Pickup Truck Rear Camera Switching for Open Tailgate Visibility
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Solution Overview
Problem
Rear-view camera systems on pick-up trucks fail to provide an adequate field of view when the tailgate is open, disrupting the functionality of safety and assistance systems by not aligning the camera view in the necessary direction.
Innovation Solution
A driver assistance system with multiple cameras, including a first camera mounted on the tailgate and a second camera near the central rear brake light, which can be moved between positions using an actuator system, and a tailgate position determining system to select the appropriate camera view based on the tailgate's position, ensuring a consistent and accurate rear view.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the camera is mounted on the tailgate proximate to the tailgate handle, then the camera provides a field of view that covers the immediate area directly behind the vehicle when the tailgate is closed, but the field of view changes and becomes inadequate when the tailgate is opened
Solution Approach 1:
The camera system dynamically adjusts its field of view based on tailgate position. The controller detects whether the tailgate is open or closed and automatically switches between a first field of view (when closed) and a second field of view (when open), ensuring consistent rearward coverage regardless of tailgate state.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the camera's operational parameters (field of view selection) based on the tailgate position parameter. When the tailgate position changes from closed to open, the controller modifies the active field of view parameter to maintain adequate rearward visibility.
2Device complexity
If a single camera mounting location is used, then the device complexity is reduced, but the system cannot provide adequate field of view for both closed and open tailgate positions
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of using multiple fixed cameras, the system employs a single camera that dynamically switches between different field of view modes. The controller activates appropriate field of view based on real-time tailgate position detection, achieving adaptive coverage without increasing hardware complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The single camera system performs multiple functions by switching between different field of view modes. The same camera hardware provides both the first field of view (for closed tailgate) and the second field of view (for open tailgate), making the system universal across different operating conditions.
Data Source
AI summary
One general aspect includes a driver assistance system for a vehicle. The driver assistance system also includes a camera system having at least one rear camera constructed and arranged to obtain an image of an area behind a rear of the vehicle; a tailgate position determining system constructed and arranged to determine a position of a tailgate of the vehicle, and where the image provided by the camera system of the rear of the vehicle is selected based upon the position of the tailgate of the vehicle.