Vehicle Door Display Using Lateral View and Extracted Lower Portion

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current vehicle door opening assistance systems, such as those using rear cameras and bird's-eye views, struggle to accurately depict obstacles near the vehicle, making it difficult for drivers to assess clearance and potential collisions, especially with reduced detail and height evaluation.

Innovation Solution

An aid device with an image sensor and processing unit generates a display showing the lateral environment with a superimposed representation of the vehicle's door in an open position, allowing for detailed visualization of obstacles and their height, while minimizing computing resources, and includes features like transparency and angle variations for improved visibility.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Area of stationary object

If a top view (bird's-eye view) is used to display the vehicle environment, then the driver can see the overall environment, but obstacles in the vicinity are represented with few details and height cannot be visually assessed

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvefield of viewVSAvoidobstacle detail visibility
Core Design Contradiction:
Area of stationary objectVSMeasurement precision

Solution Approach 1:

The patent transitions from a top-down 2D bird's-eye view to a lateral 2D view that preserves height information. By changing the viewing dimension from vertical projection to side view, the system maintains both comprehensive environment visibility and accurate obstacle height representation, allowing drivers to assess both clearance and height simultaneously.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

2Ease of operation

If a full door representation is superimposed on the background, then the door position is clearly shown, but a large portion of the lateral environment is masked

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedoor position visualizationVSAvoidlateral environment visibility
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSLoss of information

Solution Approach 1:

The patent extracts only the lower portion of the door for superimposition on the lateral environment background. This selective extraction maintains the essential function of showing door position and movement trajectory while minimizing the occlusion of the lateral environment, allowing drivers to see both the door projection and surrounding obstacles simultaneously.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

3Measurement precision

If a lateral environment view is used, then obstacles are shown in detail with height evaluation possible, but the computing resources required increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveobstacle detail and height assessmentVSAvoidcomputing power
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSPower

Solution Approach 1:

The patent uses a simplified 2D graphical representation to copy and represent the door's position and movement trajectory on the lateral environment background. This graphical copying approach provides accurate visual information about door position and obstacle clearance without requiring complex 3D rendering or heavy computing resources, maintaining efficiency while delivering precise spatial information.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #26Copying

Data Source

PatentEP3418121B1Device for displaying a motion of a vehicle door and associated method
Publication Date: 2019.09.11 RENAULT SA
  • EP3418121B1 patent drawingFigure 1~8
  • EP3418121B1 patent drawingFigure 3~4
  • EP3418121B1 patent drawingFigure 5A~5C

AI summary

The invention relates to a vehicle user assistance device comprising an image sensor, a processing unit, and a display screen. The processing unit is programmed to: - control the acquisition by the image sensor of a view of the vehicle's lateral environment, - generate an image (IM1) to be displayed comprising: - a background (F) representative of said lateral environment, determined according to the acquired view, and - superimposed on this background, a representation (V) of only the lower portion of a vehicle door, said door being in an open position, and then - control the display of said image by the screen. The invention also relates to an associated method of assisting a vehicle user.