Parked Vehicle Collision Warning Using Cameras and Ultrasonic Sensors
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current vehicle protection systems do not effectively prevent collisions with approaching vehicles while parked, leading to costly damage and difficulty in identifying responsible parties, despite the proliferation of electronic elements in modern vehicles.
Innovation Solution
A method utilizing existing vehicle cameras and ultrasonic sensors to detect distance, speed, and acceleration, converting cameras into sensors and integrating them with the central computer to alert drivers of potential collisions, with the option to photograph and record the registration number plate of impacting vehicles for IoT integration.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If external devices are installed on the original vehicle to provide collision protection, then the protection capability is improved, but the device complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent reuses existing vehicle components (cameras originally for parking assistance, ultrasonic sensors originally for reverse detection, central computer originally for vehicle control) and assigns them the additional function of collision warning for parked vehicles. This eliminates the need for dedicated external protection devices while achieving the same safety goal.
Solution Approach 2:
The vehicle's own existing systems serve the dual purpose of their original function plus collision protection. The central computer processes data from existing sensors and cameras to provide warning functions, making the vehicle self-sufficient for protection without requiring external specialized equipment.
2Reliability
If dedicated collision protection systems are added to vehicles, then the safety against collisions is improved, but the manufacturing cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system leverages existing vehicle equipment (cameras, ultrasonic sensors, central computer) to provide collision protection, eliminating the need for separate dedicated protection systems. This approach significantly reduces manufacturing costs while maintaining effective collision warning capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The vehicle uses its own existing systems for collision protection rather than requiring externally added specialized equipment. This self-service approach minimizes additional manufacturing costs while achieving the protection goal.
3Measurement precision
If cameras are used to detect approaching vehicles, then the measurement precision of distance and speed is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
Cameras originally installed for parking assistance or reverse imaging are repurposed to detect approaching vehicles and measure their distance and speed. This eliminates the need for separate dedicated sensors while achieving precise measurement through image processing algorithms.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces traditional mechanical or dedicated electronic sensors with optical camera-based detection. By using image processing and analysis of the number plate or vehicle features, the system achieves accurate distance and speed measurement without requiring specialized sensing hardware.
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
Effectively prevents collisions by alerting drivers through horn and light activation, while enabling identification and documentation of collision data, reducing damage and facilitating accountability.
Implementation Method 1
The camera captures the dimensions of the number plate of a car at different distances
Implementation Method 2
The method makes use of ultrasonic sensors with which some vehicles are equipped on both bumpers
Data Source
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AI summary
The invention relates to a system that provides protection to a vehicle against impacts when the vehicle is parked. The system consists of using the elements with which some vehicles are manufactured to design a system that provides protection to the vehicle when parked. In a first embodiment, the system uses as proximity sensors the ultrasound transducers with which certain vehicles are equipped. Subsequently, by mathematically manipulating this data in the elements designed for this purpose in the central computer, the system calculates the speed and acceleration of vehicles approaching the parked vehicle, issuing a visible and audible alarm to prevent a collision. In a second embodiment, the system uses electronic cameras disposed on the front part and on the rear part of the vehicle so as to record the registration number plates of approaching vehicles and to be able to use the height or vertical dimension of the numbers and letters on the plate as a reference element to calculate the distance between the plate and the camera, using a mathematical relationship between distance and the height of the numbers and letters on the plate, as they appear in the image detector of the camera.