US 12,485,878 B2
System and methods for autonomously backing a vehicle to a trailer
Stan DeLizo, Lynwood, WA (US); Ted Scherzinger, Sammamish, WA (US); Yen-Lin Han, Seattle, WA (US); Austin Chong, Fremont, CA (US); Christian Heussy, Seattle, WA (US); Caroline Hofgaard, Duvall, WA (US); Oleksiy Khomenko, Spokane, WA (US); Pauline Shammami, Seattle, WA (US); and Kirstin Schauble, Meadow Vista, CA (US)
Assigned to PACCAR Inc, Bellevue, WA (US)
Appl. No. 17/277,065
Filed by PACCAR INC, Bellevue, WA (US)
PCT Filed Jun. 1, 2018, PCT No. PCT/US2018/035726
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date Mar. 17, 2021,
PCT Pub. No. WO2019/231470, PCT Pub. Date Dec. 5, 2019.
Prior Publication US 2022/0048497 A1, Feb. 17, 2022
Int. Cl. B60W 30/00 (2006.01); B60W 10/04 (2006.01); B60W 10/18 (2012.01); B60W 10/20 (2006.01); B60W 30/06 (2006.01); B60W 30/18 (2012.01); B60W 50/14 (2020.01); G05D 1/00 (2006.01); G06T 7/50 (2017.01); G06T 7/70 (2017.01); H04N 7/18 (2006.01); B60W 60/00 (2020.01)
CPC B60W 30/06 (2013.01) [B60W 10/04 (2013.01); B60W 10/18 (2013.01); B60W 10/20 (2013.01); B60W 30/18036 (2013.01); B60W 50/14 (2013.01); G05D 1/0038 (2013.01); G05D 1/0212 (2013.01); G05D 1/0251 (2013.01); G06T 7/50 (2017.01); G06T 7/70 (2017.01); H04N 7/183 (2013.01); B60W 60/0025 (2020.02); B60W 2300/12 (2013.01); B60W 2420/403 (2013.01); B60W 2554/801 (2020.02); B60W 2554/802 (2020.02); B60W 2710/18 (2013.01); B60W 2710/20 (2013.01); G06T 2207/20092 (2013.01); G06T 2207/30252 (2013.01)] 17 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method of autonomously backing a vehicle to a trailer, the method comprising:
determining, by an autonomous backing module of the vehicle, a trailer to target in an image captured by a sensor positioned on the vehicle;
determining, by the autonomous backing module, a distance to the trailer, an angle of an axis of the trailer, and an angle of an axis of the vehicle including:
detecting, by the autonomous backing module, a left edge of a front surface of the trailer and a right edge of the front surface of the trailer in an edge map generated from the image;
determining, by the autonomous backing module, a first distance from the vehicle to the left edge and a second distance from the vehicle to the right edge in a depth map generated from the image by cross-referencing locations in the edge map against information from the depth map, wherein cross-referencing locations in the edge map against information from the depth map includes identifying depth discontinuities in the depth map and verifying that locations of the depth discontinuities in the depth map correspond to locations of the left edge and the right edge detected on the edge map to confirm presence of one or more of the left edge or the right edge as detected from the edge map;
determining, by the autonomous backing module, the angle of the axis of the trailer and the angle of the axis of the vehicle based on the first distance and the second distance;
determining, by the autonomous backing module, a path to the trailer based on the distance to the trailer, the angle of the axis of the trailer, and the angle of the axis of the vehicle; and
transmitting, by the autonomous backing module, one or more commands to components of the vehicle to autonomously control the vehicle to back along the determined path to the trailer.