Rear-facing Lane Detection Overlay for Low Illumination
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Solution Overview
Problem
It is difficult to distinguish lane lines and the location of other vehicles with respect to lane lines when using rearview mirrors due to limited illumination of the road surface behind a vehicle.
Innovation Solution
A rearward lane display system that includes an image sensor, display mirrors, and a processor to capture and process images of lane markers ahead of the vehicle, predicting their location behind the vehicle and displaying these predictions in the mirrors, using a camera with an infrared light source and coordinate modification techniques to account for vehicle orientation changes.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Illumination intensity
If rearview mirrors are used to observe lane lines behind the vehicle, then the driver can see the rearward view, but the visibility of lane markers is poor due to limited illumination
Solution Approach 1:
The system captures images of lane markers ahead of the vehicle before the vehicle reaches them, then predicts and displays where these lane markers will appear behind the vehicle. This preliminary capture and prediction approach allows the lane markers to be visible in the rearview display even though they are not currently illuminated behind the vehicle.
2Loss of information
If the system captures and processes images to predict lane marker positions, then rearward lane visibility is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system creates a digital copy of the lane markers captured by the forward-facing image sensor, then processes this copy to predict and display the lane marker positions in the rearview mirror. This copying approach allows complex processing to be performed on digital data rather than requiring complex optical systems.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces complex optical-mechanical illumination systems with an electronic image processing system. Instead of using mechanical spotlights or complex optical arrangements to illuminate and capture lane markers behind the vehicle, the system uses forward-facing cameras and computational prediction to achieve the same visibility goal.
3Measurement precision
If coordinate modification is performed to account for vehicle orientation changes, then the accuracy of lane marker prediction is improved, but the processing time increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system pre-establishes coordinate systems and transformation matrices that relate the camera coordinate system to the vehicle coordinate system. These transformations are prepared in advance, allowing real-time coordinate modification during image processing without significant time penalty.
Solution Approach 2:
The system efficiently modifies coordinates by applying predetermined transformation parameters (rotation angles, translation vectors) that account for vehicle orientation. These parameter-based transformations are computationally efficient compared to more complex geometric calculations, balancing accuracy with processing speed.
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
Enhances visibility of lane markers behind a vehicle by predicting their location and displaying them in the mirrors, improving safety by providing clearer rearward visibility under low illumination conditions.
Implementation Method 1
The image sensor may include a camera with an infrared light source.
Data Source
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AI summary
A rearward lane display system includes an image sensor configured to capture one or more images including lane markers forward of a vehicle, one or more display mirrors, and a processor in communication with the image sensor and the display mirrors, where the processor is configured to process the one or more images to predict where the lane markers will appear rearward of the vehicle, and display representations of the predicted lane markers in the one or more display mirrors.