Camera Wing View Panning to Keep Trailers Visible on Curves
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional rear-view mirror systems for vehicles, especially when towing trailers, fail to continuously display the trailer's position accurately on curved roads, leading to potentially unsafe driving conditions due to blind spots and the risk of collision with other objects.
Innovation Solution
A camera wing system that automatically adjusts its field of view to keep the rear part of the vehicle, such as a trailer, within the driver's view by panning the presented view, using infrared cameras and illumination systems to ensure visibility during both day and night, and employing optical recognition software to maintain the trailer's position within the field of view regardless of driving situations.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional mirror systems are used to provide rear view, then the driver can see the surrounding of the vehicle, but blind spots are created between mirrors and the trailer cannot be continuously displayed on curved roads
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the mechanical mirror system with a camera-based optical system. The camera records the rear view and surrounding environment, transmitting images to a display unit inside the vehicle. This substitution eliminates blind spots between multiple mirrors and enables continuous tracking of the trailer's position through image processing and display, ensuring the driver always has accurate visual information about the trailer's location even on curved roads.
2Loss of information
If mirror positions are adjusted for trailers, then the trailer becomes visible in the mirror, but the mirror cannot continuously track the trailer on curved roads
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a dynamic image display system that automatically adjusts the displayed view based on the vehicle's driving situation. The control unit processes signals from sensors to detect whether the vehicle is traveling straight or on a curve, and accordingly adjusts which camera images are displayed and how they are positioned. This dynamic adaptation ensures the trailer remains continuously visible in the display regardless of the vehicle's path, eliminating the need for manual mirror adjustments.
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses feedback from driving situation detection to automatically adjust the display. Sensors detect the vehicle's position and movement, and this information feeds back to the control unit, which then modifies the displayed images accordingly. This closed-loop feedback mechanism ensures the display always shows the relevant portion of the rear view and trailer position, adapting automatically to curved roads and straight paths without driver intervention.
3Area of stationary object
If a camera system records the rear view, then the rear view can be displayed on a monitor, but the chassis restricts the field of view of the camera
Solution Approach 1:
The patent positions the camera in the third dimension, mounted on the exterior of the vehicle body rather than inside the cabin. This external mounting location, typically on the rear bumper or trunk lid, places the camera above and outside the chassis structure, allowing an unobstructed field of view of the rear environment. This dimensional relocation eliminates the blocking effect of the chassis while maintaining a compact overall system design.
Data Source
AI summary
A camera wing system, a vehicle comprising such camera wing system, and a method to operate such a camera wing system are provided, comprising a camera to record a field of view of the camera in a scenery at least around a rear part of the vehicle, where a presented view is provided to a driver of the vehicle as a part of the field of view, wherein the camera wing system is adapted to automatically panning the presented view of the camera to another presented view different from the previous presented view in order to keep a point of interest of the rear part of the vehicle within the presented view provided to the driver regardless of a driving situation of the vehicle.