US 12,227,042 B2
Method and system for calculating vehicle trailer angle
Robin Plowman, Southwick (GB)
Assigned to Continental Autonomous Mobility Germany GmbH, Ingolstadt (DE)
Appl. No. 17/995,120
Filed by Continental Autonomous Mobility Germany GmbH, Ingolstadt (DE)
PCT Filed Dec. 1, 2020, PCT No. PCT/EP2020/084111
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date Sep. 30, 2022,
PCT Pub. No. WO2021/197651, PCT Pub. Date Oct. 7, 2021.
Claims priority of application No. 20167191 (EP), filed on Mar. 31, 2020.
Prior Publication US 2023/0322032 A1, Oct. 12, 2023
Int. Cl. G06T 7/73 (2017.01); B60D 1/62 (2006.01); B60R 11/04 (2006.01)
CPC B60D 1/62 (2013.01) [B60R 11/04 (2013.01); G06T 7/73 (2017.01); G06T 2207/30252 (2013.01)] 14 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method for determining a yaw angle of a trailer with respect to a longitudinal axis of a towing vehicle, the method comprising:
capturing at least a first and a second image of the trailer using a camera, an orientation of the trailer with respect to the vehicle being different on the at least two images;
determining at least a first feature of the trailer which is visible on the first and second images;
providing at least a first and a second algorithm for calculating a first angle estimation based on the at least first feature;
providing the first angle estimation for the first feature by
deciding, based on one or more criteria for each feature, if the first or the second algorithm should be used for calculating the first angle estimation and calculating the first angle estimation based on an algorithm selected for the first feature, wherein the deciding based on one or more criteria comprises determining a length of a baseline between the first feature on the first image and said the first feature on the second image and comparing the length with a length threshold value; or
calculating the first angle estimation for the first feature based on each of the first and the second algorithm and deciding based on one or more criteria if the first angle estimation obtained by the first algorithm or first angle estimation obtained by the second algorithm is used for further processing; and
calculating the yaw angle based on the first angle estimation.