Wheel Marking Contrast Analysis for Visibility Detection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Motor vehicles experience turbulence and loss of visibility due to disturbing rolling and visibility phenomena, such as rain, which can lead to dangerous driving conditions, especially affecting the visibility of signal lamps for following vehicles on non-absorbent surfaces.
Innovation Solution
A method and device that analyze the contrast between wheel markings on the road to detect and quantify disturbing rolling and visibility phenomena, adjusting signaling lamps and sending alerts to improve safety, using image acquisition and contrast analysis techniques.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the vehicle drives on non-absorbent surfaces in adverse conditions (rain, turbulence), then the vehicle maintains normal driving performance, but visibility of signal lights for following vehicles is lost and driving conditions deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary detection of wheel markings using image acquisition devices before visibility disturbance becomes critical. By analyzing the contrast between wheel markings and road surface in advance, the system can predict adverse conditions and prepare appropriate responses, such as adjusting signal light intensity or activating warning systems, thereby maintaining safety before the visibility loss fully impacts following vehicles.
Solution Approach 2:
The system continuously monitors the contrast of wheel markings on the road surface and uses this feedback to detect changes in road conditions and visibility. When the contrast analysis indicates adverse conditions (rain, turbulence), the system provides feedback to adjust signal light intensity or activate warning systems, creating a closed-loop control that maintains visibility and safety dynamically.
2Measurement precision
If image acquisition and contrast analysis are implemented to detect wheel markings, then visibility disturbance and driving turbulence can be detected, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system uses the vehicle's existing image acquisition devices (cameras) for multiple purposes: primary function for capturing road scenes and secondary function for analyzing wheel marking contrast. By making the image acquisition system multi-functional, the patent avoids adding dedicated hardware for contrast detection, thereby maintaining measurement precision while minimizing the increase in device complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses the vehicle's own wheel markings as the detection target, which are naturally present without requiring additional markers or modifications. The existing image acquisition system processes these self-generated markings for contrast analysis, allowing the vehicle to self-diagnose road conditions and visibility disturbances without external assistance or additional complex equipment.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If the signal lights are adjusted based on detected phenomena, then visibility for following vehicles is maintained, but energy consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system dynamically adjusts signal light intensity based on real-time contrast analysis of wheel markings. Instead of maintaining constant high intensity, the signal lights adapt their brightness level to the detected road conditions - increasing intensity only when adverse conditions are detected and maintaining normal levels otherwise. This dynamic adjustment maintains visibility when needed while minimizing energy consumption during normal driving conditions.
Data Source
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AI summary
The method involves defining a region (ROI) of interest of observation of a marking of wheel in an acquired image (I) of rear environment of a motor vehicle. Contrast (Ct) between the marking and the road is detected based on a difference of level of grids between the region of interest of observation and an adjacent region (ROA). Presence of driving disturbing phenomenon e.g. rain, is detected based on local average of contrast. Presence of visibility disturbing phenomenon is detected based on evolution of contrast along the marking of the wheel. Independent claims are also included for the following: (1) a device for analyzing marking left by wheels of motor vehicle on a road (2) a computer program product comprising a sequence of instructions executable by an information processing unit to implement a method of analyzing marking left by wheels of a motor vehicle on a road.