Vehicle Camera Wiper Synchronization and Interference Removal
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Solution Overview
Problem
Vehicle cameras face challenges in maintaining image quality during wiper operations in bad weather, as conventional systems either limit image precision or fail to adapt to changing conditions like rain or snow.
Innovation Solution
A control device and method that synchronizes the vehicle camera's imaging cycle with the wiper operation cycle, using a wiper relay and camera controller to manage imaging periods and an image filter to estimate and remove wiper interference from images based on edge information.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If the camera operates in automatic mode controlled by external illuminance, then image quality is improved compared to fixed mode, but the camera cannot properly handle situations where external factors such as rain amount or wiper operation speed change
Solution Approach 1:
The camera control system transitions from static illuminance-based control to dynamic control that adapts to changing external factors. The controller receives wiper operation signals and adjusts imaging parameters in real-time based on the detected wiper state and environmental conditions, enabling the system to dynamically respond to rain intensity and wiper speed variations.
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements feedback by receiving wiper operation signals from the wiper control unit and using this information to adjust camera imaging parameters. The controller continuously monitors wiper operation status and modifies exposure, gain, and other parameters based on this feedback, creating a closed-loop control system that adapts to changing conditions.
2Measurement precision
If the imaging control unit prevents reception of image signals during wiper operation periods, then image information precision is secured, but input image information is inevitably limited
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of discarding images taken during wiper operation, the system extracts and removes only the wiper interference portions from the images. The image processing unit identifies wiper regions based on edge detection and pattern recognition, then removes or corrects only those specific areas while preserving the rest of the image data, thereby maintaining information continuity.
Solution Approach 2:
The system recovers useful information from images that would otherwise be discarded during wiper operation. By identifying and removing only the wiper interference portions rather than discarding entire images, the system recovers valuable image data that contains useful driving information, transforming previously useless images into valuable input data.
Data Source
AI summary
A control device for a vehicle camera may include: a wiper relay connected to a multi-function switch to operate a vehicle wiper at a predetermined cycle; a camera controller connected to the wiper relay, and synchronizing the operation cycle of the wiper with an imaging cycle of the vehicle camera such that the vehicle camera images the front of the vehicle according to the operation period of the wiper; and an image filter connected to the camera controller, estimating the position of the wiper from edge information of the images taken by the camera, and searching and removing the wiper in the taken images.