Door Handle Camera Integration for Vehicle Blind Spot Surveillance
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing camera arrangements for motor vehicles, particularly those mounted on mudguards and wing mirrors, face issues with high exposure to dirt and stone chipping, and require complex electrical connections, leading to reliability concerns for blind spot surveillance and lane-departure-warning systems.
Innovation Solution
Integrating a camera into the door handle of a motor vehicle, which provides a sheltered location and easy electrical connection, allowing real-time image capture of the surrounding area for blind spot surveillance and other applications, with an optional lighting unit and transparent cover for enhanced protection and visibility.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If cameras are arranged on mudguards, then real-time view of surrounding area is provided, but exposure to dirt and stone chipping increases
Solution Approach 1:
The camera is extracted from the mudguard location and relocated to the door handle. This removes the camera from the harmful environment near the wheel arch where dirt and stones are prevalent, while preserving the camera's surveillance function for blind spot detection and surrounding area monitoring.
Solution Approach 2:
The door handle serves as an intermediary mounting location that provides electrical connectivity to the control unit while being positioned in a sheltered area away from direct exposure to road debris. The door handle acts as a mediator between the camera system and the vehicle's electrical architecture.
2Ease of operation
If cameras are arranged on wing mirrors, then electrical connection to control unit is simplified, but dirt exposure and impact risk increase
Solution Approach 1:
The camera mounting location is extracted from the wing mirror and relocated to the door handle. This removes the camera from the exposed position on the mirror while maintaining electrical connectivity through the door handle's existing wiring to the control unit.
3Reliability
If cameras are arranged on the front of the vehicle, then surrounding area surveillance is enabled, but complex electrical connections are required
Solution Approach 1:
The door handle serves as an intermediary mounting point that leverages the existing electrical infrastructure of the door assembly. This intermediary location provides direct access to the control unit through the door's electrical system, simplifying wiring compared to front-mounted positions.
4Ease of operation
If sensors are arranged in external rear view mirrors, then blind spot detection is achieved, but reliability and trustworthiness decrease due to dirt and impact exposure
Solution Approach 1:
The sensor (camera) is extracted from the external rear view mirror and relocated to the door handle. This extraction removes the sensor from the high-exposure environment while preserving the blind spot detection function, thereby improving reliability and trustworthiness of the surveillance system.
Data Source
Figure 1
AI summary
A camera arrangement for a motor vehicle for surveillance of at least a part of surrounding located laterally next to the motor vehicle with respect to driving direction (D) is described. The camera arrangement comprises at least one camera (09, 15) capturing real time images of an area under surveillance. The at least one camera (09, 15) is arranged or integrated in at least one door handle (03) of at least one door (01) of the motor vehicle. Also a door handle (03) of a motor vehicle is described. Within the door handle (03) a camera (09, 15) for surveillance of at least a part of surrounding located laterally next to the motor vehicle with respect to driving direction (D) is arranged or integrated.