Vehicular Vision With Eye-Tracked AR for Blind Spot Viewing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current vehicle vision systems lack the ability to provide a clear view of obstructed areas, such as blind spots, without the need for additional mirrors or displays, and do not effectively utilize augmented reality to enhance driver awareness during parking or maneuvering.
Innovation Solution
A vehicle vision system that uses one or more CMOS cameras and head and eye tracking technology to display a virtual view through heads-up glasses, allowing drivers to see exterior images in real-time, even when obstructed by vehicle parts, by projecting images onto the glasses based on the driver's gaze direction, incorporating data from multiple cameras and sensors.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If traditional vehicle vision systems are used, then the system structure is simple, but the ability to provide clear view of obstructed areas is insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple cameras (front, rear, side cameras) with heads-up display glasses to create an integrated vision system. The cameras capture images from multiple angles and the HUD glasses overlay these images to provide a clear virtual view through obstructed areas, resolving the contradiction between view clarity and system complexity by merging existing components into a coordinated system.
Solution Approach 2:
The heads-up display glasses act as an intermediary device that receives image data from multiple cameras and presents a synthesized virtual view to the driver. This intermediary component enables clear viewing of obstructed areas without requiring direct line-of-sight cameras, thus improving reliability while managing system complexity through a centralized display interface.
2Adaptability or versatility
If additional mirrors or displays are added to improve view of blind spots, then the view coverage is improved, but the device complexity and weight increase
Solution Approach 1:
The heads-up display glasses serve multiple functions: they display images from multiple cameras, provide virtual view through obstructed areas, and enable head/eye tracking for dynamic view adjustment. This multi-functional approach improves view coverage without adding separate dedicated components for each function, thus enhancing adaptability while controlling device complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The system transitions from traditional 2D mirror/reflection-based viewing to a synthesized 3D virtual view presented through transparent HUD glasses. This dimensional change allows the driver to perceive depth and spatial relationships in obstructed areas more naturally, improving versatility without proportionally increasing component count.
3Measurement precision
If head and eye tracking technology is integrated, then the virtual view accuracy is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The heads-up display glasses incorporate built-in head and eye tracking sensors that automatically monitor the driver's gaze direction and head position. This self-service capability enables the system to dynamically adjust the virtual view without requiring external tracking devices, improving measurement precision while managing complexity by integrating sensors directly into the glasses.
Solution Approach 2:
The system continuously monitors head and eye position through integrated sensors and uses this feedback to dynamically adjust the virtual view presentation in real-time. This closed-loop feedback mechanism ensures high virtual view accuracy by constantly adapting to the driver's changing gaze direction, resolving the contradiction between precision and complexity through intelligent control.
4Reliability
If multiple cameras and sensors are used, then the augmented reality view quality is improved, but the weight and power consumption increase
Solution Approach 1:
The vision system is segmented into distributed camera units positioned at different locations on the vehicle (front, rear, sides) rather than using a single heavy camera array. Each camera captures a portion of the scene, and the HUD glasses synthesize these segments into a complete virtual view. This segmentation reduces the weight of any single component while maintaining high augmented reality view quality through coordinated multi-camera operation.
Data Source
AI summary
A vehicular vision system includes an interior-viewing camera disposed in a vehicle and viewing a driver of the vehicle, and a forward-viewing camera disposed at the vehicle and viewing at least forward of the vehicle. Responsive to image processing of image data captured by the interior-viewing camera, at least one selected from the group consisting of (i) position of the driver's head is determined and (ii) direction that the driver's eyes are viewing is determined. Responsive to image processing of image data captured by the forward-viewing camera and to image processing of image data captured by the interior-viewing camera, an object present exterior of the equipped vehicle and viewable by the driver is detected.