Magna Electronics Inc.

Continental Autonomous Mobility Us, LLC

Horst Daniel Diessner

Nikhil Gupta

Jyothi P Gali

Galina Okouneva

Hilda Faraji

Joern Ihlenburg

Achim Gieseke

Richard C Bozich

Hossam Mahmoud

Aleksandar Stefanovic

Andreas Koppe

Akinyele O Ikuseru

Anant Kumar Lall

Sebastian Pliefke

Brijendra Kumar Bharti

Christian Weber

Xai Phan

Miad Moarref

Nizar Ahamed

Akash Maheshwari

A method and system are disclosed for performing a trailer operation for a vehicle having a tow ball. The method includes receiving a first image from a rear camera disposed along a rear portion of the vehicle in a first position; and detecting a pixel position of a representation of the tow ball in the first image. Following the rear camera being moved from the first position to a second position along the rear portion of the vehicle, the method includes receiving a second image from the rear camera. The method also includes detecting a second pixel position of a representation of the tow ball in the second image; and estimating a position of the tow ball relative to the vehicle based on the first and second positions of the rear camera and the detected pixel positions of the representations of the tow ball in the first and second images.

Tow ball position detection system

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 method includes calculating, at a data processing hardware, a relative angle between a tow vehicle and a trailer attached to the tow vehicle. An absolute angle of the tow vehicle is determined at the data processing hardware. An absolute angle of the trailer based on the relative angle and the absolute angle of the tow vehicle is calculated at the data processing hardware. A dimension of the trailer is determined at the data processing hardware. A trailer leveling adjustment based on the absolute angle of the trailer and the dimension of the trailer is calculated at the data processing hardware.

Trailer levelling system

A vehicular vision system includes a rearward-viewing camera disposed at a vehicle and viewing at least rearward of the vehicle. The rearward-viewing camera connects with a control via a cable. The cable carries control data from the control to the rearward-viewing camera and carries image data captured by the rearward-viewing camera from the rearward-viewing camera to the control. The control generates an output provided to a video display device of the vehicle. The video display device includes a video display screen viewable by a driver of the vehicle. During a reversing maneuver of the vehicle, the video display screen displays video images of an area rearward the vehicle derived from image data captured by the rearward-viewing camera and carried to the control by the cable. Image data captured by the rearward-viewing camera is processed at an image processor to detect an object present rearward of the vehicle.

Vehicular vision system

A method for determining a safe state for a vehicle includes disposing a camera at a vehicle and disposing an electronic control unit (ECU) at the vehicle. Frames of image data are captured by the camera and provided to the ECU. An image processor of the ECU processes frames of image data captured by the camera. A condition is determined via processing at the image processor of the ECU frames of image data captured by the camera. The condition includes a shadow present in the field of view of the camera within ten frames of image data captured by the camera or a damaged condition of the imager within two minutes of operation of the camera. The ECU determines a safe state for the vehicle responsive to determining the condition.

Vehicle vision system with object detection failsafe

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 vehicular vision system includes a vehicular camera disposed at a vehicle and operable to capture frames of image data. The vehicular vision system is operable to detect, via processing by an image processor of multiple frames of captured image data, when multiple objects are viewed by the vehicular camera. During a driving maneuver, and when multiple objects are detected, the vehicular vision system determines which detected object of the multiple detected objects is closest to the vehicle, and determines movement of at least the determined closest object relative to the vehicle. During the driving maneuver, and based at least in part on the determined relative movement of the determined closest object, the vehicular vision system determines whether the determined relative movement is indicative of the determined closest object being in or moving toward a position where collision may occur between the determined closest object and the vehicle.

A method for determining a safe state for a vehicle includes disposing a camera at a vehicle and disposing an electronic control unit (ECU) at the vehicle. Image data is captured via the camera and provided to the ECU. An image processor of the ECU processes captured image data. A condition is determined via processing at the image processor of the ECU captured image data. The condition comprises a shadow present in the field of view of the camera within ten frames of captured image data or a damaged condition of the imager within two minutes of operation of the camera. The condition is indicative of a condition where processing of captured image data degrades in performance. The ECU determines a safe state for the vehicle responsive to determining the condition.

A method for detecting an object via a vehicular vision system includes disposing first and second cameras at respective locations at a vehicle so as to have respective first and second fields of view rearward of the vehicle. The locations are vertically and horizontally spaced apart by respective vertical and horizontal separation distances. With the first and second cameras disposed at the respective locations, the first field of view at least partially overlaps the second field of view. An electronic control unit (ECU) is provided that includes an image processor. Image data is captured by the cameras and provided to the ECU and processed at the ECU. The ECU, responsive to processing of captured image data and based on the separation distances, determines presence of an object in the overlapping region of the first and second fields of view and determines the location of the object relative to the vehicle.

Method for detecting an object via a vehicular vision system

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 vehicular vision system includes a front camera and a rear camera disposed at a vehicle and each viewing exterior of the vehicle. Each of the cameras connects with a control via a respective mono coaxial cable. The respective mono coaxial cables carry control data from the control to the respective cameras and carry image data captured by the respective cameras to the control. The control generates an output provided to a video display device of the vehicle. The video display device includes a video display screen viewable by a driver of the vehicle. During a reversing maneuver of the vehicle, the video display screen displays video images of an area rearward the vehicle derived from image data captured by the rear camera and carried to the control by the respective mono coaxial cable.

Multi-camera vehicular vision system

A vehicular trailer hitching assist system includes a camera disposed at a rear portion of a vehicle and viewing at least rearward of the vehicle. An electronic control unit (ECU) includes an image processor operable to process image data captured by the camera. The ECU, via image processing of image data captured by the camera, detects a trailer rearward of the vehicle and determines a first path of travel for the vehicle to follow to maneuver the vehicle toward the trailer and to align the tow ball of the vehicle with a trailer hitch of the trailer. The ECU generates an output to maneuver the vehicle along the determined first path of travel. Responsive to detection of an object entering the first path of travel, the ECU determines a second path of travel for the vehicle to follow that avoids the detected object entering the determined path of travel.

Vehicular trailer hitching assist system

A vehicular parking system includes a plurality of exterior viewing cameras, at least one receiver and a control. The control, when the vehicle is located at an entrance of a parking structure, controls the vehicle to autonomously drive the vehicle from the entrance of the parking structure toward a parking location in the parking structure. The parking structure includes a positioning system having a plurality of short range communication devices at known locations at the parking structure. Responsive to communication signals generated by the devices, the control determines the location of the vehicle relative to the known locations and drives the vehicle from the entrance of the parking structure toward the parking location in the parking structure. With the vehicle positioned at the parking location, and responsive at least to image processing by the image processor of captured image data, the control parks the vehicle in the parking location.

Vehicle vision system with autonomous parking function

A vehicular vision system includes a rearward viewing camera and a control, which includes a processor that processes image data captured by the camera. During a reversing maneuver of the vehicle, the control, via processing of captured image data, detects points of interest of detected objects. Responsive to detection of the points of interest of the detected objects, the control determines if the detected objects have height dimensions and determines that objects having a height dimension greater than a threshold height are objects of interest. During the reversing maneuver of the vehicle, the control determines distances to the determined objects of interest and determines which object of interest is closest to the vehicle. During the reversing maneuver of the vehicle, responsive to the determination of the closest object of interest rearward of the vehicle, the control determines whether the determined closest object of interest is a potential hazard.

A vehicular vision system includes forward viewing camera and a rear camera each having a respective field of view exterior of the vehicle. Each of the cameras has an LVDS chip and connects with a control via a respective mono coaxial cable. Each mono coaxial cable carries via LVDS image data captured by the respective camera. Image data captured by the forward viewing camera and carried to the control by the respective mono coaxial cable is processed at the control for object detection. The control generates an output provided to a video display device of the vehicle, the video display device having a video display screen viewable by a driver of the vehicle. The video display screen displays video images of an area rearward of the vehicle derived from image data captured by the rear camera and carried to the control by the respective mono coaxial cable.

Growing community of inventors

Rochester Hills, MI, United States of America

Horst Daniel Diessner