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Apparatuses and methods for self-position calculation of a vehicle using a light projector and a camera

  • US 10,026,196 B2
  • Filed: 02/24/2014
  • Issued: 07/17/2018
  • Est. Priority Date: 02/24/2014
  • Status: Active Grant
First Claim
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1. A self-position calculating apparatus comprising:

  • a light projector configured to project a patterned light beam onto a road surface around a vehicle;

    a camera installed in the vehicle, and configured to capture an image of the road surface around the vehicle including an area onto which the patterned light beam is projected;

    a processor; and

    a memory that stores executable instructions, which, when executed by the processor, become operational with the processor to;

    calculate an orientation angle of the vehicle relative to the road surface from a position of the patterned light beam on the image obtained by the camera;

    calculate an amount of change in orientation of the vehicle based on temporal changes in a plurality of feature points on the road surface which are detected from the image obtained by the camera;

    calculate current position and orientation angle of the vehicle by adding the amount of change in the orientation to initial position and orientation angle of the vehicle; and

    determine under what condition the plurality of feature points are detected, whereinif the condition under which the plurality of feature points are detected does not satisfy a first criterion, set the current position of the vehicle at that time and the orientation angle of the vehicle is calculated at the initial position and orientation angle of the vehicle and the amount of change in the orientation is added to the initial position and orientation angle.

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