Excavator Back Camera Layout for Clear Counterweight Width View
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Solution Overview
Problem
Operators have difficulty understanding the relationship between features behind a shovel and its width when moving backward due to the counterweight edge image overlaying the entire back camera-captured image, obscuring the left and right ends of the counterweight.
Innovation Solution
A shovel equipped with a lower traveling structure, an upper swing structure mounted via a swing mechanism, an image capturing device attached to the upper swing structure to capture surrounding images, and a display device that reduces distortion at the edge of the upper surface, allowing for clearer display of the counterweight's width and surrounding features.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of information
If the back camera is attached to capture the entire width of the counterweight edge, then the full width of the counterweight is visible, but distortion occurs at the edges of the upper swing structure making it difficult to understand the relationship between surrounding features and shovel width
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transforms the 2D image display problem into a 3D spatial solution by positioning the back camera at a specific height above the upper swing structure. This vertical dimension placement allows the camera to capture the entire counterweight width while minimizing edge distortion, as the camera views the scene from an elevated perspective rather than at ground level.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the physical parameters of the camera system by specifying the back camera be attached at a predetermined height above the upper swing structure. This parameter adjustment (camera height) optimizes the balance between capturing full counterweight width and reducing edge distortion, directly addressing the technical contradiction.
2Loss of information
If the back camera is positioned to include the entire counterweight edge, then complete width information is provided, but the operator cannot accurately judge the relationship between surrounding features and shovel width
Solution Approach 1:
By elevating the camera to a higher dimension (vertical height above the upper swing structure), the system captures both the complete counterweight width and reduces perspective distortion simultaneously. This dimensional change provides the operator with accurate spatial relationships for judging distances to surrounding features like cliffs, pits, and obstacles.
Solution Approach 2:
The camera is pre-positioned at the optimal height before operation begins, establishing the correct viewing angle and field of view in advance. This preliminary positioning ensures that the operator immediately receives accurate visual information about the relationship between the shovel width and surrounding features without requiring adjustment during operation.
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3A
AI summary
A shovel (PS) includes a lower traveling structure (1), an upper swing structure (3) mounted on the lower traveling structure (1) via a swing mechanism (2), a back camera (80B) attached to the upper swing structure (3) to capture an image of an area surrounding the upper swing structure (3), and a display device (40) configured to display the image captured by the back camera (80B). The display device (40) is configured to display the image captured by the back camera (80B) such that distortion in a part of an edge of the upper surface of the upper swing structure (3) is reduced compared with distortion in another part in the image.