Vehicle vision system with accelerated object confirmation

• US 10,609,335 B2
• Filed: 03/22/2013
• Issued: 03/31/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 03/23/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Magna Electronics Incorporated (Magna International Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Magna Electronics Incorporated (Magna International Incorporated)
• Inventors: Nix, Axel, Van Dan Elzen, Christopher L., Shonk, Carl W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Schnurr, John R
• Assistant Examiner(s): Lotfi, Kyle M
• Application Number:
  US13/848,796
• Publication Number:
  US 20130278769A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,566 Days
• Field of Search: 701301
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 1/24 in front of the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 1/27 providing all-round vision, e.g. using omnidirectional cameras
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2300/301 combining image information with other obstacle sensor information, e.g. using RADAR/LIDAR/SONAR sensors for estimating risk of collision
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2300/50 characterised by the display information being shared, e.g. external display, data transfer to other traffic participants or centralised traffic controller
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/161 Decentralised systems, e.g. inter-vehicle communication
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/166 for active traffic, e.g. moving vehicles, pedestrians, bikes
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/167 Driving aids for lane monitoring, lane changing, e.g. blind spot detection
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/18 Closed-circuit television [CCTV] systems, i.e. systems in which the video signal is not broadcast

Abstract

A vision system for a vehicle includes a camera and an image processor. The camera has a forward field of view exterior of the vehicle. The image processor is operable to process image data captured by the camera. At least one device is operable to detect objects that are present forward of the vehicle and outside of the forward field of view of the camera. The device may include at least one of (i) a sensor, (ii) an element of a vehicle-to-vehicle communication system and (iii) an element of a vehicle-to-infrastructure communication system. Responsive to detection of the object being indicative of the object about to enter the field of view of the camera, the image processor anticipates the object entering the field of view of the camera and, upon entering of the field of view of the camera by the object, the image processor detects the object.

Claims

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

a camera fixedly disposed at a vehicle equipped with said vision system and having a field of view exterior and forward of the equipped vehicle, wherein the field of view of said camera is fixed relative to the equipped vehicle and forward of the equipped vehicle;

an image processor operable to process image data captured by said camera;

at least one radar sensor fixedly disposed at the equipped vehicle and operable to detect an object present forward of the equipped vehicle and outside of the field of view of said camera;

wherein, responsive to said at least one radar sensor detecting an object that is present exterior of the equipped vehicle and that is outside of the field of view of said camera, and responsive to a determination that the detected object is moving on a track toward an area encompassed by the field of view of said camera, information pertaining to the detected object is communicated to said image processor; and

wherein, responsive to the communicated information and upon the detected object entering the field of view of said camera, said image processor, via processing of image data captured by said camera, confirms detection of the object that was previously detected by said at least one radar sensor when the object was outside of the field of view of said camera and

determines that the detected object is an object of interest at a more rapid rate than a rate at which the image processor would determine that the detected object is an object of interest without the communicated information.

2. The vision system of claim 1, wherein the field of view of said camera is 52 degrees or less forward of the equipped vehicle.

3. The vision system of claim 1, wherein said at least one radar sensor has a field of sensing forward of the equipped vehicle that encompasses a portion of the field of view of said camera.

4. The vision system of claim 1, comprising at least one of an element of a vehicle-to-vehicle communication system and an element of a vehicle-to-infrastructure communication system.

5. The vision system of claim 4, comprising a vehicle interface processor that receives a communication from said at least one radar sensor and receives information from said image processor, and wherein said vehicle interface processor communicates hypothesis information to said image processor for accelerated confirmation that the object that was previously detected by said at least one radar sensor when the object was outside of the field of view of said camera is an object of interest.

6. The vision system of claim 1, wherein information about objects present outside the field of view of said camera is communicated to said image processor via a vehicle interface processor.

7. The vision system of claim 1, wherein said vision system, responsive to an output of said at least one radar sensor, is operable to determine if an object is present in a field of sensing of said at least one radar sensor and to determine if the detected object is likely to enter the field of view of said camera.

8. The vision system of claim 7, wherein, responsive to a determination that an object is likely to enter the field of view of said camera, said image processor is operable to provide enhanced detection of the object as it enters the field of view of said camera.

16. The vision system of claim 1, wherein said image processor is operable to filter the image data captured by said camera using hypothesis information derived from the communicated information to confirm detection of the object that was previously detected by said at least one radar sensor.

17. The vision system of claim 16, wherein said image processor filters the image data with a Kalman filter.

9. A vision system for a vehicle, said vision system comprising:

a camera fixedly disposed at a vehicle equipped with said vision system and having a field of view exterior and forward of the equipped vehicle, wherein the field of view of said camera is fixed relative to the equipped vehicle and forward of the equipped vehicle;

an image processor operable to process image data captured by said camera;

at least one radar sensor fixedly disposed at the equipped vehicle and operable to detect an object present forward of the equipped vehicle and outside of the field of view of said camera;

wherein said vision system, responsive to an output of said at least one radar sensor, is operable to determine if an object is present in a field of sensing of said at least one radar sensor and to determine if the detected object is likely to enter the field of view of said camera; and

wherein, responsive to said at least one radar sensor detecting an object that is present exterior of the equipped vehicle and that is outside of the field of view of said camera and responsive to a determination that the detected object is moving on a track toward an area encompassed by the field of view of said camera, information pertaining to the detected object is communicated to said image processor;

wherein, responsive to the communicated information and upon the detected object entering the field of view of said camera, said image processor, via processing of image data captured by said camera, confirms detection of the object that was previously detected by said at least one radar sensor when the object was outside of the field of view of said camera and determines that the detected object is an object of interest at a more rapid rate than a rate at which the image processor would determine that the detected object is an object of interest without the communicated information; and

a vehicle interface processor that receives a communication from said at least one radar sensor and receives information from said image processor, and wherein said vehicle interface processor communicates hypothesis information to said image processor for accelerated confirmation that the object that was previously detected by said at least one radar sensor when the object was outside of the field of view of said camera is an object of interest.

10. The vision system of claim 9, wherein the field of sensing of said radar sensor encompasses a portion of the field of view of said camera.

11. The vision system of claim 9, wherein said at least one radar sensor comprises at least one of an element of a vehicle-to-vehicle communication system and an element of a vehicle-to-infrastructure communication system.

12. The vision system of claim 9, wherein, responsive to a determination that an object is likely to enter the field of view of said camera, said image processor is operable to provide enhanced detection of the object as it enters the field of view of said camera.

18. The vision system of claim 9, wherein said image processor is operable to filter the image data captured by said camera using information derived from the hypothesis information to confirm detection of the object that was previously detected by said at least one radar sensor.

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

a camera fixedly disposed at a vehicle equipped with said vision system and having a field of view exterior and forward of the equipped vehicle, wherein the field of view of said camera is fixed relative to the equipped vehicle and forward of the equipped vehicle;

an image processor operable to process image data captured by said camera;

at least one radar sensor fixedly disposed at the equipped vehicle and operable to detect an object present forward of the equipped vehicle and outside of the field of view of said camera;

wherein said radar sensor has a field of sensing forward of the equipped vehicle that encompasses a portion of the field of view of said camera; and

wherein, responsive to said at least one radar sensor detecting an object that is present exterior of the equipped vehicle and that is outside of the field of view of said camera and responsive to a determination that the detected object is moving on a track toward an area encompassed by the field of view of said camera, information pertaining to the detected object is communicated to said image processor; and

wherein, responsive to the communicated information and upon the detected object entering the field of view of said camera, said image processor, via processing of image data captured by said camera, confirms detection of the object that was previously detected by said at least one radar sensor when the object was outside of the field of view of said camera and determines that the detected object is an object of interest at a more rapid rate than a rate at which the image processor would determine that the detected object is an object of interest without the communicated information.

14. The vision system of claim 13, wherein, responsive at least in part to at least one of a vehicle-to-vehicle communication system and an element of a vehicle-to-infrastructure communication system, said vision system is operable to determine if an object is present in the field of sensing of said at least one radar sensor and to determine if the detected object is likely to enter the field of view of said camera.

15. The vision system of claim 13, wherein said vision system, responsive to an output of said radar sensor, is operable to determine if an object is present in the field of sensing of said radar sensor and to determine if the detected object is likely to enter the field of view of said camera, and wherein, responsive to a determination that the object is likely to enter the field of view of said camera, said image processor is operable to provide enhanced detection of the object as it enters the field of view of said camera.

19. The vision system of claim 13, wherein said image processor is operable to filter the image data captured by said camera using hypothesis information derived from the communicated information to confirm detection of the object that was previously detected by said at least one radar sensor.