Construction Vehicle Proximity Plot Display System
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Solution Overview
Problem
Operators of vehicles at construction sites face challenges in recognizing other vehicles due to blind spots created by buildings and fences, which increases the risk of unexpected vehicle appearances from these obscured areas.
Innovation Solution
An information presenting device that uses multiple imaging devices to capture overhead images of a construction site, recognizes vehicle positions, and displays proximity plots on an in-vehicle terminal for vehicles within a certain distance, allowing operators to easily identify nearby vehicles.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If operators rely on direct visual observation from the vehicle, then they can see vehicles in clear line-of-sight, but they cannot detect vehicles in blind spots created by buildings and fences
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transitions from 2D ground-level visual observation to a 3D overhead viewing perspective by deploying imaging devices at elevated positions. This dimensional change allows the system to see over buildings and fences that create blind spots, providing operators with a bird's-eye view of vehicles in previously obscured areas.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces imaging devices and an information presenting device as intermediaries between the operator and the construction site environment. These devices capture images from elevated positions and process them to identify vehicles in blind spots, mediating the operator's perception of the workspace and eliminating the need for direct line-of-sight observation.
2Reliability
If operators increase vigilance and observation time to detect vehicles from blind spots, then detection capability improves, but work efficiency decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements an automated feedback system where imaging devices continuously capture images, the information presenting device processes these images to identify vehicles, and the results are immediately presented to operators. This closed-loop feedback mechanism replaces manual vigilance with automated detection, maintaining high recognition accuracy without requiring additional operator attention or time.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the mechanical system of human visual observation and cognitive processing with an automated image processing system. The imaging devices and information presenting device automatically perform vehicle detection and identification tasks that would otherwise require operators to maintain constant vigilance, freeing operators to focus on their primary work tasks.
3Area of stationary object
If multiple imaging devices are deployed to cover all blind spots, then complete site coverage is achieved, but system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent designs imaging devices with universal functionality that can serve multiple purposes: capturing images for vehicle detection, providing overhead views for operators, and potentially monitoring other construction activities. This multi-functionality reduces the need for specialized devices for each blind spot, simplifying the overall system configuration while maintaining comprehensive coverage.
Data Source
AI summary
A vehicle recognition unit of an information presenting device specifies a position of each of a plurality of vehicles, based on images captured by a plurality of imaging devices installed at a construction site. A vehicle designating unit receives designation of a designated vehicle, among the plurality of specified vehicles. A display control unit outputs a signal for displaying in an overlapping manner a proximity plot representing a position of another vehicle whose distance from the designated vehicle is less than a threshold on an overhead image of the construction site.