Vehicle Display Brightness Control via Dashboard Illuminance Estimation

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional display apparatuses face challenges in effectively adjusting video brightness due to constraints on optical sensor placement, leading to inadequate brightness adjustments and flickering issues when outside illuminance changes rapidly.

Innovation Solution

A display apparatus that includes an obtaining unit to detect illuminance at the dashboard, an estimating unit to estimate illuminance near the driver's head using detected data and relationship information, and a displaying unit to adjust video brightness accordingly, employing equations to smooth out illuminance changes and reduce flickering.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Device complexity

If the optical sensor is placed on the dashboard, then the device complexity is reduced, but the brightness adjustment effectiveness deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvesensor placement complexityVSAvoidbrightness adjustment effectiveness
Core Design Contradiction:
Device complexityVSMeasurement precision

Solution Approach 1:

The patent introduces an intermediary calculation process that acts as a mediator between the dashboard illuminance measurement and the driver's actual perceived illuminance. The control unit applies conversion formulas considering geometric relationships, light source positions, and shielding effects to translate the dashboard sensor data into accurate driver-side illuminance estimates, thus resolving the contradiction between simple sensor placement and accurate brightness control.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent replaces the mechanical approach of physically placing the sensor at the driver's head position with a computational approach. Instead of moving the sensor to the optimal location, the system uses mathematical models and conversion formulas to calculate what the illuminance would be at the driver's position based on the dashboard sensor reading, thereby substituting a complex mechanical placement with a simpler computational solution.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

2Speed

If the illuminance sensor detects rapid illuminance changes, then the responsiveness is improved, but the flickering of the video deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveilluminance detection responsivenessVSAvoidvideo brightness stability
Core Design Contradiction:
SpeedVSStability of the object's composition

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies preliminary smoothing actions to the raw illuminance data before using it for brightness control. The control unit performs temporal filtering and averaging on the detected illuminance changes, anticipating that rapid fluctuations are likely to cause flickering. By pre-processing the illuminance signal to remove high-frequency noise while preserving meaningful changes, the system maintains responsiveness to actual illuminance changes while preventing video flicker.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

3Ease of operation

If the brightness is adjusted based on dashboard illuminance, then the ease of operation is improved, but the adaptability to driver's actual illuminance deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvebrightness control simplicityVSAvoiddriver-specific illuminance adaptation
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The patent transforms the dashboard illuminance parameter into the driver's position illuminance parameter through mathematical conversion. The control unit changes the parameter representation from raw sensor values to estimated driver-side illuminance by applying conversion formulas that account for spatial relationships, light source characteristics, and vehicle interior geometry. This parameter transformation enables the system to maintain simple dashboard sensor placement while adapting the brightness control to the driver's actual viewing conditions.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

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

The apparatus effectively adjusts video brightness to match the driver's perceived illuminance, reducing flickering and ensuring seamless brightness adjustments even under rapid illuminance changes.

Implementation Method 1

an obtaining unit configured to obtain, from an illuminance sensor, a detected illuminance which is an illuminance at a dashboard of a vehicle detected by the illuminance sensor

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectIlluminance detection: Photoelectric Effect

Data Source

PatentUS10419711B2Display apparatus and display method
Publication Date: 2019.09.17 PANASONIC AUTOMOTIVE SYST CO LTD
  • US10419711B2 patent drawing
  • US10419711B2 patent drawing
  • US10419711B2 patent drawing

AI summary

A display apparatus includes: an obtaining unit that obtains, from an illuminance sensor, a detected illuminance which is an illuminance at a dashboard of a vehicle detected by the illuminance sensor; an estimating unit that estimates, using the detected illuminance, an estimated illuminance which is an illuminance at a position near the head of a driver sitting in a driver's seat of the vehicle; a determining unit that determines brightness of a video, using the estimated illuminance and relationship information indicating a predetermined relationship between illuminance and brightness; and a displaying unit that displays the video at the brightness determined by the determining unit.