Adaptive Headlight Shielding Using Camera Position Correction
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing vehicle headlight systems fail to account for deviations in the relative position between the headlight and the in-vehicle camera, leading to potential irradiation of non-target objects, such as oncoming vehicles, which compromises environmental recognition and safety.
Innovation Solution
An in-vehicle system that includes an irradiation unit, an imaging unit, an object detection unit, and a correction device to calculate and set a light-shielding range based on the position of non-target objects in the captured image, ensuring that only the intended area is illuminated, thereby preventing direct irradiation of surrounding vehicles.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Area of stationary object
If the headlight irradiates far away to check safety of surroundings, then the illumination range is improved, but another vehicle may be irradiated causing deterioration of environment recognition performance
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by making different regions of the headlight illumination have different properties. The light-shielding range setting unit creates a localized dark region (light-shielding range) in front of the target vehicle, while other regions maintain normal illumination. This allows the headlight to illuminate far away areas for safety checking while preventing direct irradiation of the target vehicle, thus maintaining both extended illumination range and environment recognition performance.
2Reliability
If a light-shielding range is set based on camera image to prevent irradiation of target vehicle, then the environment recognition performance is maintained, but a deviation in relative position between headlight and camera causes incorrect light-shielding range
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements feedback by using the camera to continuously monitor the position of target vehicles and feeding this information back to the light-shielding range setting unit. The system dynamically adjusts the light-shielding range based on the detected position, movement direction, and acceleration of target vehicles. This feedback mechanism ensures that the light-shielding range remains accurate despite deviations in relative position between the headlight and camera, maintaining both environment recognition performance and light-shielding accuracy.
3Reliability
If the light-shielding range is expanded to cover more area, then more vehicles are protected from irradiation, but the illumination range for safety checking is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by creating a focused light-shielding range only in the specific direction where target vehicles are detected, rather than expanding the light-shielding range uniformly in all directions. The light-shielding range setting unit adjusts the shielding area dynamically based on the position and movement of detected vehicles, maintaining narrow shielding in directions without vehicles while preserving broad illumination in other areas for safety checking.
4Manufacturing precision
If the headlight control system dynamically adjusts light-shielding range based on vehicle movement, then the accuracy of preventing direct irradiation is improved, but the system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies universality by making the camera serve multiple functions: it is used both for detecting target vehicles (for light-shielding range setting) and for monitoring the environment (for safety checking). The image processing unit performs multiple tasks including position detection, movement direction detection, and acceleration detection. This multi-functionality reduces the need for separate dedicated components, thereby limiting the increase in system complexity while maintaining dynamic light-shielding range accuracy.
Data Source
AI summary
It is possible to cope with a deviation of a relative position between a headlight and an in-vehicle camera. An in-vehicle system includes: an irradiation unit that irradiates an area other than a set light-shielding range with light; an imaging unit that images a range including an irradiation range of the light emitted by the irradiation unit to acquire a captured image; an object detection unit that detects a non-target object which is not to be irradiated with the light from the captured image; a direct irradiation prevention unit that calculates the light-shielding range on the basis of a position of the non-target object in the captured image and correction information, and sets the light-shielding range in the irradiation unit; a correction-time light-shielding range setting unit that sets the predetermined light-shielding range in the irradiation unit; and a correction calculation unit that calculates the correction information on the basis of the captured image when the correction-time light-shielding range setting unit sets the light-shielding range in the irradiation unit.