Pixelated Vehicle Headlamp Image Stabilization via Sub-Image Segmentation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Advanced vehicle headlamp systems with matrixes of individually controllable LEDs face challenges in stabilizing light output, especially in moving vehicles, when image presentation is used for symbols, images, or road markings, due to the limitations in controlling light intensity and achieving desired lighting effects.
Innovation Solution
The proposed solution involves a circuit that receives video images at a first frame rate, stores them, and uses offset data to define sub-images, which are then driven at a faster second frame rate to increase the frame rate for image stabilization and lighting effects, such as welcome light routines, without requiring complex computing power like a GPU.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Stability of the object's composition
If video images are received at a low frame rate and directly displayed, then the system complexity is reduced, but image stabilization is insufficient in moving vehicles
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides a single video image into multiple sub-images and displays them at different positions in successive frames. This segmentation approach creates the illusion of image stabilization without requiring complex stabilization hardware, effectively resolving the contradiction between image stability and system complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces offset data as an intermediary element that specifies positional adjustments for sub-images. This offset data acts as a mediator between the video input and display output, enabling image stabilization through simple positional adjustments rather than complex processing.
2Stability of the object's composition
If the frame rate is increased to improve image stabilization, then image stabilization improves, but the processing power and memory requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of processing and displaying complete high-frame-rate images, the patent segments each image into multiple sub-images that can be displayed across multiple frames. This reduces the processing burden per frame while maintaining the appearance of high frame rate through temporal distribution of sub-image display.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent displays only portions (sub-images) of the complete image at a time across multiple frames, rather than processing and displaying entire images at high frame rates. This partial action approach achieves the visual effect of high frame rate stabilization without the corresponding computational cost.
3Productivity
If sub-images are used to drive the LED matrix at a higher frame rate, then image stabilization and lighting effects improve, but the data processing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs preliminary segmentation of video images into sub-images and prepares offset data in advance. This preliminary action allows the LED driver to simply display pre-processed sub-images at high frame rates without performing complex real-time processing, thus improving productivity while managing data processing complexity.
Data Source
AI summary
A method of controlling a vehicle headlamp that includes a plurality of LEDs may comprise receiving video images at a first frame rate; storing the video images in a memory at the first frame rate; receiving offset data associated with the video images; defining sub-images based on the offset data and the video images; and driving the plurality of LEDs to present the sub-images at a second frame rate, wherein the second frame rate is faster than the first frame rate.