Surround View Image Stitching With Saccade-Based Seam Control

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing vehicle surround view systems suffer from noticeable seams in stitched images due to dynamic seam placement changes over time, leading to distracting discontinuities and negatively impacting the viewing experience.

Innovation Solution

Implement saccade-based dynamic seam placement that relaxes or removes constraints on seam movement during detected saccades or when the monitored person is looking away from the display, using eye tracking to determine when to adjust seam placement.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Manufacturing precision

If dynamic seam placement is used to avoid objects and salient regions, then the visual quality of stitched images is improved, but discontinuities emerge over time as scene content changes, leading to distracting seam movements

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveseam placement precisionVSAvoidseam position stability

Core Design Contradiction:

Manufacturing precisionVSStability of the object's composition

Solution Approach 1:

The system dynamically adjusts seam placement based on real-time scene content analysis, allowing the seam to move to optimal positions that avoid objects and salient regions while maintaining visual quality

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The system uses eye tracking feedback to detect saccades and adjusts seam placement constraints accordingly, relaxing constraints during saccades when the occupant is less aware of visual changes, thereby reducing perceived discontinuities

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

2Stability of the object's composition

If constraints are applied to limit seam movement, then discontinuities are reduced, but the ability to adapt seam placement to scene content is compromised

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveseam position stabilityVSAvoidseam placement adaptability

Core Design Contradiction:

Stability of the object's compositionVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The system dynamically adjusts seam placement constraints based on eye tracking data, transitioning between constrained and relaxed states according to the occupant's visual attention state

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The system changes the constraint parameter (seam movement limitation) based on the detected eye state, allowing full adaptability when the occupant is attentive while permitting larger movements when the occupant is experiencing saccades

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

Data Source

PatentUS12632922B2Image stitching with saccade-based control of dynamic seam placement for surround view visualization

Publication Date: 2026.05.19 NVIDIA CORP

AI summary

In various examples, a stitched image may be generated from overlapping image frames using a dynamic seam placement that depends on scene content and/or other factors. Since an optimized seam placement may jump from a previous location from time slice to time slice, one or more constraints may be applied to limit the movement of dynamically placed seams such that any given seam moves gradually over time, limiting potential discontinuities in a visualization of the stitched image on a display. Eye tracking may be used to detect a saccade of a monitored person and/or detect that the monitored person is not looking at the display, and one or more of the constraints used to limit the movement of dynamically placed seams may be relaxed or lifted when the monitored person is experiencing a saccade and/or is looking away from the display.