Onboard Camera Verification for Automatic Garage Door Safety
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing garage door opener technologies do not verify the functionality of pinch sensing mechanisms and photoelectric beam breaking mechanisms before enabling automatic opening and closing, posing a risk of damage or accidents.
Innovation Solution
A method using an onboard vehicle camera with AI test verification to confirm proper operation of garage door pinch sensing and photoelectric beam breaking mechanisms through a trained AI module, enabling automatic garage door operation only after successful completion of a test.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If garage door openers are equipped with pinch sensing and photoelectric beam breaking mechanisms, then safety is improved, but there is no verification that these mechanisms are operating properly before automatic control is enabled
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary testing of safety mechanisms before enabling automatic garage door operation. A test mode is activated that automatically executes tests of pinch sensing and photoelectric beam breaking mechanisms, and only after successful verification are the safety mechanisms confirmed operational and automatic control enabled.
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses the vehicle's existing onboard camera to perform self-verification of safety mechanisms. The camera captures video during automated tests, and AI processing occurs within the vehicle's own computing resources, eliminating the need for external verification equipment or manual inspection.
2Reliability
If manual verification of safety mechanisms is required before enabling automatic control, then reliability is improved, but ease of operation deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
Manual verification procedures are replaced with automated electronic verification. Instead of requiring a user to manually test safety mechanisms, the system automatically executes test sequences, captures video evidence, processes the footage through AI algorithms, and determines whether safety mechanisms are functional, all without user intervention beyond initiating the test mode.
Solution Approach 2:
The system provides automatic feedback to the user regarding the status of safety mechanisms. After completing tests, the system analyzes video footage and communicates the results, informing the user whether pinch sensing and photoelectric beam breaking mechanisms are operational and whether automatic control can be safely enabled.
3Measurement precision
If AI test verification using onboard camera is implemented, then measurement precision of safety mechanism functionality is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The onboard camera serves multiple functions: it acts as a regular vehicle camera for general purposes and simultaneously functions as a verification tool for safety mechanisms. The same camera hardware is used for both everyday vehicle operations and for capturing test evidence, eliminating the need for dedicated verification equipment.
Solution Approach 2:
The system creates a visual copy of the safety mechanism operation through video recording. Instead of directly measuring mechanical or optical parameters, the system captures video footage that replicates the visual evidence of safety mechanism function, then uses AI to analyze this visual copy to determine operational status.
Data Source
AI summary
A computer-implemented method for detecting a garage door opener test using a camera located on or in a vehicle. The method includes receiving a video of a garage door opener test associated with a garage door of a garage. The method also includes determining successful completion of the garage door opener test. In response to the successful completion of the garage door test, the method includes enabling an automatic garage door open and close functionality in the vehicle.