Vehicle Platoon Surround View Generation via Multi-Vehicle Camera Merging
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Solution Overview
Problem
In vehicle platooning, non-lead vehicles lack a clear view of the surroundings, particularly in front of the lead vehicle, leading to potential collisions and blind spots, limiting their ability to take independent actions in emergency situations.
Innovation Solution
A method and device for generating a surround view of a vehicle platoon by acquiring local and truncated camera views from multiple vehicles, allowing each vehicle to stitch together a comprehensive view of its surroundings, including front, rear, left, and right camera views, and enabling independent navigation and obstacle avoidance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If non-lead vehicles rely solely on lead vehicle directions in vehicle platooning, then the system maintains simple control structure and energy efficiency, but the non-lead vehicles cannot detect obstacles independently and are at risk of collisions
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines camera views from multiple vehicles (lead vehicle, preceding vehicles, and following vehicles) to generate a comprehensive surround view for non-lead vehicles. This merging of visual information from different spatial locations enables obstacle detection in blind spots without requiring complex sensor arrays on each individual vehicle.
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses an intermediary processing mechanism that collects, aligns, and synthesizes camera images from multiple vehicles. This intermediary layer processes the raw camera data and generates the composite surround view, allowing non-lead vehicles to access visual information from areas they cannot directly observe.
2Adaptability or versatility
If the lead vehicle transmits steering directions and braking signals to all non-lead vehicles, then the platoon maintains coordinated movement, but the non-lead vehicles cannot take independent actions in emergency situations
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary action by continuously generating and providing surround view information to non-lead vehicles before emergencies occur. This advance provision of comprehensive visual data enables non-lead vehicles to be prepared for emergency situations, allowing them to react independently and immediately when obstacles are detected, rather than waiting for lead vehicle signals.
3Reliability
If vehicles maintain minimum inter-vehicular distance for fuel efficiency, then energy consumption is reduced, but blind spots increase and collision risk rises
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transitions from a two-dimensional local view (what each vehicle can see directly) to a three-dimensional surround view by incorporating camera data from multiple vehicles at different positions. This dimensional expansion provides comprehensive coverage of areas that would otherwise be blind spots, enabling safe operation at minimum inter-vehicular distances.
Data Source
AI summary
The present disclosure relates to a method of generating a surround view of a vehicle platoon and a device thereof. A surround view generating device for a vehicle in the vehicle platoon acquires a local surround view of the vehicle and at least one of a truncated local surround view associated with one or more preceding vehicles and a truncated local surround view associated with one or more following vehicles in the vehicle platoon. Further, the surround view generation device generates a surround view of the vehicle platoon using the local surround view of the vehicle, the truncated local surround view associated with the one or more preceding vehicles, and the truncated local surround view associated with the one or more following vehicles. Finally, the surround view generating device navigates the vehicle in the vehicle platoon based on the surround view of the vehicle platoon.