Method for estimating unknown parameters for a vehicle object detection system
First Claim
1. A method for estimating unknown parameters for a vehicle object detection system, comprising the steps of:
- (a) generating a vision track from data provided by a camera;
(b) generating a radar track from data provided by a radar sensor;
(c) generating a matched pair from said vision and radar tracks; and
(d) estimating a camera pan angle (ψ
) and at least one of an instantaneous tilt angle (τ
) and road geometry, wherein said estimates minimize the alignment error between said matched pair.
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Abstract
A method for estimating unknown parameters (pan angle (ψ), instantaneous tilt angle (τ) and road geometry of an upcoming road segment) for a vehicle object detection system. The vehicle object detection system is preferably a forward looking, radar-cued vision system having a camera, a radar sensor and an processing unit. The method first estimates the pan angle (ψ), then corrects the coordinates from a radar track so that pan angle (ψ) can be treated as zero, and finally solves a least squares problem that determines best estimates for instantaneous tilt angle (τ) and road geometry. Estimating these parameters enables the vehicle object detection system to identify, interpret and locate objects in a more accurate and efficient manner.
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Citations
14 Claims
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1. A method for estimating unknown parameters for a vehicle object detection system, comprising the steps of:
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(a) generating a vision track from data provided by a camera;
(b) generating a radar track from data provided by a radar sensor;
(c) generating a matched pair from said vision and radar tracks; and
(d) estimating a camera pan angle (ψ
) and at least one of an instantaneous tilt angle (τ
) and road geometry, wherein said estimates minimize the alignment error between said matched pair. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
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13. A method for estimating unknown parameters for a vehicle object detection system, comprising the steps of:
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(a) generating a vision track from data provided by a camera;
(b) generating a radar track from data provided by a radar sensor;
(c) generating a matched pair from said vision and radar tracks;
(d) estimating a camera pan angle (ψ
) that best fits said matched pair;
(e) using said estimated camera pan angle (ψ
) and said radar track to provide a pan corrected matched pair(s) having a radar track that has been generally corrected for errors attributable to a camera pan angle; and
(f) using said pan corrected matched pair(s) to estimate at least one of an instantaneous tilt angle (τ
) and road geometry.
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14. A method for estimating an unknown pan angle, instantaneous tilt angle and vertical curvature for a vehicle object detection system, comprising the steps of:
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(a) generating a plurality of vision tracks from data provided by a camera;
(b) generating a plurality of radar tracks from data provided by a radar sensor;
(c) generating a plurality of matched pairs from said vision and radar tracks;
(d) estimating a camera pan angle (ψ
) that best fits said plurality of matched pairs;
(e) using said estimated camera pan angle (ψ
) and said plurality of radar tracks to provide a plurality of pan corrected matched pairs each having a radar track that has been generally corrected for errors attributable to a camera pan angle;
(f) using said plurality of pan corrected matched pairs to generate a least squares problem, said least squares problem treats said estimated camera pan angle (ψ
) as 0;
(g) linearizing one or more trigonometric equations about a nominal tilt angle (τ
0) so that said trigonometric equations become linear equations; and
(h) solving said least squares problem to estimate both said instantaneous tilt angle (τ
) and said vertical curvature (c).
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Specification