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DE-102022126702-B4 - Method and device for determining a trailer's path

DE102022126702B4DE 102022126702 B4DE102022126702 B4DE 102022126702B4DE-102022126702-B4

Abstract

Procedures (600), comprising: (610) Recognizing an obstacle position in response to an image; (620) Predictions of a tow vehicle path in response to a tow vehicle steering angle and a tow vehicle position; (630) Predictions, by a processor, of a trailer wheel path in response to the towing vehicle path and a trailer dimension, wherein an odometry of the towing vehicle and the trailer is predicted as a function of the telemetry; (640) Generating a warning signal in response to an intersection between the obstacle position and the trailer wheel path; (650) Displaying an obstacle position indicator and a trailer wheel path indicator on a vehicle cabin display; and (660) Modifying map data in response to the obstacle position and the towing vehicle position, whereby the trailer wheel path is determined in response to the map data.

Inventors

  • MANSOOR ALGHOONEH
  • JOSEPH K. MOORE
  • Norman J. Weigert
  • Tommy Thai Ngoc Tran

Assignees

  • GM Global Technology Operations LLC

Dates

Publication Date
20260513
Application Date
20221013
Priority Date
20220419

Claims (8)

  1. Method (600), comprising: (610) detecting an obstacle position in response to an image; (620) predicting a tow vehicle path in response to a tow vehicle steering angle and a tow vehicle position; (630) predicting, by a processor, a trailer wheel path in response to the tow vehicle path and a trailer dimension, wherein an odometry of the tow vehicle and trailer is predicted as a function of the telemetry; (640) generating a warning signal in response to an intersection between the obstacle position and the trailer wheel path; (650) displaying an obstacle position indicator and a trailer wheel path indicator on a vehicle cab display; and (660) modifying map data in response to the obstacle position and the tow vehicle position, wherein the trailer wheel path is determined in response to the map data.
  2. Procedure (600) according to Claim 1 , wherein the image is captured by a camera (222) mounted on the towing vehicle (105), which has a forward-facing field of view (130) from the towing vehicle (105).
  3. Procedure (600) according to Claim 1 , wherein the obstacle position is confirmed as a response to a depth measurement by a side vision sensor attached to the towing vehicle (105).
  4. Procedure (600) according to Claim 1 , wherein the obstacle position is confirmed as a response to a depth measurement by an ultrasonic sensor attached to the towing vehicle (105).
  5. Procedure (600) according to Claim 1 , where the trailer wheel path (125) is predicted as a response to a trailer coupling deflection angle.
  6. Procedure (600) according to Claim 1 , wherein the towing vehicle path (120) is predicted in response to an acceleration detected by an inertial measurement unit attached to a towing vehicle (105).
  7. Procedure (600) according to Claim 1 , the image is captured in response to trailer system activation and detection of movement of a towing vehicle (105).
  8. Device (500) comprising: a camera (510) configured to capture an image of a field of view containing an object; a distance sensor (515) configured to determine a distance to the object; a positioning sensor (525) configured to determine a tow vehicle position; a processor (520) configured to: determine an object position in response to the image and the tow vehicle position; predict a tow vehicle path in response to a tow vehicle steering angle and the tow vehicle position; predict a trailer wheel path in response to the tow vehicle path and a trailer dimension, predicting odometry of the tow vehicle and trailer based on telemetry; and generate a warning signal in response to an intersection between the object position and the trailer wheel path; a user interface (530) configured to display a warning in response to the warning signal. and a memory (535) for storing map data, the processor further serving to modify the map data in response to the object position and the towing vehicle position, and wherein the trailer wheel path is determined in response to the map data.

Description

The present disclosure relates generally to a system for providing trailer guidance and support in a motor vehicle. More specifically, aspects of the present disclosure relate to systems, methods, and devices for determining a trailer's path during trailer operation, for detecting objects within the determined trailer path, and for providing a warning to a vehicle system algorithm or a vehicle operator. Passenger cars have long been equipped with towing devices for trailers. These trailers can be caravans, boat trailers, or utility trailers. They are typically connected to the towing vehicle via a mechanically attached to the towing vehicle's frame. The trailers are connected to the towing vehicle by a coupling assembly that is attached to the trailer's frame. Electrical connections between the towing vehicle and the trailer provide power to the trailer's lighting and braking systems, and transmit electronic signals that control the application of the trailer brakes and the illumination of various trailer lights, such as brake lights, turn signals, and reversing lights. The difficulty lies in the fact that the trailer's path during towing can lie outside the towing vehicle's path. When cornering, the trailer's wheels often follow a path that lies within the towing vehicle's wheel path, and the trailer's wheels can come into contact with curbs if the towing vehicle does not turn with sufficient clearance. This contact can lead to damage to the trailer, its wheels, and/or the curb. Furthermore, other parts of the trailer can touch objects that the towing vehicle has successfully avoided. It would be desirable to provide a means of giving feedback to the towing vehicle and/or its driver, while simultaneously overcoming the aforementioned problems. EP 3 334 639 B1 describes a method for preventing damage to a vehicle and a trailer during forward travel. DE 10 2020 123 087 A1 This concerns the towing of trailers and in particular a lateral detection and avoidance system for vehicles towing trailers. The objective can be considered to be to provide a method and a device with which the path of a towing vehicle trailer can be predicted and collisions avoided. The aforementioned problem is solved by a method with the features of claim 1 and by a device with the features of claim 8. Advantageous embodiments are described in the dependent claims. This document discloses vehicle sensor methods and systems and the associated control logic for providing vehicle systems, methods for manufacturing and operating such systems, and motor vehicles equipped with on-board control systems. Various embodiments of systems for object detection and the prediction of contact events for a towing vehicle and a trailer are presented by way of example and without limitation. The method according to the invention comprises detecting an obstacle position in response to an image, predicting a towing vehicle path in response to a towing vehicle steering angle and a towing vehicle position, predicting a trailer wheel path in response to the towing vehicle path and a trailer dimension by a processor, wherein an odometry of the towing vehicle and the trailer is predicted as a function of the telemetry, generating a warning signal in response to an intersection of the obstacle position and the trailer wheel path, displaying an indicator for the obstacle position and an indicator for the trailer wheel path on a vehicle cabin display, and changing map data in response to the obstacle position and the towing vehicle position, wherein the trailer wheel path is determined in response to the map data. According to one embodiment, the method includes determining the obstacle position in response to a distance measurement received from a distance sensor. According to one embodiment, the method includes predicting a trailer wheel path in response to the towing vehicle path, a vehicle dimension, and a trailer dimension using a processor. According to one embodiment, the image is captured by a camera mounted on the towing vehicle, the camera having a forward-facing field of view from the towing vehicle. According to one embodiment, the obstacle position is determined in response to a depth measurement. confirmed by a side vision sensor attached to the towing vehicle. According to one embodiment, the vehicle dimension is a distance from the rear axle of the vehicle to a trailer coupling point, and the trailer dimension is at least a distance from a trailer wheel axle to a trailer coupling point and a trailer track width. According to one embodiment, the obstacle position is confirmed in response to a depth measurement by an ultrasonic sensor attached to the towing vehicle. According to one embodiment, the trailer wheel path is predicted in response to a trailer coupling deflection angle. According to one embodiment, the towing vehicle's path is predicted in response to at least one acceleration detected by an inertial measurement unit attached to a towing ve