Door Mirror Cut Filter Heater for Fogging and Backlighting
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing door mirror systems face challenges with fogging and reduced field of view due to the need for large-capacity heaters and the use of single cameras, which complicates image capturing and obstacle detection, especially under backlighting conditions.
Innovation Solution
A door mirror system with two cameras and a cut filter, where the heater is strategically positioned on the cut filter to efficiently heat only necessary areas, reducing fogging and light incidence, and allowing for adjustable image-capturing ranges and simplified control for image capturing and obstacle detection.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a heater is provided inside the mirror housing to prevent fogging, then fogging is eliminated, but the heater capacity must be large to heat the entire housing
Solution Approach 1:
The heater is positioned to heat only the cut filter surface and camera lens areas rather than the entire mirror housing. This localized heating approach prevents fogging at the critical surfaces (cut filter and lens) where it matters most, while avoiding the need to heat the whole housing volume, thus reducing the required heater capacity.
2Illumination intensity
If a highly sensitive camera is used to enhance nighttime visibility, then nighttime visibility is improved, but image capturing becomes unclear under backlighting conditions
Solution Approach 1:
A cut filter is introduced to modify the light parameters by reducing the quantity of incident light from backlighting directions. This allows the highly sensitive camera to maintain its nighttime visibility performance while the cut filter prevents excessive backlighting light from overwhelming the sensor, thus maintaining image clarity under various lighting conditions.
3Device complexity
If only one camera is provided, then device complexity is reduced, but angle of view adjustment and obstacle detection become difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The system uses a movable cut filter that can be tilted to adjust the angle of view. This dynamic adjustment mechanism allows a single camera system to capture different fields of view by changing the cut filter orientation, providing angle of view adjustment capability without adding multiple cameras or complex mechanical structures.
4Device complexity
If one camera is used for both image capturing and obstacle detection, then device complexity is reduced, but control becomes complicated
Solution Approach 1:
The system separates the functions of image capturing and obstacle detection by using the camera and monitor for image capturing, and the proximity sensor for obstacle detection. This functional segmentation allows each component to specialize in its designated task, simplifying the control logic compared to using a single camera for both purposes.
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 system effectively prevents fogging and reduces light incidence, maintaining a clear field of view even under backlighting conditions, while allowing for easy adjustment of image-capturing ranges and simplifying control for image capturing and obstacle detection.
Implementation Method 1
a heater that is provided on a surface of the cut filter on the camera unit side and is capable of heating the cut filter
Implementation Method 2
a cut filter that reduces a quantity of light incident on the camera unit
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3~4
AI summary
A door mirror includes a mirror housing (2) that is provided in a side portion of a vehicle body (101), a camera unit (30) that is accommodated inside the mirror housing (2) and captures an image of a side behind the vehicle body (101), a cut filter (9) that reduces a quantity of light incident on the camera unit (30), and a heater (17) that is provided on a rear surface (9a) of the cut filter (9) on the camera unit (30) side and is capable of heating the cut filter (9). The camera unit (30) is disposed such that a central axis (31p), (32p) intersects a surface direction of the cut filter (9). The camera unit (30) and the heater (17) are disposed adjacent to each other.