Collision Avoidance - Rearview Backup Camera Image Concerns
91 Rearview backup camera image quality complaints (distorted image)
91 12 42
2029903/1
June 20, 2012.
Affected Vehicles
Condition
The customer complains about the picture quality of rearview backup camera image in the MMI screen. The complaints can be one or all of the
following:
^ The picture is fuzzy or distorted.
^ The picture looks too bright, too dark, or opaque in certain areas of the image.
^ The colors of the objects in the image are incorrect or slightly off.
^ The guide lines used for parking are fuzzy, distorted, or pixelated when compared with another vehicle.
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Technical Background
Complaint 1: The picture is fuzzy or distorted.
Explanation: The wide angle backup camera lens (about 140锟斤拷) provides a round or curved image (fish-eye). The software inside the MMI must
straighten out this "curved" image to fit the rectangular area of the MMI screen. As a result, the picture from the camera shown in the MMI screen is
less sharp or focused in the corners of the image than compared to the center of the image. This is more noticeable in vehicles with a larger MMI
screen because the image is expanded or "blown up".
Complaint 2: The picture looks too bright, too dark, or opaque in certain areas of the image.
AND
Complaint 3: The colors of the objects in the image are incorrect or slightly off.
Explanation: The backup camera adjusts the image in the MMI screen dynamically in response to the ambient light and tries to find the optimal
representation of brightness, contrast, and color (comparable to the exposure control of a camera). As a result the overall brightness, contrast, and
colors of the backup camera image in the MMI may appear to be different than the actual color seen by the human eye.
The camera is not equipped with an infrared filter for night time viewing. This also leads to differences in color. The brightness of the image can be
adjusted in the MMI menu for the whole screen for all MMI menus, but color and contrast cannot be changed.
Complaint 4: The guide lines used for parking are fuzzy, distorted, or pixelated when compared with another vehicle.
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Explanation: For vehicles without the Peripheral View Camera (No Top View and No Corner View), the guide lines are pre-stored images in the
MMI memory which are overlaid on top of the rearview camera image at the different steering angles (the guide line images are masked over the
camera image). Due to the large size of some of the MMI screens, the lines appear to be pixelated because they are "blown up" (Figure 3). For
vehicles with the Peripheral View Camera (with Top View and Corner View), the lines are dynamically generated as vector graphics (scaled) and as
a result the lines are sharper or more focused.
Production Solution
Not applicable.
Service
These are normal conditions and no replacements of the backup camera, MMI Screen, MMI Main unit, and the Camera Control unit should be
performed.
Warranty
This TSB is informational only and not applicable to any Audi warranty.
Additional Information
All parts and service references provided in this TSB are subject to change and/or removal. Always check with your Parts Department and service
manuals for the latest information.
