Polarizer control method and apparatus, and body control module and storage medium

Abstract

Provided in the present application are a polarizer control method and apparatus, a body control module and a storage medium. The method comprises: when a vehicle meets a function enabling condition, enabling a polarizer lifting / lowering function of the vehicle (201); when the polarizer lifting / lowering function has been enabled, acquiring light information and front vehicle information (202); and when the light information indicates that the ambient light intensity outside the vehicle is greater than a first threshold and the front vehicle information indicates that there is an oncoming vehicle on a road section ahead of the vehicle, controlling a polarizer of the vehicle to be lowered (203).

Description

Control methods, devices, vehicle body controllers, and storage media for polarizing filters

[0001] This application claims priority to Chinese Patent Application No. 202510278525.X, filed on March 10, 2025, entitled “Control Method, Apparatus, Vehicle Body Controller and Storage Medium for Polarizing Mirrors”, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. Technical Field

[0002] This application relates to the field of automotive technology, and in particular to a method, device, body controller, and storage medium for controlling a polarizing mirror. Background Technology

[0003] In related technologies, to ensure driver safety, polarizing filters are typically installed on the roof of vehicles. These filters are made of polarizing materials, whose properties eliminate and filter out most of the scattered light in a beam, allowing light to enter the human eye normally and form an image, resulting in clearer and more natural vision and reducing the impact on the driver's field of vision.

[0004] However, the above solution requires the driver to manually lower the polarized mirror from the roof, a process that requires the driver to take one hand off the steering wheel, which means that the driver's attention needs to be diverted to operate, thus posing a significant driving safety hazard and further reducing the driver's driving experience. Summary of the Invention

[0005] This application provides a method, device, vehicle body controller, and storage medium for controlling a polarizing filter, which solves the driving safety hazard caused by the driver needing to take one hand off the steering wheel when manually lowering the polarizing filter, thus improving driving safety. The technical solution is as follows:

[0006] On the one hand, a method for controlling a polarizing mirror is provided, applied to a vehicle, the method comprising:

[0007] When the vehicle meets the function activation conditions, activate the polarizing mirror lifting function of the vehicle.

[0008] With the polarizing filter lifting function activated, the vehicle's illumination information and the information of vehicles ahead are acquired. The illumination information is used to indicate the ambient light intensity of the vehicle, and the information of vehicles ahead is used to indicate the vehicle distribution on the road ahead of the vehicle.

[0009] When the illumination information indicates that the ambient light intensity of the vehicle is greater than a first threshold and the vehicle information ahead indicates that there is an oncoming vehicle on the road ahead of the vehicle, the polarizing filter of the vehicle is controlled to drop.

[0010] On the other hand, a control device for a polarizing mirror is provided, configured in a vehicle, the device comprising:

[0011] An activation module is used to activate the polarizer lifting function of the vehicle when the vehicle meets the function activation conditions.

[0012] The acquisition module is used to acquire the vehicle's illumination information and the information of vehicles ahead when the polarizing filter lifting function is enabled. The illumination information is used to indicate the ambient light intensity of the vehicle, and the information of vehicles ahead is used to indicate the vehicle distribution on the road ahead of the vehicle.

[0013] The control module is used to control the polarizer of the vehicle to drop when the illumination information indicates that the ambient light intensity of the vehicle is greater than a first threshold and the vehicle information ahead indicates that there is an oncoming vehicle on the road ahead of the vehicle.

[0014] In some embodiments, the function activation conditions include at least one of the following:

[0015] The light intensity in the environment where the vehicle is located is less than the second threshold.

[0016] The vehicle's display mode is night mode;

[0017] The vehicle's headlights came on.

[0018] In some embodiments, the acquisition module is configured to acquire the vehicle's illumination information via a light sensor located inside the vehicle's windshield when the polarizing filter lifting function is activated; acquire an image of the road ahead of the vehicle via the vehicle's forward-facing camera; and acquire the distance between the vehicle and other vehicles on the road ahead via the vehicle's millimeter-wave radar.

[0019] In some embodiments, the control module is configured to perform image recognition on the image of the road segment ahead to obtain a vehicle recognition result of the image of the road segment ahead when the illumination information indicates that the ambient light intensity of the vehicle is greater than the first threshold; and to control the polarizer of the vehicle to drop if the distance between the vehicle and the oncoming vehicle decreases when the vehicle recognition result indicates that there is an oncoming vehicle on the road segment ahead of the vehicle.

[0020] In some embodiments, the apparatus further includes:

[0021] An adjustment module is used to obtain the driver's eye position through the vehicle's driver monitoring system; based on the driver's eye position, adjust the downward height of the polarizing lens so that the lateral center line of the polarizing lens is aligned with the driver's line of sight.

[0022] In some embodiments, the vehicle is equipped with a sun visor, the upper end of which is connected to the roof of the vehicle, and the lower end of which is connected to the polarizing mirror.

[0023] The adjustment module is used to determine the flip angle of the sun visor based on the driver's eye position; according to the flip angle, it controls the sun visor to flip downward, so as to change the descent height of the polarizing lens, so that the lateral center line of the polarizing lens is aligned with the driver's line of sight.

[0024] In some embodiments, the adjustment module is further configured to acquire the eye position of the driver of the vehicle through the driver monitoring system of the vehicle; and adjust the flip angle of the polarizing lens based on the eye position of the driver so that the plane of the polarizing lens is perpendicular to the driver's line of sight.

[0025] In some embodiments, the control module is further configured to control the polarizer of the vehicle to rise and retract the polarizer if the illumination information indicates that the ambient light intensity of the vehicle is not greater than the first threshold within a preset time period.

[0026] In some embodiments, the control module is further configured to control the vehicle's speakers to emit sound alerts and control the vehicle's headlights to emit light alerts.

[0027] In another direction, a body controller is provided, which includes a main control module, a processor, and a memory. The memory is used to store at least one computer program, which is loaded and executed by the processor to implement the polarizer control method in the embodiments of this application.

[0028] On the other hand, a computer-readable storage medium is provided for storing at least one computer program, which is loaded and executed by a processor to implement the polarizer control method in the embodiments of this application.

[0029] On the other hand, a computer program product is provided, including a computer program that is executed by a processor to implement the polarizer control method in the embodiments of this application.

[0030] This application provides a method for controlling a polarizing mirror, which automatically activates the polarizing mirror's lifting function when the vehicle meets the activation conditions. Once activated, this function accurately and promptly detects whether there are oncoming vehicles with high beams on the road ahead, based on the vehicle's illumination information and information about vehicles ahead. Upon detecting such vehicles, the polarizing mirror automatically lowers, eliminating the need for the driver to manually lower it. This solves the driving safety hazard caused by the driver needing to take one hand off the steering wheel when manually lowering the mirror, thus improving driving safety. Furthermore, considering the persistence of vision, this function can detect the high beam status of oncoming vehicles earlier, allowing for faster mirror lowering and significantly reducing the probability of momentary blindness due to direct exposure to high beams, further enhancing driving safety. Attached Figure Description

[0031] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of this application, the accompanying drawings used in the description of the embodiments will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the accompanying drawings described below are only some embodiments of this application. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.

[0032] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of the implementation environment of a polarizer control method according to an embodiment of this application;

[0033] Figure 2 is a flowchart of a polarizer control method according to an embodiment of this application;

[0034] Figure 3 is a flowchart of another method for controlling a polarizer according to an embodiment of this application;

[0035] Figure 4 is a schematic diagram of a polarizer lifting function interface provided according to an embodiment of this application;

[0036] Figure 5 is a schematic diagram of a polarizing mirror provided according to an embodiment of this application;

[0037] Figure 6 is a schematic diagram of the control flow of a polarizing mirror according to an embodiment of this application;

[0038] Figure 7 is a block diagram of a control device for a polarizer according to an embodiment of this application;

[0039] Figure 8 is a block diagram of a control device for another polarizer according to an embodiment of this application;

[0040] Figure 9 is a structural schematic diagram of a vehicle body controller provided according to an embodiment of this application. Detailed Implementation

[0041] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of this application clearer, the embodiments of this application will be described in further detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0042] In this application, the terms "first", "second", etc. are used to distinguish identical or similar items with essentially the same function. It should be understood that there is no logical or temporal dependency between "first", "second", and "nth", nor is there any limitation on the quantity or execution order.

[0043] In this application, the term "at least one" means one or more, and "multiple" means two or more.

[0044] It should be noted that the information (including but not limited to user device information, user personal information, etc.), data (including but not limited to data used for analysis, data stored, data displayed, etc.) and signals involved in this application are all authorized by the user or fully authorized by all parties, and the collection, use and processing of related data must comply with the relevant laws, regulations and standards of the relevant countries and regions.

[0045] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of the implementation environment of a polarizing mirror control method according to an embodiment of this application. Referring to Figure 1, the implementation environment includes: a light sensor 101, a forward-looking camera 102, a millimeter-wave radar 103, a vehicle body controller 104, and a polarizing mirror 105. The light sensor 101, the forward-looking camera 102, the millimeter-wave radar 103, the vehicle body controller 104, and the polarizing mirror 105 are all located on the vehicle 100.

[0046] In some embodiments, according to the purpose of the vehicle 100, the vehicle 100 can be an automobile, a bus, a truck, a taxi, etc. According to the power source of the vehicle 100, the vehicle 100 can be a gasoline-powered vehicle and a new energy vehicle, including gasoline vehicles, pure electric vehicles, plug-in hybrid electric vehicles, fuel cell electric vehicles, etc.

[0047] In some embodiments, the light sensor 101 is located in front of the vehicle 100 to detect the light intensity in front of the vehicle 100. In some embodiments, the light sensor 101 is located inside the windshield of the vehicle 100 to detect the ambient light intensity of the vehicle 100. Alternatively, the light sensor 101 can be located at other positions in front of the vehicle 100, as long as it can detect the light intensity in front of the vehicle 100. The forward-facing camera 102 is used to capture images of the road section in front of the vehicle 100, and the millimeter-wave radar 103 can be a millimeter-wave sensor used to detect distance information. The millimeter-wave radar 103 can emit millimeter waves, which are reflected back when they encounter an obstacle (such as a vehicle in front). The millimeter-wave radar 103 receives the reflected waves and calculates the distance between the vehicle 101 and the obstacle based on the time difference between emission and reception, combined with the speed of millimeter wave propagation in the air.

[0048] Optionally, the forward-view camera 102 and the millimeter-wave radar 103 can be located on the front bumper of the vehicle 100, above the inner side of the windshield, or near the front wheel. This application embodiment does not limit the number or installation position of the forward-view camera 102 and the millimeter-wave radar 103.

[0049] In this embodiment, the vehicle body controller 104 can acquire the illumination information collected by the illumination sensor 101 of the vehicle 100, the forward-facing camera 102 and the forward-facing radar 103, and control the polarizer 105 to descend when the illumination information indicates that the ambient light intensity is greater than a first threshold and the forward-facing vehicle information indicates that there is an oncoming vehicle on the road ahead.

[0050] Figure 2 is a flowchart of a polarizing mirror control method according to an embodiment of this application. The method is executed by a vehicle body controller. As shown in Figure 2, the polarizing mirror control method includes the following steps:

[0051] 201. When the vehicle meets the function activation conditions, the body controller activates the vehicle's polarizing mirror lifting function.

[0052] In this embodiment, the polarizing mirror lifting function refers to the ability of the polarizing mirror installed on the vehicle to automatically lift (or flip, or otherwise change position). Since the driver may need to use the polarizing mirror while driving, the vehicle controller can automatically activate the polarizing mirror lifting function when the vehicle detects that the function activation conditions are met, thus eliminating the need for the driver to manually activate the lifting process. By activating this function, the polarizing mirror can be raised, lowered, or flipped to eliminate and filter out most of the scattered light from the beam when the driver encounters high beams, allowing light to reach the driver's eyes normally and reducing the impact of high beams on the driver's field of vision, thereby improving the driver's visual clarity and driving safety.

[0053] 202. When the polarizing filter lifting function is activated, the vehicle body controller obtains the vehicle's lighting information and the information of vehicles ahead. The lighting information is used to indicate the intensity of the ambient light on the vehicle, and the information of vehicles ahead is used to indicate the distribution of vehicles on the road ahead.

[0054] In this embodiment, the illumination information is collected by devices such as light sensors on the vehicle and transmitted to the body controller to indicate the intensity of light in the external environment where the vehicle is located. The forward vehicle information refers to the information obtained by millimeter-wave radar and cameras on the vehicle and provided to the body controller to indicate the distribution of vehicles on the road ahead, including whether there are vehicles, the number of vehicles, the relative positions of vehicles (such as in front, oncoming, etc.), and the distance between vehicles.

[0055] After the polarizing filter lift function is activated, the body controller establishes a communication connection with the corresponding sensors. For lighting information, the lighting sensor senses the ambient light intensity in real time and converts the collected light signals into electrical signals, which are then processed and transmitted to the body controller as digital signals. For information about vehicles ahead, the millimeter-wave radar emits millimeter-wave signals and receives the reflected signals, calculating the distance, speed, and angle of the vehicles ahead by analyzing the signal's time delay and frequency changes. The camera captures images of the road ahead and uses image recognition algorithms to detect and identify vehicles, determining their distribution; this information is also transmitted to the body controller.

[0056] 203. When the ambient light intensity of the vehicle indicated by the illumination information is greater than the first threshold and the oncoming vehicle information indicates that there is an oncoming vehicle on the road ahead, the body controller controls the vehicle's polarizing mirror to descend.

[0057] In this embodiment, the first threshold is a pre-set light intensity standard, serving as one of the bases for the vehicle controller to determine whether to control the polarizing mirror. The first threshold can be 10,000 candela. After receiving the light intensity information and the information about vehicles ahead, the vehicle controller analyzes and judges this information. It compares the light intensity in the light intensity information with the pre-set first threshold, and simultaneously checks whether the information about vehicles ahead indicates the presence of oncoming vehicles on the road ahead. When both the light intensity and the presence of oncoming vehicles on the road ahead are met, it indicates that there is an oncoming vehicle with its high beams on in the road ahead. Therefore, the vehicle controller sends a command to the polarizing mirror's drive device (such as a servo motor) to lower the polarizing mirror, adjusting its angle to better filter glare from oncoming vehicle lights and strong external light, thereby improving the driver's visibility and driving safety.

[0058] This application provides a method for controlling a polarizing mirror, which automatically activates the polarizing mirror's lifting function when the vehicle meets the activation conditions. Once activated, this function accurately and promptly detects whether there are oncoming vehicles with high beams on the road ahead, based on the vehicle's illumination information and information about vehicles ahead. Upon detecting such vehicles, the polarizing mirror automatically lowers, eliminating the need for the driver to manually lower it. This solves the driving safety hazard caused by the driver needing to take one hand off the steering wheel when manually lowering the mirror, thus improving driving safety. Furthermore, considering the persistence of vision, this function can detect the high beam status of oncoming vehicles earlier, allowing for faster mirror lowering and significantly reducing the probability of momentary blindness due to direct exposure to high beams, further enhancing driving safety.

[0059] Figure 3 is a flowchart of another polarizing mirror control method according to an embodiment of this application. The method is executed by a vehicle body controller. As shown in Figure 3, the polarizing mirror control method includes the following steps:

[0060] 301. When the vehicle meets the conditions for function activation, activate the vehicle's polarized mirror lifting function.

[0061] In this embodiment, step 301 is the same as step 201 described above, and will not be repeated here.

[0062] In some embodiments, the conditions for enabling the function include at least one of the following:

[0063] (1) The ambient light intensity of the vehicle's environment is less than the second threshold. The second threshold is a pre-set numerical standard for ambient light intensity. It is a boundary value used to determine whether the ambient light intensity of the vehicle's environment meets the activation conditions for the polarizing filter lift function. The second threshold can be 7000 candela. The vehicle is equipped with a light sensor that monitors the ambient light intensity in real time. The vehicle's control system reads the electrical signal from the light sensor and converts it into a corresponding numerical light intensity. Then, it compares the light intensity with the pre-set second threshold. If the detected light intensity is less than the second threshold, the body controller determines that the vehicle is in a low-light driving environment similar to nighttime. In this environment, oncoming vehicles using high beams may cause strong glare to the driver, posing a risk to driving safety. Therefore, the body controller assumes that the vehicle's polarizing filter may be needed and activates the polarizing filter lift function to reduce glare when necessary, providing better visual protection for the driver.

[0064] (2) The vehicle's display mode is Night Mode. Night Mode is one of the vehicle's display modes. In Night Mode, the vehicle's display devices adjust display parameters, such as reducing screen brightness and changing color contrast, to reduce light stimulation to the driver's eyes, adapt to the darker nighttime environment, avoid visual interference, and also serve as an indicator that the vehicle may be driving at night. The vehicle's display mode can be switched automatically or manually. In automatic mode, the body controller will combine data from the light sensor, time, and other information to determine whether to switch to Night Mode; in manual mode, the driver switches by operating the relevant buttons or menus in the vehicle based on their actual experience. When the display mode is switched to Night Mode, the display system adjusts display parameters, such as reducing screen backlight intensity and changing the color scheme, to make the displayed content clearer and less glaring in nighttime environments. When the vehicle controller detects that the display mode has changed to night mode, it assumes that the vehicle is likely driving at night and there is a risk of glare from oncoming vehicles using high beams. Therefore, the vehicle controller assumes that the vehicle's polarized mirror may be needed and will activate the polarized mirror lifting function so that the polarized mirror can be used in time to reduce glare when needed, providing better visual protection for the driver.

[0065] (3) The vehicle's headlights are on. Headlights are devices on a vehicle used for illumination and signaling. In nighttime or low-light conditions, the operation of headlights is crucial for vehicle safety, and their status serves as an important indicator of the driving environment and the driver's intentions. The driver can manually turn on the headlights by operating the headlight control switch inside the vehicle, or the vehicle's automatic lighting control system can automatically trigger the headlights when the ambient light intensity detected by the light sensor is below a certain level. When the body controller detects that the headlights are on, it assumes the vehicle may be in a low-light environment, similar to nighttime driving, posing a potential risk of interference from oncoming high beams. Therefore, the body controller will assume that the vehicle's polarized mirrors may be needed and will activate the polarized mirror lifting function to reduce glare when necessary, providing better visual protection for the driver.

[0066] Optionally, Figure 4 is a schematic diagram of a polarizing filter lifting function interface provided according to an embodiment of this application. As shown in Figure 4, to meet the user's needs, three soft switches (or hard switches) are designed on the vehicle's in-vehicle screen, namely on, off, and AUTO (automatic). These three different switches provide manual and automatic switching for the polarizing filter lifting function to meet the user's needs.

[0067] 302. When the polarizing filter lift function is activated, the vehicle body controller obtains the vehicle's lighting information through the light sensor located inside the vehicle's windshield.

[0068] In this embodiment, the light sensor is a device capable of sensing light intensity, located inside the vehicle's windshield. When the polarizing filter lift function is activated, the vehicle control system establishes a communication connection with the light sensor. The light sensor senses the ambient light intensity outside the vehicle in real time, converts the collected light signals into electrical signals, processes them, and transmits them to the vehicle control system as digital signals. The vehicle control system analyzes and processes these digital signals, converting them into corresponding light intensities to obtain the vehicle's lighting information. By monitoring this lighting information, the vehicle control system can understand the changes in ambient light around the vehicle, providing a basis for subsequent decision-making.

[0069] 303. The vehicle body controller acquires images of the road ahead of the vehicle through the vehicle's forward-facing camera.

[0070] In this embodiment, the forward-facing camera is located at the front of the vehicle and is used to capture images of the road ahead. After the polarizing filter lift function is activated, the vehicle control unit establishes a communication connection with the forward-facing camera. The forward-facing camera can capture real-time images of the road ahead and transmit them to the vehicle control unit. The image of the road ahead refers to the view of the road area in front of the vehicle, including visual information about the road, traffic signs, other vehicles, pedestrians, and other objects.

[0071] 304. The vehicle body controller uses the vehicle's millimeter-wave radar to obtain the distance between the vehicle and other vehicles on the road ahead.

[0072] In this embodiment, the millimeter-wave radar operates in the millimeter-wave frequency band and detects target objects by transmitting and receiving millimeter-wave signals. After the polarizing filter lift function is activated, the vehicle control unit establishes a communication connection with the millimeter-wave radar. The millimeter-wave radar can measure information such as distance, speed, and angle between the vehicle and other vehicles on the road ahead, and transmit this information to the vehicle control unit.

[0073] With the polarizing filter lift function activated, the vehicle controller obtains real-time lighting information through the light sensor, enabling it to accurately determine the external light conditions. By acquiring images of the road ahead through the forward-facing camera and using millimeter-wave radar to determine the distance between the vehicle and other vehicles on the road ahead, the vehicle controller can accurately understand the distribution of vehicles on the road ahead. This allows the vehicle controller to accurately determine whether there are oncoming vehicles with high beams on ahead, improving driving intelligence and safety.

[0074] 305. When the ambient light intensity of the vehicle indicated by the illumination information is greater than the first threshold, perform image recognition on the image of the road segment ahead to obtain the vehicle recognition result of the image of the road segment ahead.

[0075] In this embodiment, the vehicle controller continuously receives illumination information from a light sensor and compares the light intensity with a preset first threshold. When the light intensity is detected to be greater than the first threshold, it indicates that the ambient light is strong, potentially causing strong reflections or glare. At this point, the vehicle controller analyzes and identifies the image of the road ahead from the forward-facing camera to obtain a vehicle identification result for the road ahead. The vehicle identification result can indicate information such as the presence of vehicles on the road ahead, the number of vehicles, and the direction of travel. Continuously receiving illumination information from the light sensor means receiving illumination information from the light sensor in real time. In another embodiment, the vehicle controller can also periodically receive illumination information from the light sensor.

[0076] 306. If the vehicle recognition result indicates that there is an oncoming vehicle ahead of the vehicle, and the distance between the vehicle and the oncoming vehicle decreases, the vehicle body controller will control the vehicle's polarizing mirror to drop.

[0077] In this embodiment, an oncoming vehicle refers to a vehicle traveling in the opposite direction to the vehicle on the road. When the vehicle identification result indicates that there is an oncoming vehicle ahead of the vehicle, it means that under the current strong lighting conditions, there is a vehicle traveling in the opposite direction ahead of the vehicle. At this time, the distance between the vehicle and the oncoming vehicle transmitted by the millimeter-wave radar is analyzed. If it is found that the distance is decreasing, it means that the two vehicles are gradually approaching. Under strong lighting conditions, the high beams of the oncoming vehicle will cause severe glare interference to the driver of the vehicle, affecting driving safety. In order to reduce this glare, the body controller can send a command to the drive device of the polarizing mirror (such as a servo motor) to lower the polarizing mirror, thereby adjusting the angle of the polarizing mirror to better filter glare from the headlights of the oncoming vehicle ahead and strong external light, improve the driver's vision quality, and ensure driving safety.

[0078] The decreasing distance between the vehicle and the oncoming vehicle refers to the gradual decrease of multiple distances received sequentially from the vehicle and the oncoming vehicle in chronological order. Optionally, the vehicle controller receives multiple distances continuously transmitted by the millimeter-wave radar and compares them. When it is determined that the received distances are decreasing sequentially in chronological order, and the number of received distances has reached a preset number, thus confirming that the distance between the vehicle and the oncoming vehicle is continuously decreasing, the polarizing mirror is lowered.

[0079] 307. The vehicle body controller obtains the driver's eye position through the vehicle's driver monitoring system.

[0080] In this embodiment, the Driver Monitor System (DMS) is a vehicle-mounted system used to monitor the driver's state and behavior in real time. It typically includes cameras, sensors, and other devices to capture information such as the driver's facial features, eye movements, and head posture, thereby analyzing whether the driver is fatigued, distracted, or in other states. It can also acquire data such as the driver's eye position. After the polarizing filter is lowered, the vehicle's Driver Monitor System can determine the current position of the driver's eyes and transmit it to the vehicle's control unit.

[0081] 308. The vehicle control unit adjusts the downward height of the polarizing lens based on the driver's eye position so that the lateral center line of the polarizing lens is aligned with the driver's line of sight.

[0082] In this embodiment, after acquiring the driver's eye position, the vehicle body controller calculates the required height to lower the polarizing lens according to preset rules and algorithms. Specifically, it analyzes the relationship between the eye position and the current position of the polarizing lens to determine the vertical downward distance the lens needs to move to align its lateral centerline with the driver's line of sight. Then, the vehicle body controller sends a command to the drive device (such as a servo motor) that controls the raising and lowering of the polarizing lens. Upon receiving the command, the drive device lowers the polarizing lens vertically by the required distance. During the descent, the vehicle body controller continuously monitors the lens's position and compares it with the driver's eye position. When the lens descends to a certain height and its lateral centerline aligns vertically with the calculated driver's line of sight, the vehicle body controller issues a stop command, halting the lens's descent.

[0083] By lowering the polarizing filter and adjusting it to a height where its lateral center line is aligned with the driver's line of sight, the polarizing filter can effectively cover the driver's field of vision, thereby effectively filtering out glare from the driver's line of sight, providing the driver with a clear field of vision, and further improving driving safety and comfort.

[0084] In some embodiments, the vehicle is equipped with a sun visor, the upper end of which is connected to the vehicle's roof, and the lower end of which is connected to a polarizing mirror. Accordingly, the vehicle body controller adjusts the descent height of the polarizing mirror based on the driver's eye position, including: determining the tilt angle of the sun visor based on the driver's eye position; and controlling the sun visor to tilt downwards according to the tilt angle, thereby lowering the height of the polarizing mirror.

[0085] The sun visor is typically located at the top in front of the driver and front passenger seats. Its function is to block sunlight from the front or sides of the vehicle, reducing sunlight interference with the driver's vision and improving driving safety and comfort. During design and installation, the upper end of the sun visor is fixedly connected to the vehicle's roof using a suitable connection method. This connection method allows the sun visor to rotate around the connection point. The lower end of the sun visor is connected to a polarizing mirror, which is located on the back of the sun visor. For example, Figure 5 is a schematic diagram of a polarizing mirror according to an embodiment of this application. As shown in Figure 5, the lower end of the sun visor is connected to the polarizing mirror via a motor shaft and bearing. This installation method not only saves space occupied by the polarizing mirror inside the vehicle but also allows the position of the polarizing mirror to be controlled by the rotation of the sun visor. In other words, the vehicle control system can control the height of the polarizing mirror by controlling the downward rotation angle of the sun visor. Accordingly, after acquiring the driver's eye position information, the body control system calculates the required angle to rotate the sun visor based on preset logic and algorithms to ensure the polarizing filter is at the appropriate height to suit the driver's vision. For example, when the driver's eye position is low, the sun visor may need to be rotated at a larger angle to lower the polarizing filter further; conversely, when the driver's eye position is high, the rotation angle can be reduced accordingly. The body control system comprehensively considers factors such as eye position, the mounting structure of the sun visor and polarizing filter to accurately calculate the required rotation angle. After determining the rotation angle, the body control system sends a command to the drive unit (such as a servo motor) that controls the rotation of the sun visor. Upon receiving the command, the drive unit drives the sun visor to rotate downwards by the required angle around its connection point with the roof. As the sun visor rotates, the polarizing filter connected to the lower end of the sun visor also lowers, adjusting to a height suitable for the driver's vision, allowing the polarizing filter to filter light more effectively and provide the driver with a clear view.

[0086] It should be noted that adjusting the lowering height of the polarizing filter refers to adjusting the height by which the polarizing filter should be lowered. The height of the polarizing filter can be expressed as the distance relative to the initial position of the polarizing filter. For example, adjusting the polarizing filter from a lowering height of 2 cm to a lowering height of 3 cm means adjusting the polarizing filter from a lowering height of 2 cm relative to the initial position to a lowering height of 3 cm relative to the initial position.

[0087] For example, Figure 6 is a schematic diagram of the control flow of a polarizing filter according to an embodiment of this application. As shown in Figure 6, the user can set an automatic activation mode for the polarizing filter lifting function on the vehicle's in-vehicle screen. Thus, when the vehicle is driven at night, the body controller can automatically activate the polarizing filter lifting function, obtain the ambient light intensity of the vehicle through a light sensor, and obtain the vehicle distribution on the road ahead through a forward-facing camera and millimeter-wave radar. Based on this information, if it is determined that there is an oncoming vehicle with its high beams on in front of the vehicle, a command is sent to the servo motor 2 to control the polarizing filter to lower. In addition, the body controller can also obtain the driver's eye position transmitted from the vehicle's driver monitoring system, and based on this eye position, determine the tilt angle of the sun visor and send a command to the servo motor 1 to control the sun visor to tilt downwards according to this tilt angle. Since the lower end of the sun visor is connected to the polarizing filter, the height of the polarizing filter can be adjusted by controlling the downward tilt angle of the sun visor, causing the polarizing filter to lower and align its lateral center line with the driver's line of sight.

[0088] In some embodiments, after lowering the polarizing filter of the vehicle, the body controller can also adjust the flip angle of the polarizing filter. Accordingly, the body controller obtains the driver's eye position through the vehicle's driver monitoring system; based on the driver's eye position, the body controller adjusts the flip angle of the polarizing filter to make the plane of the polarizing filter perpendicular to the driver's line of sight. Specifically, after receiving the driver's eye position information, the body controller calculates the required angle of adjustment for the polarizing filter according to preset logic and algorithms. It analyzes the relationship between the eye position and the current position and angle of the polarizing filter to determine the magnitude and direction of the angle and direction of rotation of the polarizing filter around its mounting axis to make the plane of the polarizing filter perpendicular to the driver's line of sight. Then, the control system sends a command to the polarizing filter's drive device (such as a servo motor), which drives the polarizing filter to flip and adjust its angle. During the polarizing filter flipping process, the body controller monitors the angle of the polarizing filter and compares it with the ideal angle calculated based on the driver's eye position. When the polarizing filter flips to a position perpendicular to the driver's calculated line of sight, the vehicle control system issues a stop command, halting the rotation of the filter. At this point, the filter is at an optimal angle, effectively filtering glare from the driver's line of sight and providing a clear, comfortable view, thus enhancing driving safety and experience.

[0089] In some embodiments, after the polarizing filter of the vehicle is lowered, the body controller can also perform the following operations:

[0090] (1) Control the vehicle's speakers to emit an audible alert. This audible alert is used to remind the driver of an oncoming vehicle to turn off their high beams. After the polarizing filter has lowered, the body control system also sends a command to the vehicle's audio system. Upon receiving the command, the audio system controls the speakers to emit a pre-set sound pattern, such as a beeping sound at a specific frequency, to attract the attention of the driver of the oncoming vehicle and prompt them to turn off their high beams as soon as possible.

[0091] (2) Controlling the vehicle's lights to issue a light reminder. Here, a light reminder refers to issuing a warning or reminder message to the driver or other vehicle users by controlling the lights to turn on, flash, or change their color. In this embodiment, the light reminder is used to remind the driver of an oncoming vehicle to turn off their high beams. After the polarizing filter has lowered, the body controller also sends a command to the headlight control system. Based on the received command, the headlight control system controls the corresponding lights (such as flashing headlights) to issue a light reminder signal to attract the attention of the driver of the oncoming vehicle and prompt them to turn off their high beams as soon as possible.

[0092] By controlling the vehicle to issue audible and / or visual alerts, oncoming drivers can be promptly reminded to turn off their high beams. This reduces the glare from high beams from interfering with the driver's vision, lowers the risk of misjudgment and improper operation due to obstructed vision, effectively improves driving safety at night or in low-light conditions, and reduces the probability of traffic accidents.

[0093] In some embodiments, after the polarizing filter of the vehicle is lowered, if the ambient light intensity indicates that the ambient light intensity does not exceed a first threshold within a preset time period, the vehicle body controller can control the polarizing filter to rise to retract it. After the polarizing filter is lowered, the vehicle body controller continuously receives ambient light information from the light sensor, or periodically receives ambient light information from the light sensor. The vehicle body controller compares the received ambient light intensity with the first threshold and records the time during which the ambient light intensity does not exceed the first threshold. If the ambient light intensity does not exceed the first threshold within the preset time period, it indicates that the current lighting conditions are good enough, and the polarizing filter no longer needs to be in a lowered state to filter light. Therefore, the vehicle body controller sends a new command to the polarizing filter's drive mechanism to drive the polarizing filter to flip upwards, returning it to its initial position or retracted state, i.e., driving the polarizing filter to rise. This reduces the obstruction of the driver's view by the polarizing filter, saves energy, and reduces unnecessary wear on the polarizing filter.

[0094] This application provides a method for controlling a polarizing mirror, which automatically activates the polarizing mirror's lifting function when the vehicle meets the activation conditions. Once activated, this function accurately and promptly detects whether there are oncoming vehicles with high beams on the road ahead, based on the vehicle's illumination information and information about vehicles ahead. Upon detecting such vehicles, the polarizing mirror automatically lowers, eliminating the need for the driver to manually lower it. This solves the driving safety hazard caused by the driver needing to take one hand off the steering wheel when manually lowering the mirror, thus improving driving safety. Furthermore, considering the persistence of vision, this function can detect the high beam status of oncoming vehicles earlier, allowing for faster mirror lowering and significantly reducing the probability of momentary blindness due to direct exposure to high beams, further enhancing driving safety.

[0095] Figure 7 is a block diagram of a control device for a polarizing lens according to an embodiment of this application. This device is used to execute the steps of the above-described control method for a polarizing lens. The device is disposed in a vehicle body controller. Referring to Figure 7, the device includes:

[0096] The activation module 701 is used to activate the vehicle's polarizer lifting function when the vehicle meets the function activation conditions.

[0097] The acquisition module 702 is used to acquire the vehicle's illumination information and the information of the vehicles in front when the polarizing filter lifting function is turned on. The illumination information is used to indicate the intensity of the external light on the vehicle, and the information of the vehicles in front is used to indicate the distribution of vehicles on the road ahead of the vehicle.

[0098] The control module 703 is used to control the polarizer of the vehicle to drop when the ambient light intensity of the vehicle indicated by the light information is greater than a first threshold and the vehicle ahead information indicates that there is an oncoming vehicle on the road ahead of the vehicle.

[0099] In some embodiments, the conditions for enabling the function include at least one of the following:

[0100] The light intensity in the environment where the vehicle is located is less than the second threshold.

[0101] The vehicle's display mode is set to night mode;

[0102] The vehicle's headlights came on.

[0103] In some embodiments, the acquisition module 702 is used to acquire the vehicle's illumination information via a light sensor located inside the vehicle's windshield when the polarizer lift function is activated; acquire an image of the road ahead of the vehicle via the vehicle's forward-facing camera; and acquire the distance between the vehicle and other vehicles on the road ahead via the vehicle's millimeter-wave radar.

[0104] In some embodiments, the control module 703 is used to perform image recognition on the road segment ahead when the illumination information indicates that the ambient light intensity of the vehicle is greater than a first threshold, and obtain the vehicle recognition result of the road segment ahead; when the vehicle recognition result indicates that there is an oncoming vehicle on the road segment ahead of the vehicle, if the distance between the vehicle and the oncoming vehicle continues to decrease, the control module 703 controls the polarizer of the vehicle to drop.

[0105] In some embodiments, FIG8 is a block diagram of a control device for another polarizer according to an embodiment of the present application. Referring to FIG8, the device further includes:

[0106] The adjustment module 704 is used to obtain the driver's eye position through the vehicle's driver monitoring system; based on the driver's eye position, it adjusts the downward height of the polarizing lens so that the lateral center line of the polarizing lens is aligned with the driver's line of sight.

[0107] In some embodiments, the vehicle is equipped with a sun visor, the upper end of which is connected to the roof of the vehicle, and the lower end of which is connected to a polarizing mirror.

[0108] The adjustment module 704 is used to determine the flip angle of the sun visor based on the driver's eye position; according to the flip angle, the sun visor is controlled to flip downward, so as to change the descent height of the polarizing lens, so that the lateral center line of the polarizing lens is aligned with the driver's line of sight.

[0109] In some embodiments, the adjustment module 704 is further configured to obtain the driver's eye position through the vehicle's driver monitoring system; and adjust the flip angle of the polarizing mirror based on the driver's eye position so that the plane of the polarizing mirror is perpendicular to the driver's line of sight.

[0110] In some embodiments, the control module 703 is further configured to control the polarizer of the vehicle to rise and retract if the illumination information indicates that the ambient light intensity of the vehicle is not greater than a first threshold within a preset time period.

[0111] In some embodiments, the control module 703 is also configured to control the vehicle's speakers to emit sound alerts and control the vehicle's headlights to emit light alerts.

[0112] This application provides a control device for a polarizing mirror, which automatically activates the polarizing mirror's lifting function when the vehicle meets the activation conditions. Once activated, this function accurately and promptly detects whether there are oncoming vehicles with high beams on the road ahead, based on the vehicle's illumination information and information about vehicles ahead. Upon detecting such vehicles, the polarizing mirror automatically lowers, eliminating the need for the driver to manually lower it. This solves the driving safety hazard caused by the driver needing to take one hand off the steering wheel when manually lowering the mirror, thus improving driving safety. Furthermore, considering the persistence of vision, this function can detect the high beam status of oncoming vehicles earlier, allowing for faster mirror lowering and significantly reducing the probability of momentary blindness due to direct exposure to high beams, further enhancing driving safety.

[0113] It should be noted that the control device for the polarizing mirror provided in the above embodiments is only illustrated by the division of the above functional modules. In practical applications, the above functions can be assigned to different functional modules as needed, that is, the internal structure of the device can be divided into different functional modules to complete all or part of the functions described above. In addition, the control device for the polarizing mirror provided in the above embodiments and the control method embodiments for the polarizing mirror belong to the same concept, and the specific implementation process can be found in the method embodiments, which will not be repeated here.

[0114] Figure 9 is a structural schematic diagram of a vehicle body controller provided according to an embodiment of this application.

[0115] Typically, the body controller 900 includes: a main control module 901, a CAN interface 902, a hard-wired input interface 903, and a hard-wired output interface 904. The main control module 901 is connected to the CAN interface 902, the hard-wired input interface 903, and the hard-wired output interface 904.

[0116] The main control module 901 typically includes a processor and memory. The processor may include one or more processing cores, such as a 4-core processor or a 9-core processor. The processor can be implemented using at least one hardware form of DSP (Digital Signal Processing), FPGA (Field-Programmable Gate Array), or PLA (Programmable Logic Array). The processor may also include a main processor and a coprocessor. The main processor, also known as a CPU (Central Processing Unit), is used to process data in the wake-up state; the coprocessor is a low-power processor used to process data in the standby state. In some embodiments, the processor may integrate a GPU (Graphics Processing Unit), which is responsible for rendering and drawing the content required to be displayed on the vehicle's display screen. In some embodiments, the processor may also include an AI (Artificial Intelligence) processor, which is used to handle computational operations related to machine learning. The memory may include one or more computer-readable storage media, which may be non-transitory. The memory may also include high-speed random access memory and non-volatile memory, such as one or more disk storage devices or flash memory devices. In some embodiments, a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium in the memory is used to store at least one computer program, which is executed by a processor to implement the polarizer control method provided in the method embodiments of this application.

[0117] The CAN interface 902 may include a powertrain CAN interface, a motor CAN interface, and a diagnostic CAN interface. The powertrain CAN interface is used to communicate with the vehicle's powertrain module, the motor CAN interface is used to communicate with the vehicle's motor controller, and the diagnostic CAN interface is used to communicate with diagnostic equipment.

[0118] The hard-wired input interface 903 is used to receive hard-wired control signals. The hard-wired output interface 904 is used to send control commands to the vehicle's electronic control components, causing the vehicle's electronic control components to perform corresponding actions. The vehicle's electronic control components include a power management system, a motor controller, and an on-board charger, etc.

[0119] The main control module 901 can communicate with the vehicle's powertrain module, motor controller, and diagnostic equipment via the CAN interface 902, and generate control commands based on the hard-wired control signals received by the hard-wired input interface 903, so as to send the control commands to the vehicle's electronic control components via the hard-wired output interface 904.

[0120] Those skilled in the art will understand that the structure shown in FIG9 does not constitute a limitation on the body controller 900, and may include more or fewer components than shown, or combine certain components, or use different component arrangements.

[0121] This application also provides a computer-readable storage medium storing at least one computer program. This computer program is loaded and executed by a processor of an electronic device to implement the operations performed by the electronic device in the polarizer control method of the above embodiments. For example, the computer-readable storage medium may be a read-only memory (ROM), a random access memory (RAM), a compact disc read-only memory (CD-ROM), magnetic tape, floppy disk, and optical data storage device, etc.

[0122] This application also provides a computer program product, including a computer program loaded and executed by a processor to implement the polarizer control method as described in the above embodiments.

[0123] Those skilled in the art will understand that all or part of the steps of the above embodiments can be implemented by hardware or by a program instructing related hardware. The program can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium, such as a read-only memory, a disk, or an optical disk.

[0124] The above description is merely an optional embodiment of this application and is not intended to limit this application. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, improvements, etc., made within the spirit and principles of this application should be included within the protection scope of this application.

Claims

1. A method for controlling a polarizing filter, wherein, Applied to a body control unit, the method includes: When the vehicle meets the conditions for function activation, the polarizing mirror lifting function of the vehicle is activated. With the polarizing filter lifting function activated, the vehicle's illumination information and the information of vehicles ahead are acquired. The illumination information is used to indicate the ambient light intensity of the vehicle, and the information of vehicles ahead is used to indicate the vehicle distribution on the road ahead of the vehicle. When the illumination information indicates that the ambient light intensity of the vehicle is greater than a first threshold and the vehicle information ahead indicates that there is an oncoming vehicle on the road ahead of the vehicle, the polarizing filter of the vehicle is controlled to drop.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein, The conditions for enabling the function include at least one of the following: The light intensity in the environment where the vehicle is located is less than the second threshold. The vehicle's display mode is night mode; The vehicle's headlights came on.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein, When the polarizing filter lifting function is activated, acquiring the vehicle's illumination information and information about vehicles ahead includes: With the polarizing filter lifting function activated, the vehicle's illumination information is obtained through a light sensor located inside the vehicle's windshield. The vehicle's forward-facing camera captures an image of the road ahead. The distance between the vehicle and other vehicles on the road ahead is obtained using the vehicle's millimeter-wave radar.

4. The method according to claim 3, wherein, When the illumination information indicates that the ambient light intensity of the vehicle is greater than a first threshold and the forward vehicle information indicates that there is an oncoming vehicle on the road ahead of the vehicle, controlling the polarizer of the vehicle to drop includes: When the illumination information indicates that the ambient light intensity of the vehicle is greater than the first threshold, image recognition is performed on the road segment ahead to obtain the vehicle recognition result of the road segment ahead image. If the vehicle recognition result indicates that there is an oncoming vehicle ahead of the vehicle, and the distance between the vehicle and the oncoming vehicle decreases, the polarizer of the vehicle is controlled to drop.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein, After the polarizer of the vehicle is lowered, the method further includes: The driver's eye position is obtained through the vehicle's driver monitoring system; Based on the driver's eye position, adjust the downward height of the polarizing lens so that the lateral center line of the polarizing lens is aligned with the driver's line of sight.

6. The method according to claim 5, wherein, The vehicle is equipped with a sun visor, the upper end of which is connected to the roof of the vehicle, and the lower end of which is connected to the polarizing mirror. The step of adjusting the downward height of the polarizing lens based on the driver's eye position so that the lateral center line of the polarizing lens is aligned with the driver's line of sight includes: The rotation angle of the sun visor is determined based on the driver's eye position. According to the stated flip angle, the sun visor is controlled to flip downwards, thereby changing the descent height of the polarizing lens so that the lateral center line of the polarizing lens is aligned with the driver's line of sight.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein, After the polarizer of the vehicle is lowered, the method further includes: The driver's eye position is obtained through the vehicle's driver monitoring system; Based on the driver's eye position, the flip angle of the polarizing lens is adjusted so that the plane of the polarizing lens is perpendicular to the driver's line of sight.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein, The method further includes: If the illumination information indicates that the ambient light intensity of the vehicle is not greater than the first threshold within a preset time period, the polarizing filter of the vehicle is controlled to rise to retract the polarizing filter.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein, After the polarizer of the vehicle is lowered, the method further includes: Control the vehicle's speakers to emit an audible alert; Control the vehicle's lights to emit a warning light.

10. A control device for a polarizing mirror, wherein, The device, configured in the body controller, includes: An activation module is used to activate the polarizer lifting function of the vehicle when the vehicle meets the function activation conditions. The acquisition module is used to acquire the vehicle's illumination information and the information of vehicles ahead when the polarizing filter lifting function is enabled. The illumination information is used to indicate the ambient light intensity of the vehicle, and the information of vehicles ahead is used to indicate the vehicle distribution on the road ahead of the vehicle. The control module is used to control the polarizer of the vehicle to drop when the illumination information indicates that the ambient light intensity of the vehicle is greater than a first threshold and the vehicle information ahead indicates that there is an oncoming vehicle on the road ahead of the vehicle.

11. A vehicle body controller, wherein, The body controller includes a main control module, which includes a processor and a memory. The memory is used to store at least one computer program, which is loaded by the processor and executed as the polarizer control method according to any one of claims 1 to 9.

12. A computer-readable storage medium, wherein, The computer-readable storage medium is used to store at least one computer program for executing the control method of the polarizer according to any one of claims 1 to 9.

13. A computer program product comprising a computer program, wherein, The computer program is loaded and executed by a processor to implement the polarizer control method according to any one of claims 1 to 9.

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