IP Library Granted Patent US 12,319,340
Granted Patent B2
US 12,319,340 · App. 17/816,739 · Granted Jun 3, 2025

Lane assistance for vehicles with trailers

Inventors: Andrew Denis Lewandowski (Sterling Heights, MI); Jordan Barrett (Milford, MI); Brendan Francis Diamond (Grosse Pointe, MI); Keith Weston (Canton, MI)
Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
B62D13/005G06T7/62G06T7/70H04W4/44B62D15/025G06T2207/30256
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,319,340
App. No.
17/816,739
Granted
Jun 3, 2025
Kind
B2
Abstract

Orientations of a vehicle with an attached trailer can be specified for obtaining respective images of the trailer. Respective images of the trailer captured by a vehicle camera at the specified orientations can then be received. The images can be input to a machine learning program trained to output trailer size metrics. The vehicle can then be controlled according to the trailer size metrics output from the machine learning program.

Claims (28)

1. A system, comprising a computer that includes a processor and a memory, the memory storing instructions executable by the processor such that the computer is programmed to:

specify paths for a vehicle with an attached trailer to obtain respective orientations for obtaining respective images of the trailer;

receive, after the vehicle obtains at least one of the respective orientations, the respective images of the trailer captured by a vehicle camera at the respective orientations;

input the images to a machine learning program trained to output trailer size metrics; and

control the vehicle according to the trailer size metrics output from the machine learning program.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein controlling the vehicle according to the trailer size metrics includes one or both of adjusting a bias or adjusting a gain to a parameters of a steering assist system of the vehicle based on the trailer size metrics and one or both of a direction and magnitude of wind.

3. The system of claim 2 , wherein adjusting the bias or the gain adjusts an output steering wheel torque.

4. The system of claim 2 , wherein adjusting the bias or the gain adjusts an offset from a lane center.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the instructions further include instructions to download from a remote server a trailer profile specifying a parameter for controlling the vehicle based on the trailer size metrics output from the machine learning program based on the images.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the trailer size metrics include one or more of a mass of the trailer, a surface area of the trailer, a weight of the trailer, a tongue weight of the trailer, or a trailer dimension.

7. The system of claim 6 , wherein the instructions further include instructions to obtain the tongue weight of the trailer as output from scales onboard the vehicle.

8. The system of claim 6 , wherein the instructions further include instructions to obtain the mass of the trailer as output from a vehicle mass estimation module that uses vehicle powertrain data.

9. The system of claim 1 , wherein the instructions further include instructions to input an angle of incline to the machine learning program for at least one of the images.

10. The system of claim 1 , wherein the instructions further include instructions to control the vehicle to move so that the trailer is at one of the respective orientations.

11. The system of claim 1 , wherein the instructions further include instructions to output the respective orientations to a display device.

12. A method, comprising:

specifying paths for a vehicle with an attached trailer to obtain respective orientations for obtaining respective images of the trailer;

receiving, after the vehicle obtains at least one of the respective orientations, the respective images of the trailer captured by a vehicle camera at the respective orientations;

inputting the images to a machine learning program trained to output trailer size metrics; and

controlling the vehicle according to the trailer size metrics output from the machine learning program.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein controlling the vehicle according to the trailer size metrics includes one or both of adjusting a bias or adjusting a gain to a parameters of a steering assist system of the vehicle based on the trailer size metrics and one or both of a direction and magnitude of wind.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein adjusting the bias or the gain adjusts one or more of an output steering wheel torque or an offset from a lane center.

15. The method of claim 12 , further comprising downloading from a remote server a trailer profile specifying a parameter for controlling the vehicle based on the trailer size metrics output from the machine learning program based on the images.

16. The method of claim 12 , wherein the trailer size metrics include one or more of a mass of the trailer, a surface area of the trailer, a weight of the trailer, a tongue weight of the trailer, or a trailer dimension.

17. The method of claim 16 , further comprising obtaining the tongue weight of the trailer as one or more of output from scales onboard the vehicle or from a vehicle mass estimation module that uses vehicle powertrain data.

18. The method of claim 12 , further comprising inputting an angle of incline to the machine learning program for at least one of the images.

19. The method of claim 12 , further comprising controlling the vehicle to move so that the trailer is at one of the respective orientations.

20. The method of claim 12 , further comprising outputting the respective orientations to a display device.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Aug 2, 2022
From: LEWANDOWSKI, ANDREW DENIS; BARRETT, JORDAN; DIAMOND, BRENDAN FRANCIS; WESTON, KEITH
To: FORD GLOBAL TECHNOLOGIES, LLC
Reel/Frame 060692/0448 →
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20240043063A1 · Feb 8, 2024
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