Vehicle Camera Screen Control for Bright Light Blocking
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing vehicle camera systems face challenges in managing bright light sources and maintaining situational awareness, particularly in autonomous or remotely operated vehicles, leading to reduced dynamic range and safety concerns.
Innovation Solution
A transparent screen is placed in the field of view of a video sensor element, capable of blocking or distorting light from selected areas and transmitting light through others, enhancing the video sensor's dynamic range and providing visual inputs such as synchronization indicators and heads-up displays.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If a transparent screen is placed in the field of view of the video sensor element to block bright light sources, then the dynamic range of the video sensor is improved, but the device complexity increases due to the additional screen and control system
Solution Approach 1:
A transparent screen is introduced as an intermediary element between the bright light source and the video sensor element. The screen selectively blocks or distorts light from identified bright light sources while allowing other light to pass through, thereby protecting the sensor's dynamic range without completely obstructing the field of view. This mediator approach resolves the contradiction by adding a controlled element rather than requiring complete sensor redesign.
Solution Approach 2:
The screen is divided into multiple independently controllable regions or pixels, allowing selective blocking of light from specific bright light sources while maintaining transparency in other areas. This segmentation enables precise control over which light paths are blocked, improving dynamic range protection while minimizing the overall impact on the sensor's field of view and reducing the complexity compared to a fully opaque solution.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If the screen blocks light from selected areas to improve video quality, then the harmful factors affecting the sensor are reduced, but the loss of information occurs in the blocked areas
Solution Approach 1:
The screen applies different optical properties to different local regions: transparent in areas where information is needed and opaque or distorting in areas where bright light sources interfere. This local quality differentiation allows the system to block harmful light from specific directions while preserving information from other areas, resolving the contradiction between reducing harmful factors and preventing information loss.
Solution Approach 2:
The screen's light-blocking properties are dynamically adjusted based on real-time identification of bright light sources and their positions. Rather than permanently blocking fixed areas, the system adapts the blocking regions to match the actual locations of interfering light sources, ensuring that information is preserved whenever possible while still protecting against harmful light when necessary.
3Ease of operation
If the transparent screen is used to provide visual inputs such as HUD and synchronization indicators, then the ease of operation is improved, but the device complexity increases due to additional control systems
Solution Approach 1:
The transparent screen serves multiple functions simultaneously: it blocks bright light sources to protect the sensor's dynamic range, and it displays visual information such as heads-up displays and synchronization indicators. By making the screen multi-functional, the system improves ease of operation through integrated information display without requiring separate dedicated display devices, thereby limiting the increase in overall device complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The light-blocking function and the information display function are merged into a single transparent screen component. Rather than having separate elements for blocking light and displaying information, the system combines these functions in one device that can selectively perform both tasks, reducing the number of components needed while improving operational ease through integrated control.
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 solution improves the quality of the video sensor feed by managing bright lights, ensuring high dynamic range and enhancing safety by maintaining situational awareness, while also providing essential visual information to the operator or autonomous driving software.
Implementation Method 1
the screen, when acting on the control information, transmits light through parts of the screen not comprised in the selected area and blocks or distorts light passing through the selected area toward the video sensor element
Data Source
AI summary
An apparatus for use in a vehicle is provided. The apparatus includes at least one processing core and at least one memory storing instructions that, when executed by the at least one processing core, cause the apparatus at least to send control information to control an at least in part transparent screen placed, or configured to be placed, at least in part in a field of view of a video sensor element of the vehicle, select an area of the screen which encompasses a part, or all of the screen, and determine the control information so that the screen, when acting on the control information, transmits light through parts of the screen not included in the selected area and blocks or distorts light passing through the selected area toward the video sensor element.