image. The processing unit determines (300) at least one image location of the at least one feature of the trailer in the third image. The processing unit determines (320) at least one 3D location of the at least one feature of the trailer when the trailer was in the third orientation comprising utilisation of the at least one image location of the at least one feature of the trailer in the third image and the at least one 3D location of the at least one feature of the trailer when the trailer was in the first orientation. The processing unit determines (320) a rotational angle of the trailer about the tow ball for the trailer in the third orientation with respect to the first orientation comprising utilisation of the at least one 3D location of the at least one feature of the trailer when the trailer was in the first orientation and the at least one 3D location of the at least one feature of the trailer when the trailer was in the third orientation.