Vehicle Vision Overlay for Tool-Obstructed Operator Views
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Solution Overview
Problem
Functional tools on vehicles, such as harvester heads or load carrying tools, obstruct the operator's view when raised to certain heights, hindering effective control and operation.
Innovation Solution
A vehicle vision system using multiple cameras and geometric transformations to replace obstructed views with unobstructed views, employing perspective/geometric transformations and machine learning to generate a composite image that provides an unobstructed view of the scene, displayed on a transparent medium or screen.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If the functional tool is raised to a higher position to increase working capacity, then the productivity is improved, but the operator's view is obstructed
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a camera system as an intermediary device that captures images from positions not obstructed by the functional tool. These images are then processed and displayed to the operator, mediating between the obstructed direct view and the need for elevated tool positioning. The camera acts as a mediator that provides visual information without requiring the operator to have a direct line of sight.
Solution Approach 2:
The system creates a visual copy of the scene through camera imaging. Instead of requiring the operator to directly observe the scene, a replicated visual representation is captured by the camera and displayed on a screen. This copy allows the operator to monitor the work area even when the functional tool blocks the direct view, enabling elevated tool positions without sacrificing operational awareness.
2Measurement precision
If multiple cameras are used to capture unobstructed views, then the measurement precision is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The viewing task is segmented into multiple camera units, each capturing a specific portion of the scene from its own perspective. Rather than relying on a single complex camera system, the patent divides the visual coverage into segments handled by individual cameras. This segmentation allows for improved overall view accuracy while keeping each camera unit relatively simple and manageable.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces complex mechanical viewing systems (such as mirrors, prisms, or elevated camera mounts) with a multi-camera computational approach. Instead of using mechanical means to achieve unobstructed views, the system uses multiple simpler camera units with their images processed computationally to synthesize the final unobstructed view.
Data Source
AI summary
A vehicle vision system is configured to visibly present a view of a scene to an operator, the operator's view of the scene being otherwise visibly obstructed by an obstruction movably supported by a vehicle.