US 12,299,923 B2
System and method for estimating relative trailer angle
Julien Ip, Madison Heights, MI (US); Eduardo Llanos, Auburn Hills, MI (US); and Xin Yu, Rochester Hills, MI (US)
Assigned to Continental Autonomous Mobility US, LLC, Auburn Hills, MI (US)
Filed by Continental Automotive Systems, Inc., Auburn Hills, MI (US)
Filed on Apr. 27, 2021, as Appl. No. 17/302,231.
Prior Publication US 2022/0343535 A1, Oct. 27, 2022
Int. Cl. G06T 7/73 (2017.01); B60R 1/00 (2022.01)
CPC G06T 7/74 (2017.01) [B60R 1/00 (2013.01); B60R 2300/105 (2013.01); B60R 2300/30 (2013.01); B60R 2300/806 (2013.01); G06T 2207/10028 (2013.01); G06T 2207/30244 (2013.01); G06T 2207/30252 (2013.01)] 18 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method for estimating and using a trailer angle of a trailer relative to a vehicle connected to thereto, comprising:
receiving, by data processing hardware including at least one processor, image data from at least one first camera disposed on a vehicle and from at least one second camera disposed on a trailer coupled to the vehicle, the image data from the at least one second camera being two dimensional image data;
identifying, by the data processing hardware, matched point pairs by matching points in the image data from the at least one first camera with points in the image data from the at least one second camera, the points matched not being points of a representation of the vehicle in the image data and not being points of a representation of the trailer in the image data;
estimating, by the data processing hardware, a trailer angle of the trailer relative to the vehicle based upon the matched point pairs;
providing, by the data processing hardware, at least one command to control at least part of the vehicle based upon the estimated trailer angle;
generating, by the data processing hardware, a three dimensional (3D) point cloud map from the image data from the at least one first camera;
determining, by the data processing hardware, a pose of the vehicle within the 3D point cloud map, wherein the trailer angle is estimated based upon the pose of the vehicle within the 3D point cloud map; and
based on the 3D point cloud map and the matched point pairs, determining, by the data processing hardware, a pose of the trailer within the 3D point cloud map, wherein estimating the trailer angle is based upon the pose of the vehicle and the pose of the trailer,
wherein matching points in the image data from the at least one first camera with points in the image data from the at least one second camera comprises matching 3D points in the 3D point cloud map with points of the image data of the at least one second camera,
wherein the trailer angle is estimated using the method without identifying features of the tow vehicle or the trailer in the image data.