# US 11,443,413 B2 · Vehicle camera system for outside view and trailer aid > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,443,413 B2 - Document ID: US11443413B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 17/116,476 - Filed: 2020-12-09 - Published: 2022-06-09 - Granted: 2022-09-13 - Earliest claimed: 2020-12-09 - Assignees: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America, Inc. - Applicants: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America, Inc. - Inventors: Masashi Nakagawa; Katsumi Nagata - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11443413B2 ## CPC - B60R 1/27: providing all-round vision, e.g. using omnidirectional cameras - G06T 5/50: using two or more images, e.g. averaging or subtraction - B60R 1/002: {specially adapted for covering the peripheral part of the vehicle, e.g. for viewing tyres, bumpers or the like (integrated in the windows B60R1/001; combined with rear-view mirrors B60R1/08)} - B60R 11/04: Mounting of cameras operative during drive; Arrangement of controls thereof relative to the vehicle - B60R 2300/607: from a bird's eye viewpoint - G06T 2207/20221: Image fusion; Image merging - G06T 2207/30252: Vehicle exterior; Vicinity of vehicle - B60R: VEHICLES, VEHICLE FITTINGS, OR VEHICLE PARTS, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR - G06T: IMAGE DATA PROCESSING OR GENERATION, IN GENERAL ## Abstract Methods and systems for detecting a surrounding environment around a vehicle and a trailer coupled to the vehicle. The system includes a plurality of cameras attached to and configured to detect image data. The system also includes an electronic control unit (ECU) of the vehicle communicatively coupled to the plurality of cameras and configured to combine the image data from the plurality of cameras. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A system for detecting a surrounding environment around a vehicle and a trailer coupled to the vehicle, the system comprising: a plurality of cameras integrated on an exterior surface of the vehicle and configured to detect image data; a remote device in data communication with the plurality of cameras and configured to identify at least one blind spot of the surrounding environment around the vehicle and the trailer in the image data; and an electronic control unit (ECU) communicatively coupled to the plurality of cameras and the remote device and configured to: detect, based on the identified at least one blind spot, at least one add-on camera attached to the exterior surface of the vehicle or an exterior surface of the trailer and configured to detect additional image data related to the identified at least one blind spot, and combine the image data from at least some of the plurality of cameras and the additional image data from the at least one add-on camera and generate combined image data corresponding to a complete view of the surrounding environment around the vehicle and the trailer. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one add-on camera include at least one of a front vehicle camera, a left side vehicle camera, a right side vehicle camera, a rear trailer camera, a left side trailer camera, a right side trailer camera, a rear vehicle camera, or a front trailer camera. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein at least one of (i) the plurality of cameras or (ii) the at least one add-on camera are configured to communicate with the ECU wirelessly. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one add-on camera include a plurality of vehicle cameras and a plurality of trailer cameras, wherein the plurality of trailer cameras are configured to communicate with the ECU directly or via a transceiver on or within the trailer. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, further comprising trailer brakes configured to slow one or more wheels of the trailer, wherein the ECU is further configured to detect a collision based on at least one of the image data from the plurality of cameras or the additional image data from the at least one add-on camera and communicate an instruction to the trailer to engage the trailer brakes. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the ECU is further configured to render, on a graphical user interface, a top-down view of the vehicle and the trailer based on at least one of the image data from the plurality of cameras or the additional image data from the at least one add-on camera. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, further comprising a mobile device communicatively coupled to at least one of (i) the plurality of cameras or (ii) the at least one add-on camera and configured to combine at least one of the image data from the plurality of cameras or the additional image data from the at least one add-on camera. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The system of claim 7, wherein the mobile device is further configured to determine an orientation or placement of the at least one add-on camera and provide instructions related to the determined orientation or placement of the at least one add-on camera to a user for adjusting one or more of the at least one add-on camera to improve coverage of the surrounding environment around the vehicle and the trailer. ### Claim 9 (depends on 7) The system of claim 7, wherein the mobile device is further configured to identify a location of the at least one add-on camera on the exterior surface of the vehicle or the exterior surface of the trailer based on a user input identifying the location of the at least one add-on camera on the exterior surface of the vehicle or the exterior surface of the trailer. ### Claim 10 (depends on 7) The system of claim 7, wherein the mobile device is further configured to identify a location of the at least one add-on camera on the exterior surface of the vehicle or the exterior surface of the trailer based on automatic detection of the at least one add-on camera based on image data of the vehicle and the trailer detected by a camera of the mobile device. ### Claim 11 (depends on 7) The system of claim 7, wherein the mobile device or the ECU is further configured to automatically adjust one or more cameras of the at least one add-on camera to improve a field of view coverage by the one or more cameras. ### Claim 12 A vehicle coupled to a trailer, the vehicle comprising: a plurality of vehicle cameras integrated on an exterior surface of the vehicle and configured to detect image data; a transceiver configured to: receive, from a remote device in data communication with the plurality of vehicle cameras and configured to identify at least one blind spot of a surrounding environment around the vehicle and the trailer in the detected image data, data corresponding to the at least one blind spot, and receive the image data from the plurality of vehicle cameras and additional image data from at least one of (i) a plurality of add-on vehicle cameras or (ii) a plurality of add-on trailer cameras; and an electronic control unit (ECU) coupled to the transceiver and configured to: detect, based on the at least one blind spot, at least one add-on camera of the plurality of add-on vehicle cameras or the plurality of add-on trailer cameras, the at least one add-on camera being configured to detect at least one portion of the additional image data related to the at least one blind spot, and combine the image data from at least one of the plurality of vehicle cameras and the at least one portion of the additional image data from the at least one add-on camera and generate combined image data corresponding to a complete view of the surrounding environment around the vehicle and the trailer. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The vehicle of claim 12, wherein the ECU is further configured to: detect a collision based on at least one of the image data from the at least one of the plurality of vehicle cameras and the at least one portion of the additional image data from the at least one add-on camera, and communicate an instruction to the trailer to engage trailer brakes. ### Claim 14 (depends on 12) The vehicle of claim 12, wherein the ECU is further configured to render, on a graphical user interface, a top-down view of the vehicle and the trailer based on at least one of the image data from the at least one of the plurality of vehicle cameras and the at least one portion of the additional image data from the at least one add-on camera. ### Claim 15 A method for detecting a surrounding environment around a vehicle and a trailer coupled to the vehicle, the method comprising: detecting, by an electronic control unit (ECU) and using a plurality of cameras integrated on an exterior surface of the vehicle, image data; receiving, by a transceiver and from a remote device in data communication with the plurality of cameras and configured to identify at least one blind spot of the surrounding environment around the vehicle and the trailer in the image data, data corresponding to the at least one blind spot; detecting, by the ECU and based on the at least one blind spot, at least one add-on camera attached to the exterior surface of the vehicle or an exterior surface of the trailer and configured to detect additional image data related to the at least one blind spot; receiving, by the transceiver, the image data from at least some of the plurality of cameras and the additional image data from the at least one add-on camera; and combining, by the ECU, the image data and the additional image data and generating, by the ECU, combined image data corresponding to a complete view of the surrounding environment around the vehicle and the trailer. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The method of claim 15, further comprising: detecting, by the ECU and based on at least one of the image data or the additional image data, a collision; and communicating an instruction to the trailer to engage trailer brakes to slow one or more wheels of the trailer. ### Claim 17 (depends on 15) The method of claim 15, further comprising: rendering, by the ECU and on a graphical user interface, a top-down view of the vehicle and the trailer based on at least one of the image data or the additional image data; and displaying, by a display, the rendered top-down view. ### Claim 18 (depends on 15) The method of claim 15, further comprising: transmitting the image data and the additional image data to a mobile device configured to combine the image data and the additional image data. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) The method of claim 18, wherein the mobile device is further configured to: determine an orientation or placement of the at least one add-on camera; and provide instructions to a user for adjusting one or more of the at least one add-on camera to improve coverage of the surrounding environment around the vehicle and the trailer. ### Claim 20 (depends on 19) The method of claim 19, wherein the mobile device is further configured to determine the orientation or placement of the at least one add-on camera based on identification of location of the at least one add-on camera on the vehicle or the trailer.