Vehicle Side Camera Failover for Rear Blind-Spot Visibility
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional side cameras for vehicles fail to ensure a rear side field of view when disabled, posing a risk of accidents due to blind spots that cannot be monitored during driving.
Innovation Solution
A side camera system comprising a blind-spot view camera, a surround view camera, and a blind-spot view monitor, with a controller that performs image transformation and switching to secure the rear side field of view by transmitting images from the surround view camera to the blind-spot view monitor when the blind-spot view camera or monitor fails.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a blind-spot view camera replaces the side mirror to widen the angle of view, then fuel efficiency is improved and parking space is increased, but the rear side field of view cannot be secured when the camera is disabled
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs beforehand cushioning by preparing an emergency view system that can activate when the blind-spot view camera fails. The controller is configured to detect camera failure and automatically switch to using the surround view camera to provide the rear side field of view, ensuring continuous monitoring capability without manual intervention.
Solution Approach 2:
The controller acts as an intermediary that manages multiple camera systems. When the blind-spot view camera is disabled, the controller mediates by selecting and processing images from the surround view camera instead, ensuring the rear side field of view is maintained through a backup data source.
2Loss of information
If the blind-spot view camera is disabled, then device complexity is reduced, but the rear side field of view is lost creating blind spots
Solution Approach 1:
The system implements universality by enabling the surround view camera to serve dual purposes: normal surround view functionality and emergency blind-spot monitoring. When the dedicated blind-spot view camera is disabled, the surround view camera universally provides the rear side field of view by capturing images of the lateral and rearward directions.
Solution Approach 2:
The system applies parameter changes by dynamically switching the data source for the rear side field of view. The controller changes the operational parameter from using the blind-spot view camera to using the surround view camera when failure is detected, maintaining the monitoring function through parameter adaptation.
3Reliability
If image transformation is performed using the surround view camera when the blind-spot view camera fails, then rear side field of view is maintained, but processing time and computational load increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system applies preliminary action by pre-configuring the controller to recognize failure conditions and pre-establish the image transformation process. When the blind-spot view camera fails, the controller immediately activates the predetermined image processing routine using the surround view camera, reducing decision-making time and ensuring rapid transition to backup monitoring.
Data Source
AI summary
A side camera for a vehicle comprises: a main body disposed at a left-hand and/or a right-hand side of the vehicle; a blind-spot view camera of which at least a portion is accommodated in the main body and being configured to photograph a view in lateral and rearward directions; a surround view camera (SVC) of which at least a portion is accommodated in the main body and being configured to photograph a view in a lateral direction; and a blind-spot view monitor disposed inside the vehicle to transmit an image captured by the blind-spot view camera. When the blind-spot view camera fails, an image transformation process is performed based on an image captured by the SVC and transmitted to the blind-spot view monitor. When the blind-spot view monitor fails, an image captured by the blind-spot view camera is transmitted to another display device in the vehicle.