Patent application EP22177585A (EP), filed 2022-06-07
Publication number: EP4105596A1
Title: IMAGE BASED TRAILER WHEELBASE DETERMINATION
Abstract: [0001]    A method for determining a trailer detection parameter of a trailer including receiving an image from at least one camera at a controller. The at least one camera defines a field of view including at least a portion of a vehicle trailer. The method determines a trailer angle of the vehicle trailer relative to a tractor, identifies at least one feature in an image of the trailer, determines a two-dimensional distance from the at least one feature to a predefined position on the image, and converts the two-dimensional distance to a three-dimensional distance based at least in part on the determined angle. The three-dimensional distance is a trailer detection parameter of the trailer.
IPC codes: B60R   1/    00            A I
G01B  11/    02            A I
G01B  11/    14            A I
G06T   7/    60            A I
G06V  20/    56            A I
Claims: number: 1
text: A method for determining a trailer detection parameter of a trailer (14) comprising:
number: 2
text: The method of claim 1, wherein the determined trailer angle (102) is in the range of 20 to 70 degrees.
number: 3
text: The method of claim 1 or 2, wherein the trailer detection parameter is a wheelbase length (120) and the at least one feature is at least one wheel.
number: 4
text: The method of claim 3, wherein the at least one wheel includes a first wheel (112) and a second wheel (114), and the two-dimensional distance from the at least one wheel to the predefined position (118) on the image is a distance from a mid-point (116) between the first wheel (112) and the second wheel (114) to the predefined position (118) on the image.
number: 5
text: The method of claim 3 or 4, wherein the at least one wheel is a single wheel, and wherein the two-dimensional distance from the at least one wheel to the predefined position (118) on the image is a distance from a mid-point of the wheel to the predefined position (118) on the image.
number: 6
text: The method of any preceding claim, wherein the trailer detection parameter is a trailer length from a hitch point to a rear edge of the trailer (14) and the at least one feature is a feature disposed at the rear edge of the trailer (14), optionally wherein the feature disposed at the rear edge of the trailer is a bottom corner of the trailer (14).
number: 7
text: The method of any preceding claim, wherein converting the two-dimensional distance to the three-dimensional distance based at least in part on the determined trailer angle (102) comprises cross referencing the two-dimensional distance with the determined trailer angle (102) using a conversion function.
number: 8
text: The method of any preceding claim, further comprising reiterating the method across multiple trailer angles within the range of 20 to 70 degrees and storing each determined three-dimensional wheelbase length in a memory,
number: 9
text: The method of any preceding claim, wherein identifying at least one feature in an image of the trailer comprises identifying the at least one feature using an image-based object detection system stored in the controller, optionally wherein the controller is one of a vehicle control unit and a camera mirror system controller, optionally wherein the at least one feature is at least one wheel.
number: 10
text: A camera mirror system (15) for a vehicle (10) comprising:
number: 11
text: The method of any one of claims 1 to 9 or the camera mirror system (15) of claim 10, wherein the field of view (202) is one of a class II and a class VI view.
number: 12
text: The camera mirror system (15) of claim 10 or 11, wherein the trailer detection parameter determination module includes instructions configured to cause the processor to determine a two-dimensional distance from at least one trailer parameter to a predefined position (118) on the image and convert the two-dimensional distance to a three-dimensional distance based at least in part on the determined trailer angle (102), wherein the three-dimensional distance is a wheelbase length (120) of the trailer (14).
number: 13
text: The camera mirror system (15) of claim 12, wherein converting the two-dimensional distance to the three-dimensional distance comprises cross referencing a determined trailer angle corresponding to the image and the two-dimensional distance in a conversion function,
number: 14
text: A vehicle controller (104) comprising:
number: 15
text: The vehicle controller (104) of claim 22, wherein the trailer detection parameter determination module includes instructions configured to cause the processor to determine a two-dimensional distance from the at least one feature to a predefined position (118) on the image and convert the two-dimensional distance to a three-dimensional distance based at least in part on the determined trailer angle (102) by cross referencing a determined trailer angle corresponding to the image and the two-dimensional distance in conversion function, wherein the three-dimensional distance is a wheelbase length (120) of the trailer (14),
optionally wherein the memory further includes a filtering module configured to filter the memory listing of determined three-dimensional distances using a median pass filter.
Office action: search_report, dated 2022-12-21
Rejection reasons: novelty_epc_54
Prior art cited: ref_id: JP2014002056A
ref_type: patent
severity: background
ref_id: US2018319437A1
ref_type: patent
severity: background
ref_id: US2018056868A1
ref_type: patent
severity: background
ref_id: WO2020207572A1
ref_type: patent
severity: background
ref_id: JP2014002056
ref_type: patent
severity: novelty_destroying
ref_id: US2018056868
ref_type: patent
severity: novelty_destroying
ref_id: US2018319437
ref_type: patent
severity: novelty_destroying
ref_id: WO2020207572
ref_type: patent
severity: novelty_destroying
Final disposition: pending (2022-12-21)