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NvidiaPatent applicationCars & transportInterest 6/10

Nvidia patents system to detect when a vehicle is towing a trailer

Patent drawing
Patent drawing from the official filing.

Nvidia describes a method for autonomous or semi-autonomous vehicles to figure out if they are pulling a trailer or other object. The system uses sensors like cameras, LiDAR, and radar to track an object behind the vehicle. If the object stays at a consistent distance while the vehicle moves, the system identifies it as being towed.

Why it mattersThis helps self-driving cars adjust their driving behavior when they are pulling heavy loads, which is a common challenge for automated vehicles.

In the filing’s own words

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.

What exactly they claim (claim 1)

1. 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.

Facts

Company
Nvidia (NVIDIA Corporation)
Official title
TOWING DETECTION FOR AUTONOMOUS AND SEMI-AUTONOMOUS SYSTEMS AND APPLICATIONS
Publication number
US20260307671A1
Application number
19098258
Filed
Apr 2, 2025
Published
Oct 8, 2026
Inventors
2
Claims
20

Classified under

B60W 50/14 Operations & transportB60W 60/0015 Operations & transportB60W 2050/143 Operations & transportB60W 2050/146 Operations & transportB60W 2300/14 Operations & transportB60W 2520/06 Operations & transport
Read the full filing (official PDF) ↗ Open in the Patent Tracker

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Summaries are simplified from the filing’s own abstract and first claim. A patent filing is not a product announcement.
Patent data and drawings: U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO). Nebula is not affiliated with or endorsed by the USPTO.