Trailer dimension estimation with two dimensional radar and camera

1. A trailer-detection system configured to determine a dimension of a trailer towed by a host-vehicle, said system comprising:

a radar-sensor used to determine a range and an azimuth-angle of a radar-signal reflected by a feature of a trailer towed by a host-vehicle;

a camera used to capture an image of the trailer towed by the host-vehicle; and

a controller in communication with the radar-sensor and the camera, said controller configured to:

determine a position in the image of at least a first viewable-feature and a second viewable-feature of a front of the trailer towed by the host-vehicle; wherein the first viewable-feature comprises a top-horizontal-edge of the front of the trailer and the second viewable-feature comprises a bottom-horizontal-edge of the front of the trailer; and

determine a trailer-height of the trailer based on the position and a range and azimuth-angle to the first viewable-feature and the second viewable-feature indicated by the radar-sensor.

2. The system in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the controller is further configured to determine the trailer-length based on the range and azimuth-angle of the radar-signal reflected by a hidden-feature.

3. The system in accordance with claim 2 , wherein the hidden-feature includes a left-corner of a rear of the trailer.

4. The system in accordance with claim 2 , wherein the viewable-feature includes a right-corner of a rear of the trailer.

5. The system in accordance with claim 2 , wherein the viewable-feature includes a bottom-horizontal-edge of a rear of the trailer.

6. The system in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the trailer-length is further determined based on the range and azimuth-angle of the viewable-feature.

7. The system in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the radar-sensor comprises a left-sensor and a right-sensor.

8. The system in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the left-sensor and the right-sensor are located at rear corners of the host-vehicle.

9. The system in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the controller is further configured to:

determine a position in the image of at least a third viewable-feature and a fourth viewable-feature of a front of the trailer towed by the host-vehicle; wherein the third viewable-feature comprises a left-vertical-edge of the front of the trailer and the fourth viewable-feature comprises a right-vertical-edge of the front of the trailer; and

determine a trailer-width of the trailer based on the position and a range and azimuth-angle to the third viewable-feature and the fourth viewable-feature indicated by the radar-sensor.

10. The system in accordance with claim 9 , wherein the trailer-width is a width of the front of the trailer.

11. The system in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the trailer-height is a height of the front of the trailer.

12. A trailer-detection method configured to determine a dimension of a trailer towed by a host-vehicle, said method comprising:

determining, with a radar-sensor, a range and an azimuth-angle of a radar-signal reflected by a feature of a trailer towed by a host-vehicle;

capturing an image of the trailer towed by the host-vehicle with a camera;

determining, with a controller in communication with the radar-sensor and the camera, a position in the image of at least a first viewable-feature and a second viewable-feature of a front of the trailer towed by the host-vehicle; wherein

the first viewable-feature comprises a top-horizontal-edge of the front of the trailer and the second viewable-feature comprises a bottom-horizontal-edge of the front of the trailer; and

determining, with the controller, a trailer-height of the trailer based on the position, a range, and azimuth-angle to the first viewable-feature and the second viewable-feature indicated by the radar-sensor.

13. The method in accordance with claim 12 , wherein the controller is further configured to determine the trailer-length based on the range and the azimuth-angle of the radar-signal reflected by a hidden-feature.

14. The method in accordance with claim 13 , wherein the hidden-feature includes a left-corner of a rear of the trailer.

15. The method in accordance with claim 13 , wherein the hidden-feature includes a right-corner of a rear of the trailer.

16. The method in accordance with claim 13 , wherein the hidden-feature includes a bottom-horizontal-edge of a rear of the trailer.

17. The method in accordance with claim 12 , wherein the trailer-length is further determined based on the range and the azimuth-angle of the viewable-feature.

18. The method in accordance with claim 12 , wherein the radar-sensor comprises a left-sensor and a right-sensor.

19. The method in accordance with claim 12 , wherein the left-sensor and the right-sensor are located at rear corners of the host-vehicle.

20. The method in accordance with claim 12 , wherein the controller is further configured to:

determine a position in the image of at least a third viewable-feature and a fourth viewable-feature of a front of the trailer towed by the host-vehicle; wherein the third viewable-feature comprises a left-vertical-edge of the front of the trailer and the fourth viewable-feature comprises a right-vertical-edge of the front of the front of the trailer; and

determine a trailer-width of the trailer based on the position and a range and azimuth-angle to the third viewable-feature and the fourth viewable-feature indicated by the radar-sensor.

21. The method in accordance with claim 20 , wherein the trailer-width is a width of the front of the trailer.

22. The method in accordance with claim 12 , wherein the trailer-height is a height of the front of the trailer.