Rearview Mirror Display Brightness Control by Driver Gaze
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing vehicular driver monitoring systems struggle to efficiently manage the thermal load and ambient light within the vehicle cabin, leading to discomfort and potential distractions for the driver.
Innovation Solution
A vehicular driver monitoring system that includes an interior rearview mirror assembly with a driver monitoring camera and an electronic control unit (ECU) that processes image data to determine the driver's gaze direction. The system adjusts the brightness of video display screens and other cabin lights based on the driver's gaze direction, reducing thermal load and ambient light when not in use.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Illumination intensity
If display screens and cabin lights are kept at high brightness continuously, then visibility and information display quality are improved, but thermal load and driver distraction increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system dynamically adjusts display screen brightness and cabin light intensity based on real-time detection of driver gaze direction. When the driver is looking at the road, displays operate at reduced brightness or turn off; when the driver looks toward the mirror assembly, displays increase brightness to appropriate levels. This dynamic adjustment resolves the contradiction by making brightness adaptive rather than static.
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses a driver monitoring camera to continuously track driver gaze direction and provides feedback to the ECU, which then adjusts display brightness and cabin lighting accordingly. This closed-loop feedback mechanism ensures that illumination levels are optimized for both visibility and driver comfort, preventing excessive thermal load while maintaining adequate display quality when needed.
2Illumination intensity
If display screens operate at high brightness continuously, then information visibility is improved, but energy consumption and thermal load increase
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of continuous high-brightness operation, the system employs periodic adjustment of display brightness based on driver gaze detection. Displays cycle between high brightness (when driver needs information) and low brightness or off state (when driver is focused on road), reducing overall energy consumption while maintaining information availability when required.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the brightness parameter of display screens dynamically based on detected driver gaze direction and contextual factors. By adjusting this key parameter rather than maintaining a fixed high brightness setting, the system reduces energy consumption and thermal generation while preserving display functionality when the driver actually needs to view information.
3Illumination intensity
If cabin lights are kept on continuously, then cabin visibility is improved, but driver comfort and distraction levels worsen
Solution Approach 1:
Cabin lighting transitions from static continuous operation to dynamic adjustment based on real-time driver gaze detection. The system automatically dimms or turns off cabin lights when the driver is looking at the road, and activates or increases brightness when the driver looks toward the mirror assembly, optimizing both visibility and driver comfort throughout operation.
Data Source
AI summary
A vehicular driver monitoring system includes an interior rearview mirror assembly including a mirror head that accommodates a mirror reflective element, a video display screen, and a driver monitoring camera that views at least a driver's head region of the cabin of the vehicle. The vehicular driver monitoring system, based at least in part on processing of image data captured by the driver monitoring camera, determines a gaze direction of the driver. Based at least in part on determination that the gaze direction of the driver is directed is toward the mirror assembly, the video display screen is electrically operated to display video images at a first brightness, and responsive to determination that the gaze direction of the driver is not directed toward the mirror assembly, the video display screen is electrically operated to display video images at a second brightness that is less than the first brightness.