REAR OBSTRUCTION DETECTION

• US 20080266396A1
• Filed: 04/30/2008
• Published: 10/30/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 04/30/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: MobilEye Vision Technologies Ltd. (Intel Corporation)
• Original Assignee: MobilEye Vision Technologies Ltd. (Intel Corporation)
• Inventors: Stein, Gideon
• Granted Patent: US 9,826,200 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/148
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2300/30 characterised by the type of image processing
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2300/404 triggering from stand-by mode to operation mode
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2300/806 for aiding parking
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2300/8093 for obstacle warning
• 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: H04N 7/183 for receiving images from a single remote source

Abstract

A method is provided using a system mounted in a vehicle. The system includes a rear-viewing camera and a processor attached to the rear-viewing camera. When the driver shifts the vehicle into reverse gear, and while the vehicle is still stationary, image frames from the immediate vicinity behind the vehicle are captured. The immediate vicinity behind the vehicle is in a field of view of the rear-viewing camera. The image frames are processed and thereby the object is detected which if present in the immediate vicinity behind the vehicle would obstruct the motion of the vehicle. The processing is preferably performed in parallel for a plurality of classes of obstructing objects using a single image frame of the image frames.

Claims

1. A system mounted in a vehicle, the system comprising:

(a) a camera oriented to capture a plurality of image frames from the immediate vicinity of the vehicle in a direction of motion of the vehicle, wherein the immediate vicinity of the vehicle including the ground at least one meter from the end of the vehicle in the direction of the motion is in a field of view of said camera; and

(b) a processor attached to said camera inputs the image frames and processes the image frames for detection in the immediate vicinity of the vehicle of at least one object which if present obstructs the motion of the vehicle.

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

(c) a warning mechanism attached to said processor, wherein said warning mechanism provides a warning to a driver of the vehicle when said at least one object is detected.

3. The system, according to claim 1, wherein said detection is performed for a plurality of classes of obstructing objects using a single image frame of said image frames while the vehicle is stationary.

4. The system, according to claim 3, wherein said classes are selected from the group consisting of:

spherical balls, vertical poles, hanging chains and upright boxes.

5. The system, according to claim 3, wherein said detection uses color in a single image frame of said image frames, whereby said color is distinguishable from background colors in the vicinity of the vehicle.

6. The system, according to claim 1, wherein said detection is performed by performing image differencing between said image frames while the vehicle is stationary and while said at least one object is moving.

7. The system, according to claim 1, further comprising:

(d) at least one light attached to the vehicle, wherein said at least one light illuminates said immediate vicinity, wherein said detection is performed using said image frames by imaging illumination from said at least one light.

8. The system, according to claim 1, wherein said at least one object is a wall in the immediate vicinity of the vehicle, the system further comprising:

(d) a light attached to the vehicle, wherein said light illuminates said wall, wherein said detection includes estimating a distance between the vehicle and said wall based on the position in image space of the illuminations from said light.

9. The system, according to claim 1, further comprising:

(d) at least one light attached to the vehicle, wherein said at least one light illuminates said immediate vicinity, wherein said detection uses a meeting point or an extrapolation point in at least one of said image frames between said at least one object and a shadow of said at least one object.

10. The system, according to claim 1, further comprising:

(d) at least one light attached to the vehicle, wherein said at least one light is capable of illuminating said immediate vicinity, wherein said detection is performed by image differencing between one of said image frames without illuminating said immediate vicinity by said at least one light and another one of said image frames while illuminating said immediate vicinity by said at least one light.

11. In a system mounted in a vehicle, the system including a camera and a processor attached to said camera, the method comprising the steps of:

(a) capturing a plurality of image frames from the immediate vicinity of the vehicle in a direction of motion of the vehicle, wherein the immediate vicinity of the vehicle including the ground at least one meter from the end of the vehicle in the direction of the motion is in a field of view of the camera; and

(b) processing the image frames thereby detecting in the immediate vicinity of the vehicle at least one object which if present obstructs the motion of the vehicle.

12. The method according to claim 11, further comprising the step of:

(c) upon said detecting, warning a driver of the vehicle of a potential obstruction.

13. The method according to claim 11, wherein said processing is performed in parallel for a plurality of classes of obstructing objects using a single image frame of said image frames while the vehicle is stationary.

14. The method according to claim 11, wherein said processing includes image differencing between said image frames while the vehicle is stationary and while said at least one object is moving.

15. The method according to claim 11, further comprising the step of:

(c) illuminating said immediate vicinity by at least one light attached to the vehicle, wherein said processing is performed based on said illuminating.

16. The method according to claim 11, wherein said at least one object is a wall in the immediate vicinity of the vehicle, the method further comprising the step of:

(c) illuminating said wall by a light attached to the vehicle, wherein said processing includes estimating a distance between the vehicle and said wall based on the position in image space of the illumination from said light.

17. The method according to claim 11, the method further comprising the step of:

(d) illuminating said immediate vicinity by at least one light attached to the vehicle, wherein said processing uses a meeting point or extrapolation point in at least one of said image frames between said at least one object and a shadow of said at least one object.

18. The method according to claim 11, wherein at least one light is attached to the vehicle, the method further comprising the steps of:

(d) capturing a first image frame of said image frames without illuminating said immediate vicinity by said at least one light; and

(e) while illuminating said immediate vicinity by said at least one light capturing a second image frame of said images;

wherein said processing is performed by image differencing between said first image frame and said second image frame.

19. In a system mounted in a vehicle, the system including a rear-viewing camera and a processor attached to said rear-viewing camera, the method comprising the steps of:

(a) while shifting the vehicle into reverse gear, capturing a plurality of image frames from the immediate vicinity behind the vehicle, wherein the immediate vicinity behind the vehicle is in a field of view of the rear-viewing camera; and

(b) processing the image frames thereby detecting in the immediate vicinity behind the vehicle at least one object which if present obstructs the motion of the vehicle.

20. The method according to claim 19, wherein said processing is performed in parallel for a plurality of classes of obstructing objects using a single image frame of said image frames.

21. The method according to claim 19, wherein said shifting turns on a reverse light attached to said vehicle, wherein said capturing said image frames includes at least one of the image frames prior to said shifting and at least one other image frame after said shifting, and wherein said processing includes comparing said at least one image frame to said at least one other image frame.