Calibration Unit with Adjustable Reflective and Display Targets
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current calibration methods for vehicle environment detection units, such as cameras and sensors, require multiple target elements and extensive effort to align different vehicle types and units, making them inflexible and labor-intensive, especially in workshop operations.
Innovation Solution
A calibration unit with adjustable target elements, including a first target element with a reflection surface and a second target element with a functional surface for displaying a target, allows for flexible positioning and quick switching between use and storage positions, enabling precise alignment of various vehicle environment detection units across different vehicle types and manufacturers.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If multiple different target elements are used for different vehicle types and detection units, then alignment precision is improved, but device complexity and time consumption increase
Solution Approach 1:
The calibration unit employs a single target element that can display multiple different target patterns (such as chessboard patterns, circular patterns, or custom markers) through electronic control. This allows one physical target element to serve multiple functions for calibrating different vehicle types and detection units, eliminating the need for multiple separate target elements while maintaining alignment precision.
Solution Approach 2:
The target element incorporates a display device (such as an LCD or LED screen) that can dynamically change the displayed target pattern based on the calibration requirements. This dynamic adaptability allows the same physical target to present different visual patterns for different detection units (cameras, radar, lidar, ultrasonic sensors), resolving the contradiction between precision and complexity.
2Measurement precision
If multiple different target elements are used for different vehicle types and detection units, then alignment precision is improved, but time consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system pre-stores multiple target patterns in the display device of the target element. During calibration, the appropriate pattern is selected and displayed immediately without requiring physical replacement of target elements. This preliminary preparation of multiple patterns eliminates the time-consuming process of swapping targets while maintaining the precision benefits of having multiple target types available.
Solution Approach 2:
A single target element with a programmable display serves multiple functions by displaying different target patterns for different vehicle types and detection units. This universality eliminates the sequential time loss associated with replacing multiple specialized target elements, as one adaptive target can handle all calibration scenarios.
3Device complexity
If a single target element is used for all vehicle types and detection units, then device complexity is reduced, but adaptability decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The target element incorporates a dynamic display device that can change the visual target pattern electronically. This allows a single physical target to adapt to different vehicle types, detection units, and calibration scenarios by displaying the appropriate pattern, thereby maintaining high versatility without requiring multiple physical targets.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the visual parameters of the target element by displaying different patterns (such as changing from a chessboard pattern to a circular pattern, or adjusting marker positions and sizes). These parameter changes allow the same physical target to be adapted to different calibration requirements, achieving versatility without increasing physical complexity.
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 calibration unit facilitates efficient and reliable alignment of diverse vehicle environment detection units, reducing effort and time in workshop operations, and ensuring accurate calibration for improved vehicle assistance systems functionality.
Implementation Method 1
a first target element (7) with a reflection surface (18)
Data Source
Figure 1a
Figure 1b
Figure 2a
AI summary
The invention relates to a calibration unit for aligning vehicle environment sensing units of a motor vehicle, comprising: a base unit that can be slidably placed on a surface; a support unit connected to the base unit; and a first target element with a reflective surface, adjustable on the support unit. To provide a calibration unit that can be used flexibly and reliably for aligning different vehicle environment sensing units of one or more motor vehicles, the calibration unit includes a second target element, adjustable on the support unit and/or the first target element, with a functional surface for displaying a target that can be freely positioned on the functional surface. The second target element is adjustable between a working position that covers the reflective surface and a storage position that exposes the reflective surface.