Vehicle Interior Lighting System with Depth Imaging

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing vehicle interior lighting systems are inconvenient for occupants as they require manual operation or assistance to adjust lighting when moving within the vehicle, especially at night, which can be challenging and unsafe.

Innovation Solution

A vehicle interior lighting system that includes an imaging unit to capture depth images, an estimating unit to create a three-dimensional human body model, a predicting unit to anticipate the occupant's movement intentions, and an operation controller to automatically adjust lighting accordingly, ensuring illumination is provided where needed and safely managed.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of operation

If manual operation or assistance is required to adjust lighting when moving within the vehicle, then lighting control is simple and reliable, but convenience and safety of occupants are reduced

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveconvenience of lighting adjustmentVSAvoidcomplexity of lighting control system
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The lighting system automatically detects occupant movement through depth imaging and body model estimation, then autonomously adjusts lighting without requiring manual operation. The system serves itself by using sensors to trigger lighting changes based on detected movement patterns

Inventive Principle:
Principle #25Self-service

Solution Approach 2:

The system predicts movement intention before the occupant actually moves to a new position by analyzing body model changes and movement patterns. Lighting is adjusted in advance of the completed movement, ensuring illumination is ready when needed

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

2Ease of operation

If an occupant moves to a target position difficult to reach at night, then the occupant can access the switch, but the occupant must move to the switch position or ask others for assistance

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveaccessibility of switchVSAvoidtime to operate lighting
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The lighting system automatically responds to detected movement without requiring the occupant to physically reach or operate a switch. The system eliminates the need for the occupant to move to the switch position by providing autonomous control

Inventive Principle:
Principle #25Self-service

Solution Approach 2:

Lighting is adjusted before the occupant completes their movement to the target position. The system detects movement intention and activates lighting in advance, so the path is already illuminated when the occupant arrives

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

3Reliability

If lighting is provided continuously to ensure visibility, then safety is improved, but energy consumption increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvevisibility safetyVSAvoidenergy consumption of lighting
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSUse of energy by moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The lighting system dynamically adjusts illumination based on real-time detection of occupant presence and movement. Lighting levels and active zones change according to the detected state, providing maximum illumination when needed and minimum when not required

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

Instead of uniform continuous lighting throughout the vehicle, the system provides localized illumination only in areas where occupants are detected or predicted to move. This concentrates lighting resources on relevant zones while leaving other areas dimmed or off

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

4Measurement precision

If the system uses depth imaging and body model estimation to predict movement, then lighting accuracy is improved, but device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvemovement detection accuracyVSAvoidcomplexity of imaging and processing system
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The system replaces complex mechanical or contact-based sensing with optical depth imaging. This allows non-contact detection of occupant position and movement patterns while maintaining high measurement accuracy through image processing algorithms

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

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 system enhances convenience and safety by automatically illuminating paths and destinations, preventing collisions and improving visibility, while also terminating lighting when movement is completed, thus optimizing lighting usage and user experience.

Implementation Method 1

an imaging unit that captures a depth image including a distance to an object person in the interior

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectTime of flight: Time of Flight

Data Source

PatentEP3587186B1Vehicle interior lighting system
Publication Date: 2023.05.24 YAZAKI CORP
  • EP3587186B1 patent drawingFigure 1~2
  • EP3587186B1 patent drawingFigure 3
  • EP3587186B1 patent drawingFigure 4

AI summary

A vehicle interior lighting system (1) includes an illuminating unit (50) provided in an interior of a vehicle, an imaging unit (3) that captures a depth image including a distance to an object person in the interior, an estimating unit (83) that estimates a three-dimensional human body model of an object person from a depth image captured by the imaging unit (3), a predicting unit (84) that predicts a movement intention of an object person in an interior based on the human body model estimated by the estimating unit (83), and an operation controller (85) that controls lighting of the illuminating unit (50) according to the movement intention predicted by the predicting unit (84).