Curved Mirror Cloaking Device for Vehicle Blind Spot Reduction
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing cloaking devices for vehicle pillars rely on complex metamaterials or video technology, which are cumbersome and not easily adaptable for making pillars appear transparent, thereby not effectively addressing blind spots.
Innovation Solution
A cloaking device utilizing a system of curved mirrors that redirect light around a cloaked region, creating an image on the opposite side, allowing the light from an object to appear as if it passes through the pillar, without the need for metamaterials or video technology.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If metamaterials or video technology are used to make vehicle pillars transparent, then the pillars can appear transparent and blind spots are reduced, but the device complexity and manufacturing difficulty increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces complex metamaterial structures and video camera systems with a simpler optical system using curved mirrors. The first and second curved mirrors redirect light around the pillar in a purely mechanical/optical manner, eliminating the need for electronic components, power sources, and complex material synthesis required by metamaterials and video technology.
Solution Approach 2:
The curved mirrors create an optical copy or image of the scene behind the pillar by redirecting light rays. Instead of using video cameras to capture and display images, the system uses mirrors to directly form an optical image that the driver perceives as if looking through the pillar, simplifying the overall system.
2Reliability
If metamaterials are used to create transparent pillars, then light can be redirected around the pillar, but the manufacturing precision and material design requirements become extremely complex
Solution Approach 1:
The patent substitutes the complex metamaterial light redirection mechanism with a conventional optical system using curved mirrors. The mirrors' geometric shapes are designed to redirect light rays around the pillar, achieving the same light redirection function without requiring nanoscale material fabrication or complex material properties.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs curved (spheroidal or parabolic) mirror surfaces to redirect light rays. The curvature of these mirrors is specifically designed to bend light paths around the pillar, providing a geometric solution that is easier to manufacture than metamaterials while achieving the desired light redirection effect.
3Reliability
If video cameras and display screens are used to make pillars transparent, then blind spots are reduced, but the device complexity and equipment requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the electronic video camera and display screen system with a passive optical mirror system. The curved mirrors directly redirect light from the blind spot area to the driver's eyes, eliminating the need for image capture, processing, and display electronics, thereby significantly reducing device complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The mirror system operates passively without requiring power sources, image processing units, or active control systems. The curved mirrors automatically redirect light based on their geometric configuration, making the system self-sufficient and eliminating the need for complex electronic equipment.
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 effectively removes blind spots by allowing drivers to perceive obstructed areas, enhancing visibility without the complexity of previous technologies, using omnidirectional photonic crystals and parabolic mirrors to redirect light and create a transparent-like effect.
Implementation Method 1
Light from an object positioned on the object-side of the cloaking device and obscured by the CR is redirected around the CR via reflection, focusing and defocusing of the light by the outward facing mirror surface of the object-side curved CR boundary
Implementation Method 2
the outward facing mirror surface of the object-side curved CR boundary and the inward facing mirror surface of the object-side curved reflection boundary are shaped, positioned and spaced apart from each other such that the outward facing mirror surface reflects and focuses light to a focal point positioned between the outward facing mirror surface of the object-side curved CR boundary and the inward facing mirror surface of the outward-side curved reflection boundary
Data Source
AI summary
A cloaking device includes object-side and image-side curved cloaking region boundaries with outward facing mirror surfaces and inward facing opaque surfaces. A cloaking region is bounded by the inward facing opaque surfaces of the object-side and image-side curved CR boundaries. An object-side curved reflection boundary with an inward facing mirror surface is positioned proximate to the object-side curved cloaking region boundary and an image-side curved reflection boundary with an inward facing mirror surface is positioned proximate to the image-side curved cloaking region boundary. Light from an object located on the object-side of the cloaking device and obscured by the cloaking region is redirected around the cloaking region by the outward facing mirror surfaces of the object-side and image-side curved cloaking region boundaries and the inward facing mirror surfaces of the object-side and image-side curved reflection boundaries.