Vehicle Surround Display Virtual Projection Surface Distortion

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing vehicle display systems struggle to accurately associate virtual representations of environmental features, such as parking spaces, with the actual surroundings, leading to difficulties in driver understanding and potential viewer irritation due to geometric distortions and sudden changes in representation.

Innovation Solution

A method and device that create a virtual projection surface representing the vehicle's environment, using camera images to texture this surface and generate object textures with distortions matching the perspective from the vehicle's position, allowing for intuitive and accurate display of virtual objects within the actual environment, including transition animations to maintain a natural representation as objects move.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Loss of information

If a virtual representation of the environment is displayed to provide additional information to the driver, then the driver receives useful information about parking spaces and surroundings, but it becomes difficult to associate points in the virtual representation with the actual environment

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveinformation association accuracyVSAvoidvirtual representation system
Core Design Contradiction:
Loss of informationVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent creates a virtual copy of the camera's field of view by generating a virtual projection surface that replicates the geometric distortion characteristics of the actual camera image. This copy allows virtual objects to be placed in correspondence with real-world positions while maintaining the same perspective distortion, enabling accurate association between virtual and actual environment points.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #26Copying

Solution Approach 2:

The patent transforms the virtual object representation by applying geometric distortion parameters that match the camera's projection characteristics. By changing the parameter space of the virtual objects to align with the distorted camera view, the system enables accurate position association without requiring additional complex mapping systems.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

2Adaptability or versatility

If virtual objects are placed in the virtual environment representation, then additional information can be displayed, but geometric distortions and sudden changes in representation cause viewer irritation

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvevirtual object display capabilityVSAvoidviewer irritation
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies different distortion characteristics to different regions of the virtual projection surface based on their correspondence with the actual camera view. Virtual objects placed in regions that match the camera's field of view inherit appropriate distortion characteristics, ensuring they appear naturally integrated rather than artificially distorted, thereby reducing viewer irritation.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

Solution Approach 2:

Instead of attempting to correct or remove the geometric distortion inherent in camera images, the patent inverts the approach by deliberately applying the same distortion to virtual objects. This allows virtual elements to blend naturally with the distorted real-world background, eliminating the visual discontinuity that would otherwise cause viewer irritation.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #13The other way round (Inversion)

3Illumination intensity

If the virtual projection surface is textured using camera images, then realistic representation is achieved, but accurate positioning of virtual objects corresponding to actual positions becomes challenging

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvevisual realismVSAvoidposition accuracy
Core Design Contradiction:
Illumination intensityVSMeasurement precision

Solution Approach 1:

The patent creates a virtual projection surface that copies not only the visual appearance but also the geometric distortion characteristics of the actual camera image. This dual copying approach maintains visual realism while embedding positional information, as the distortion pattern itself serves as a reference framework for accurately positioning virtual objects corresponding to real-world locations.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #26Copying

Data Source

PatentEP3571091B1Method and device for displaying the surroundings of a vehicle
Publication Date: 2021.07.14 ROBERT BOSCH GMBH
  • EP3571091B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3571091B1 patent drawingFigure 2~3
  • EP3571091B1 patent drawingFigure 4~5

AI summary

The invention relates to a method for displaying the surroundings (2) of a vehicle (1), having the steps of defining a virtual projection surface (21) in a virtual area (20) which represents the surroundings (2) of the vehicle (1), texturing the virtual projection surface (21) by means of a camera image which has been captured by a camera (3, 4, 5, 6) arranged on the vehicle (1), determining a target position (22) in the virtual area (20), said target position corresponding to an object position (7) in the surroundings (2) of the vehicle (1) where a virtual object (23) is to be imaged in the display of the surroundings (2) of the vehicle (1), generating an object texture on the virtual projection surface (21), said object texture displaying the virtual object (23) in a distorted display in which the virtual object (23) has a corresponding distortion that an object imaged on the virtual projection surface (21) has when the object is located at the object position (7), and imaging the virtual projection surface (21) from the point of view of a first virtual camera (24) which is arranged in the virtual area (20) in a virtual camera image (30). The invention additionally relates to a corresponding device for displaying the surroundings (2) of the vehicle (1).