Surround View Display Control for Distortion-Aware Parking Assistance
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Surround view monitoring systems for vehicles face issues with image distortion due to super-wide-angle lenses and the need to display only partial images based on driving situations, which can distract drivers and obstruct their concentration.
Innovation Solution
A system comprising multiple cameras, an image synthesizer, a driving recognizer, and a display controller that captures images around the vehicle, synthesizes them, and selectively displays either partial or full images based on driving-state information, such as gear-shifting mode, speed, and obstacle detection, to focus the driver's attention on critical areas.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Area of stationary object
If a super-wide-angle lens with a field of view of 180 degrees or greater is used to capture the entire region around the vehicle, then the coverage area is improved, but image distortion occurs and parking lines are seriously bent
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the surround view monitoring system into multiple camera units, each with a narrower field of view (e.g., 60-90 degrees). Multiple cameras are strategically positioned at different locations around the vehicle (front, rear, left, right) to collectively capture the entire surrounding area. This segmentation approach eliminates the need for extreme wide-angle lenses, thereby reducing image distortion while maintaining comprehensive coverage through image synthesis.
2Loss of information
If the entire synthesized image is displayed to provide complete surround view information, then the monitoring coverage is improved, but driver concentration is obstructed
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a dynamic display control system that adapts the displayed image content based on real-time driving conditions. The control unit receives driving state information (such as gear position, vehicle speed, steering angle) and automatically adjusts whether to display the full synthesized image or only specific regions of interest. For example, when the vehicle is stationary or moving slowly, the full surround view is displayed; when moving at higher speeds, only critical areas are shown. This dynamic adjustment maintains comprehensive monitoring capability while preventing driver distraction.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies different display strategies to different regions of the synthesized image based on their relevance to current driving conditions. Instead of uniformly displaying the entire surround view, the system identifies and emphasizes locally important areas (such as rear view when reversing, or side views when parking) while minimizing or hiding less relevant regions. This selective display approach ensures drivers receive critical information without being overwhelmed by unnecessary visual data.
3Manufacturing precision
If image synthesis technology is used to correct distortion, then image quality is improved, but system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs image synthesis technology that creates a virtual bird's-eye view by computationally processing and merging images from multiple cameras. Rather than using complex optical systems to physically correct distortion, the system captures raw images from multiple angles and uses software algorithms to synthesize a corrected, distortion-free composite image. This copying approach (creating a virtual representation) achieves high image quality with relatively simple camera hardware and standard image processing techniques.
Data Source
AI summary
Disclosed is a surround view monitoring system for a vehicle, including a plurality of cameras included in the vehicle and configured to capture images of a region around the vehicle, an image synthesizer configured to form a synthesized image for monitoring the region around the vehicle by synthesizing the images captured by the plurality of cameras, a driving recognizer configured to recognize driving-state information of the vehicle, and a display controller configured to control a display device to selectively display a portion or an entirety of the synthesized image formed by the image synthesizer based on the driving-state information of the vehicle, recognized by the driving recognizer.