US 12,223,675 B2
Method for ascertaining an articulation angle, processing unit, and vehicle
Tobias Klinger, Springe (DE)
Assigned to ZF CV SYSTEMS GLOBAL GMBH, Bern (CH)
Appl. No. 18/698,020
Filed by ZF CV SYSTEMS GLOBAL GMBH, Bern (CH)
PCT Filed Sep. 23, 2022, PCT No. PCT/EP2022/076555
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date Apr. 3, 2024,
PCT Pub. No. WO2023/061731, PCT Pub. Date Apr. 20, 2023.
Claims priority of application No. 10 2021 126 816.8 (DE), filed on Oct. 15, 2021.
Prior Publication US 2024/0331193 A1, Oct. 3, 2024
Int. Cl. G06T 7/73 (2017.01); G06T 3/06 (2024.01); G06T 3/60 (2024.01); G06T 7/207 (2017.01); G06T 7/55 (2017.01)
CPC G06T 7/73 (2017.01) [G06T 3/06 (2024.01); G06T 3/60 (2013.01); G06T 7/207 (2017.01); G06T 7/55 (2017.01); G06T 2207/10028 (2013.01); G06T 2207/30252 (2013.01)] 19 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method for determining an articulation angle between a towing vehicle and a trailer coupled to the towing vehicle, wherein the trailer can be imaged in single images with single-image pixels using a camera system, the method comprising:
determining a point cloud from at least one single image in which at least the trailer is represented, wherein the point cloud comprises object points assigned to the trailer and wherein the at least one single image is captured when the trailer is not coupled to the towing vehicle;
forming at least one planar reference surface corresponding to a contiguous surface of the trailer from adjacent object points of the point cloud that lie in a same plane, wherein the respective planar reference surface is in a fixed spatial orientation and/or a fixed spatial position relative to the trailer;
reading in at least one single image, in which the trailer coupled to the towing vehicle is imaged, and determining at least one partial surface in this at least one single image read in;
fitting the at least one planar reference surface to the at least one determined partial surface of the read-in single image by applying a geometric transformation; and
determining the articulation angle between the towing vehicle and the trailer as a function of a rotational component of the applied geometric transformation, wherein the rotational component of the applied geometric transformation characterizes a rotation of the planar reference surface about a pivot axis of the trailer.