Vehicle Camera System Illumination Switching
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Solution Overview
Problem
Vehicle-mounted cameras in autonomous driving systems face challenges in capturing high-quality images across varying illumination intensities, such as daylight and nighttime conditions, due to the limitations of fixed-focus lenses.
Innovation Solution
A vehicle side image capturing system that includes a controller, multiple cameras, and a light sensor, which dynamically selects and switches between cameras adapted to different illumination intensities, ensuring high-quality image capture through electronic control and software handover, unaffected by vehicle vibrations.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If a fixed-focus lens is used in a vehicle-mounted camera, then the device complexity is reduced, but the image quality deteriorates under varying illumination intensities
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the camera system into multiple independent camera modules, each optimized for specific illumination conditions (daylight, nighttime, tunnel). This segmentation allows each camera to have specialized optical parameters while the system as a whole handles diverse lighting environments, resolving the contradiction between simple structure and high image quality across conditions.
Solution Approach 2:
The system dynamically switches between different camera modules based on real-time illumination detection by a light sensor. This dynamic adaptation allows the camera system to adjust its optical characteristics to match current lighting conditions, maintaining high image quality without requiring a complex variable-focus lens in each camera.
2Adaptability or versatility
If multiple cameras with different focal lengths are used to adapt to different illumination intensities, then the adaptability is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
Multiple camera modules with different optical parameters are integrated into a single universal imaging system. Each camera is designed for specific lighting conditions but all can be controlled by a single controller that selects the appropriate camera based on environmental light intensity, achieving multi-functionality without proportionally increasing system complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
A light sensor acts as an intermediary between the environment and the camera system, detecting illumination intensity and providing feedback to the controller. This intermediary enables automatic adaptation to different lighting conditions without requiring complex manual adjustment mechanisms or overly sophisticated camera hardware.
3Manufacturing precision
If the camera switches between different cameras based on illumination intensity, then the image quality is maintained, but the response time increases
Solution Approach 1:
Multiple camera modules are pre-configured with different optical parameters optimized for specific illumination conditions. The system proactively switches between pre-configured cameras based on predicted or detected lighting changes, rather than adjusting a single camera in real-time. This preliminary configuration reduces switching time as the system only needs to activate a pre-prepared camera rather than reconfigure optics during switching.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Enables high-quality image capture in diverse environments with varying illumination by seamlessly switching between cameras optimized for different light conditions, ensuring reliable and efficient operation during vehicle operation.
Implementation Method 1
receive an illumination intensity of a current environment from the light sensor
Data Source
AI summary
The present document describes a vehicle-side image capturing system and method that is capable of improving qualities of images captured at vehicle-side. The system includes: a controller, a plurality of cameras, a light sensor and an encoder each connected to the controller. The controller is configured to: receive an illumination intensity of a current environment from the light sensor, select one of the plurality of cameras that is adapted to the illumination intensity as a target camera, activate when the target camera is different from a currently operating camera, deactivate the currently operating camera then configure the target camera as an operating camera for image capturing, and receive images captured by the operating camera and transmit the received images to the encoder. The encoder is configured to encode the received images and transmit the encoded images.