Vehicle Camera Window Cleaning and Movable Flare Reduction
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Solution Overview
Problem
Autonomous and self-driving vehicles face challenges in maintaining clear camera images due to environmental factors like dirt, dust, rain, and insects, which can impair the ability of image sensors to detect objects accurately, necessitating effective camera cleaning and flare reduction mechanisms.
Innovation Solution
The implementation of a housing system with a transparent window and integrated cleaning devices, such as wipers or nozzles, and optical panels with varying optical properties that can be moved in front of the camera lens to adjust image quality, triggered by image analysis for cleanliness and flare detection.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the camera is exposed to the environment for capturing images, then the camera can detect objects in the environment, but the camera lens becomes contaminated with dirt, dust, rain, and insects
Solution Approach 1:
The housing is segmented into an enclosure portion protecting the camera and a transparent window through which light passes. This segmentation allows the camera to remain protected while still capturing environmental images, resolving the contradiction between exposure for detection and protection from contamination.
Solution Approach 2:
A transparent window serves as an intermediary between the camera lens and the external environment. This intermediary allows light transmission for image capture while blocking direct contact between contaminants and the lens, maintaining both detection capability and lens cleanliness.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If a transparent window is added to protect the camera, then the camera is protected from environmental contaminants, but flare artifacts appear in captured images
Solution Approach 1:
The optical panel is made movable between a first position (blocking light to reduce flare) and a second position (allowing light transmission for imaging). This dynamic adjustment resolves the contradiction by adapting the window's optical properties based on operational needs, reducing flare while maintaining protection.
Solution Approach 2:
The optical properties of the transparent window are changed by moving an optical panel to different positions. When the panel is in the first position, it blocks light to eliminate flare; when in the second position, it allows light transmission. This parameter change resolves the contradiction between protection and flare reduction.
3Object-generated harmful factors
If the optical panel is moved to reduce flare, then flare artifacts are reduced in images, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system uses image analysis to automatically detect flare conditions and triggers the optical panel movement accordingly. This self-service approach reduces the need for complex manual control mechanisms, simplifying the overall device while maintaining effective flare reduction capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The system incorporates feedback through image analysis that detects the presence of flare and automatically triggers the optical panel to move to the appropriate position. This feedback mechanism simplifies control by using the captured images themselves to determine when flare reduction is needed, reducing device complexity while maintaining effectiveness.
4Manufacturing precision
If image analysis is performed continuously to detect flare and cleanliness, then image quality is maintained, but the processing time and energy consumption increase
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of continuous analysis, the system performs image analysis periodically or at specific intervals to detect flare and cleanliness conditions. This periodic action maintains image quality while significantly reducing processing time and energy consumption compared to continuous analysis, resolving the contradiction between quality and time loss.
Data Source
AI summary
Provided are devices for camera cleaning and flare reduction for vehicles, which can include a cleaning device for cleaning a transparent window of a housing containing a camera system. The devices can include optical panels with different properties that can be moved in front of the transparent window for flare reduction. Methods are provided which can include analyzing at least one image to determine a presence of an optical flare within the at least one image, and, based on detecting the optical flare, causing at least one optical panel to be moved into a position in front of a lens of the imaging device. Computer program products are also provided.