Vehicle Guidance System Integrating Camera and Sensor Data
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current vehicle systems fail to effectively combine video camera and object sensor information to provide enhanced guidance to drivers during difficult driving situations, such as parking or navigating through heavy traffic.
Innovation Solution
A system comprising an image capture device, object sensors, and a central processing unit that processes images from the camera based on sensor data to produce an output image, which is then displayed to the driver, enhancing the field of view and drawing attention to nearby objects through modified image displays.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of information
If video camera systems and object sensors are used separately, then each provides basic guidance information, but the combined information is not effectively integrated to enhance driver awareness
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges video camera systems and object sensors into a unified guidance system where the central processing unit integrates data from both sources. The camera captures visual images while object sensors detect nearby objects, and the CPU combines this information to generate enhanced output images that display both visual and sensor data, eliminating information loss without requiring separate independent systems.
Solution Approach 2:
The central processing unit acts as an intermediary that receives data from both the video camera and object sensors, processes this information, and generates enhanced output images. This mediator component integrates the separate information sources, allowing effective combination of camera and sensor data while managing system complexity through centralized processing.
2Measurement precision
If the system processes and enhances image data to highlight nearby objects, then driver situational awareness is improved, but processing time and computational load increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary processing by continuously capturing images from the video camera and detecting objects with sensors in real-time before actual display needs arise. The central processing unit pre-processes this data to identify and highlight nearby objects, so that when images need to be displayed, the enhancement work has already been completed, reducing actual display latency.
Solution Approach 2:
The system applies partial processing by focusing computational resources on enhancing only the critical portions of images where nearby objects are detected, rather than processing entire images uniformly. This selective enhancement approach improves object detection accuracy for safety-critical areas while minimizing unnecessary processing time for regions without important objects.
3Reliability
If the system provides comprehensive guidance information through enhanced displays, then driver safety is improved, but the complexity of the display system increases
Solution Approach 1:
The display system is designed with multi-functionality, where the same display unit presents multiple types of information in different formats. The display can show enhanced images with highlighted objects, process sensor data, and provide various guidance information types, reducing the need for separate dedicated display devices while maintaining comprehensive safety information.
Solution Approach 2:
The enhanced display applies local quality enhancement by selectively highlighting only specific regions or objects in the image that are relevant to driver safety, rather than uniformly enhancing the entire display. This approach improves driver awareness of critical objects while keeping the display system relatively simple by focusing computational and visual resources only where needed.
Data Source
AI summary
A system for providing guidance information to a driver of a vehicle. In one implementation, the system includes an image capture device and an object sensor attached to the vehicle. The image capture device acquires an image of the vicinity of the vehicle. The object sensor is configured to detect an object near the vehicle. A processing unit processes the acquired image from the image capture device to produce an output image. The processing of the acquired image is based on information obtained from the object sensor. An image display unit is connected to the processing unit and displays the output image produced by the central processing unit.