Magna Electronics Inc.

Akinyele O Ikuseru

Nikhil Gupta

Jyothi P Gali

Galina Okouneva

Hilda Faraji

Horst Daniel Diessner

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.

Vehicular trailer angle detection system

A vehicular trailer angle detection system includes a camera disposed at a rear portion of a vehicle. The system determines, via processing of frames of image data captured by the camera, features of a trailer present rearward of the vehicle and hitched to the vehicle by determining features that have similar position changes between a current frame of image data captured by the camera and a previous frame of image data captured by the camera. Responsive to movement of the trailer relative to the vehicle, and via processing of captured frames of image data, the system tracks determined features over multiple captured frames of image data for different positions of the trailer relative to the vehicle. The system determines angle of the trailer relative to the vehicle based at least in part on tracking of determined features of the trailer over multiple captured frames of image data.

A method for determining features of a trailer being towed by a vehicle includes initiating a calibration drive of the vehicle and capturing frames of image data via a vehicle camera, and, via processing by an image processor of frames of captured image data, determining features of the trailer being towed by the vehicle during the calibration drive. The features of the trailer are determined by determining features that have similar changes between a current frame of captured image data and a previous frame of captured image data captured during the calibration drive. The features are tracked over multiple frames of captured image data for different angular positions of the trailer relative to the vehicle to determine trailer length from the hitch ball of the vehicle to an axle of the trailer. The trailer angle is determined based on the determined trailer length.

Method for determining features of a trailer towed by a vehicle

A method of detecting a trailer angle of a trailer being towed by a vehicle includes capturing frames of image data via a camera of the vehicle while the vehicle is towing a trailer, and, via processing by an image processor of frames of captured image data while the vehicle is towing the trailer, determining presence of the trailer being towed by the vehicle, and determining feature vectors of the trailer being towed by the vehicle. The feature vectors of the trailer are determined by determining features that have similar angular changes between a current frame of captured image data and a previous frame of captured image data. The angle of the trailer relative to the vehicle is determined responsive to tracking of determined feature vectors of the trailer present in the field of view of the camera over multiple frames of captured image data.

Trailer angle detection system for vehicle

A trailer angle detection system for a vehicle towing a trailer includes a rearward viewing camera disposed at a rear portion of a vehicle, and an image processor operable to process image data captured by the camera. Responsive to processing of captured image data when the vehicle is towing a trailer, the trailer angle detection system determines the presence of the trailer at the rear of the vehicle and attached at the vehicle and determines feature vectors of the detected trailer over multiple frames of captured image data. Responsive to movement of the trailer relative to the vehicle, the trailer angle detection system tracks feature vectors for different positions of the detected trailer. The trailer angle detection system determines an angle of the trailer responsive to detection of tracking of feature vectors the trailer in the field of view of the camera over multiple frames of captured image data.

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Chandler, AZ, United States of America

Akinyele O Ikuseru