Adaptive Infrared Lighting for Vehicle Cabin Occupancy
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Solution Overview
Problem
In vehicle cabins, the activation of multiple infrared illumination sources can lead to uneven distributions of infrared light, causing bright spots that interfere with occupant monitoring and tracking systems, as these sources are often activated regardless of occupant presence and can saturate imaging devices.
Innovation Solution
A system with a controller, infrared illumination sources, and an occupant sensor or imaging device that selectively activates infrared lights based on the presence and location of occupants within the vehicle cabin, minimizing unnecessary light and adjusting intensity to reduce bright spots.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Illumination intensity
If multiple infrared illumination sources are activated throughout the vehicle cabin, then sufficient infrared light is provided for occupant monitoring systems, but uneven distribution of infrared light occurs causing bright spots that interfere with imaging devices
Solution Approach 1:
The system activates specific infrared illumination sources based on the detected location of occupants, providing localized infrared illumination only where needed rather than uniformly across the entire cabin. This selective activation ensures adequate illumination for monitoring while avoiding over-illumination that causes bright spots in other areas.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of activating all infrared illumination sources simultaneously, the system activates only the necessary subset of sources corresponding to occupied seats. This partial action approach provides sufficient infrared light for monitoring purposes without the excessive illumination that would create harmful bright spots.
2Ease of operation
If infrared illumination sources are activated regardless of occupant presence, then the system is simple to operate, but unnecessary infrared light is wasted in areas without occupants
Solution Approach 1:
The system uses imaging devices to detect occupant presence and provides feedback to the controller, which then adjusts the activation state of infrared illumination sources accordingly. This closed-loop feedback mechanism automatically optimizes energy usage by activating lights only where occupants are present, eliminating waste without requiring manual intervention.
Solution Approach 2:
The system automatically detects occupant locations and activates the appropriate infrared illumination sources without requiring manual control. The system serves itself by using its imaging capabilities to determine when and where to activate illumination, eliminating the need for complex manual operation while optimizing energy efficiency.
3Area of stationary object
If all infrared illumination sources are activated, then comprehensive coverage is achieved, but the imaging device becomes saturated resulting in loss of measurement precision
Solution Approach 1:
The system provides infrared illumination locally only in areas where occupants are detected, rather than activating all sources uniformly. This localized approach ensures adequate coverage for monitoring the occupied areas while preventing saturation in unoccupied areas, thereby maintaining measurement precision for gaze tracking and other monitoring functions.
Solution Approach 2:
The system activates only the necessary portion of infrared illumination sources required to cover occupied areas, avoiding the excessive activation of all sources. This partial activation provides sufficient coverage for monitoring purposes while preventing the over-illumination that would saturate the imaging device and degrade measurement precision.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This approach ensures accurate occupant monitoring and tracking by minimizing bright spots and optimizing infrared light distribution, enhancing image quality and reducing unnecessary light in the cabin.
Implementation Method 1
two or more infrared illumination sources positioned within the vehicle cabin
Implementation Method 2
an imaging device communicatively coupled to the controller
Data Source
AI summary
A system for selectively activating infrared lights in a vehicle cabin includes a controller comprising a processor and a non-transitory computer readable memory, two or more infrared illumination sources positioned within the vehicle cabin, the two or more infrared illumination sources communicatively coupled to the controller, an imaging device communicatively coupled to the controller and a machine-readable instruction set stored in the non-transitory computer readable memory of the controller. The machine-readable instruction set causes the system to perform at least the following when executed by the processor: receive image data from the imaging device, determine a location of an occupant in the vehicle cabin based on the image data, and activate a first infrared illumination source of the two or more infrared illumination sources that corresponds to the location of the occupant in the vehicle cabin.