Lane determining device, method, and program

• US 20080208460A1
• Filed: 02/12/2008
• Published: 08/28/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 02/13/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Aisin AW Company Limited (Aisin Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Aisin AW Company Limited (Aisin Corp.)
• Inventors: Nakamura, Motohiro, Nakamura, Masaki, Nakao, Koichi
• Granted Patent: US 8,112,222 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/208
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3602 Input other than that of destination using image analysis, e.g. detection of road signs, lanes, buildings, real preceding vehicles using a camera
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3658 Lane guidance

Abstract

Devices, methods, and programs obtain vehicle position information indicating a current position of a vehicle, and based on the vehicle position information, obtain road information including positions and forms of lane markings around the current position of the vehicle. Based on the road information, the devices, systems, and methods determine whether a branch point exists on the road in a forward direction of the vehicle. If a branch point exists, the devices, methods, and programs obtain image information of an area before the branch point, and determine whether no lane marking is imaged or is partly imaged in the image information of the area before the branch point. If there is no lane marking or only a partial lane marking imaged in the area before the branch point, the devices, methods, and programs obtain image information of the branch point including a captured image of a lane marking, and determine a lane in which the vehicle is traveling after the branch point based on an imaging order of the lane marking, a form of the lane marking, a position of the lane marking in the image information of the branch point, and the road information.

Claims

1. A lane determining device, comprising:

a controller that;

obtains vehicle position information indicating a current position of a vehicle;

based on the vehicle position information, obtains road information including positions and forms of lane markings around the current position of the vehicle;

based on the road information, determines whether a branch point exists on the road in a forward direction of the vehicle;

if a branch point exists, obtains image information of an area before the branch point; and

determines whether no lane marking is imaged or is partly imaged in the image information of the area before the branch point;

wherein, if there is no lane marking or only a partial lane marking imaged in the area before the branch point, the controller;

obtains image information of the branch point including a captured image of a first lane marking; and

determines a lane in which the vehicle is traveling after the branch point based on an imaging order of the first lane marking, a form of the first lane marking, a position of the first lane marking in the image information of the branch point, and the road information.

2. The lane determining device according to claim 1, wherein the branch point is a narrow-angle branch point.

3. The lane determining device according to claim 1, wherein the controller specifies a position of the first lane marking in the image information of the branch point as on a right side of the vehicle or on a left side of the vehicle.

4. The lane determining device according to claim 1, wherein the first lane marking is at least one of a lane marking of a zebra zone and a lane marking of a deceleration zone.

5. The lane determining device according to claim 1, wherein the controller:

obtains image information of an area before the branch point including a captured image of a second lane marking;

recognizes the image of the second lane marking included in the image information of the area before the branch point;

compares the recognized image of the second lane marking with the road information; and

based on a result of the comparison, determines a lane in which the vehicle is traveling prior to the branch point.

6. The lane determining device according to claim 5, wherein the controller defines a lane adjacent to the lane in which the vehicle is traveling prior to the branch point as a candidate for the lane in which the vehicle is traveling after the branch point.

7. The lane determining device according to claim 1, wherein the second lane marking is at least one of a solid or dashed line located on a border of a lane.

8. A navigation apparatus comprising:

the lane determining device according to claim 1; and

a map database storing map information including the road information;

wherein the controller outputs guidance information based on the map information and the lane in which the vehicle is traveling after the branch point.

9. A lane determining method comprising:

obtaining vehicle position information indicating a current position of a vehicle;

based on the vehicle position information, obtaining road information including positions and forms of lane markings around the current position of the vehicle;

based on the road information, determining whether a branch point exists on the road in a forward direction of the vehicle;

if a branch point exists, obtaining image information of an area before the branch point;

determining whether no lane marking is imaged or is partly imaged in the image information of the area before the branch point; and

if there is no lane marking or only a partial lane marking imaged in the area before the branch point;

obtaining image information of the branch point including a captured image of a first lane marking; and

determining a lane in which the vehicle is traveling after the branch point based on an imaging order of the first lane marking, a form of the first lane marking, a position of the first lane marking in the image information of the branch point, and the road information.

10. The lane determining method according to claim 9, wherein the branch point is a narrow-angle branch point.

11. The lane determining method according to claim 9, further comprising specifying a position of the first lane marking in the image information of the branch point as on a right side of the vehicle or on a left side of the vehicle.

12. The lane determining method according to claim 9, wherein the first lane marking is at least one of a lane marking of a zebra zone and a lane marking of a deceleration zone.

13. The lane determining method according to claim 9, further comprising:

obtaining image information of an area before the branch point including a captured image of a second lane marking;

recognizing the image of the second lane marking included in the image information of the area before the branch point;

comparing the recognized image of the second lane marking with the road information; and

based on a result of the comparison, determining a lane in which the vehicle is traveling prior to the branch point.

14. The lane determining method according to claim 13, further comprising defining a lane adjacent to the lane in which the vehicle is traveling prior to the branch point as a candidate for the lane in which the vehicle is traveling after the branch point.

15. The lane determining method according to claim 9, wherein the second lane marking is at least one of a solid or dashed line located on a border of a lane.

16. A navigation method comprising:

the lane determining method according to claim 9;

storing map information including the road information; and

outputting guidance information based on the map information and the lane in which the vehicle is traveling after the branch point.

17. A computer-readable storage medium storing a computer-executable program usable to determine a lane, the program comprising:

instructions for obtaining vehicle position information indicating a current position of a vehicle;

instructions for obtaining, based on the vehicle position information, road information including positions and forms of lane markings around the current position of the vehicle;

instructions for determining, based on the road information, whether a branch point exists on the road in a forward direction of the vehicle;

instructions for obtaining, if a branch point exists, image information of an area before the branch point;

instructions for determining whether no lane marking is imaged or is partly imaged in the image information of the area before the branch point; and

instructions for, if there is no lane marking or only a partial lane marking imaged in the area before the branch point;

obtaining image information of the branch point including a captured image of a lane marking; and

determining a lane in which the vehicle is traveling after the branch point based on an imaging order of the lane marking, a form of the lane marking, a position of the lane marking in the image information of the branch point, and the road information.