Infrared Image Acquiring Module for Glare Reduction
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Solution Overview
Problem
Nighttime driving is hazardous due to glare from oncoming vehicles, causing drivers to experience difficulty seeing road conditions, which increases the risk of traffic accidents.
Innovation Solution
A vehicle driving assistant apparatus comprising an infrared image acquiring module and a display module that uses infrared light to generate and display images of the road ahead, reducing glare interference and enhancing visibility through image enhancement processing and luminance detection for adaptive operation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Illumination intensity
If visible light is used for illumination during nighttime driving, then the driver can see road conditions, but glare from oncoming vehicles causes pupil expansion and reduces visibility
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an infrared image acquiring module as an intermediary device that captures infrared radiation from the road and objects. This mediator allows the driver to see road conditions without using visible light that causes glare, as the infrared camera captures thermal radiation naturally emitted by objects and converts it to visible images for display.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the human visual system's reliance on visible light with an infrared imaging system. Instead of using the eyes to detect visible light (which causes glare), the system uses an infrared camera to detect infrared radiation and displays the processed images on a screen, substituting the natural vision mechanism with an artificial sensing and display system.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If infrared imaging is used to avoid glare, then visibility is improved in glare conditions, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The infrared image acquiring module is designed to serve multiple functions: it captures infrared radiation from the road, processes the thermal information into visible images, and can operate in different lighting conditions. This multi-functionality reduces the need for separate systems for different lighting conditions, thereby managing complexity while providing glare resistance.
Solution Approach 2:
The infrared imaging system utilizes the natural infrared radiation emitted by all objects with temperature above absolute zero. The road, vehicles, and other objects naturally emit infrared energy that the camera detects without requiring external infrared illumination sources, making the system self-sufficient and reducing component complexity.
3Reliability
If the infrared image acquiring module operates continuously, then road conditions are always visible, but energy consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system dynamically adjusts its operation based on environmental conditions. The control module activates the infrared image acquiring module only when necessary (e.g., during nighttime or low-light conditions when glare is problematic), rather than operating continuously. This dynamic control optimizes the balance between visibility availability and energy consumption.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of continuous operation, the system employs periodic or on-demand activation of the infrared imaging module. The control module periodically assesses lighting conditions and activates the infrared camera only when visible light conditions are insufficient or glare is detected, creating a periodic operation pattern that reduces energy consumption while maintaining reliability when needed.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The apparatus effectively reduces traffic accidents by providing the driver with clear infrared images of the road conditions, even in situations where glare from oncoming vehicles impairs visibility, thereby enhancing safety during nighttime driving.
Implementation Method 1
an infrared emitting unit for emitting infrared light ahead of the vehicle
Implementation Method 2
an image acquiring unit for generating information of an infrared image of an object ahead of the vehicle according to the infrared light reflected back from the object
Implementation Method 3
a visible light filter disposed on the external surface of the lens of the camera, and for filtering out the visible light impinging on the lens
Implementation Method 4
the luminance detection module comprises a luminance sensor
Data Source
AI summary
The present disclosure provides a vehicle driving assistant apparatus, comprising: an infrared image acquiring module for acquiring information of an infrared image of an object ahead of a vehicle; a display module connected with the infrared image acquiring module, for displaying a corresponding image according to the information of the infrared image acquired by the infrared image acquiring module. The disclosure enables the driver to see the road conditions ahead by means of the vehicle driving assistant apparatus even when facing glaring light emitted from ahead when driving at night, thus reducing the occurrence of traffic accidents.