Camera based boat loading assistant

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11967100-B2
Application number	US-202117160652-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 28, 2021
Priority date	Jan 28, 2021
Publication date	Apr 23, 2024
Grant date	Apr 23, 2024

Abstract

A navigational system and method for guiding a boat onto a trailer, which comprises at least one marker mounted on the trailer; a camera located on the boat to assist the system with determining a longitudinal axis of the boat, and generating images of at least a front area of the boat and the at least one marker; an image processing unit for 1) receiving and processing the images to determine the at least one marker, 2) estimating the longitudinal axis of the trailer, 3) generating a desired boat trajectory for aligning the longitudinal axis of the boat with the longitudinal axis of the trailer; and 4) periodically generating guidance output commands to the user to assist the user with following the desired boat trajectory and facilitate loading of the boat on the trailer; and an image display for sequentially displaying the generated images of the camera to a user.

First claim

We claim:

1. A navigational system for guiding a boat onto a trailer, the navigational system comprising:
at least one marker mounted on the trailer so as to assist the navigational system with estimating a longitudinal axis of the trailer;
a camera being located on the boat to assist the navigational system with determining a longitudinal axis of the boat, and the camera being located so as to generate images of at least a front area of the boat and the at least one marker on the trailer, during a loading operation;
an image processing unit for receiving and processing at least some of the images from the camera to determine the at least one marker, and, upon determining the at least one marker, the image processing unit estimating the longitudinal axis of the trailer;
the image processing unit, based upon the longitudinal axis of the boat and the longitudinal axis of the trailer, generating guidance information to assist a user with aligning the longitudinal axis of the boat with the longitudinal axis of the trailer and facilitate loading of the boat on the trailer;
the generated guidance information, provided by the image processing unit, comprises a display screen, communicating with the image processing unit, for displaying an image of the camera to the user; and
the navigational system generates a loading trajectory image overlay, of a desired boat trajectory, which is layered over the image displayed on the display screen of a mobile device.

2. The navigation system according to claim 1 , wherein the generated guidance information, provided by the image processing unit, comprises at least one of:
the display screen, communicating with the image processing unit, for displaying the generated images of the camera to the user; and/or
one of a speaker and a vibrational device, communicating with the image processing unit, for generating guidance output commands to the user, during the loading operation, to assist the user with following the desired boat trajectory and loading the boat on the trailer.

3. The navigation system according to claim 1 , wherein the generated guidance information, provided by the image processing unit, comprises the display screen, communicating with the image processing unit, for displaying the generated images of the camera to the user; and
the navigational system generates the loading trajectory image overlay of the desired boat trajectory, a trailer longitudinal axis image overlay, a boat longitudinal axis image overlay and a marker image overlay, as part of a system overlay, which are layered over the image displayed on the display screen of the mobile device.

4. The navigation system according to claim 1 , wherein the generated guidance information, provided by the image processing unit, comprises the display screen, communicating with the image processing unit, for displaying the generated images of the camera to the user; and
the navigational system generates a trailer longitudinal axis image overlay which is layered over the image displayed on the display screen of the mobile device.

5. The navigation system according to claim 1 , wherein the generated guidance information, provided by the image processing unit, comprises the display screen, communicating with the image processing unit, for displaying the generated images of the camera to the user; and
the navigational system generates a boat longitudinal axis image overlay which is over the image displayed on the display screen of the mobile device.

6. The navigation system according to claim 1 , wherein the generated guidance information, provided by the image processing unit, comprises the display screen, communicating with the image processing unit, for displaying the generated images of the camera to the user; and
the navigational system generates a marker image overlay, of each of the at least one marker, which is included as part of a system overlay layered over the image displayed on the display screen of the mobile device.

7. The navigation system according to claim 2 , wherein one of:
the desired boat trajectory is designed to gradually align, as the boat approaches the trailer, the longitudinal axis of the boat with the longitudinal axis of the trailer to facilitate loading of the boat on the trailer; and
the guidance output commands are designed to gradually align, as the boat approaches the trailer, the longitudinal axis of the boat with the longitudinal axis of the trailer to facilitate loading of the boat on the trailer.

8. The navigation system according to claim 1 , wherein the camera is located so that the camera will continuously generate picture frames or images, during the boat loading process, and each such picture will generally include a bow area of the boat, a loading area of the trailer and water, located between the boat and the trailer are located within a field of view of the camera.

9. The navigation system according to claim 1 , wherein a central viewing axis of the camera is one of coincident with and offset from the longitudinal axis of the boat.

10. The navigation system according to claim 1 , wherein the camera is located at a vantage point vertically above a top perimeter edge of a bow of the boat and adjacent a helm of the boat to facilitate viewing of at least a bow area of the boat, a loading area of the trailer and water, located between the boat and the trailer.

11. The navigation system according to claim 10 , wherein one of:
the camera is an integrated camera of the mobile device, and the image processing unit is incorporated into the mobile device; or
the camera is a wireless camera which communicates wirelessly with the image processing unit.

12. The navigation system according to claim 11 , wherein the mobile device is releasably mounted, via a camera bracket, to the boat adjacent the longitudinal axis of the boat to facilitate viewing of the loading operation, and the camera bracket supports a perimeter edge of the mobile device, without blocking or hindering the field of view of the integrated camera of the mobile device or viewing of the display screen of the mobile device by the user.

13. The navigation system according to claim 10 , wherein the camera is a wireless camera which communicates wirelessly with the mobile device, and the wireless camera is mounted to the boat, adjacent the longitudinal axis of the boat, to facilitate viewing of the loading operation.

14. The navigation system according to claim 1 , wherein the desired boat trajectory to be followed by the boat during the loading operation is selected from:
a shortest trajectory,
a smoothest trajectory,
a trajectory with a least amount of turnings,
a trajectory with a fewest turning points,
a safest trajectory,
a slowest trajectory, and
a constant velocity trajectory.

15. The navigational system according to claim 1 , wherein the navigational system further comprises means for producing a warning signal or command when the boat is deviating from the desired boat trajectory to be followed and corrective action is required.

16. The navigational system according to claim 15 , wherein the warning signal or command is one of an optical signal, an acoustical signal, or a haptic signal.

17. The navigational system according to claim 16 , wherein a frequency and/or a tempo of the acoustical signal or the haptic signal increases when drastic corrective action is required by the user.

18. A method of guiding a boat onto a trailer, the method comprising:
mounting at least one marker on the trailer so as to assist the method with estimating a l

Assignees

• Zahnradfabrik Friedrichshafen
• Zf Marine Propulsion Systems Miramar Llc

Inventors

• Traub Stefan
• Jager Gabriela
• Hoffmann Lars
• Orvieto Andrew

Classifications

• G06T7/73 Primary

  using feature-based methods · CPC title

• B60P3/1066

  Arrangement of supports, rollers or winches on the vehicle · CPC title

• B60P3/1075

  Guiding means for loading the boat (using rollers B60P3/1066) · CPC title

• G06T2207/30204

  Marker · CPC title

• G06T2207/30252

  Vehicle exterior; Vicinity of vehicle · CPC title