Gate-Mounted Imaging for Vehicle Underfloor Inspection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing vehicle surveillance systems for inspecting the underfloor space are costly, complex, and prone to damage or contamination, requiring additional mechanisms for camera orientation changes and dedicated underfloor camera installations, which complicates and increases the cost of inspection.
Innovation Solution
An image pickup system integrated with a gate unit, including an imaging unit, gate descent detector, image clipper, memory, and driving start detector, which captures and stores underfloor images when the gate is descended and outputs them when the vehicle starts driving, eliminating the need for a dedicated underfloor camera and reducing costs by using the gate's movement to change the imaging direction.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a dedicated camera is installed under the floor of the vehicle for inspection, then the underfloor inspection capability is improved, but the device complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The imaging unit originally designed to capture the rear view of the vehicle is made multi-functional by utilizing its ability to capture underfloor images when the gate unit is in the descended state. This eliminates the need for a dedicated underfloor camera while maintaining inspection capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent combines the rear view imaging function and underfloor inspection function into a single imaging unit. By merging these functions, the system reduces the number of components needed while achieving both objectives.
2Reliability
If a camera is installed under the floor of the vehicle, then the underfloor inspection capability is improved, but the reliability deteriorates due to damage risk and contamination
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of placing the camera directly in the harsh underfloor environment, the patent uses the existing imaging unit that captures images when the gate is descended. This creates a safe copy of the inspection function without exposing sensitive equipment to harmful factors.
Solution Approach 2:
The gate unit acts as an intermediary mechanism that enables the imaging unit to capture underfloor images without the camera being physically exposed to the harsh underfloor environment. The gate's movement mediates between the safe camera location and the inspection target.
3Reliability
If a mechanism is added to accommodate the camera during non-inspection time, then the camera protection is improved, but the device complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The gate unit's natural movement between raised and descended states automatically provides the camera protection and inspection positioning functions. The system uses the existing gate mechanism's self-service capability without adding separate accommodation mechanisms.
4Adaptability or versatility
If a mechanism is added to switch the imaging direction of the camera, then the imaging flexibility is improved, but the device complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of using a mechanical switching mechanism, the patent dynamically changes the imaging direction by utilizing the gate unit's movement. When the gate is descended, the imaging unit naturally captures underfloor images, providing flexible imaging without additional mechanisms.
Data Source
AI summary
An image pickup system includes an imaging unit provided to a gate unit, a gate descent detector configured to detect descent of the gate unit, an image clipper configured to clip a part of an image captured by the imaging unit, a memory configured to store an image clipped by the image clipper, and a driving start detector configured to detect driving start. The memory stores an image of an underfloor of a vehicle of a user clipped by the image clipper in a case where the gate descent detector detects the descent of the gate unit. The image clipper outputs the image of the underfloor of the vehicle stored in the memory in a case where the driving start detector detects the driving start.