US 2026/0307671 A1 · TOWING DETECTION FOR AUTONOMOUS AND SEMI-AUTONOMOUS SYSTEMS AND APPLICATIONS

Abstract

In various examples, towing- or generally external object transportation-detection for autonomous and/or semi-autonomous systems and applications is described herein. Systems and methods are disclosed that use one or more sensors to automatically determine when a machine is towing an object. For instance, sensor data obtained using the sensor(s)-such as image data, LiDAR data, RADAR data, ultrasonic data, and/or the like-may be used to determine information related to the object and/or the machine. This information may then be used to determine that the machine is towing the object, such as when the object remains a substantially similar distance from the machine when moving and/or when the object includes one or more specific types of classifications. The systems of methods may then perform one or more operations.

Claims20

Dependent claims

A method comprising:

receiving first sensor data obtained using one or more sensors of a machine at a first time;
determining, based at least on the first sensor data, a first distance to an object;
receiving second sensor data obtained using the one or more sensors of the machine at a second time subsequent the first time;
determining, based at least on the second sensor data, a second distance to the object;
determining, based at least on the first distance and the second distance, that the object is being towed by the machine;
and
performing one or more operations based at least on the object being towed by the machine.

4 more elements

One or more processors comprising:

processing circuitry to cause a machine to perform one or more operations based at least on determining that an object is being towed by the machine, wherein the determining that the object is being towed by the machine is based at least on a plurality of frames of sensor data, obtained over a period of time using one or more sensors of the machine, indicating at least one of:
that the object remains within a threshold distance to the machine while the machine is navigating over the period of time;
that movement of the object relative to the machine over the period of time is less than a threshold;
or that the object is associated with one or more classifications.

1 more element

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Towing detection for autonomous and semi-autonomous systems and applications

Life of this patent

Towing detection for autonomous and semi-autonomous systems and applications

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims20