Panable Side-View Camera for Trailer Length Estimation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Drivers of heavy-duty commercial vehicles equipped with trailers face challenges in accurately gauging trailer length and maintaining optimal viewing angles due to limitations of traditional mechanical side mirrors, which do not allow for additional information display or easy adjustment.
Innovation Solution
Implementing camera-based side-view mirrors that can pan mechanically or digitally to provide a clear view of the trailer edges, using trigonometry to calculate trailer length and adjust viewing angles dynamically based on vehicle configuration changes.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If traditional mechanical side mirrors are used, then the vehicle structure is simple, but the ability to accurately gauge trailer length and display additional information is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces traditional mechanical side mirrors with a camera-based system that captures images of the trailer. The camera system, combined with image processing algorithms, enables accurate measurement of trailer length by detecting edges and calculating dimensions from captured images, thereby substituting mechanical viewing with optical-digital measurement.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a camera as an intermediary device between the driver and the trailer. The camera captures visual information and transmits it to a display device, serving as a mediator that enables the driver to view and measure trailer dimensions without direct line-of-sight through traditional mirrors.
2Adaptability or versatility
If traditional mechanical side mirrors are used, then the device is simple, but the adaptability to display additional information and adjust viewing angles is poor
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a camera-based system that serves multiple functions: capturing trailer images, measuring trailer length, displaying visual information on screens, and providing adjustable viewing angles. This multi-functional system replaces the single-function traditional mirror, enabling both information display and angle adjustment capabilities.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs a camera system with adjustable viewing angles that can dynamically adapt to different trailer configurations. The system can capture images from various angles and adjust the field of view to optimize trailer length measurement and monitoring, providing dynamic adaptability unlike fixed mechanical mirrors.
3Measurement precision
If camera-based side-view mirrors are implemented, then trailer length estimation and real-time monitoring are improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces complex mechanical measurement systems with a camera-based optical-digital system. The camera captures images and software algorithms automatically calculate trailer length by detecting edges and applying geometric calculations, substituting mechanical measurement mechanisms with simpler optical capture and computational processing.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses the camera to create a visual copy (image) of the trailer, which is then processed to extract measurement information. By capturing a digital representation of the trailer and analyzing it through image processing, the system obtains accurate length measurements without requiring direct physical contact or complex mechanical gauging devices.
4Reliability
If camera-based side-view mirrors are implemented, then the ability to monitor vehicle surroundings is improved, but the ease of operation decreases due to adjustment complexity
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a camera system with adjustable viewing angles that can dynamically adapt to different operational requirements. The camera can be electronically adjusted to capture different fields of view, allowing the driver to monitor various surrounding areas by changing the camera's angular position rather than physically adjusting mechanical mirrors.
Solution Approach 2:
The camera acts as an intermediary that simplifies the monitoring operation. Instead of requiring the driver to manually adjust mechanical mirrors to different positions, the camera system captures images that can be displayed and reviewed, providing a simplified interface for monitoring vehicle surroundings with reliable coverage.
Data Source
AI summary
Embodiments are presented herein for a panable camera with trailer length and object detection for vehicles equipped with cameras to supplement or replace mirrors commonly used today. In one embodiment, a vehicle controller is provided comprising: one or more processors; a non-transitory computer-readable medium; and program instructions stored on the non-transitory computer-readable medium. The program instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to: cause a side-view camera on a tractor to capture image(s) of leading, lower, upper and/or trailing edges of a trailer coupled with the tractor; and estimate a length of the trailer based on the image(s) captured by the side-view camera. Other embodiments are provided.