Trailer Sensor Fusion for Blind Spot and Parking Assist
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing vehicle systems equipped with blind spot warning and parking assist technologies struggle to accommodate loading platforms of varying lengths, widths, weights, and sensor configurations, limiting their ability to provide safe and effective driving assists.
Innovation Solution
A vehicle system that includes a tow vehicle and a loading platform with a storage unit for loading platform type information, allowing the tow vehicle's controller to acquire and utilize this data for tailored driving assists, enabling 360-degree sensing and adaptive assistance based on the specific loading platform conditions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If external sensors are installed at fixed locations on the loading platform, then the blind spot warning function can be implemented, but the system cannot accommodate loading platforms with sensors installed at different locations
Solution Approach 1:
The system dynamically adapts to different sensor configurations by acquiring actual installation positions through image processing and automatically adjusting the coordinate system transformation parameters. This allows the blind spot warning function to remain reliable while accommodating various sensor locations without requiring manual reconfiguration or calibration procedures.
2Area of stationary object
If multiple cameras are installed at various locations on the loading platform, then surrounding image capture is improved, but the calibration process becomes complex and time-consuming
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary actions by automatically detecting feature points in the captured images and pre-calculating the coordinate system transformation parameters. This eliminates the need for manual calibration procedures, significantly reducing the time required while maintaining comprehensive surrounding image coverage from multiple camera locations.
3Adaptability or versatility
If the tow vehicle is designed to accommodate different loading platform types, then versatility is improved, but the complexity of determining relative positions increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system creates a virtual model of the loading platform by detecting feature points in images and reconstructing the spatial relationships between cameras and the platform. This digital copy allows the system to accommodate different loading platform types without increasing physical system complexity, as all position determination is performed through image processing and coordinate transformation algorithms.
Data Source
AI summary
The vehicle 1 includes a tow vehicle 2 and a loading platform 3. The loading platform 3 includes a ROM 23 storing loading platform information including a loading platform type and a plurality of first external sensors 8 that detect an object around the loading platform 3. The tow vehicle 2 acquires the loading platform type from the loading platform 3 and includes an ADAS ECU 10 that performs a driving assist of the vehicle 1 based on the acquired loading platform type and a plurality of second external sensors 9 that detect an object around the tow vehicle 2. The ADAS ECU 10 converts the acquired detection data of each of the first external sensors 8 from a sensor coordinate system of each first external sensor to a loading platform coordinate system, further converts from the loading platform coordinate system to the tow vehicle coordinate system, integrates detection data of the first external sensor 8 and detection data of the second external sensor 9 into the tow vehicle coordinate system, and calculates the relative position and the relative speed of the detected object based on the integrated detection data.