An apparatus includes a visual display to be viewed by a vehicle occupant. At least one drone includes a camera. A controller is configured to receive images from the camera on the at least one drone and generate an overhead view of the vehicle based on the images received from the at least one drone and display the overhead view on the visual display.

A vehicular trailering assist system includes a camera disposed at a rear portion of a vehicle. With a trailer hitched to the vehicle at a hitch ball of the vehicle, the camera views at least a portion of the trailer. An electronic control unit includes an image processor operable to process frames of image data captured by the camera. With the trailer hitched to the vehicle at the hitch ball of the vehicle, the vehicular trailering assist system determines trailer feature points via image processing of image data captured by the camera, and determines respective perpendicular bisectors of respective line segments extending between the determined trailer feature points in respective frames of captured image data while the vehicle tows the trailer and turns. The vehicular trailering assist system determines a location of the hitch ball based at least in part on an intersection point of the determined perpendicular bisectors.

A vehicular trailering assist system includes at least one camera disposed at a trailer hitched to a hitch of a vehicle, and an electronic control unit (ECU). The ECU determines, during a first stage of a calibration maneuver of the vehicle and trailer, image coordinates of at least one ground feature point. The ECU, responsive to determining image coordinates of the at least one ground feature point, estimates orientation parameters of the camera based at least on the determined image coordinates and intrinsic camera parameters. As the vehicle and trailer travel further along the ground surface during a second stage of the calibration maneuver of the vehicle and trailer, and based on the estimated orientation parameters of the at least one camera, the vehicular trailering assist system determines misalignment of the at least one camera at the trailer.

A towing assist device includes an imaging device configured to capture a rear area from a towed vehicle when a towing vehicle moves backward, the towed vehicle being connected to the towing vehicle via a connector; a monitor device including a display screen configured to display a captured image which is captured by the imaging device, a touch screen function for detecting a touch position to the display screen; and a controller that is connected to the imaging device and the monitor device and is configured to control a display of the monitor device when the towing vehicle moves backward. The controller includes a display setting processing portion, a model display processing portion, a touch operation detection portion, and a movement direction model display processing portion.

Techniques are described for measuring angle and/or orientation of a rear drivable section (e.g., a trailer unit of a semi-trailer truck) relative to a front drivable section (e.g., a tractor unit of the semi-trailer truck) using an example rotary encoder assembly. The example rotary encoder assembly comprises a base surface; a housing that includes a second end that is connected to the base surface and a first end that is at least partially open and is coupled to a housing cap; and a rotary encoder that is located in the housing in between the base surface and the housing cap, where the rotary encoder includes a rotatable shaft that protrudes from a first hole located in the housing cap, and where a top of the rotatable shaft located away from the rotary encoder is coupled to magnet(s).

Determining the yaw angle of a trailer with respect to the longitudinal axis of a towing vehicle is disclosed. This includes capturing first and second images of the trailer using a camera. Trailer orientation with respect to the vehicle is different on the two images. First and second trailer features are determined which are visible on the two images. The first and second features are at different positions of the trailer. A first angle estimation is calculated characterizing the pivot angle in a horizontal plane between the first feature on the first image and the first feature on the second image relative to a towing vehicle fix point. A second angle estimation is calculated characterizing the pivot angle in a horizontal plane between the second feature on the first image and the second feature on the second image relative to the fix point. The yaw angle is calculated based on the first and second angle estimations.

A method for estimating an effective length of a first vehicle segment of a vehicle combination, the vehicle combination comprising a towing vehicle which is connected to the first vehicle segment via a first articulation joint and a perception sensor mounted on one of the towing vehicle and the first vehicle segment and arranged to obtain an image of the other one of the towing vehicle and the first vehicle segment; the method comprising identifying that the vehicle combination is provided in a first steady vehicle state, identifying that a turning and driving manoeuvre is initiated, identifying when the vehicle combination reaches a second steady vehicle state, determining a time period required for driving the vehicle combination from the first steady vehicle state to the second steady vehicle state, and estimating the effective length by use of the time period, the specific angular change, and the specific speed.

Systems and methods for determining an angle of a movement path of a trailer. The system for determining an angle of a movement path of a trailer comprises a camera; and an electronic controller communicatively coupled to the camera and configured to receive first data from the camera, determine an absolute angle of the trailer based on matching one portion of an image received in the first data to a template, receive second data from the camera, estimate a change in the angle of the trailer based on tracking one or more points on the trailer received in the second data, and determine the angle of the movement path of the trailer based upon the trailer angle and the change in the angle of the trailer.

A Remote Trailer Maneuvering (RTM) system includes a mobile device app that identifies and processes environmental information from a photo, to identify obstacles such as walls, surrounding objects, etc. When the RTM system detects a boat, a trailer, and a boat ramp, it calculates a travel distance to drive the trailer into the water for unloading the boat. The RTM system identifies obstructions, outputs information and warnings, and prompts for information and user control feedback. Once the photo is processed, the RTM system sends control instructions to an RTM controller onboard the vehicle. The vehicle may send a responsive message to the mobile device indicating that the RTM system is ready to proceed with the maneuvering function. The RTM controller maneuvers the trailer, using an autonomous vehicle controller, to the target position using the control instructions.

A vehicle trailer detection system includes a radar system and a controller receiving object point location data from the radar system at an increased sensitivity level, storing sequential first and second object point location data sets, and applying a rotational point set registration to the first and second object point location data sets to achieve a match between a subset of persistent point locations within the first and second object point location data sets to output an estimated rotation angle. The persistent point locations in the first and second data sets are determined to correspond with detected points on a trailer coupled with the vehicle. The controller refines the estimated rotation angle by minimizing an error in matching between the persistent point locations in the first and second object point location data sets to output a determined hitch angle between the trailer and the vehicle about a coupling point.