Electronic Rearview Mirror Clipping for Following Vehicle Distance
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Electronic rearview mirrors struggle to accurately recognize the distance of a following vehicle due to their two-dimensional video display, which makes it difficult for drivers to gauge the distance using eye convergence or focus adjustments, and the mounting position of imagers is often closer to the following vehicle than traditional rearview mirrors, leading to incomplete views, especially when the following vehicle approaches.
Innovation Solution
An on-vehicle display system that includes an imager positioned to capture a wider field of view, a video data processing unit to detect and identify the lower part of following vehicles, and a display controller that clips and displays the relevant video data to include the vehicle's lower part, ensuring the driver can accurately assess the distance by showing the vehicle's lower end and road surface.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Area of stationary object
If the imager is arranged at a rear end of the vehicle to provide a wider field of view, then the mounting position is closer to the following vehicle, but the bottom end of the following vehicle and road are not displayed when the following vehicle approaches
Solution Approach 1:
The clipping area is dynamically adjusted based on the detected position of the following vehicle. When a following vehicle is detected, the system identifies its lower part and sets the clipping area to include this region, ensuring the bottom end of the following vehicle and road surface are displayed. This dynamic adaptation resolves the contradiction between maintaining a wide field of view and ensuring visibility of the following vehicle's lower part.
2Device complexity
If the electronic rearview mirror displays a real image of two-dimensional video, then the display is simpler, but it is difficult to recognize the distance to an object using eye convergence angle or eye focus adjustment
Solution Approach 1:
The system enhances the two-dimensional video display by incorporating depth-cueing information through strategic clipping and display of reference objects (lower part of following vehicle and road surface). This adds a perceptual dimension to the 2D display, enabling drivers to estimate distance more accurately without transitioning to a three-dimensional display system, thus resolving the contradiction between display simplicity and distance recognition accuracy.
3Measurement precision
If the clipping area is set to include the lower part of the following vehicle, then the distance recognition is improved, but the processing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary detection of the following vehicle and pre-identification of its lower part before setting the clipping area. By detecting the following vehicle first and then identifying its lower part as a reference object, the system prepares the clipping area configuration in advance, streamlining the processing workflow and reducing overall processing complexity while maintaining accurate distance recognition.
Data Source
AI summary
There is provided an on-vehicle display controller including a video data acquiring unit configured to acquire captured video data obtained through imaging by an imager that is configured to image surroundings of a vehicle, a detecting unit configured to detect at least one following vehicle in the captured video data, an identifying unit configured to identify a lower part of the following vehicle detected by the detecting unit, a display video data generating unit configured to set a clipping area of the captured video data so as to include the lower part of the following vehicle identified by the identifying unit, and generate display video data by performing clipping the clipping area from the captured video data, and a display controller configured to cause a display used in the vehicle to display the display video data generated by the display video data generating unit.