AR Detection for Locating Autonomous Vehicles
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Solution Overview
Problem
In crowded areas, such as cities or airports, it is challenging for passengers to locate a specific autonomous vehicle due to the difficulty in identifying it among a pool of vehicles, especially with obstructions present.
Innovation Solution
The system uses an electronic device with an image sensor to detect location signals from autonomous vehicles, prompting the user to orient the sensor towards a designated area, generating a visual representation on a graphical user interface, and identifying the vehicle within the representation using signal strength analysis and image processing.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If passengers rely on conventional methods to locate autonomous vehicles in crowded areas, then human interaction with drivers is required, but this becomes challenging or impossible when vehicles are obscured or in dense environments
Solution Approach 1:
The system uses visual indicators that change color or appearance to identify the target autonomous vehicle. The AR interface displays color-coded markers (e.g., green checkmark, yellow circle) on the vehicle to make it easily distinguishable from other vehicles in the crowd, resolving the difficulty of locating the correct vehicle among many similar-looking autonomous vehicles
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an intermediary system consisting of the image sensor, processing unit, and AR display that mediates between the passenger and the autonomous vehicle. This intermediary technology enables indirect detection and identification of the vehicle through computational imaging and AR overlay, overcoming the limitation of direct visual identification in crowded environments
2Loss of information
If the system provides visual indicators to identify the autonomous vehicle, then vehicle location becomes clear to the passenger, but the system requires complex image processing and signal analysis
Solution Approach 1:
The system segments the complex task of vehicle identification into distinct functional modules: an image sensor for capturing visual data, a processing unit for analyzing signals and images, and an AR display for presenting results. This segmentation allows each component to specialize in one aspect of the process, managing overall system complexity while achieving accurate vehicle location identification
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces manual mechanical search and visual inspection with automated electronic systems. The image sensor and processing unit automatically detect location signals and analyze images to identify the target vehicle, substituting complex manual procedures with streamlined electronic processing that reduces operational complexity despite increased technological sophistication
3Productivity
If the passenger manually searches for the autonomous vehicle among multiple vehicles, then no additional technology is needed, but significant time is lost in the process
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary actions by pre-processing and analyzing location signals from multiple autonomous vehicles before the passenger needs to identify the correct one. The processing unit continuously monitors and evaluates signals in the background, so when identification is needed, the system already has processed information ready, significantly reducing the time required for vehicle location
Solution Approach 2:
The AR display provides real-time feedback to the passenger by overlaying visual indicators on the live camera feed, immediately confirming when the target vehicle is detected and identified. This feedback mechanism allows the passenger to quickly verify vehicle identity without manual searching, dramatically improving identification efficiency and reducing time loss
Data Source
AI summary
Disclosed embodiments include methods, systems, and non-transitory computer readable medium for augmented reality detection for locating a particular autonomous vehicle. In a non-limiting embodiment, an illustrative method includes providing, by an electronic device to a remote server, a request for an autonomous vehicle. A first signal indicating that the autonomous vehicle is within an accessible range to an intended passenger is received by an electronic device. The passenger is prompted by the electronic device to orient an image sensor of the electronic device towards a designated area of the accessible range. The designated area is imaged by the image sensor for the autonomous vehicle. A visual representation of the imaged designated area is generated on a graphical user interface of the electronic device. The autonomous vehicle is identified within the generated visual representation.