Information processing system

• US 10,306,207 B2
• Filed: 06/03/2015
• Issued: 05/28/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 07/07/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hitachi Astemo Ltd. (Hitachi, Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Hitachi Automotive Systems Limited (Hitachi, Ltd.)
• Inventors: Matono, Haruki, Aoki, Toshiyuki, Muto, Yoshiyuki
• Primary Examiner(s): Chowdhury, Nigar
• Application Number:
  US15/324,414
• Publication Number:
  US 20170180701A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,455 Days
• Field of Search: 348113, 348159
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 31/0008 including means for detecting potential obstacles in vehicle path
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 1/23 with a predetermined field of view
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 1/28 with an adjustable field of view
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 1/31 providing stereoscopic vision
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2300/105 using multiple cameras
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2300/107 using stereoscopic cameras
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2300/202 displaying a blind spot scene on the vehicle part responsible for the blind spot
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2300/207 using multi-purpose displays, e.g. camera image and navigation or video on same display
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2300/802 for monitoring and displaying vehicle exterior blind spot views
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2300/8066 for monitoring rearward traffic
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 2210/32 Vehicle surroundings
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 8/171 Detecting parameters used in the regulation; Measuring values used in the regulation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 13/362 with centralised access control
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 5/40 using histogram techniques
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/70 Determining position or orientation of objects or cameras camera calibration G06T7/80
• 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: G08G 1/165 for passive traffic, e.g. including static obstacles, trees
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/166 for active traffic, e.g. moving vehicles, pedestrians, bikes
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/204 using stereoscopic image cameras stereoscopic photography G03B35/00

Abstract

To process sensor information positively in an information processor to which plural sensors are connected. An information processing system including plural sensors, plural buses respectively connected to the plural sensors, an arbitration unit performing arbitration of the plural buses and a priority determination unit determining the priority of each of the plural sensors, in which the arbitration unit performs arbitration of the plural buses in accordance with the determination result of the priority determination unit.

Claims

1. An information processing system comprising:

plural sensors;

plural buses respectively connected to the plural sensors;

an arbitration unit performing arbitration of the plural buses; and

a priority determination unit determining the priority of each of the plural sensors; and

a dedicated bus separate from the plural buses, the dedicated bus connected exclusively to one sensor of the plural sensors and the arbitration unit,

wherein the arbitration unit performs arbitration of the plural buses in accordance with the determination result of the priority determination unit, and

wherein the one sensor transmits information over the dedicated bus to the arbitration unit for immediate priority updating without interruption from processing from any other sensor of the plural sensors.

2. The information processing system according to claim 1, further comprising:

a diagnostic unit diagnosing the presence of an abnormality in the sensors,

wherein the arbitration unit gives priority to a sensor other than the sensor diagnosed as having abnormality by the diagnostic unit.

3. The information processing system according to claim 1,

wherein at least a front monitoring sensor which monitors a front direction of an own vehicle and a periphery monitoring sensor which monitors the periphery of the own vehicle are included as the plural sensors.

4. The information processing system according to claim 3,

wherein the arbitration unit performs arbitration so that a bus to which the front monitoring sensor is connected has priority when the own vehicle travels at a predetermined vehicle speed or more, and

the arbitration unit performs arbitration so that a bus to which the periphery monitoring sensor is connected has priority when the own vehicle travels at less than the predetermined speed.

5. The information processing system according to claim 4,

wherein, when the diagnostic unit diagnoses that an abnormality exists in the front monitoring sensor, the arbitration unit performs arbitration so that the bus to which the periphery monitoring sensor is connected has priority regardless of the vehicle speed.

6. The information processing system according to claim 1, further comprising:

a communication means for receiving information including road conditions around the own vehicle,

wherein the priority determination unit determines so that a bus of a sensor capturing a direction of an obstacle which may collide on a road to travel has priority in the plural sensors based on information received by the communication means, and

the arbitration unit performs arbitration so that the bus of the sensor determined to have priority by the priority determination unit is preferentially accessed.

7. The information processing system according to claim 3,

wherein the front monitoring sensor is a monocular camera,

the information processing system further includes an image processing unit capable of processing an image from the monocular camera and detecting an obstacle to thereby measure a distance between the obstacle and the own vehicle, and

when it is determined that the distance with respect to the obstacle is close based on the measurement result by the image processing unit, the arbitration unit performs arbitration so that a bus of a memory storing image data of the monocular camera and the detection result of the obstacle has priority.

8. The information processing system according to claim 7, further comprising:

a display unit displaying video,

wherein, when it is determined that the distance with respect to the obstacle is close based on the measurement result by the image processing unit, image data of the monocular camera is read from the memory of the bus arbitrated to have priority by the arbitration unit and displayed on the display unit.

9. The information processing system according to claim 3,

wherein the front monitoring sensor is a stereo camera,

and the information processing system further includes

a distance image generation unit which generates distances of respective pixels from right and left images acquired by the stereo camera, and

a histogram peak detection processing unit which generates a histogram of distances in a vertical direction with respect to a road of the distance image generated by the distance image generation unit and calculates a peak value thereof, and

when the histogram peak detection result by the histogram peak detection processing unit has a peak of a close distance with respect to the road to travel of the own vehicle, the arbitration unit performs arbitration so that the bus of the memory storing the image data and the distance image of the stereo camera has priority.

10. The information processing system according claim 9, further comprising:

a display unit displaying video,

wherein, when it is determined that the distance with respect to the obstacle is close based on the measurement result by the image processing unit, image data of the stereo camera is read from the memory of the bus arbitrated to have priority by the arbitration unit and displayed on the display unit.