Granted Patent B2

US 12,456,304 · App. 17/845,557 · Granted Oct 28, 2025

Inventors: Keith Weston (Canton, MI); Michael Alan McNees (Flat Rock, MI); Lorne Forsythe (Novi, MI); Andrew Niedert (New Hudson, MI); Francis Aroyehun (Chelmsford, GB)

Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC

G06V20/56G06T7/60B60G17/019B60G2400/252B60G2400/60B60G2401/14G06T2207/30252

Abstract

Claims (46)

1. A vehicle comprising:

a suspension assembly associated with a wheel;

a first feature;

a first camera; and

a processor to execute instructions to:

capture, via the first camera, a first image including the first feature and a second feature, the first feature and the second feature having a first spatial relationship in the first image;

capture, via the first camera, a second image including the first feature and the second feature, the first feature and the second feature having a second spatial relationship in the second image; and

determine, based on a difference between the first spatial relationship and the second spatial relationship, a deflection of the suspension assembly; and

modify a performance characteristic of the vehicle based on the deflection.

2. The vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the processor executes instructions to:

determine a load on the vehicle based on the deflection.

3. The vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the first feature is rigidly coupled to a sprung mass of the vehicle.

4. The vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the first camera is a back-up camera and the first feature is a hitch-ball.

5. The vehicle of claim 4 , further including a second camera disposed on a front of the vehicle and wherein the processor executers instructions to:

capture, via the second camera, a third image;

determine, based on the first image and the third image, a pitch of the vehicle; and determine, based on the first image and the third image, a grade of a driving surface of the vehicle, the deflection of the suspension assembly further determined based on at least one of the grade or the pitch.

6. The vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the second feature is an external feature adjacent to the vehicle.

7. The vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the processor executes instructions to prompt a user of the vehicle to input a dimension of the first feature, the deflection of the suspension assembly further determined based on the dimension of the first feature.

8. A method comprising:

capturing, via a first camera associated with a vehicle, a first image including a first feature of the vehicle and a second feature adjacent to the vehicle, the first feature and the second feature having a first spatial relationship in the first image;

capturing, via the first camera, a second image including the first feature and the second feature, the first feature and the second feature having a second spatial relationship in the second image;

determining, based on a difference between the first spatial relationship and the second spatial relationship, a deflection of a suspension assembly of the vehicle; and

modifying a performance characteristic of the vehicle based on the deflection.

9. The method of claim 8 , further including

determining a load on the vehicle based on the deflection.

10. The method of claim 8 , wherein the first feature is rigidly coupled to a sprung mass of the vehicle.

11. The method of claim 8 , wherein the first camera is a back-up camera and the first feature is a hitch-ball.

12. The method of claim 11 , further including:

capturing, via a second camera associated with the vehicle, a third image;

determining, based on the first image and the third image, a pitch of the vehicle; and

determining, based on the first image and the third image, a grade of a driving surface of the vehicle, the deflection of the suspension assembly further determined based on at least one of the grade or the pitch.

13. The method of claim 8 , wherein the second feature is an external feature adjacent to the vehicle.

14. The method of claim 8 , further including prompting a user of the vehicle to input a dimension of the first feature, the deflection of the suspension assembly further determined based on the dimension of the first feature.

15. A non-transitory computer readable medium comprising instructions, which when executed cause a processor to at least:

capture, via a first camera associated with a vehicle, a first image including a first feature of the vehicle and a second feature, the first feature and the second feature having a first spatial relationship in the first image;

capture, via the first camera, a second image including the first feature and the second feature, the first feature and the second feature having a second spatial relationship in the second image;

determine, based on a difference between the first spatial relationship and the second spatial relationship, a deflection of a suspension assembly of the vehicle; and

modify a performance characteristic of the vehicle based on the deflection.

16. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 15 , wherein the instructions when executed cause a processor to

determine a load on the vehicle based on the deflection.

17. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 15 , wherein the first feature is rigidly coupled to a sprung mass of the vehicle.

18. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 15 , wherein the first camera is a back-up camera and the first feature is a hitch-ball.

19. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 18 , wherein the instructions when executed cause a processor to:

capture, via a second camera associated with the vehicle, a third image;

determine, based on the first image and the third image, a pitch of the vehicle; and determine, based on the first image and the third image, a grade of a driving surface of the vehicle, the deflection of the suspension assembly further determined based on at least one of the grade or the pitch.

20. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 15 , wherein the second feature is an external feature adjacent to the vehicle.

Assignments (1)

Continuity (1)

References Cited (26)