Aptiv Technologies Limited

Delphi Technologies, Inc.

Delco Electronics Corporation

Aptiv Technologies Ag

Robert J Cashler

Premchand Krishna Prasad

Walter Kirk Kosiak

Yu Wang

Liang Ma

Duane Donald Fortune

Charles A Cluff

Matthew R Smith

Michael I Chia

Ehsan Samiei

Junqiang Shen

Jon Paul Kelley

Russell L Simpson

Disclosed are systems that include a controller circuit in communication with a ranging sensor configured to detect objects proximate to a host vehicle. In an aspect, the controller circuit is configured to perform a first detection count of the detected objects, determine a first group of objects of the detected objects, determine a first distance to the first group of objects, utilize the first distance to determine a trailer distance between the host vehicle and a front of a trailer, determine a second group of objects of the detected objects, determine a second distance to the second group of objects, utilize the second distance to determine an axle distance between the front of the trailer and a trailer axle, and determine a trailer length based on the trailer distance and the axle distance. Methods are also disclosed.

Detection system

A detection system includes a ranging-sensor and a controller-circuit. The ranging-sensor is configured to detect objects proximate to a host-vehicle. The controller-circuit is in communication with the ranging-sensor. The controller-circuit is configured to determine that a trailer is being towed by the host-vehicle and determine a trailer-distance between the host-vehicle and a front of the trailer based on a distance to a first-group of objects detected by the ranging-sensor. The first-group is characterized by a first-distance indicated by the ranging-sensor. The controller-circuit determines an axle-distance between the front of the trailer and a trailer-axle based on a second-group of objects. The second-group is characterized by a second-distance indicated by the ranging-sensor. The controller-circuit determines a trailer-length based on the trailer-distance and the axle-distance.

A trailer-detection system includes a radar-sensor, a camera, and a controller. The radar-sensor is used to determine a range, and an azimuth-angle, of a radar-signal reflected by a feature of trailer towed by a host-vehicle. The camera is used to capture an image of the trailer. The controller is in communication with the radar-sensor and the camera. The controller is configured to determine a position in the image of a viewable-feature of the trailer, determine a trailer-width and a trailer-height of the trailer based on the position and a range and azimuth-angle to the viewable-feature indicated by the radar-sensor, and optionally determine the trailer-length based on the range and azimuth-angle of the radar-signal reflected by a hidden-feature.

Trailer dimension estimation with two dimensional radar and camera

A trailer-detection system includes a radar-sensor and a controller. The radar-sensor is used to determine a range, an azimuth-angle, and an elevation-angle of a radar-signal reflected by a trailer towed by a host-vehicle. The controller is in communication with the radar-sensor. The controller is configured to determine a size of the trailer towed by the host-vehicle based on the range, the azimuth-angle, and the elevation-angle of the radar-signal.

Trailer estimation with elevation enhanced sensing

A trailer-detection system includes a radar-sensor, an angle-detector, and a controller. The radar-sensor is used to detect an other-vehicle present in a blind-zone proximate to the host-vehicle. The angle-detector is used to determine a trailer-angle relative to a host-vehicle of a trailer being towed by the host-vehicle. The controller is in communication with the angle-detector and the radar-sensor. The controller is configured to determine a trailer-presence of the trailer based on the radar-signal and the trailer-angle.

Trailer estimation improvement

A blind-spot detection system includes an angle-detector, a radar-sensor, and a controller. The angle-sensor is used to determine a trailer-angle relative to a host-vehicle of a trailer being towed by the host-vehicle. The radar-sensor is used to detect an other-vehicle present in a blind-zone proximate to the host-vehicle. The controller is in communication with the angle-detector and the radar-sensor. The controller is configured to adjust a sensing-boundary that defines the blind-zone based on the trailer-angle.

Trailer estimation and blind spot information system performance improvement

A trailer-identification system is configured to identify a trailer towed by a host-vehicle. The system includes a camera and a controller. The camera is used to capture an image of a trailer towed by a host-vehicle. The controller is in communication with the camera and is configured to detect a character on the trailer, identify a trailer-model of the trailer based on the character, and adjust a blind-zone proximate to the host-vehicle based on the trailer-model.

Camera based trailer identification and blind zone adjustment

A vehicle-control system suitable for use on an automated vehicle includes a human-machine-interface and a controller. The human-machine-interface accepts an input from an operator of a host-vehicle. The controller is in communication with the human-machine-interface. The operator inputs a notification to the human-machine-interface. The notification indicates that the operator detects a circumstance that suggests a presence of the emergency-vehicle on the roadway that has not been detected by the system. The controller drives the host-vehicle in accordance with rules governing an operation of vehicles proximate to an emergency-vehicle stopped alongside a roadway.

Automated vehicle control system

A trailer detection system is configured to determine a presence of a trailer towed by a host-vehicle. The system includes a camera and a controller. The camera is used to capture an image of an area behind a host vehicle. The controller is in communication with the camera. The controller is used to detect a position of an edge in the image and determine that the edge is associated with a trailer towed by the host vehicle when the position of the edge moves less than a movement threshold.

Camera based trailer detection and tracking

A radar object detection system includes a first sensor and a controller. The first sensor emits a first radar signal toward a first area about a vehicle, and outputs a first signal indicative of detected targets proximate to the vehicle. The controller receives the first signal from the first sensor, determines when a trailer is connected to the vehicle based on the first signal, defines a shadow-zone that corresponds to a first portion of the first area obstructed by the trailer from being viewed by the first sensor, and ignores detected targets within the shadow-zone that are indicated by the first signal.

Radar object detection system

A warning system for an automated vehicle includes an object-detector, a location-detector, a transceiver, and a controller. The object-detector is used to determine a separation-distance to a target-vehicle from a host-vehicle. The location-detector is used to provide global-positioning-system-coordinates (GPS-coordinates) of the target-vehicle. The transceiver is used to transmit a proximity-warning to the target-vehicle. The controller is in communication with the object-detector, the location-detector, and the transceiver. The controller is configured to operate the transceiver to transmit the proximity-warning when the separation-distance between the host-vehicle and the target-vehicle is less than a distance-threshold. The proximity-warning includes the GPS-coordinates of the target-vehicle and the separation-distance.

Warning system for an automated vehicle

A steering-control system for an automated vehicle includes an object-detector and a controller. The object-detector is suitable for use on a host-vehicle. The object-detector is used to detect an other-vehicle approaching the host-vehicle, and to detect a stationary-object that defines a roadway traveled by the host-vehicle. The controller is in communication with the object-detector and adapted to operate the host-vehicle. The controller is configured to steer the host-vehicle towards a centered-position of a travel-lane of the roadway when a projected-path of the other-vehicle approaches the host-vehicle to a minimum-distance between the other-vehicle and the host-vehicle greater than a distance-threshold. The controller is also configured to steer the host-vehicle towards a biased-position of the travel-lane to increase the minimum-distance when the projected-path approaches the host-vehicle to less than the distance-threshold if the host-vehicle remains in the centered-position.

Automated vehicle steering control system with lane position bias

A radar object detection system includes a radar sensor and a controller. The radar sensor is configured to emit a radar signal toward a defined area proximate to the vehicle, and output a reflection signal indicative of a detected target present in the defined area. The controller is configured to receive the reflection signal from the radar sensor, determine if the detected target corresponds to a trailer towed by the vehicle, and define an exclusion zone characterized as occupied by the trailer and thereby excluded from the defined area where objects can be detected.

Vehicle radar system with trailer detection

A method for operating a radar system on a vehicle to reduce nuisance alerts caused by a stationary structure proximate to the vehicle. The method includes determining a stationary count indicative of the number of targets detected by the radar system that are within a travel path of the vehicle and are classified by the radar system as stationary, and indicating that the vehicle is proximate to a stationary structure if the stationary count is greater than a count threshold.

Method of operating a radar system to reduce nuisance alerts caused by false stationary targets

A supplemental restraint deployment method utilizes measured vehicle speed and acceleration and the output of a closing velocity sensor that detects the presence and closing rate of an approaching object prior to contact with the vehicle. The closing velocity and vehicle speed are utilized for classification of an impending crash event, where the deployment options vary depending on the crash classification. In the ensuing crash event, a classification-dependent algorithm is executed to determine if, when and what level of restraint deployment is warranted based on measures of actual crash severity. Additionally, the algorithm is reset when the calculated change in vehicle velocity reaches the initial closing velocity.

Growing community of inventors

Kokomo, IN, United States of America

Robert J Cashler