Vehicle Underside Impact Avoidance via Camera Height Detection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Vehicle front fascia or underbody damage can occur at low speeds due to obstacles such as curbs or speed bumps, and existing technologies lack effective mechanisms to prevent such impacts.
Innovation Solution
A vehicle system equipped with sensor data collectors, such as video cameras, and a computer that detects obstacles and determines their height and slope, providing instructions to control the throttle and brakes to mitigate potential impacts, and alerts the driver through a human-machine interface.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the driver pulls too far forward into a parking space with a high curb, then the vehicle can access the parking space, but the vehicle front fascia or underbody suffers damage
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary detection of curbs and obstacles before the vehicle reaches them, using cameras and sensors to identify potential hazards ahead. This early detection allows the system to prepare avoidance actions in advance, preventing damage before it occurs while maintaining normal driving and parking operations
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an intermediary control system that acts between the driver's steering input and the vehicle's actual steering response. When a curb or obstacle is detected, the system applies counter-steering torque to the steering wheel, creating an intermediate corrective action that guides the vehicle away from potential damage without completely overriding driver intent
2Speed
If the vehicle goes over a speed bump or encounters an obstacle, then the vehicle maintains its speed, but the vehicle front fascia or underbody suffers damage
Solution Approach 1:
The system applies preliminary anti-action by detecting speed bumps and obstacles before the vehicle reaches them, then applying braking force in advance to reduce speed. This counteracts the potential harmful effect of high-speed impact before it occurs, protecting the vehicle underside while maintaining overall speed control
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs feedback mechanisms where sensors continuously monitor the road surface and obstacle detection systems track potential hazards. When a speed bump or obstacle is detected, this information feeds back to the control system, which then adjusts braking and steering in real-time to avoid damage while maintaining speed where safe
3Object-affected harmful factors
If a mechanism for avoiding impacts is added to the vehicle, then vehicle underside damage is prevented, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system achieves multi-functionality by using a single integrated control unit that handles both steering and braking operations. The same sensor array serves both obstacle detection and curb detection functions, and the control system coordinates both steering torque application and braking force application, reducing overall system complexity despite the multiple protective functions
Solution Approach 2:
The patent merges the curb detection system and obstacle detection system into a unified impact avoidance system. The camera array and sensors serve dual purposes, and the control algorithm integrates both steering correction and braking actions into a single coordinated response, simplifying the overall system architecture while providing comprehensive protection
Data Source
AI summary
A camera is configured to be mounted facing a front of a vehicle. A computer is programmed to receive first and second images from the camera, determine a height of an obstacle located to the front of the vehicle using at least the first and second images, and, based at least in part on the height of the obstacle, send an instruction via a communications bus to a component controller to control a speed of the vehicle.