Vehicle Illumination System for Halation-Free Target Recognition
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Solution Overview
Problem
Automatic driving vehicles face challenges in acquiring front information due to halation caused by high-intensity light from oncoming vehicles, which hinders efficient image capture and recognition of both bright and dark targets.
Innovation Solution
A vehicle illumination system that employs a light source unit capable of switching between two irradiation modes and a camera system with different imaging modes to generate a single output image, complementing the demerits of one image with the merits of the other to enhance recognition of targets regardless of light intensity.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If high-intensity light is used to illuminate the front of the vehicle, then dark targets become easier to recognize, but halation occurs making bright targets difficult to recognize
Solution Approach 1:
The system alternates between first and second irradiation modes in a periodic manner, capturing images at different light intensities. The imaging control unit switches the light source unit between low-intensity (first mode) and high-intensity (second mode) illumination, acquiring multiple images that complement each other to resolve both dark and bright target recognition issues
Solution Approach 2:
The system dynamically adjusts the irradiation mode of the light source unit based on imaging requirements. The imaging control unit selectively switches between first and second irradiation modes, and the image generation unit dynamically combines images from different modes, making the illumination system adaptable to varying target recognition needs
2Object-affected harmful factors
If low-intensity light is used to avoid halation, then bright targets are easier to recognize, but dark targets become difficult to recognize due to insufficient light
Solution Approach 1:
The system periodically alternates between first irradiation mode (low-intensity, no halation) and second irradiation mode (high-intensity, halation present). By capturing images in both modes and combining them, the system achieves both halation avoidance for bright targets and sufficient illumination for dark targets
Solution Approach 2:
The image generation unit merges images acquired from both first and second irradiation modes. It combines the advantages of low-intensity imaging (no halation, good for bright targets) and high-intensity imaging (sufficient light, good for dark targets) to produce a comprehensive output image that overcomes the limitations of using either mode alone
Data Source
AI summary
A vehicle illumination system includes a light source unit capable of irradiating a front of a vehicle with light, a camera, an imaging control unit, and an image generation unit which performs computation for an image acquired by the camera, the imaging control unit enables the camera to capture the front of the vehicle and to output a first image to the image generation unit when the light source unit irradiates the front of the vehicle in the first mode, and enables the camera to capture the front of the vehicle and to output a second image to the image generation unit when the light source unit irradiates the front of the vehicle in a second mode in which light is irradiated with an illuminance higher than in the first mode, and the image generation unit generates a single output image by the first image and the second image.