Trailer Camera Surround View for Blind-Area Reverse Maneuvers
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for displaying the environment of a vehicle with a coupled trailer often result in incomplete views, particularly of areas obscured by the trailer, leading to potential collision risks during reverse travel and parking.
Innovation Solution
Employing multiple vehicle cameras and a trailer camera with overlapping detection ranges, combined with odometry data and trailer angle information, to create a comprehensive virtual environment model with masked projections and predicted movement trajectories, enhancing visibility and safety.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of information
If a single camera or limited cameras are used to display the environment of a vehicle with a coupled trailer, then the device complexity is reduced, but the completeness of the environment view deteriorates, particularly in areas obscured by the trailer
Solution Approach 1:
The environment monitoring system is segmented into multiple camera units positioned at different locations on the vehicle and trailer. Each camera captures a specific sector of the environment, and these segmented views are then synthesized into a complete panoramic display, ensuring all areas including those obscured by the trailer are covered
Solution Approach 2:
The system transitions from a single-perspective view to a multi-dimensional panoramic representation. By projecting images from multiple cameras onto a virtual cylindrical or planar surface, the system creates a comprehensive 360-degree environment model that eliminates blind spots and provides complete spatial awareness
2Loss of information
If multiple cameras with overlapping detection ranges are used to create a complete environment view, then the completeness of the view is improved, but the complexity of image processing and integration increases
Solution Approach 1:
A computing device acts as an intermediary that receives images from multiple cameras, performs automated processing including distortion correction, perspective transformation, and seamless blending. This intermediary system handles the complex integration tasks, making the multi-camera system manageable and effective
Solution Approach 2:
The system creates a virtual copy of the physical environment by projecting camera images onto a digital model of the surroundings. This virtual environment model allows for flexible manipulation, adjustment, and display of the captured scenes without requiring physical repositioning of cameras or complex manual editing
3Loss of information
If the detection ranges of cameras are adjusted to overlap more, then the completeness of the environment view is improved, but the area covered by each individual camera decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The system merges the detection ranges of multiple cameras by positioning them to have overlapping fields of view. The computing device combines these overlapping images through registration and blending algorithms, creating a unified comprehensive view that covers the entire environment including areas that would be missed by individual cameras
Data Source
AI summary
A method for displaying an environment of a vehicle having a coupled trailer. The method includes: recording a sequence of vehicle camera images using at least three vehicle cameras; recording a sequence of trailer camera images using the trailer camera; acquiring odometry data of the vehicle; ascertaining the trailer angle; storing items of image information about the close range of the vehicle; adjusting the position of the stored items of image information as a function of the detected odometry data; and displaying an environment model from a virtual observational perspective, preprocessed current vehicle and trailer camera images being projected onto a projection area of the environment model and being joined. For partial areas of the environment of the vehicle that are not represented, the stored items of information are projected onto the projection area according to their position and are joined to the vehicle and trailer camera images.