Camera View Zoom for Tractor-Trailer Hazard Visibility

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Solution Overview

Problem

Commercial vehicles face challenges in providing comprehensive visibility due to their substantial length, limiting the effectiveness of conventional mirrors and camera monitoring systems in enhancing driver awareness.

Innovation Solution

A camera monitoring system that includes multiple cameras and displays, with a controller to identify triggering events, recognize features, and modify displayed views by cropping and enlarging specific regions of interest, providing enhanced field of view and awareness through dynamic image processing and overlays.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Loss of information

If a camera monitoring system is used to provide a wider field of view, then driver awareness is improved, but the ability to focus on specific critical features is reduced

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvefield of view coverageVSAvoidfeature detail visibility
Core Design Contradiction:
Loss of informationVSMeasurement precision

Solution Approach 1:

The camera field of view is segmented into multiple display regions: a first region showing a wide-angle legally prescribed field of view, and a second region showing a zoomed-in portion of the captured image. This segmentation allows the driver to simultaneously see both the overall scene and critical features in detail, resolving the contradiction between wide coverage and feature detail visibility.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The system transitions from a single two-dimensional display to a multi-region display arrangement that effectively creates an additional dimension of information presentation. By overlaying or placing adjacent to the wide-angle view a zoomed-in portion showing critical features, the system provides both global context and local detail without requiring the driver to switch between different views.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

2Reliability

If the displayed field of view is enlarged to show critical features, then driver awareness of hazards is improved, but the legally prescribed field of view coverage is reduced

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvehazard detection accuracyVSAvoidlegal compliance
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The display is segmented into distinct regions where the first region maintains the complete legally prescribed field of view for regulatory compliance, while the second region provides an enlarged view of critical features for enhanced hazard detection. This segmentation ensures both legal requirements and safety enhancement needs are met simultaneously.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The system displays more than the minimum legally required field of view by including both the prescribed view and an additional zoomed-in region. This partial action approach shows that while the legal minimum is satisfied, the system provides extra information about critical features to improve safety without compromising compliance.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #16Partial or excessive action

3Loss of information

If multiple displays are used to show different regions of interest, then comprehensive visibility is improved, but device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvevisibility coverageVSAvoiddisplay system configuration
Core Design Contradiction:
Loss of informationVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

Multiple camera feeds and multiple display regions are merged into a unified display arrangement. The system combines the wide-angle legally prescribed view with zoomed-in portions from the same or different cameras, presenting them together in a coordinated manner that reduces overall system complexity while maintaining comprehensive visibility coverage.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Data Source

PatentEP4610946A1Camera monitoring system including field of view zoom
Publication Date: 2025.09.03 STONERIDGE ELECTRONICS
  • EP4610946A1 patent drawingFigure 1A
  • EP4610946A1 patent drawingFigure 1B
  • EP4610946A1 patent drawingFigure 2A

AI summary

A method of displaying camera views in a camera monitor system for a tractor and trailer, the method includes information that is displayed to a driver on a display, a field of view that is captured with a camera, a triggering event that is identified related to the captured field of view, a feature that is recognized in the captured field of view related to the triggering event, and the displayed information is modified to include displaying at least a portion of the captured field of view including the feature.