Trailer View Image Segmentation for Wide Coverage and Resolution
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing camera systems for commercial vehicles with trailers struggle to provide a reliable evaluation of the vehicle environment, especially when the trailer is not aligned with the tractor, due to limitations in capturing and displaying the area of view, leading to low resolution and incomplete coverage of the vehicle's surroundings.
Innovation Solution
A camera-based view system with a capture unit, processing unit, and reproduction unit that extracts and adjusts two image sections from a single area of view, ensuring the first image section has higher resolution than the second, allowing reliable monitoring of the environment around the trailer even when it is angled relative to the tractor.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Area of stationary object
If a single camera with wide angle is used to capture the entire vehicle environment, then the coverage area is improved, but the resolution of the captured image deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the captured image into multiple image sections (first image section and second image section) with different resolutions. The first image section corresponding to the main field of view is processed at high resolution, while the second image section corresponding to the wide angle field of view is processed at lower resolution. This segmentation allows the system to maintain high resolution for critical areas while preserving overall wide coverage.
2Adaptability or versatility
If the trailer is angled relative to the tractor during cornering, then the vehicle can navigate turns, but the camera system fails to capture the complete vehicle environment reliably
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements dynamic image section extraction that adapts to the relative orientation between tractor and trailer. When the trailer is angled during cornering, the system dynamically adjusts which portions of the captured image are extracted as the first and second image sections. This ensures that the high-resolution first image section always captures the main field of view while the second image section captures the wide angle view, maintaining reliable environment monitoring regardless of trailer orientation.
3Measurement precision
If multiple cameras are used to capture different fields of view, then the coverage and resolution are improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the functions of multiple cameras into a single camera system. By using one camera to capture both the main field of view and the wide angle field of view simultaneously, and then processing the single captured image to extract multiple image sections with different resolutions, the system achieves the functionality of multiple cameras while reducing hardware complexity and the number of components.
Data Source
AI summary
A view system for a vehicle (1) with a tractor (2) and a trailer (3). The view system has a capture unit (10) with an image sensor (12) for capturing image data of an area of view, around the vehicle, a processing unit (20) for processing the image data, and a reproduction unit (30) for reproducing at least one first image section (410) and one second image section (420) of the area of view (40) captured by the capture unit (10). The processing unit provides different resolutions of image data depending on the position of the tractor with respect to the trailer.