Sensor Orientation Detection Using High-Resolution Ambient Light Imaging
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing techniques for determining the orientation and position of heterogeneous sensors in vehicles often result in insufficient overlap between sensing regions, leading to inaccurate calibration parameters and decreased measurement accuracy.
Innovation Solution
An orientation-position determining apparatus that utilizes an imaging unit to obtain ranging and ambient light images from a sensor, where the ambient light image has a higher resolution than the ranging image, to accurately detect the orientation and/or position of the sensor.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If outputs from two different types of heterogeneous sensors are combined to determine calibration parameters, then the device complexity is reduced and multiple sensing capabilities are achieved, but the sensing region overlap becomes insufficient leading to decreased measurement accuracy
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple sensing functions (ranging and ambient light detection) into a single sensor device. The sensor includes both a ranging unit and an ambient light detection unit integrated in one device, ensuring complete overlap of sensing regions while maintaining multi-sensing capabilities. This resolves the contradiction by achieving versatility through integration rather than through separate heterogeneous sensors.
2Measurement precision
If a single sensor is used to obtain both ranging image and ambient light image, then the sensing region overlap is maximized improving measurement accuracy, but the device complexity increases compared to using two separate sensors
Solution Approach 1:
The patent integrates multiple detection functions into a single sensor device. The sensor comprises a ranging unit with a ranging image generator and an ambient light detection unit with an ambient light image generator, both integrated within one sensor device. This integration maximizes sensing region overlap while managing device complexity through unified structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The single sensor device performs multiple functions: it generates both ranging images (for distance measurement) and ambient light images (for illumination detection). This multi-functionality allows one device to replace what would traditionally require separate sensors, achieving complete sensing region overlap while maintaining versatility.
3Measurement precision
If ambient light image with higher resolution than ranging image is used for orientation and position detection, then the measurement accuracy is improved, but the loss of energy increases due to higher data processing requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses the higher resolution ambient light image selectively for orientation and position detection, while the ranging image is used for distance measurement. By leveraging the higher resolution data only where needed (for precise orientation/position determination) rather than processing all high-resolution data universally, the system achieves improved accuracy while managing energy consumption through targeted data utilization.
Data Source
AI summary
An orientation-position determining device is provided which is used for a sensor installed in a vehicle. The orientation-position determining device includes an imaging unit and an orientation-position detector. The imaging unit works to obtain a ranging image and an ambient light image from the sensor. The ranging image represents a distance to a target lying in a light emission region to which light is emitted from the sensor. The ambient light image represents an intensity of ambient light and has a resolution higher than that of the ranging image. The orientation-position detector works to use the ranging image and the ambient light image to detect an orientation and/or a position of the sensor.