Vehicle Lamp Camera System for Wide-Area Rear Monitoring
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional camera monitoring systems (CMS) face challenges such as restricted fields of view due to camera placement, increased vehicle protrusion, high costs due to auxiliary cameras for redundancy, and delayed video processing that affects driver assessment during high-speed driving.
Innovation Solution
A vehicle monitoring system utilizing multiple vehicle lamps with cameras installed in each lamp to cover different areas, separate electronic control units for processing videos from right and left cameras, and a video processing circuit to combine and correct overlapping video sections, ensuring redundancy and reduced protrusion without increasing the vehicle's side surface presence.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Length of stationary object
If cameras are contained in STSL with small protrusion from vehicle body, then vehicle protrusion is reduced, but field of view is restricted by side surfaces of vehicle body
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses a reflecting mirror to redirect light paths, effectively adding a dimensional element to the optical path. The mirror allows the camera to capture areas that would otherwise be blocked by the vehicle body's side surfaces, expanding the field of view without increasing protrusion.
Solution Approach 2:
A reflecting mirror is introduced as an intermediary element between the camera and the monitoring areas. This mirror enables indirect viewing of regions that are geometrically blocked, allowing the camera to achieve a wider field of view while remaining compact.
2Reliability
If auxiliary cameras are mounted on vehicle body to ensure redundancy, then reliability is improved, but system cost and device complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent designs the camera system so that each camera can serve multiple functions - primarily monitoring its designated area, but also capable of monitoring other areas when needed. This multi-functionality provides redundancy without requiring separate auxiliary cameras for each monitoring zone.
Solution Approach 2:
The system dynamically adjusts camera orientations or shooting areas when a camera fails. Instead of static camera positions, the system can change the operational configuration of remaining cameras to maintain coverage, providing adaptability and redundancy without adding hardware.
3Productivity
If separate ECUs process right and left camera videos, then processing speed is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the video processing function into separate ECUs for right and left cameras. This segmentation allows parallel processing of video streams, improving overall processing speed and reducing bottlenecks that would occur with a single centralized processor.
Data Source
AI summary
Problem: To provide a vehicle monitoring system capable of checking a wide range of area at the rear of a vehicle to afford a high level of safety, without increasing an amount of protrusion from the side surface of the vehicle body.Solution: A vehicle monitoring system 1 is provided with a first camera 11 that shoots a first area at the rear side of a vehicle; a second camera 12 that shoots a second area further toward the inside in the width direction of the vehicle compared with the first area; an ECU 13 that combines videos captured by the two cameras; and a monitor 15 that displays the combined image. The first camera 11 is contained in an STSL 3 on a vehicle body side surface, and the second camera 12 is installed in an RCL 4 or a high mounted stop lamp at the rear of the vehicle body. A video processing circuit 14 performs correction to improve the visibility of the videos of an overlapping section captured by the cameras 11 and 12. The first camera 11 may be equipped with a wide-angle lens having a field of view angle greater than 90°.