Camera Positioning on Vehicle Outer Skin
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Solution Overview
Problem
The challenge is to position cameras on a vehicle's outer skin to capture lateral and rearward environments without increasing the vehicle's end surface area, while ensuring a predefined region is covered for safety and minimizing aerodynamic resistance.
Innovation Solution
A method is developed to determine the camera's position by defining a lateral area parallel to the XZ-plane, rotating it about an axis through a visual reference point, and finding the point of intersection with the vehicle's outer skin, ensuring minimal end surface enlargement and adequate visibility.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-generated harmful factors
If cameras are mounted on the outer skin of the vehicle to replace conventional mirrors, then the end surface of the vehicle is reduced and aerodynamic resistance is minimized, but the camera positioning becomes complex and must precisely capture the lateral and rearward environment
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by pre-calculating and storing optimal camera positions in a database before the vehicle is operated. The system determines camera positions based on vehicle-specific parameters (width, length, maximum steering angle) using geometric calculations, then stores these predetermined positions for direct implementation. This eliminates the need for complex real-time positioning calculations during vehicle operation, resolving the contradiction between minimizing aerodynamic resistance and simplifying positioning complexity.
2Reliability
If the camera is positioned to capture a predefined region of the environment for safety, then the field of view is sufficient, but the end surface area required for camera mounting increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies parameter changes by systematically varying camera position parameters (longitudinal position, lateral position, vertical position, and orientation angles) to find the optimal balance between field of view and end surface area. The system uses geometric calculations to determine how changes in these parameters affect both the captured environment region and the required mounting surface area, selecting the position that achieves sufficient safety coverage with minimal end surface enlargement.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent resolves the contradiction by transitioning from two-dimensional camera positioning (only lateral and longitudinal) to three-dimensional positioning by incorporating vertical position and orientation angles. This additional dimensional freedom allows the camera to be positioned in space to capture the required lateral and rearward environment while minimizing the end surface footprint, as the camera can angle downward or upward to achieve the same field of view coverage with a smaller mounting area.
3Reliability
If conventional outer mirrors are used to ensure adequate visibility of lateral and rearward environment, then safety is maintained, but the end surface of the vehicle increases and aerodynamic resistance increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies the copying principle by replacing the physical outer mirror structure with a camera-based optical copying system. Instead of using reflective surfaces (mirrors) to copy the lateral and rearward environment, the system uses cameras to capture optical images and reproduces them on display screens inside the vehicle. This functional copying approach eliminates the need for physical mirror mounting surfaces, reducing end surface area while maintaining the same safety function of environmental visibility.
Data Source
AI summary
A method is provided for determining a position for a camera on an outer skin of a vehicle, the position being determined such that the camera can detect an object at a visual reference point behind the vehicle. The method identifies a lateral surface which, in an initial position, is parallel to an XZ plane of the vehicle at a lateral distance from a central x-axis of the vehicle, the lateral distance depending on a maximum width of the vehicle. The method identifies an axis of rotation for the lateral surface which is parallel to a z-axis of the vehicle and which extends through the visual reference point. The method determines a point of intersection of the lateral surface rotated, starting from the initial position, about the axis of rotation with the outer skin of the vehicle. The method determines the position for the camera based on the point of intersection.