Driving support apparatus and driving support method

• US 10,457,257 B2
• Filed: 02/13/2017
• Issued: 10/29/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 02/22/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: HL Klemove Corporation
• Original Assignee: Mando Corporation
• Inventors: Han, Jae Hyun, Heo, Oh Cheol
• Primary Examiner(s): Elchanti, Hussein
• Assistant Examiner(s): Castro, Paul A
• Application Number:
  US15/430,538
• Publication Number:
  US 20170240149A1
• Time in Patent Office: 988 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 2201/022 Collision avoidance systems
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 2210/36 Global Positioning System [GPS]
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 7/22 initiated by contact of vehicle, e.g. bumper, with an external object, e.g. another vehicle , or by means of contactless obstacle detectors mounted on the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 8/171 Detecting parameters used in the regulation; Measuring values used in the regulation
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 8/321 deceleration B60T8/34, B60T8/52, B60T8/54, B60T8/56, B60T8/58, B60T8/72, B60T8/86, B60T8/88 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0246 using a video camera in combination with image processing means
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/30256 Lane; Road marking
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/30261 Obstacle
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/50 Depth or shape recovery
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/62 of area, perimeter, diameter or volume
• 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: 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: G08G 1/166 for active traffic, e.g. moving vehicles, pedestrians, bikes
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/72 Combination of two or more compensation controls

Abstract

Disclosed relates to a driving support apparatus including at least: a detection unit that detects a driving lane on which a user'"'"'s vehicle and a front vehicle located in front of the user'"'"'s vehicle are driving based on image data output from a camera; a first calculation unit that calculates a second front vehicle width for the front vehicle based on a first front vehicle width for the front vehicle measured on the image data, a first driving lane width for the driving lane measured on the image data, and a second driving lane width predetermined according to a characteristic of the driving lane; and a second calculation unit that calculates a distance from the front vehicle based on a focal length of the camera, the first front vehicle width, and the second front vehicle width, thereby precisely measuring the distance from the front vehicle based on camera image data.

Claims

1. A driving support apparatus comprising:

a detection circuit, including a camera, configured to detect a driving lane on which a user'"'"'s vehicle and a front vehicle located in front of the user'"'"'s vehicle are driving based on image data output from a camera which detects the front;

a first calculation circuit configured to calculate a second front vehicle width for the front vehicle based on a first front vehicle width for the front vehicle measured on the image data, a first driving lane width for the driving lane measured on the image data, and a second driving lane width corresponding to an actual lane width of the driving lane predetermined according to a characteristic of the driving lane; and

a second calculation circuit configured to calculate a distance from the front vehicle based on a focal length of the camera, the first front vehicle width, and the second front vehicle width;

wherein the characteristic of the driving lane for determining the second driving lane width includes one or more of a region where the driving lane exists, a road type of the driving lane, and a limited speed of the driving lane, and

wherein the second front vehicle width is determined as a value generated by dividing a value, which is generated by multiplying the first driving lane width and the second driving lane width, by the first front vehicle width.

2. The driving support apparatus of claim 1, wherein the distance from the front vehicle is calculated as a value generated by dividing a value, which is generated by multiplying the second front vehicle width and the focal length of the camera, by the first front vehicle width.

3. The driving support apparatus of claim 2, wherein, when one or more objects other than the front vehicle and the driving lane are detected, the detection circuit re-controls settings of the camera based on information on the objects.

4. The driving support apparatus of claim 3, wherein the re-controlled settings of the camera include one or more of brightness and white balance.

5. The driving support apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a controller, including electrical circuits, configured to increase the distance from the front vehicle by controlling a brake when the distance from the front vehicle is shorter than a preset safe distance.

6. A driving support method comprising:

a detection step of detecting a driving lane on which a user'"'"'s vehicle and a front vehicle located in front of the user'"'"'s vehicle are driving based on image data output from a camera which detects the front;

a first calculation step of calculating a second front vehicle width for the front vehicle based on a first front vehicle width for the front vehicle measured on the image data, a first driving lane width for the driving lane measured on the image data, and a second driving lane width corresponding to an actual lane width of the driving lane predetermined according to a characteristic of the driving lane; and

a second calculation step of calculating a distance from the front vehicle based on a focal length of the camera, the first front vehicle width, and the second front vehicle width,

wherein the characteristic of the driving lane for determining the second driving lane width includes one or more of a region where the driving lane exists, a road type of the driving lane, and a limited speed of the driving lane in the first calculation step, and

wherein, in the first calculation step, the second front vehicle width is determined as a value generated by dividing a value, which is generated by multiplying the first driving lane width and the second driving lane width, by the first front vehicle width.

7. The driving support method of claim 6, wherein, in the second calculation step, the distance from the front vehicle is calculated as a value generated by dividing a value, which is generated by multiplying the second front vehicle width and the focal length of the camera, by the first front vehicle width.

8. The driving support method of claim 7, wherein the detection step comprises re-controlling settings of the camera based on information on one or more objects other than the front vehicle and the driving lane.

9. The driving support method of claim 8, wherein the re-controlled settings of the camera include one or more of brightness and white balance.

10. The driving support method of claim 6, further comprising a control step of increasing the distance from the front vehicle by controlling a brake when the distance from the front vehicle is shorter than a preset safe distance.