Trailer Angle Detection Using Camera Feature Tracking
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing vehicle vision systems struggle to accurately determine the angle of a trailer relative to the vehicle, especially when backing up, due to the need for a target on the trailer and limitations in visibility under various weather and lighting conditions.
Innovation Solution
A driver assistance system utilizing one or more CMOS cameras to capture image data and determine the trailer angle by extracting feature vectors from the trailer's radial motion region, without the need for a target, and tracking these features to calculate the trailer's angle relative to the vehicle.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If a target is placed on the trailer for detection, then the trailer angle can be determined, but the system becomes dependent on visibility conditions and requires additional components on the trailer
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the detection target from the trailer itself and places it on the vehicle instead. The camera is mounted on the vehicle to capture images of the trailer, eliminating the need for targets on the trailer. This reduces system complexity and removes dependencies on trailer-mounted components while maintaining angle detection capability through feature extraction from the captured images
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses the vehicle's own camera and processing capabilities to detect trailer angle without requiring external targets or additional sensors on the trailer. The vehicle's imaging system serves itself to perform the measurement function, reducing overall system complexity while maintaining detection accuracy through algorithmic feature extraction
2Reliability
If traditional vision systems are used, then trailer detection is possible, but accuracy deteriorates under various weather and lighting conditions
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transforms the detection approach from relying on visual appearance (which varies with weather and lighting) to relying on geometric parameters extracted from multiple images. By capturing images at different positions and extracting feature vectors that represent trailer geometry rather than appearance, the system maintains reliability under varying environmental conditions
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs preliminary image capture at multiple predetermined positions before calculating the trailer angle. By collecting image data across different positions and conditions first, then processing to extract geometric features, the system prepares robust measurement data that is less sensitive to individual weather or lighting conditions
3Adaptability or versatility
If feature vectors are extracted and tracked across multiple images, then trailer angle calculation becomes independent of environmental conditions, but processing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces traditional mechanical or optical measurement systems with computational image processing. Instead of using physical targets or sensors, the system uses algorithms to extract feature vectors from images and track them across multiple frames. This substitution enables environmental independence while the computational approach, though complex, integrates with existing vehicle camera systems
Data Source
AI summary
A vehicular trailer angle detection system includes a camera disposed at a rear portion of a vehicle. The vehicular trailer angle detection system, via processing of frames of image data captured by the camera, tracks changes of features present in a current frame of captured image data and present in a previous frame of captured image data and determines features of the trailer based on the tracked changes of features. The determined features of the trailer have respective changes between the current frame of image data captured by the camera and the previous frame of image data captured by the camera. The vehicular trailer angle detection system determines angle of the trailer relative to the vehicle based at least in part on tracking of the determined features of the trailer over multiple captured frames of image data.