Adaptive Trailer Hitch Camera Interface for Precise Alignment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Hitching a trailer to a vehicle is a difficult and time-consuming process due to the lack of clear sightlines, requiring repeated maneuvers and reliance on inference for aligning the hitch ball with the trailer hitch, which can lead to contact between the vehicle and trailer.
Innovation Solution
A vehicle hitch assistance system using an imaging system with multiple cameras and a controller to identify the trailer and coupling features, presenting a target image on a display to guide the vehicle's steering for precise alignment, and outputting steering signals to align the hitch with the coupling feature.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If the driver manually aligns the hitch ball with the trailer hitch through repeated forward and reverse driving, then the hitching process can be completed, but the process becomes time-consuming and complex
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces manual mechanical alignment operations with an automated vision-based system. Cameras capture images of the trailer and coupling feature, the processor analyzes these images to determine alignment status, and automatically controls the vehicle's steering and movement. This substitution of manual mechanical operations with automated optical-mechanical systems directly resolves the contradiction by dramatically reducing both the time required and the complexity of the hitching process.
2Ease of operation
If the driver relies on inference to determine hitch ball positioning, then the process can continue without direct observation, but positioning precision deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The system replaces the driver's subjective visual inference with an automated computer vision system that objectively measures alignment. The processor analyzes image data from multiple cameras to precisely determine the relative position of the hitch ball and coupling feature, providing accurate quantitative measurement rather than relying on the driver's experience-based estimation. This ensures high positioning precision while maintaining ease of operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The system continuously captures images during the alignment process and provides real-time feedback to the driver or automated control system. By analyzing the sequence of images and determining whether the coupling feature is within the target area, the system enables precise incremental adjustments to achieve accurate alignment, resolving the contradiction between operational simplicity and alignment precision.
3Measurement precision
If the driver performs multiple steering maneuvers to achieve alignment, then the hitch ball can be positioned correctly, but the risk of vehicle-trailer contact increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system continuously monitors the position of the coupling feature relative to the target area through sequential image capture and analysis. This real-time feedback enables precise control of the alignment process, allowing the vehicle to approach the optimal position without overshooting. The system can detect when the coupling feature enters the target area and immediately adjust or stop maneuvers, thereby minimizing the risk of vehicle-trailer contact while achieving accurate positioning.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs preliminary image capture and analysis to determine the required steering maneuvers before executing them. By pre-calculating the alignment path and monitoring progress through continuous image analysis, the system can plan safe maneuver sequences that avoid excessive movements which could lead to contact, thus resolving the contradiction between positioning accuracy and contact risk.
Data Source
AI summary
A system for assisting in aligning a vehicle for hitching with a trailer includes a first camera and a second camera and outputting image data to the rear of the vehicle and a controller identifying at least one of the trailer or a coupling feature of the trailer within the image data and assigning a trailer type to the trailer identified within the image data, the trailer type including a first trailer type and a second trailer type. The controller further causes a portion of the image data to be presented on a display within the vehicle, the portion of the image data corresponding with the first camera in response to the trailer being assigned the first trailer type and corresponding with the second camera in response to the trailer being assigned the second trailer type.