Dual Camera Readout Channels for Flicker-Aware Vehicle Navigation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Autonomous vehicles face challenges in navigating due to the vast amount of data they need to process and store, which can limit or adversely affect navigation, and traditional mapping technologies pose daunting data management issues.
Innovation Solution
A dual sensor readout channel system using cameras with different frame capture rates to detect flickering and non-flickering light sources, allowing for efficient image analysis and navigation responses, including stereo image analysis and sparse map construction.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If traditional mapping technology is used for autonomous vehicle navigation, then navigation capability is provided, but data storage and processing burden increases significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts and removes unnecessary map data from the navigation system. Instead of relying on comprehensive traditional maps, the system only captures and processes sparse visual features directly observed from camera images, eliminating the need to store and process large volumes of pre-collected map data while maintaining navigation functionality.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent segments the navigation data into essential visual features only. By dividing the environment into discrete detectable elements (lane markings, traffic signals, obstacles) that can be identified from sparse images, the system processes only relevant information rather than handling complete map datasets.
2Measurement precision
If dual sensor readout channel with different frame capture rates is used, then flickering light source detection capability is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs periodic action by capturing images at different frame rates that are multiples of each other. The first channel captures at a base frame rate while the second channel captures at integer multiples of that rate, creating a periodic sampling pattern that enables detection of flickering light sources through temporal analysis of the captured sequences.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent makes the imaging system multi-functional by using the same camera hardware to perform both standard navigation imaging and flickering light detection. The dual readout channel system allows the camera to simultaneously capture visual scenes for navigation while detecting temporal variations in light sources, eliminating the need for separate dedicated sensors.
Data Source
AI summary
The present disclosure relates to navigation and to systems and methods for using a dual sensor readout channel to allow for frequency detection. In one implementation, at least one processing device may receive a plurality of images acquired by a camera onboard a host vehicle, wherein the plurality of images are received via a first channel and via a second channel, and wherein the first channel is associated with a first frame capture rate, and the second channel is associated with a second frame capture rate different from the first frame capture rate. The processing device may use images received via the first channel to detect flickering and non-flickering light sources in an environment of the host vehicle; and provide, based on images received via the second channel, images for showing on one or more human-viewable displays.