Rearview Mirror Driver Monitoring Camera for In-Vehicle Video Calls
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing cabin monitoring systems in vehicles primarily focus on monitoring driver behavior and awareness but lack the capability for integrated video communication functionalities, which are essential for modern drivers who may need to engage in video conferencing while driving, especially in autonomous or semi-autonomous vehicles.
Innovation Solution
A driver monitoring system equipped with interior cameras and an electronic control unit (ECU) processes image data for both driver monitoring and video-calling applications, enabling video conferencing by repurposing existing cameras for dual functionality, including video display, audio output, and communication through a video-calling application.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If existing cabin monitoring systems are used for driver monitoring only, then driver safety monitoring is achieved, but video communication functionality is unavailable
Solution Approach 1:
The driver monitoring camera system is configured to perform multiple functions: it captures image data for both driver monitoring purposes and video calling applications. The electronic control unit processes this image data to enable video conferencing functionality, allowing a single camera system to serve dual purposes of safety monitoring and communication.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent combines the driver monitoring function and video calling function into a single integrated system. The same camera(s) and electronic control unit that monitor driver behavior are also used to capture and transmit video data for video conferencing, merging two previously separate functions into one unified system.
2Adaptability or versatility
If additional cameras are installed for video calling, then video communication quality is improved, but device complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The existing driver monitoring camera(s) are repurposed to serve dual functions: monitoring driver awareness/safety and capturing video for video calling. This eliminates the need to install separate dedicated cameras for video communication, reducing the total quantity of cameras required in the vehicle.
Solution Approach 2:
The system merges the video capture function for video calling with the existing driver monitoring camera system, combining two functions into a single hardware setup and thereby reducing the number of camera components needed.
3Device complexity
If existing cameras are repurposed for dual functionality, then device complexity is reduced, but driver monitoring precision may be compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The camera system is designed to handle multiple functions simultaneously - the same image data captured by the driver monitoring camera is processed for both driver behavior analysis and video calling output, allowing one camera system to maintain both monitoring precision and video quality without requiring separate hardware.
Solution Approach 2:
The electronic control unit segments the processing of captured image data into different functional streams: one stream analyzes the data for driver monitoring purposes while another stream prepares the data for video calling output. This segmentation allows the same camera input to serve multiple purposes without compromising either function's performance.
Data Source
AI summary
A vehicular driver monitoring system includes an interior rearview mirror assembly at an interior cabin of a vehicle, with a camera at the interior rearview mirror assembly and viewing toward at least a front driver seat region of the vehicle. Image data captured by the camera is processed to monitor a driver of the vehicle. Video-calling wireless communication between an occupant of the vehicle and a party exterior of the vehicle includes wireless communication between the vehicle and an external receiver located remote from the vehicle that is based on audio speech data captured by a microphone of the vehicle, audio output by a speaker of the vehicle, image data captured by the camera and wirelessly communicated from the vehicle to the external receiver and display at a video display screen of video images based on image data wirelessly communicated from the external receiver to the vehicle.