Following-Vehicle Camera Display for Reverse Convoy Visibility
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Solution Overview
Problem
In virtually connected vehicle convoys, the lead vehicle's backup camera is often occluded by following vehicles during reverse maneuvers, limiting the driver's view and increasing the risk of collisions.
Innovation Solution
An image display system that detects the rotational position of the lead vehicle's steering wheel and selects a corresponding camera from a following vehicle to display on the lead vehicle's display device, providing an unobstructed view of the environment behind the convoy.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of information
If the lead vehicle uses its own backup camera for reverse maneuvers, then the driver has a direct view of the rear environment, but the camera view is occluded by following vehicles in the convoy
Solution Approach 1:
The system uses following vehicles as intermediaries to provide camera views when the lead vehicle's own camera is occluded. The following vehicle's camera acts as a mediator to capture and transmit the rear environment information to the lead vehicle driver, resolving the occlusion problem by shifting the observation point to a different location in the convoy.
2Ease of operation
If the lead vehicle relies on autonomous control for reverse maneuvers, then manual operation complexity is reduced, but the driver loses direct visual feedback of the rear environment
Solution Approach 1:
The system implements visual feedback by transmitting camera images from following vehicles to the lead vehicle driver during reverse maneuvers. This feedback loop allows the driver to maintain situational awareness of the rear environment even when using autonomous control, showing the live video feed from the following vehicle's camera on the lead vehicle's display.
3Loss of information
If multiple cameras are deployed on following vehicles for comprehensive coverage, then rear environment visibility is improved, but system complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system dynamically selects which following vehicle camera to use based on the current reverse maneuver direction detected from the lead vehicle's steering wheel position. Instead of activating multiple cameras simultaneously, the system switches between available camera feeds in real-time, providing comprehensive coverage while maintaining simple system operation through dynamic camera selection.
Data Source
AI summary
Systems, methods, and other embodiments described herein relate to a system for facilitating reverse travel of a vehicle convoy. In one embodiment, a system includes a processor and a memory storing machine-readable instructions. The machine-readable instructions, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to detect a rotational position of a steering wheel of a lead vehicle of a convoy when the lead vehicle is in a reverse mode. The machine-readable instructions, when executed by the processor, also cause the processor to select a camera of a following vehicle of the convoy based on the rotational position of the steering wheel. The machine-readable instructions, when executed by the processor, also cause the processor to display an image captured by the camera of the following vehicle on a display device of the lead vehicle.