Display Error Detection via Pixel Classification and Color Thresholds

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current methods for displaying safety-relevant information in complex information technology systems, such as in vehicles, are inflexible and prone to errors, as they rely on checksums that fail to tolerate deviations like background changes or shadow effects, leading to incorrect or missing information display when errors occur.

Innovation Solution

A method and device that compare current and reference displays by dividing them into areas/pixels classified as background, foreground, edge, and irrelevant, with color value intervals set for each class, allowing for immediate mode changes if errors are detected, ensuring safety-relevant information is displayed reliably by switching to a safety display mode.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If checksum-based error detection is used for display verification, then error detection capability is provided, but the method is too rigid and cannot tolerate legitimate deviations such as background changes or shadow effects

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveerror detection capabilityVSAvoidtolerance to legitimate deviations
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies local quality by classifying different regions of the display into distinct categories (foreground, background, edge, irrelevant) and applying different comparison tolerances to each class. Safety-relevant foreground elements are strictly verified, while background and irrelevant regions are tolerated to allow legitimate visual variations without triggering false error detections.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

Solution Approach 2:

The patent segments the display content into multiple classification categories based on their safety relevance. By dividing the display into foreground (safety-critical), background, edge, and irrelevant regions, the system can apply differentiated error tolerance levels to each segment, resolving the contradiction between strict error detection and tolerance for legitimate variations.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

2Manufacturing precision

If strict image comparison is performed to ensure display accuracy, then display precision is improved, but false error detections increase due to legitimate visual variations

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedisplay accuracyVSAvoidfalse error detection rate
Core Design Contradiction:
Manufacturing precisionVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

Different comparison strictness levels are applied to different display regions. Foreground elements containing safety information undergo strict pixel-by-pixel comparison, while background and irrelevant regions are either excluded from comparison or subjected to more lenient tolerance thresholds, preventing false error detections from legitimate visual variations.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

Solution Approach 2:

The display is segmented into safety-critical and non-critical regions, allowing the system to maintain high display accuracy for safety information while tolerating variations in non-essential areas, thus reducing false error detections without compromising the precision of safety-relevant content.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

3Reliability

If the display mode switches to safety display mode upon error detection, then reliability of safety information is improved, but the user experience and information quality deteriorate due to mode switching

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvesafety information display reliabilityVSAvoiduser experience quality
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments error detection into safety-critical and non-critical categories. Only errors in foreground (safety-relevant) elements trigger a mode switch to safety display, while errors or variations in background and irrelevant regions are tolerated and do not cause disruptive mode changes, thereby maintaining user experience quality while ensuring safety information reliability.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The system applies different response strategies to different error types based on their location and safety relevance. Errors in safety-critical foreground elements trigger reliable safety mode switching, while variations in non-critical background areas are tolerated without affecting user experience, thus resolving the contradiction between reliability and ease of operation.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

Data Source

PatentEP3571085B1Method and device for displaying a notification for a user and working device
Publication Date: 2023.04.19 BAYERISCHE MOTOREN WERKE AG
  • EP3571085B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3571085B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP3571085B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

The invention relates to a method for displaying a notification for a user, in which, (i) in a first or normal display mode, first image data (31) associated with the notification is displayed on a display unit (20), (ii) in a second or safety display mode, second image data (32) associated with the notification is displayed on a display unit (20), in particular the same display unit, if a predetermined error condition is satisfied in the normal display mode, and (iii) the fulfillment of the predetermined error condition is examined by comparing a current display (26) of the first image data (31) by the display unit (20) in the normal display mode with a reference display (26') of the first image data (31) by the display unit (20) in the normal display mode for the purpose of detecting the presence of image errors. For the comparison, the current display (26) and the reference display (26') are divided into regions and/or pixels (51), to which are assigned to classes (51-0,..., 51-1) as background (51 -0), foreground (51 -1), image edge (51 -2) and/or irrelevant (51 -3). For each class (51-0,..., 51-1), color value intervals and/or color threshold values are defined, in particular on the basis of an RGB scheme. A position within or outside the color value intervals and/or color threshold values is determined for each region and/or for each pixel (51) and for each class (51-0,..., 51-1). An image error is identified if said position is outside the color value intervals and/or color threshold values.