Adaptive Polarization Filter for Motor Vehicle Camera Reflection Suppression
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing environment sensor devices for motor vehicles struggle to accurately distinguish between actual objects and their reflections in camera images, particularly due to dynamic reflections and highlights, which can lead to false recognition and potential safety issues during autonomous driving or driver assist functions.
Innovation Solution
An adaptive polarization filter device that adjusts its polarization direction based on the estimated orientation of reflecting surfaces, using a processor and estimator to determine the surface normal and generate a control signal for the polarization filter, ensuring that reflections are reduced or suppressed in camera images, thereby preventing false object recognition.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If a static polarization filter device is used, then the structure is simple and easy to manufacture, but it cannot suppress dynamic reflections from moving objects and varying surface orientations
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies the dynamics principle by making the polarization filter device adjustable and adaptable. The polarization angle can be dynamically changed based on the detected surface orientation of environment objects, allowing the system to suppress reflections from moving objects and varying surfaces. This transforms the static filter into a dynamic system that responds to changing environmental conditions.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the polarization angle parameter of the polarization filter device based on the detected surface normal vector orientation. By adjusting this parameter dynamically according to the environment object's surface characteristics, the system effectively suppresses reflections while maintaining manageable structural complexity.
2Adaptability or versatility
If a polarization filter device is used to suppress reflections, then reflection suppression is achieved, but the orientation must be manually adjusted and cannot adapt to dynamic processes
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs self-adjustment by automatically detecting the surface orientation of environment objects and autonomously adjusting the polarization filter orientation accordingly. The processor detects surface normals and automatically sets the polarization angle without requiring manual intervention, enabling the system to adapt to dynamic processes autonomously.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements feedback by continuously detecting the surface orientation of environment objects and using this information to adjust the polarization filter orientation. This closed-loop system ensures the polarization angle remains optimally aligned with the detected surfaces, enabling automatic adaptation to changing conditions.
3Reliability
If camera images are used for environment object detection, then the system can detect objects in the surrounding field, but reflections and highlights cause false recognition
Solution Approach 1:
The patent converts the harmful reflected light into a beneficial signal by detecting the polarization characteristics of reflected light from environment objects. The system uses the polarization information from reflections to identify surface orientations and adjust the polarization filter accordingly, transforming the problematic reflections into useful data for improving detection accuracy.
Solution Approach 2:
The polarization filter device acts as an intermediary between the camera and the environment objects. By selectively filtering light based on polarization orientation, it separates reflected light from direct light, enabling the system to distinguish between actual objects and reflections, thus improving detection reliability.
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
The adaptive polarization filter effectively reduces the representation of reflections in camera images, enhancing the accuracy of object detection and preventing false alarms, thus improving the reliability of autonomous driving and driver assist systems by accurately identifying environment objects.
Implementation Method 1
The reflection of light on a reflective surface of an environment object generally produces polarized light. Thus, by the use of a polarization filter device, it is possible to suppress or dampen or reduce the light which belongs to a reflection or originates in a reflection by means of a polarization filter device when detecting a camera image.
Data Source
AI summary
In a method for suppression of reflections in at least one camera image of a camera of a motor vehicle, the camera generates the at least one camera image and thereby a polarization filter device dampens light incident from a surrounding field in regard to a predetermined polarization direction. An estimator device estimates a respective orientation of a respective surface normal of at least one surface on at least one environment object and an adjusting device determines a respective target polarization direction for the polarization filter device in dependence on the respective estimated orientation of the at least one surface normal, by which a respective representation of reflections at the respective surface is reduced in the at least one camera image, and generates a control signal according to the respectively determined target polarization direction, and the polarization filter device adjusts its polarization direction in dependence on the control signal.