Trailer Hitch Coupler State Detection via Camera Image Analysis
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Solution Overview
Problem
Vehicle operators often forget to lock the trailer coupler when connecting a trailer to a vehicle hitch, leading to potential disconnection during driving, which can be hazardous.
Innovation Solution
A system equipped with a camera and controller that captures images of the trailer hitch, learns the locked and unlocked states of the coupler through calibration, and generates an output, such as a warning, to the driver indicating the coupler's state, ensuring it is locked before driving.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the vehicle operator manually connects the trailer to the hitch, then the connection process is simple and quick, but the operator may forget to lock the coupler, leading to unsafe disconnection
Solution Approach 1:
The system captures images of the coupler lock mechanism, processes them to determine locked/unlocked state, and provides feedback to the operator through visual or audible signals. This closed-loop feedback ensures the operator is aware of the actual lock state, preventing forgotten locking while maintaining simple manual operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces manual visual inspection and mechanical confirmation of the lock state with an automated optical detection system using cameras and image processing algorithms. This substitution provides more reliable detection of the coupler state without adding mechanical complexity to the locking mechanism itself.
2Reliability
If an automated detection system is added to monitor the coupler lock state, then safety is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system uses existing vehicle components (cameras, processors, display systems) that serve multiple functions. The camera may also be used for other vehicle functions, and the processor handles various vehicle control tasks. This multi-functionality approach adds the detection capability without proportionally increasing overall system complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The system creates a digital copy (image) of the physical coupler lock state and processes this copy to determine the actual state. This allows the detection system to analyze the lock mechanism without physically interfering with it, maintaining simplicity while achieving reliable detection through optical copying and analysis.
3Reliability
If real-time image processing is performed to detect the coupler state, then immediate safety feedback is provided, but energy consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs image capture and processing at periodic intervals rather than continuously. The controller captures images at predetermined times (e.g., when the vehicle is in gear, before driving) and processes them to determine the coupler state. This periodic operation provides timely safety feedback while significantly reducing energy consumption compared to continuous real-time processing.
Data Source
AI summary
A vehicle is provided with a trailer hitch, a camera oriented to capture images of the trailer hitch, and a controller processing the captured images, detecting a trailer coupler coupled to the trailer hitch, determining a locked or unlocked state of the hitch coupler by comparing the captured images to known trailer coupler images, and generating an output indicative of the determined state of the trailer coupler.