Rear Vision Hitch Verification for Trailer Connection Defects
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Solution Overview
Problem
Properly connecting a trailer to a vehicle's hitch is often error-prone, with common mistakes including improper seating of the trailer tongue on the hitch ball and failure to secure the trailer latch or connect safety chains and electrical harnesses, which can lead to safety hazards during towing.
Innovation Solution
A vehicle vision system utilizing one or more rearward-facing cameras to capture and process image data, detecting deficiencies in the hitch connection and alerting the driver through a control unit with electronic circuitry and display integration, optionally using multiple cameras for enhanced gap analysis and confirmation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If manual trailer connection is performed without verification, then the connection process is simple and quick, but safety hazards arise from improper connection
Solution Approach 1:
The system enables self-verification of the trailer connection by capturing images with a camera, processing them through image recognition algorithms, and automatically determining whether the connection is proper. The system serves itself by using its own imaging and processing capabilities to verify the connection state without requiring external inspection tools or personnel.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces manual visual inspection and physical verification of the trailer connection with an automated imaging and image processing system. The camera captures images of the connection area, and computer vision algorithms analyze these images to detect proper connection, substituting the mechanical/manual verification process with an optical-electronic system.
2Measurement precision
If multiple cameras are used for enhanced gap analysis, then measurement precision improves, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system divides the observation task into multiple segments by using multiple cameras positioned at different locations. Each camera captures a specific view of the trailer connection area, and the system processes each image separately to analyze different aspects of the connection, such as gap measurements from different perspectives. This segmentation of the imaging task enables more precise measurement while managing system complexity through modular camera placement.
3Speed
If real-time image processing is performed to detect connection deficiencies, then detection speed improves, but energy consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system applies partial processing by focusing computational resources only on the critical areas of the image that contain the trailer connection components. Rather than processing the entire image at full resolution, the system identifies regions of interest containing the hitch ball, trailer tongue, and safety chains, and applies image recognition algorithms selectively to these areas. This reduces overall energy consumption while maintaining fast detection speed for the critical connection verification.
Data Source
AI summary
A vehicular trailer assist system includes a camera disposed at a rear portion of a vehicle and having a field of view exterior and at least rearward of the vehicle. At least a portion of a trailer hitched to the vehicle is within the field of view of the camera. A control includes electronic circuitry and associated software, with the electronic circuitry including a processor operable to process image data captured by the camera, with the image data captured by the camera being representative of at least the trailer hitched to the vehicle. The control, responsive to processing of image data captured by the camera, determines at least one deficiency in a hitch connection between the vehicle and the trailer. Responsive to determination of the at least one deficiency, the control alerts a driver of the vehicle of the determined deficiency.