Overlapping Sensor Synchronization for Vehicle Environment Recognition
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing external environment recognition systems for autonomous mobile objects waste processing resources by performing synchronous processing periodically, regardless of necessity, and require complex correction processing, especially when increasing camera numbers or frame rates for improved accuracy.
Innovation Solution
An external environment recognition device with overlapping detection ranges among sensors performs synchronous processing only when positional deviations occur, allowing for resource-saving and accurate synchronization, and includes an abnormality notification system for displaced sensors.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If synchronous processing is performed periodically by cameras using a synchronizing signal, then synchronization between sensors is maintained, but processing resources are wasted when synchronization is not necessary
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transforms the static periodic synchronous processing into a dynamic on-demand processing system. The synchronous processing unit now adapts its operation based on real-time detection of positional deviations between sensors, performing processing only when necessary rather than following a fixed periodic schedule.
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements a feedback mechanism where the synchronous processing unit continuously monitors positional deviations between sensors in overlapping regions and adjusts its processing behavior accordingly. When deviations exceed a threshold, synchronization is triggered; when within acceptable ranges, processing is skipped, creating a closed-loop control system.
2Measurement precision
If correction processing is performed by the image processing device, then positional deviations are corrected, but processing load increases and complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the correction function into separate dedicated units: a synchronous processing unit that handles timing synchronization and a positional deviation detection unit that handles position alignment. This segmentation allows each unit to specialize in one aspect of correction, reducing overall system complexity compared to a monolithic image processing device handling all corrections.
Solution Approach 2:
The synchronous processing unit acts as an intermediary between sensor data acquisition and final image processing. It detects positional deviations and performs correction processing as a intermediate step, preventing deviations from propagating through the entire processing pipeline and reducing the burden on downstream image processing operations.
3Measurement precision
If more cameras are installed and frame rate is increased to improve recognition accuracy, then external environment recognition accuracy improves, but processing load and complexity increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of performing full synchronous processing on all camera data at all times, the system applies partial processing only to the extent necessary. By detecting positional deviations and triggering synchronization only when needed, the system performs just enough processing to maintain accuracy without the excessive processing that would result from continuous full-scale synchronization of all sensors.
Data Source
AI summary
An external environment recognition device includes: a plurality of external environment recognition sensors each having an information detection unit that detects information of an object outside a vehicle, the plurality of external environment recognition sensors being arranged such that a detection range of the information detection unit includes an overlapping region where at least part of the detection range of the information detection unit overlaps with at least part of the detection range of another one of the information detection units; and a synchronous processing unit that extracts identical objects in the overlapping region from detection results of the external environment recognition sensors, and performs synchronous processing to synchronize the plurality of external environment recognition sensors if there is a deviation in position between the identical objects in the overlapping region.