US 11,813,910 B2
Detection system and method for ascertaining an articulation angle between two sub-vehicles of a vehicle, and vehicle combination
Tobias Klinger, Springe (DE); Ralph-Carsten Luelfing, Garbsen (DE); and Tobias Werle, Hannover (DE)
Assigned to ZF CV SYSTEMS EUROPE BV, Brussels (BE)
Appl. No. 17/437,059
Filed by ZF CV Systems Hannover GmbH, Hannover (DE)
PCT Filed Mar. 4, 2020, PCT No. PCT/EP2020/055664
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date Sep. 8, 2021,
PCT Pub. No. WO2020/182570, PCT Pub. Date Sep. 17, 2020.
Claims priority of application No. 10 2019 106 275.6 (DE), filed on Mar. 12, 2019.
Prior Publication US 2022/0161619 A1, May 26, 2022
Int. Cl. B60D 1/62 (2006.01); B60D 1/30 (2006.01); B62D 15/02 (2006.01); G01C 1/00 (2006.01)
CPC B60D 1/62 (2013.01) [B60D 1/30 (2013.01); B62D 15/02 (2013.01)] 7 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A detection system for determining an articulation angle between two sub-vehicles of a vehicle combination connected in an articulated manner, the detection system comprising:
a detection device configured to detect an environment, wherein the detection device is arranged on one of the sub-vehicles of the vehicle combination and a detection region of the detection device on a sub-region of a sub-vehicle connected to the one sub-vehicle in an articulated manner is oriented so that detection signals, which characterize the sub-region on the other sub-vehicle, can be generated by the detection device and output;
a processing unit configured to receive the detection signals and determine the articulation angle between the two sub-vehicles based on the detection signals; and
a projection device designed to image a predetermined pattern onto the sub-region on the other sub-vehicle to create a pattern image on the other sub-vehicle,
wherein the pattern image can be extracted from the detection signals by the processing unit,
wherein the processing unit is configured to determine the articulation angle based on the extracted pattern image,
wherein the processing unit is configured to determine geometric information from the extracted pattern image and to infer the articulation angle between the one sub-vehicle and the other sub-vehicle depending on the geometric information,
wherein the geometric information characterizes a geometric shape of the pattern image and the geometric shape of the pattern image changes depending on the articulation angle,
wherein the processing unit is configured to determine a line angle and/or a line spacing between horizontal lines and/or vertical lines of the pattern image, and
wherein the processing unit is configured to determine a line angle change and/or a line spacing change from the determined line angle and/or the determined line spacing, starting from an initial state with a known articulation angle, and to infer the currently prevailing articulation angle therefrom and from an articulation angle change.