Vehicle-trailer distance detection device and method

A method for determining a distance between a camera positioned on a rear portion of a tow vehicle and a trailer coupler supported by a trailer positioned behind the tow vehicle as the tow vehicle approaches the trailer, the method comprising:

• identifying, by data processing hardware, the trailer coupler of the trailer within one or more images of a rearward environment of the tow vehicle captured by the camera;
• associating, by the data processing hardware, one or more coupler feature points with the trailer coupler identified within the one or images,
• identifying, by the data processing hardware, one or more visual features within the one or more images, the one or more visual features being different from the trailer coupler in the one or more images;
• associating, by the data processing hardware, one or more visual feature points with the one or more visual features identified within the one or more images;
• receiving, at the data processing hardware, sensor data from an inertial measurement unit in communication with the data processing hardware and supported by the tow vehicle;
• determining, by the data processing hardware, a first pixel-wise intensity difference between the one or more coupler feature points of a current received image from the one or more images and the one or more coupler feature points of a previously received image from the one or more images;
• determining, by the data processing hardware, a second pixel-wise intensity difference between the one or more visual feature points of a current received image from the one or more imagfes and the one or more visual feature points fo a previously received image from the one or more images;
• and
• determining, by the data processing hardware, the distance between the camera and the trailer coupler based on the identified trailer coupler, the sensor data, and the first and second pixel-wise intensity difference, the distance including a longitudinal distance, a lateral distance, and a vertical distance between the camera and the trailer coupler.