Driver Monitoring Camera Obstruction Handling in Vehicles
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current direct driver monitoring systems (DMSs) face challenges in assessing a driver's state when the camera is obstructed, leading to unnecessary alerts or loss of vehicle functionality, as they treat unknown situations similarly to inattentive states, potentially disrupting safe operations.
Innovation Solution
A system with a controller that communicates with the DMS to determine the cause of camera obstruction, adjusting the escalation algorithm and modifying vehicle systems, such as tinting the sunroof or adjusting the steering wheel ratio, to mitigate the obstruction and prevent unnecessary alerts.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If the DMS treats unknown situations (camera obstruction) identically to inattentive driver detection, then the system maintains simplicity in its response logic, but this results in unnecessary alerts and loss of vehicle functionality when the driver is actually paying attention
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the camera obstruction problem into distinct causes (sun glare, steering wheel blocking, hand blocking, etc.) and applies different handling strategies for each cause. Instead of treating all obstructions uniformly, the system identifies the specific cause and applies targeted mitigation or alerting, thereby improving reliability without significantly increasing overall system complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the parameter of camera field-of-view by adjusting steering wheel ratio via steer-by-wire system or modifying sunroof tint levels. These parameter changes allow the system to mitigate obstruction causes dynamically, improving the reliability of driver monitoring while maintaining manageable system complexity through automated adjustments.
2Reliability
If the DMS implements cause determination and differentiated response strategies, then the reliability of driver attention state determination improves, but the device complexity increases due to additional sensors, processors, and control systems
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs a controller that serves multiple functions: it determines camera obstruction causes, adjusts vehicle systems (steering wheel ratio, sunroof tint), manages escalation algorithms, and generates alerts. This multi-functionality consolidates complexity into a single control unit rather than distributing it across multiple specialized components, thereby improving reliability without proportionally increasing overall system complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs self-diagnosis by analyzing camera feed quality and automatically determining obstruction causes. It then self-corrects by adjusting steering wheel ratio or sunroof tint without requiring external intervention. This self-service capability improves reliability while minimizing the need for additional complex monitoring and control infrastructure.
3Reliability
If the system adjusts vehicle systems like steering wheel ratio or sunroof tint to mitigate obstruction, then the camera monitoring reliability improves, but the ease of operation decreases as the driver loses direct control
Solution Approach 1:
The system applies preliminary anti-action by automatically adjusting steering wheel ratio or sunroof tint before the driver experiences significant disruption. By proactively mitigating obstruction causes, the system prevents the need for drivers to manually intervene, thereby maintaining ease of operation while improving camera monitoring reliability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements dynamic adjustments where the steering wheel ratio and sunroof tint are automatically modified in real-time based on detected obstruction causes. These dynamic changes allow the system to adapt to varying driving conditions and obstruction types, improving monitoring reliability while maintaining driver comfort and operational ease through automated, context-aware adjustments.
Data Source
AI summary
Methods and systems are provided for improving a Driver Monitoring System (DMS) of a vehicle. The system includes a controller in operable communication with the DMS of the vehicle. The controller is configured to, by a processor: receive a signal from the DMS that a camera of the DMS is unable to monitor a driver of the vehicle, determine a cause of the camera being unable to monitor the driver, and adjust an escalation algorithm of the DMS based on the determined cause of the camera being unable to monitor the driver. The escalation algorithm is configured to perform actions based on activity of the driver.