Hitch Assist System with Touchscreen Coupler Identification
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Solution Overview
Problem
Reversing a vehicle to attach a tow hitch to a trailer can be challenging, especially for drivers unfamiliar with the hitching process, necessitating a system that assists in navigating the vehicle to correctly align with the trailer.
Innovation Solution
A hitch assist system that uses an imager to capture images of the trailer, a touchscreen display to show the vehicle's position relative to the trailer, and a controller to generate icons that match the hitch coupler, allowing users to specify the location through touch events, with features like increased resolution and shape alignment to ensure accurate alignment.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a driver manually reverses a vehicle toward a trailer to attach a tow hitch, then the hitching process can be completed, but the process becomes challenging and difficult for drivers unfamiliar with trailers
Solution Approach 1:
The system introduces an intermediary visual interface (display device showing top-down view) that mediates between the driver's control actions and the physical vehicle-trailer alignment task. This intermediary representation simplifies the complex spatial reasoning required for hitching by providing an intuitive overhead perspective.
Solution Approach 2:
The system creates a simplified copy or representation of the physical hitching scenario on the display device. The top-down view icon representing the hitch coupler and vehicle position is a graphical copy that mirrors the real-world geometry, making alignment easier to perceive and control.
2Measurement precision
If the system automatically detects and aligns the vehicle with the hitch coupler, then alignment precision is improved, but the system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary detection of the hitch coupler's position and orientation in the image data before the vehicle reaches it. By pre-calculating the alignment requirements and displaying guidance information in advance, the system reduces the complexity of real-time control while maintaining high precision.
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements feedback by displaying the detected hitch coupler position and vehicle alignment status on the touchscreen. This visual feedback loop allows the driver to see the alignment progress and make adjustments, achieving precise alignment without requiring fully autonomous complex control systems.
Data Source
AI summary
A hitch assist system and method are provided herein. An imager is configured to capture one or more images containing a trailer having a hitch coupler. A touchscreen display is configured to show a view of the trailer and register one or more touch events thereon for specifying a location of the hitch coupler. A controller is configured to generate an icon at the specified location of the hitch coupler.