Retractable Traffic Light Camera for Obstructed Vehicle Views
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Solution Overview
Problem
Small vehicles often have obstructed views of traffic lights due to larger vehicles, leading to inefficiencies in traffic flow and potential mistakes when the light turns red while passing through.
Innovation Solution
A detecting device with machine vision technology is mounted on a vehicle, featuring a camera, distance sensors, and an acceleration sensor, which extends a retractable assembly to provide clear views of traffic lights and notifies the driver of the status through a display or alerts when a larger vehicle blocks the view.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a small vehicle waits behind a large vehicle at a traffic light, then the large vehicle blocks the driver's view of the traffic light, but if the small vehicle waits longer to see the traffic light, then traffic efficiency decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an intermediary detection system consisting of a camera, processor, and communication module that acts as a mediator between the traffic light and the driver. The system captures images of the traffic light, processes them to determine status, and communicates the result to the driver, eliminating the need for direct visual observation and reducing waiting time while maintaining detection accuracy
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs preliminary detection of traffic light status before the driver would need to know it. By continuously monitoring and processing traffic light images in advance, the system has the status information ready when needed, allowing the driver to make decisions without prolonged waiting or manual observation
2Reliability
If the camera height is increased to see over the large vehicle, then the view of the traffic light is improved, but the device complexity and mounting requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the mechanical solution of physically elevating the camera with an optical and computational solution. Instead of mounting the camera high on the vehicle body, the system uses image processing algorithms and communication technology to achieve the same goal of reliable traffic light detection from a lower, more practical mounting position
Solution Approach 2:
The system shifts from a spatial dimension solution (raising camera height) to a computational dimension solution (image processing and status recognition). By processing images computationally to extract traffic light status, the system achieves visibility without requiring physical elevation, simplifying the mounting structure
Data Source
AI summary
Disclosed is a method for warning of a traffic light based on machine vision technology and a detecting device thereof, the method includes the following steps: mounting a detecting device for detecting a traffic light on a top part of a vehicle, and mounting a notification assembly of the detecting device inside the vehicle; receiving a detection request of traffic light status, increasing a height of a camera of the detecting device, and obtaining current image information of the traffic light; determining the traffic light status in the current image information of the traffic light using the machine vision technology, sending a determined result to the notification assembly, and providing a driver with current traffic light information using the notification assembly.