Reflective Surface Visual Appearance Assessment System
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for assessing the visual appearance of reflective surfaces rely on subjective manual inspection, which is inefficient and lacks consistency, as there are no objective parameters to accurately describe human perception of these surfaces.
Innovation Solution
A system comprising a visual output device, a visual capturing device with adjustable focal points, and a data processing unit equipped with a database of correlations between visual appearance and objective quality parameters, allowing for automatic assessment of reflective surfaces by capturing and analyzing images of test patterns reflected from the surfaces.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If manual visual inspection is used to assess visual appearance, then subjective human perception can be captured, but efficiency and consistency are poor
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the manual visual inspection system with an automated optical measurement system. A camera captures images of test patterns reflected from the surface, and a processing unit automatically derives objective quality parameters (DOI, waviness, roughness) and compares them against database values representing average human perception. This substitution eliminates subjectivity while maintaining assessment accuracy and dramatically improves efficiency and consistency.
2Reliability
If objective quality parameters are measured to fully determine quality, then quality standards can be assured throughout production, but the visual appearance as perceived by humans cannot be accurately described
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a database as an intermediary that stores pre-determined relationships between objective quality parameters and visual appearance characteristics as perceived by average humans. The system measures objective parameters (DOI, waviness, roughness), queries the database with these measurements, and retrieves the corresponding visual appearance assessment. This intermediary layer bridges the gap between objective measurements and subjective human perception, preserving human perception information while maintaining measurement reliability.
3Measurement precision
If multiple capturing positions are used to capture clear reflections, then complete information can be obtained, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs a camera with an adjustable focal point that can be dynamically positioned between two extreme positions: one optimized for capturing the test pattern directly and another for capturing its reflection from the surface. This dynamic focusing capability allows the single camera to access information that would otherwise require multiple fixed cameras at different positions, reducing device complexity while maintaining measurement precision and completeness.
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
The system enables fast, flexible, and accurate assessment of visual appearance, increasing efficiency and consistency by deriving objective quality parameters and comparing them to average human perception data, reducing the need for manual inspection and improving scalability.
Implementation Method 1
A test image is displayed by a visual output device onto the reflective surface
Implementation Method 2
the adjustable focal point position is tunable to the reflective surface as one capturing position and to a complementary capturing position that allows for clear capturing of the test image as a reflection from the reflective surface
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2a
Figure 2b
AI summary
The invention refers to a system (38) for assessing the visual appearance of a reflective surface (50), comprising a visual output device (42), adapted to display at least one test image onto the reflective surface (50) and a visual capturing device (52), comprising an adjustable focal point position (54), wherein the adjustable focal point position (54) is tuneable to the reflective surface (50) as one capturing position (60) and to a complementary capturing position (62) that allows for clear capturing of the test image as a reflection (68) from the reflective surface (50); and wherein the visual capturing device (52) is adapted to capture at least one image in the one capturing position (60) and to capture at least one complementary image in the complementary capturing position (62). The system further comprises a data processing unit (76), comprising a database (78) and an evaluation algorithm (80), wherein the database (78) is equipped with data representing correlation between visual appearance of reflective reference surfaces and objective quality parameters and wherein the evaluation algorithm (80) is adapted to derive the objective quality parameters of the reflective surface (50) from the one image and from the complementary image and to compare the objective quality parameters with the data of the database (78) to assess visual appearance of the reflective surface (50). The invention further refers to a method of assessing the visual appearance of a reflective surface (50) of a vehicle, using the system (38).