Vehicle Camera Stitching for Trailer Surround View Alignment
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing vehicle camera systems with fixed placements often omit valuable views and struggle to provide a comprehensive surround view, especially when towing trailers or objects with varying geometries, due to blind spots and difficult angles, leading to limited visibility and challenges in maneuvering.
Innovation Solution
The system integrates external cameras with the vehicle's infotainment system, using a processor to detect and synchronize cameras at predefined or arbitrary positions, determine their pose, and stitch images together using machine learning algorithms to create a contiguous field of view, even when cameras are mounted on trailers or objects being towed, allowing for continuous alignment and improved visibility.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If cameras are placed at fixed predefined positions on the vehicle, then the system complexity is reduced and installation is simplified, but the field of view is limited and valuable views are omitted
Solution Approach 1:
The system transitions from static fixed-position cameras to dynamic arbitrary-position cameras that can be mounted anywhere on the vehicle. The camera positioning system determines position and pose dynamically using sensor data (accelerometers, gyroscopes, magnetometers) and adjusts the surround view accordingly, enabling flexible placement while maintaining system functionality.
Solution Approach 2:
The camera system is designed to accept cameras at multiple positions (predefined or arbitrary) and perform multiple functions including surround view, towing view, and blind spot monitoring. The same processing system handles both fixed and flexible camera configurations, making the system universally applicable to different mounting scenarios.
2Adaptability or versatility
If cameras are mounted at arbitrary positions on the vehicle or trailer, then the field of view and visibility are improved, but the difficulty of determining camera position and pose increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system introduces intermediary sensors (accelerometers, gyroscopes, magnetometers, ultrasonic sensors) between the camera and the processing system. These sensors act as mediators that automatically capture position and pose data, eliminating the need for manual measurement and calibration while enabling arbitrary camera placement.
Solution Approach 2:
The system replaces manual mechanical positioning and calibration methods with electronic sensor-based determination. Instead of physically measuring and adjusting camera positions, the system uses electronic sensors to automatically detect position and pose, and electronic processing to calculate and adjust the surround view.
3Adaptability or versatility
If cameras on trailers or towed objects are integrated, then the surround view of towed objects is improved, but the system complexity and synchronization requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system merges the vehicle camera system with trailer camera systems into a unified surround view. Multiple cameras from different sources (vehicle and trailer) are combined and processed together to create a comprehensive view, eliminating the need for separate systems while maintaining functionality.
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses feedback from position sensors and image processing to continuously adjust and synchronize the surround view. The processor receives feedback about camera positions and trailer movement, and automatically adjusts the stitching and alignment to maintain accurate positioning throughout the towing operation.
Data Source
AI summary
Aspects of the subject disclosure relate to a vehicle camera system. A device implementing the subject technology may include a processor configured to detect a first camera on a vehicle and a second camera on the vehicle. The processor can determine a position and a pose of at least one of the first camera or the second camera. The processor also can receive first data from the first camera and second data from the second camera. The processor can stitch the first data with the second data to generate a stitched image having a contiguous field of view based on the position and the pose of the at least one of the first camera or the second camera. Accordingly, seamless integration of cameras between a vehicle and towed objects of various geometries for surround view can be provided.