Rearview Mirror Driver Monitoring With Adjustable Optical Reflection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Vehicle driver monitoring systems face challenges in capturing high-resolution images of drivers' heads across varying positions and environments, as cameras with wide fields of view often sacrifice resolution near the edges, leading to increased costs and functionality issues in extreme temperatures.
Innovation Solution
A system utilizing a rotatable or adjustable mirror within the vehicle to reflect light from the driver's head towards a camera, allowing the camera to maintain high-resolution imaging by adjusting the mirror to position the driver's head within the center, high-resolution area of the camera's field of view, regardless of the driver's position.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Area of stationary object
If a camera with wide field of view is used to capture driver images, then the coverage area is improved, but the resolution near the edges deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a temporal dimension by capturing multiple images at different time points and combining them. The camera captures a first image when the driver is at one position and a second image when the driver is at another position, then synthesizes these into a single high-resolution image. This transforms a spatial resolution problem into a temporal accumulation problem, allowing wide-field cameras to achieve high resolution through multi-frame synthesis.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs preliminary actions by capturing multiple images at different driver positions before final image processing. The camera collects image data at various moments when the driver naturally moves, preparing multiple candidate images that will be later synthesized. This preliminary data collection ensures that high-resolution information is captured across different spatial positions before the final composite image is generated.
2Measurement precision
If a high-resolution camera is used to capture driver images, then the image quality is improved, but the cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates multiple copies of the same scene captured at different time points and synthesizes them into a single high-resolution image. Instead of using one expensive high-resolution camera, the system uses a cheaper wide-field camera to capture multiple copies of the driver image at different positions, then combines these copies through image processing to achieve the equivalent of a high-resolution capture.
Solution Approach 2:
The system replaces an expensive high-resolution camera with a cheaper wide-field camera that captures multiple lower-resolution images over time. The individual image frames are temporary intermediates that are synthesized into the final high-resolution result, then discarded. This substitutes a costly permanent hardware solution with a less expensive hardware solution plus computational processing.
3Measurement precision
If the camera is positioned to capture the driver's head, then the monitoring accuracy is improved, but the field of view coverage deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent embraces the dynamic nature of driver movement rather than attempting to statically position the camera for optimal viewing. The system captures images at multiple time points when the driver is at different positions, leveraging the natural dynamics of driver movement to gather information from various angles and positions. This dynamic approach allows a fixed wide-field camera to achieve accurate head monitoring while maintaining broad coverage.
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
Enables accurate driver monitoring and alert systems by maintaining high-resolution imaging of the driver's head across different positions and environments without the need for costly high-resolution cameras, effectively addressing the trade-off between field of view and resolution.
Implementation Method 1
The adjustable mirror reflects light reflected off a driver's head into the field of view of the camera
Data Source
AI summary
A vehicular driver monitoring system includes a camera disposed at a mirror head of an interior rearview mirror assembly of a vehicle and viewing within an interior cabin of the vehicle. The camera includes a lens and an image sensor. The camera is operable to capture color image data. Electronic circuitry of an electronic control unit (ECU) includes an image processor for processing color image data captured by the camera. With a driver of the vehicle sitting in a driver seat of the vehicle, light reflected off the eyes of the driver impinges at the lens of the camera. The vehicular driver monitoring system, via processing at the ECU of color image data captured by the camera, determines a deficiency in captured color image data arising from light impinging at the lens.