Commercial Vehicle Camera Mirror Tracking for Hidden Trailer Wheels
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing camera mirror systems in commercial trucks struggle to track the position of rear trailer wheels when they are hidden from view, particularly at low trailer angles, which is crucial for driver awareness and vehicle system operations.
Innovation Solution
A method that determines a fixed point on the tractor, estimates the trailer angle, and uses image analysis to generate a best fit curve associating wheel positions with trailer angles, allowing for the estimation of wheel positions even when they are hidden, and displays a trailer end awareness line based on these calculations.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of information
If camera mirror systems are used to enhance field of view, then driver awareness of surrounding environment is improved, but the system cannot track wheel positions when wheels are hidden from view at low trailer angles
Solution Approach 1:
The system pre-establishes the relationship between trailer angle and wheel position through best fit curves before tracking is needed. When wheels become hidden, the pre-computed curves and geometric models enable continuous position estimation without interruption, as the detection system has already prepared the necessary mathematical relationships during periods when wheels are visible.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces trailer angle as an intermediary parameter that connects visible wheel positions to hidden wheel positions. By measuring trailer angle through image analysis or sensors, the system creates a bridge that allows indirect tracking of wheel positions even when wheels are not directly visible in camera views.
2Measurement precision
If the system requires trailer parameters like height and length for tracking, then measurement accuracy may be improved, but system complexity and calibration requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs self-calibration by automatically computing best fit curves from observed wheel positions and corresponding trailer angles during normal operation. This eliminates the need for manual input of trailer parameters like height and length, as the system learns these relationships autonomously from operational data, reducing complexity while maintaining precision.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent transforms the problem from requiring fixed trailer parameters to using dynamic best fit curves that adapt to actual trailer geometry. By changing from static parameter-based tracking to dynamic curve-based estimation, the system achieves accurate wheel position tracking without needing precise knowledge of trailer height, length, or other fixed parameters.
3Loss of information
If awareness lines are displayed for trailer end position, then driver awareness is improved, but accuracy decreases when trailer angles are small and trailer end is difficult to see
Solution Approach 1:
The system solves the visibility problem by transitioning from direct visual detection to geometric computation in a different dimensional space. Instead of relying on camera images to see the trailer end, the system uses trailer angle and wheel position data to mathematically compute trailer end position, effectively moving the measurement from visual space to computational space where accuracy is not limited by visibility.
Data Source
AI summary
A method of providing a trailer end line for a tractor-trailer includes determining a fixed point on a tractor, determining a trailer angle of a trailer, determining a trailer line that is arranged at the trailer angle from the fixed point, determining an intersection point between the trailer line and a trajectory of a reference point on the trailer, determining a trailer end point along the trailer line and offset from the intersection point, and displaying a trailer end awareness line based upon the determined trailer end point.