Vehicle Image Overlay for Low-Visibility Following Assistance

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing methods fail to effectively enhance visibility of leading vehicles in adverse weather conditions, leading to increased risk of accidents due to the 'vacuum effect' where drivers adjust speeds unsafely in reduced visibility.

Innovation Solution

A method that integrates an image or three-dimensional model of a leading vehicle into the display of a following vehicle's dashboard, using vehicle-to-vehicle communication to enhance visibility and provide accurate positioning, even in fog or rain, by capturing images ahead of the leading vehicle and transmitting them to the following vehicle.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Illumination intensity

If vehicle-to-vehicle communication is used to transmit images from the leading vehicle's camera, then visibility of the leading vehicle is improved for the following vehicle driver, but system complexity increases due to additional communication and integration components

Engineering Contradiction:
ImprovevisibilityVSAvoidsystem complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Illumination intensityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent uses the leading vehicle's camera system as an intermediary to capture images of the leading vehicle and surrounding environment. These images are then transmitted via vehicle-to-vehicle communication to the following vehicle's display device, allowing the following driver to see the leading vehicle clearly without adding complex sensors to the following vehicle itself.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent creates a visual copy of the leading vehicle and its environment by transmitting images captured by the leading vehicle's camera to the following vehicle's display. This copy provides the following driver with enhanced visibility of the leading vehicle's position and surroundings without requiring physical modification of the leading vehicle.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #26Copying

2Measurement precision

If the leading vehicle's camera images are transmitted to the following vehicle, then accurate positioning and visibility are improved, but data transmission requirements and processing load increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvepositioning accuracyVSAvoiddata transmission load
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSLoss of information

Solution Approach 1:

The leading vehicle's camera continuously captures images of the leading vehicle's position and surrounding environment in advance, so that when the following vehicle needs this information, it is already available for immediate transmission and display, enabling real-time positioning accuracy without delay.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Data Source

PatentEP4004802B1Method and driver assistance system for providing visual information about a first vehicle in an environment of a second vehicle, computer program and computer-readable medium
Publication Date: 2025.09.03 VALEO SCHALTER & SENSOREN GMBH
  • EP4004802B1 patent drawingFigure 1~2
  • EP4004802B1 patent drawingFigure 3~4
  • EP4004802B1 patent drawingFigure 5~6

AI summary

The invention relates to a method for providing visual information about a first vehicle (1) in an environment (4) of a second vehicle (2). The method comprises the step of detecting a reduced visibility of the first vehicle (1) in the environment (4) of the second vehicle (2) and the steps of transmitting an image captured by a camera (7) of the first vehicle (1) to a display device of the second vehicle (2) and of integrating an object (13) representing the first vehicle (1) into the image displayed on the display device of the second vehicle (2). The object (13) is represented in the image (12) at a position which corresponds to the current position of the first vehicle (1) in the environment (4) of the second vehicle (2). The invention further relates to a computer program, a computer-readable medium and a driver assistance system (3).