Autonomous vehicle with improved visual detection ability

• US 10,073,462 B2
• Filed: 11/16/2016
• Issued: 09/11/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 03/29/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AImotive Kft
• Original Assignee: AImotive Kft
• Inventors: Debreczeni, Gergely
• Primary Examiner(s): ARTHUR JEANGLAUD, GERTRUDE
• Application Number:
  US15/352,891
• Publication Number:
  US 20170285649A1
• Time in Patent Office: 664 Days
• Field of Search: 701 28, 701 36, 340 1225, 340 561, 340 564
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2420/403 Image sensing, e.g. optical camera
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2552/35 Road bumpiness, e.g. potholes
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2552/53 Road markings, e.g. lane marker or crosswalk
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2554/00 Input parameters relating to objects
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2554/4029 Pedestrians
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2720/24 Direction of travel
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/0956 the prediction being responsive to traffic or environmental parameters
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/12 Lane keeping
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 60/001 Planning or execution of driving tasks
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0246 using a video camera in combination with image processing means
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0278 using satellite positioning signals, e.g. GPS
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/58 Recognition of moving objects or obstacles, e.g. vehicles or pedestrians; Recognition of traffic objects, e.g. traffic signs, traffic lights or roads
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/16 Anti-collision systems road vehicle drive control systems for predicting or avoiding probable or impending collision otherwise than by control of a particular sub-unit B60W30/08
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/77 between a recording apparatus and a television camera

Abstract

The invention provides an autonomous vehicle capable of driving independently through a path of intense traffic and transporting objects or people, even on rough surfaces, whilst ensuring safety of the vehicle and general road safety. The autonomous vehicle includes at least one variable pitch camera for producing images to be used for a computer vision to control the autonomous vehicle. The invention facilitates changing the pitch of the variable pitch camera to maximise camera image clarity and/or resolution as the autonomous vehicle moves. The images can be used for lane detection, pedestrian detection, three-dimensional (3D) reconstruction of an environment and/or pothole detection. With the invention, at least one image from the variable pitch camera is used in controlling the movement and/or the trajectory of the autonomous vehicle.

Claims

1. An autonomous vehicle, comprising:

at least one camera configured to produce images for computer vision used to control the autonomous vehicle, the at least one camera having a variable and movable pitch, yaw and/or roll to the direction of travel that is configured to be controlled,

wherein the pitch, yaw and/or roll of the at least one camera is configured to be changed to maximize camera image clarity and/or resolution as said autonomous vehicle moves, and

at least one image from the variable pitch, yaw and/or roll camera is configured to be used in controlling the movement of the autonomous vehicle.

2. The autonomous vehicle as claimed in claim 1, wherein the at least one camera is configured to be used in any of the following:

lane detection, pedestrian detection, general 3D reconstruction of the environment, and/or pothole detection.

3. The autonomous vehicle as claimed in claim 1, wherein the variable pitch, yaw and/or roll of the camera is controlled based on any of the following:

camera position, camera orientation, and/or speed of said vehicle, and/or output of image processing algorithm of the camera.

4. The autonomous vehicle as claimed in claim 1, wherein the variable pitch, yaw and/or roll of the camera is controlled based on any of the following:

weather, and/or traffic situation.

5. The autonomous vehicle as claimed in claim 1, wherein the plurality of cameras is located in different parts of the autonomous vehicle and is configured to perform different tasks.

6. The autonomous vehicle as claimed in claim 5, wherein each of the tasks is configured to be completed at a different camera position and/or orientation.

7. The autonomous vehicle as claimed in claim 1, wherein at least one camera output is configured to be processed by an Artificial Intelligence and detection module.

8. The autonomous vehicle as claimed in claim 7, wherein the Artificial Intelligence and detection module is configured to send steering control commands to a steering unit.

9. The autonomous vehicle as claimed in claim 8, wherein the steering unit is configured to use vehicle speed and/or gyroscope data to control and alter the pitch, yaw and/or roll angle of the at least one camera.

10. The autonomous vehicle as claimed in claim 9, wherein the steering unit is configured to use any of the following:

vehicle speed, output of the imaging algorithm, mapping info, GPS and/or gyroscope data to control and alter the pitch, yaw and/or roll angle of the at least one camera repeatedly in a closed loop, and the improved detection performance is configured to be used to feed the control logic of the autonomous vehicle.

11. A method for controlling an autonomous vehicle including at least one camera configured to produce images for computer vision used to control the autonomous vehicle, the method comprising the following steps:

controlling the at least one camera having a variable and movable pitch, yaw and/or roll to the direction of travel;

changing the pitch, yaw and/or roll of the at least one camera to maximize camera image clarity and/or resolution as said autonomous vehicle moves; and

controlling movement of the autonomous vehicle using the at least one image from the variable pitch, yaw and/or roll camera.

12. The method as claimed in claim 11, wherein the at least one camera is used in any of the following:

lane detection, pedestrian detection, general 3D reconstruction of the environment, and/or pothole detection.

13. The method as claimed in claim 11, wherein the pitch, yaw and/or roll of the camera is controlled based on any of the following:

camera position, camera orientation, and/or speed of said vehicle, and/or output of image processing algorithm of the camera.

14. The method as claimed in claim 11, wherein the pitch of the variable pitch, yaw and/or roll camera is controlled based on any of the following:

weather, and/or traffic situation.

15. The method as claimed in claim 11, wherein the plurality of cameras is located in different parts of the autonomous vehicle and performs different tasks.

16. The method as claimed in claim 15, wherein each of the tasks is completed at a different camera position and/or orientation.

17. The method as claimed in claim 11, wherein at least one camera output is processed by an Artificial Intelligence and detection module.

18. The method as claimed in claim 11, wherein the output of the Artificial Intelligence and detection module sends steering control commands to a steering unit.

19. The method as claimed in claim 18, wherein the steering unit uses vehicle speed and/or gyroscope data to control and alter the pitch, yaw and/or roll angle of the at least one camera.

20. The method as claimed in claim 19, wherein the steering unit uses vehicle speed, output of the imaging algorithm, mapping info, GPS and/or gyroscope data to control and alter the pitch, yaw and/or roll angle of the at least one camera repeatedly in a closed loop, and the improved detection performance is used to feed the control logic of the autonomous vehicle.

21. A software program product stored on a non-transient memory medium for controlling an autonomous vehicle, including at least one camera software configured to produce images for computer vision software used to control the autonomous vehicle, the software program product causing one or more processors to perform a method comprising:

controlling at least one camera having a variable and movable pitch, yaw and/or roll to the direction of travel;

changing the pitch, yaw and/or roll of the at least one camera to maximize camera image clarity and/or resolution as said autonomous vehicle moves; and

controlling movement of the autonomous vehicle using at least one image from the variable pitch, yaw and/or roll camera.

22. The software program product as claimed in claim 21, wherein the at least one camera is configured to be used in any of the following:

lane detection, pedestrian detection, general 3D reconstruction of the environment, and/or pothole detection.

23. The software program product as claimed in claim 21, wherein the pitch, yaw and/or roll of the camera is controlled based on any of the following:

camera position, camera orientation and/or speed of said vehicle, and/or output of image processing algorithm of the camera.

24. The software program product as claimed in claim 21, wherein the pitch of the variable pitch camera is controlled based on any of the following:

weather, and/or traffic situation.

25. The software program product as claimed in claim 21, wherein the plurality of cameras is located in different parts of the autonomous vehicle and is configured to perform different tasks.

26. The software program product as claimed in claim 25, wherein each of the tasks is configured to be completed at a different camera position and/or orientation.

27. The software program product as claimed in claim 21, wherein at least one camera output is configured to be processed by an Artificial Intelligence and detection module.

28. The software program product as claimed in claim 27, wherein the Artificial Intelligence and detection module is configured to send steering control commands to a steering unit.

29. The software program product as claimed in claim 28, wherein the steering unit is configured to use vehicle speed and/or gyroscope data to control and alter the pitch angle of the at least one camera.

30. The software program product as claimed in claim 29, wherein the steering unit is configured to use vehicle speed, output of the imaging algorithm, mapping info, GPS and/or gyroscope data to control and alter the pitch, yaw and/or roll angle of the at least one camera repeatedly in a closed loop, and the improved detection performance is configured to be used to feed the control logic of the autonomous vehicle.