Vehicle vision system with retroreflector pattern recognition

• US 10,043,091 B2
• Filed: 12/03/2015
• Issued: 08/07/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 12/05/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Magna Electronics Incorporated (Magna International Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Magna Electronics Incorporated (Magna International Incorporated)
• Inventors: Singh, Harjeet, Edo-Ros, Manuel, Boegel, Ruediger, Solar, Martin
• Primary Examiner(s): Vo, Tung
• Assistant Examiner(s): BECKER, JOSEPH W
• Application Number:
  US14/957,707
• Publication Number:
  US 20160162747A1
• Time in Patent Office: 978 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 10/22 by selection of a specific region containing or referencing a pattern; Locating or processing of specific regions to guide the detection or recognition
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 10/255 Detecting or recognising potential candidate objects based on visual cues, e.g. shapes
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/54 of traffic, e.g. cars on the road, trains or boats
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/582 of traffic signs
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/588 Recognition of the road, e.g. of lane markings; Recognition of the vehicle driving pattern in relation to the road
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/10 Human or animal bodies, e.g. vehicle occupants or pedestrians; Body parts, e.g. hands
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/20 Movements or behaviour, e.g. gesture recognition recognition of facial expressions G06V40/16

Abstract

A vision system of a vehicle includes a camera and an image processor. The camera is configured to be disposed at a vehicle so as to have a field of view exterior of the vehicle. The image processor is operable to process image data captured by the camera to classify patterns of retroreflective reflectors present in the field of view of the camera. The image processor compares determined patterns of retroreflective reflectors to a database of patterns and classifies patterns of retroreflective reflectors at least in part responsive to determination that determined patterns of retroreflective reflectors generally match a pattern of the database. The image processor may compare movement of determined patterns of retroreflective reflectors and pattern movements of the database over multiple frames of captured image data and may classify the retroreflective reflectors at least in part responsive to determination that the movements generally match.

Claims

1. A vision system of a vehicle, said vision system comprising:

a camera configured to be disposed at a vehicle so as to have a field of view exterior of the vehicle;

wherein said camera comprises a pixelated imaging array having a plurality of photosensing elements;

an image processor operable to process image data captured by said camera when said camera is disposed at the vehicle;

wherein, with said camera disposed at the vehicle, said image processor is operable to process captured image data to determine a pattern of retroreflective reflectors present in the field of view of said camera;

wherein said image processor compares a determined pattern of retroreflective reflectors to a database of patterns and classifies retroreflective reflectors at least in part responsive to determination that the determined pattern of retroreflective reflectors generally match a pattern of the database; and

wherein the pattern of retroreflective reflectors comprises a first coding in gray shading and a second coding in color, and wherein a prioritized first set of data is encoded to the gray shading and a lower prioritized second set of data is encoded to the color.

2. The vision system of claim 1, wherein said image processor compares movement of the determined pattern of retroreflective reflectors over multiple frames of captured image data to the database and classifies the determined pattern of retroreflective reflectors at least in part responsive to determination that the movement of the determined pattern of retroreflective reflectors generally matches the database.

3. The vision system of claim 2, wherein said image processor is operable to determine that the determined movement of the pattern of retroreflective reflectors is indicative of movement of reflectors on a wheel of a moving bicycle.

4. The vision system of claim 1, wherein the database of patterns includes at least one of (i) a pattern of reflectors on an article carried by a pedestrian and (ii) a pattern of reflectors on an article worn by a pedestrian.

5. The vision system of claim 1, wherein the database of patterns includes a spacing pattern of spaced apart reflectors along a road infrastructure.

6. The vision system of claim 1, wherein the database of patterns includes two dimensional codes.

7. The vision system of claim 1, wherein the database of patterns includes bar codes.

8. The vision system of claim 1, wherein the database of patterns includes location information.

9. The vision system of claim 1, wherein the retroreflective reflectors reflect near infrared light and wherein said camera is sensitive to near infrared light.

10. The vision system of claim 9, comprising a near infrared light source disposed at the vehicle, wherein said camera is disposed at or near said near infrared light source.

11. The vision system of claim 9, wherein the near infrared light reflecting retroreflective reflectors are disposed at a traffic sign and wherein traffic sign information of the traffic sign is visible to the driver of the vehicle in visible light.

12. The vision system of claim 1, wherein image data captured by said camera is processed to determine the first and second codings and to extract information associated with respective ones of the first and second codings.

13. A vision system of a vehicle, said vision system comprising:

a camera configured to be disposed at a vehicle so as to have a field of view exterior of the vehicle;

wherein said camera comprises a pixelated imaging array having a plurality of photosensing elements;

an image processor operable to process image data captured by said camera when said camera is disposed at the vehicle;

wherein, with said camera disposed at the vehicle and when a headlight of the vehicle is activated to emit visible light forward of the vehicle, said image processor is operable to process captured image data to determine a pattern of retroreflective reflectors present in the field of view of said camera;

wherein said image processor compares a determined pattern of retroreflective reflectors to a database of patterns and classifies retroreflective reflectors at least in part responsive to determination that the determined pattern of retroreflective reflectors generally match a pattern of the database;

wherein the pattern of retroreflective reflectors comprises a first coding pattern and a second coding pattern;

wherein image data captured by said camera is processed to determine the first and second coding patterns and to extract information associated with respective ones of the first and second coding patterns; and

wherein the first coding pattern comprises gray shading and the second coding pattern comprises color, and wherein a prioritized first set of data is encoded to the gray shading and a lower prioritized second set of data is encoded to the color.

14. The vision system of claim 13, wherein said image processor compares movement of the determined pattern of retroreflective reflectors over multiple frames of captured image data to the database and classifies the determined pattern of retroreflective reflectors at least in part responsive to determination that the movement of the determined pattern of retroreflective reflectors generally matches the database.

15. The vision system of claim 13, wherein the database of patterns includes a spacing pattern of spaced apart reflectors along a road infrastructure.

16. The vision system of claim 13, wherein the database of patterns includes at least one of (i) two dimensional codes and (ii) bar codes.

17. A vision system of a vehicle, said vision system comprising:

a camera configured to be disposed at a vehicle so as to have a field of view exterior of the vehicle;

wherein said camera comprises a pixelated imaging array having a plurality of photosensing elements;

a near infrared light source disposed at the vehicle, wherein said camera is disposed at or near said near infrared light source and wherein said camera is sensitive to near infrared light;

an image processor operable to process image data captured by said camera when said camera is disposed at the vehicle;

wherein, with said camera disposed at the vehicle and when said near infrared light source is activated, said image processor is operable to process captured image data to determine a pattern of retroreflective reflectors present in the field of view of said camera;

wherein the pattern of retroreflective reflectors comprises a first portion having a first coding pattern and a second portion having a second coding pattern;

wherein the first portion of the retroreflective reflectors reflect near infrared light;

wherein the second portion of the retroreflective reflectors reflect visible light;

wherein said image processor compares a determined pattern of retroreflective reflectors to a database of patterns and classifies retroreflective reflectors at least in part responsive to determination that the determined pattern of retroreflective reflectors generally match a pattern of the database;

wherein the retroreflective reflectors are disposed at a traffic sign and wherein traffic sign information of the traffic sign is visible to the driver of the vehicle in visible light;

wherein image data captured by said camera is processed to determine the first and second coding patterns and to extract information associated with respective ones of the first and second coding patterns; and

wherein the first coding pattern comprises gray shading and the second coding pattern comprises color, and wherein a prioritized first set of data is encoded to the gray shading and a lower prioritized second set of data is encoded to the color.

18. The vision system of claim 17, wherein the database of patterns includes at least one of (i) two dimensional codes and (ii) bar codes.