Vehicle Pillar Display System for Blind Spot Elimination
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Structural elements in vehicle cabins, such as pillars, obstruct the driver's lateral vision, compromising safety for the driver, passengers, and pedestrians, especially in urban environments where side views are crucial for navigating trams and trains.
Innovation Solution
A driving assistance system comprising two exterior cameras positioned on either side of the windshield, a processing unit, and a non-planar display surface mounted on the structural elements, which generates a continuous and corrected image of the obstructed regions using three-dimensional modeling and geometric deformation to compensate for the relief of the display surface, ensuring a seamless and enhanced view for the driver.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If structural elements (pillars) are installed in the cabin to support the windshield and provide structural integrity, then the strength and stability of the vehicle cab is improved, but the driver's lateral field of vision is obstructed
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces display surfaces mounted on the structural pillars as intermediary elements. These displays show images captured by cameras positioned outside the cab, mediating the blocked visual information and allowing the driver to see around the pillars without removing the structural elements themselves.
Solution Approach 2:
The system creates visual copies of the external environment by using cameras to capture images of the areas blocked by pillars and displaying these copies on the display surfaces. This allows the driver to perceive the obstructed regions without direct line of sight.
2Loss of information
If mirrors are positioned to allow the driver to see the obstructed area, then the driver's lateral visibility is improved, but the structural elements continue to restrict visibility and safety is compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the mechanical mirror system with an electronic imaging and display system. Instead of using optical reflections from mirrors, the system uses cameras to capture images and displays them on electronic display surfaces, providing a more complete and flexible solution for overcoming pillar obstruction.
3Loss of information
If multiple separate camera images are displayed on the pillars, then the obstructed regions are visible, but the images are not continuous with the external view through the windshield creating lateral discontinuities
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the separate camera images with the direct view through the windshield by carefully positioning the display surfaces and coordinating the displayed images with the natural field of view. This integration creates a unified visual experience where the pillar displays seamlessly continue the external landscape rather than appearing as separate, disjointed images.
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3
Figure 4
AI summary
The present invention relates to a driver assistance system (10) for a vehicle comprising a structural element (22) obstructing the driver's field of vision, the system (10) comprising two cameras, a display assembly (30) mounted on the structural element (22) and comprising a display surface (40), and a processing unit connected to the cameras and the display assembly (30). The system includes an eye-position acquisition system for the driver, and the processing unit is connected to the acquisition system and is capable of creating a three-dimensional model of the obstructed region from the camera data, and of generating an image of the obstructed region according to the driver's eye position, by geometric deformation of the three-dimensional model, depending on the shape of the display surface (40).