Method for monitoring the position of a jockey wheel of a trailer, camera system for monitoring the position of a jockey wheel of a trailer, and motor vehicle comprising a camera system

Abstract

The example embodiment(s) relates to a method for monitoring the position of a jockey wheel of a trailer, including sensing a region lying behind a motor vehicle by means of a camera, processing the sensed image data by means of an evaluation unit and identifying the jockey wheel, and determining the position of the jockey wheel, comparing the sensed position of the jockey wheel with a secured position of the jockey wheel, and outputting a warning signal if the sensed position of the jockey wheel deviates from the secured position. The example embodiment(s) further relates to a camera system and to a motor vehicle including a camera system according to the example embodiment(s).

Claims

1. A method for monitoring the position of a jockey wheel of a trailer, comprising: sensing a region lying behind a motor vehicle by means of at least one camera to generate sensed image data, processing the sensed image data by means of an evaluation unit identifying the jockey wheel, and determining the position of said jockey wheel, comparing the sensed position of the jockey wheel with a secured position of the jockey wheel, and outputting a warning signal if the sensed position of the jockey wheel deviates from the secured position.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the secured position is a defined distance between the jockey wheel and a roadway.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein the warning signal is output if the distance of the sensed jockey wheel from the roadway is smaller than the defined distance.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the secured position of the jockey wheel is stored in a storage unit.

5. The method according to claim 1, further comprising checking whether a trailer representation is present in the sensed image data.

6. A camera system for monitoring a position of a jockey wheel of a trailer, in particular for performing a method according to claim 1, comprising the at least one camera which senses the region lying behind the motor vehicle, the evaluation unit for processing the sensed image data, wherein the evaluation unit is configured in such a manner that the jockey wheel is identified and the position of said jockey wheel is determined, a comparison device which is configured in such a manner that the sensed position of the jockey wheel is compared with the secured position of the jockey wheel, and a warning device for outputting the warning signal if the sensed position of the jockey wheel deviates from the secured position.

7. The camera system according to claim 6, further comprising a storage unit, in which the secured position, in particular a nominal distance between the jockey wheel and a roadway, is stored.

8. The camera system according to claim 6, wherein the at least one camera is a reversing camera.

9. A motor vehicle comprising the camera system according to claim 6.

10. A camera system for monitoring a position of a jockey wheel of a trailer, comprising: at least one camera which senses a region lying behind the motor vehicle and generates sensed image data; an evaluation unit coupled to the at least one camera and configured to process the sensed image data, wherein the evaluation unit is configured to perform a method comprising: identifying a jockey wheel representation in the sensed image data and determining the position of the jockey wheel based upon the identified jockey wheel representation, and comparing the determined position of the jockey wheel with a secured position of the jockey wheel; and a warning device which, based upon the comparison, outputs a warning signal if the determined position of the jockey wheel deviates from the secured position.

11. The camera system according to claim 10, wherein the secured position is a defined distance between the jockey wheel and a ground surface on which the trailer is located.

12. The camera system according to claim 11, wherein determining the position of the jockey wheel comprises determining a distance of the jockey wheel to the ground surface, wherein the warning signal is output if the determined distance of the sensed jockey wheel from the ground surface is smaller than the defined distance.

13. The camera system according to claim 10, further comprising memory, wherein the secured position of the jockey wheel is stored in the memory.

14. The camera system according to claim 10, wherein the at least one camera comprises at least one reversing camera.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0028] Further advantageous configurations are set out in the drawings, wherein:

[0029] FIG. 1 shows a schematic representation of a flow chart of a method according to the example embodiment for monitoring the position of a jockey wheel of a trailer in a configuration;

[0030] FIG. 2 shows a schematic representation of a motor vehicle including a camera system according to the example embodiment(s) in a configuration;

[0031] FIG. 3 shows a schematic representation of a motor vehicle including a camera system according to the example embodiment(s) in a further configuration.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0032] FIG. 1 shows a schematic representation of a flow chart of a method according to the example embodiment(s) for monitoring the position of a jockey wheel 18 of a trailer 16 in a configuration. In a first step S1, a region lying behind a motor vehicle 12 is sensed by means of a camera 14. In a second step S2, the sensed image data of the camera 14 are analyzed by means of an evaluation unit 22. The jockey wheel 18 is identified and the position of the jockey wheel 18 is determined. In order to identify the jockey wheel 18, known object identification methods may be enlisted. In a third step S3, the sensed position of the jockey wheel 18 is compared with a secured position of the jockey wheel 18. The secured position may be a distance between the jockey wheel 18 in a secured position, in particular in a nominal position, and the roadway 30. The distance is stored in a storage unit 28. In a fourth step S4, a warning signal is output if the sensed position of the jockey wheel 18 deviates from the secured position. The warning signal is only output if the distance of the sensed jockey wheel 18 from the roadway 30 is smaller than the nominal distance and deviates from the secured distance by a threshold.

[0033] FIG. 2 shows a schematic representation of a motor vehicle 12 including a camera system 10 according to the example embodiment(s) for monitoring the position of a jockey wheel 18 of a trailer 16 in a configuration. The camera system 10 has a camera 14 which senses a region lying behind a motor vehicle 12. The sensing region of the camera 14 is depicted in FIG. 2 by the dashed arrows. The camera system 10 further has an evaluation unit 22. The evaluation unit 22 processes the sensed image data. As a result, the jockey wheel 18 may be identified and its position may be determined. The system 10 further includes a comparison device 24. The comparison device 24 compares the sensed position of the jockey wheel 18 with a secured position of the jockey wheel 18. The secured position of the jockey wheel 18 is stored in a storage unit 28. Moreover, the system 10 includes a warning device 26 for outputting a warning signal if the sensed position of the jockey wheel 18 deviates from the secured position.

[0034] In FIG. 2, the sensed jockey wheel 18 is a distance h from the roadway 30. The distance substantially corresponds to a nominal distance stored in the storage unit 28. Consequently, there is no risk due to the jockey wheel 18 during the operation of the motor vehicle 12 so that no warning is emitted.

[0035] FIG. 3 shows a schematic representation of a motor vehicle 12 including a camera system 10 according to the example embodiment(s) in a further configuration. The system 10 depicted in FIG. 3 fundamentally corresponds to the system 10 depicted in FIG. 2. It is merely the position of the jockey wheel 18 that differs from one another. In FIG. 3, the jockey wheel 18 is a distance h′ from the roadway 30. The distance h′ is smaller than the stored nominal distance, in particular the distance h′ deviates from the nominal distance by a threshold. The warning device 26 consequently outputs a warning signal.

[0036] The invention has been described above with reference to example embodiments. It is understood that numerous alterations and modifications are possible, without departing from the scope of protection defined by the claims. A combination of the various example embodiments is also possible.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMERALS

[0037] 10 Camera system [0038] 12 Motor vehicle [0039] 14 Reversing camera [0040] 16 Trailer [0041] 18 Jockey wheel [0042] 20 Trailer hitch [0043] 22 Evaluation unit [0044] 24 Comparison device [0045] 26 Warning device [0046] 28 Storage unit [0047] 30 Roadway [0048] h Height of the jockey wheel from the ground [0049] S1-S4 Method steps