3D Helicopter View Navigation System for Destination Recognition

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional navigation systems fail to provide users with a clear, realistic view of their surroundings at a destination, especially from an elevated perspective, which can make it difficult to understand the locale and navigate effectively.

Innovation Solution

A vehicle navigation system that offers 3D animated previews of destinations, allowing users to select a vantage point above street level, avoiding obstructions, and providing interactive controls to view these previews safely and conveniently, such as through steering wheel buttons, voice control, or touch screens, with the system blocking previews during vehicle motion for safety.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Loss of information

If conventional navigation systems display 2D map views of destinations, then the system complexity remains low, but the user's understanding of the locale and surroundings is insufficient

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveuser understanding of localeVSAvoidsystem complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Loss of informationVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent transitions from conventional 2D map displays to 3D panoramic imagery, adding a dimensional aspect that provides realistic spatial representation of destinations. This dimensionality change enables users to perceive depth, scale, and spatial relationships that are impossible to convey in traditional 2D maps, directly addressing the insufficient locale understanding while managing system complexity through standardized 3D rendering pipelines

Inventive Principle:
Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

2Loss of information

If the navigation system provides elevated viewpoint imagery, then the user can avoid obstructions and understand surroundings better, but the data processing and rendering complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveview of surroundingsVSAvoiddata processing complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Loss of informationVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The system pre-renders panoramic imagery from elevated viewpoints and stores it for quick retrieval during navigation. By performing the computationally intensive 3D rendering and viewpoint optimization in advance, the system eliminates real-time processing complexity while delivering high-quality elevated perspective views that help users understand surroundings and avoid obstructions

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

3Loss of information

If the system displays 3D animated previews continuously, then the user gains constant awareness of destination, but the driver distraction and safety risk increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedestination awarenessVSAvoiddriver distraction
Core Design Contradiction:
Loss of informationVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The system displays 3D animated previews periodically at strategically chosen moments such as before turns or arrivals, rather than continuously. This periodic display approach maintains essential destination awareness while minimizing driver distraction by limiting preview exposure to brief, contextually appropriate intervals when the driver's attention can be safely directed to the display

Inventive Principle:
Principle #19Periodic action

4Loss of information

If the navigation system provides detailed 3D imagery of all route points, then the user comprehension improves, but the data storage and transmission requirements increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveroute comprehensionVSAvoiddata storage requirements
Core Design Contradiction:
Loss of informationVSQuantity of substance

Solution Approach 1:

The system applies different levels of 3D imagery detail to different route segments based on their navigational importance. Critical points such as complex intersections, destination approaches, and turn locations receive high-detail 3D panoramic views, while straightforward route segments use simplified representations. This local quality differentiation maintains route comprehension for essential navigation decisions while significantly reducing overall data storage and transmission requirements

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

Data Source

PatentEP3147630B13D helicopter view at destination
Publication Date: 2022.09.28 VOLKSWAGEN AG
  • EP3147630B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3147630B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP3147630B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

An interactive vehicle navigation system (100) provides not only navigation instructions to arrive at a destination but also a three-dimensional (3D) animated preview that provides a realistic view of a specified destination, including three-dimensional imagery of recognizable landmarks in the surroundings at the destination. The point of view from which the 3D animated preview is generated is selected as to provide a vantage of the locale that avoids obstructions to the user's view, such as from a point of view that is higher than street level.