Mixed Reality View for Pedestrian Visibility
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Solution Overview
Problem
Pedestrian safety is compromised due to limited visibility for drivers, as pedestrians are often occluded by vehicles, especially in scenarios like crosswalks and intersections, leading to potential collisions and unsafe driving behaviors.
Innovation Solution
A mixed-reality system is implemented where a following vehicle merges images from its own cameras with those from a lead vehicle to create a 'see-through' view, de-emphasizing the occluded area and emphasizing the unoccluded area to reveal pedestrians blocked from view, using digital compositing techniques and vehicle-to-vehicle communication to enhance visibility.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a driver relies on traditional infrastructure features such as crosswalks and signal lights, then pedestrian protection is provided, but driver attention is insufficient and visibility is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an intermediary system consisting of cameras mounted on vehicles that capture pedestrian information and transmit it to following vehicles. This intermediary mechanism allows following vehicle drivers to see pedestrians occluded by lead vehicles without requiring increased driver attention to traditional infrastructure features.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the mechanical/physical system of driver attention and traditional infrastructure with an electronic information transmission system. Cameras capture images of pedestrians, these images are transmitted via communication networks to following vehicles, and displayed to drivers, substituting the need for direct visual attention to crosswalks and signal lights.
2Productivity
If a driver follows closely behind another vehicle, then productivity is improved, but visibility of occluded pedestrians is lost
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses camera systems mounted on lead vehicles as intermediaries to detect pedestrians that would otherwise be invisible to following vehicle drivers. The captured images serve as intermediary information that bridges the visibility gap created by close following distances.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent adds a new dimension of information perception by transmitting images from the lead vehicle's perspective to the following vehicle driver. This creates a virtual extended field of view that allows following drivers to see around occluding vehicles without increasing physical following distance.
3Device complexity
If no infrastructure exists to protect pedestrians, then device complexity is reduced, but pedestrian safety is compromised due to limited driver visibility
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a self-service system where vehicles themselves provide the safety function traditionally provided by infrastructure. Instead of relying on crosswalks and signal lights, the system uses vehicle-mounted cameras and communication networks to enable following vehicles to detect and respond to pedestrians independently.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent makes vehicles multi-functional by equipping them with camera systems that serve both their primary transportation function and an additional pedestrian detection function. This eliminates the need for separate infrastructure while enhancing safety through the existing vehicle fleet.
Data Source
AI summary
Methods, apparatuses, and computer-readable media are disclosed for providing a mixed-reality scene. In response to a pedestrian detection event at a first vehicle, a sequence of mixed-reality images is presented to a driver of a second vehicle. At least one image in the sequence of mixed-reality images results from merging (a) an image captured by a camera aboard the first vehicle and (b) an image captured by a camera aboard the second vehicle. The merging may comprise de-emphasizing an occluded portion of the image captured by the camera aboard the second vehicle and emphasizing an unoccluded portion of the image captured by the camera aboard the first vehicle. The unoccluded portion of the image captured by the camera aboard the first vehicle may provide, in the merged image, visibility of a pedestrian at least partially blocked from a view of the driver of the second vehicle.