Vehicle and lane recognition device

• US 20090080704A1
• Filed: 06/20/2006
• Published: 03/26/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 06/27/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (Honda Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (Honda Motor Company)
• Inventors: Mori, Naoki, Kobayashi, Sachio, Aoki, Tomoyoshi, Nakamori, Takuma
• Granted Patent: US 8,144,926 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 382/104
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2420/403 Image sensing, e.g. optical camera
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2420/42 Image sensing, e.g. optical camera
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/12 Lane keeping
• 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 1/167 Driving aids for lane monitoring, lane changing, e.g. blind spot detection

Abstract

There is provided an image acquisition means (2) for acquiring a color image of a road via an imaging means (9) mounted on a vehicle (8), a lane mark detection means (3, 4) for performing processing of detecting lane marks of a plurality of predetermined colors different from each other on the road based on color information of the color image, and outputting a result of the processing as lane mark candidate data, and a selection means (6) for selecting lane mark candidate data corresponding to a lane mark defining an actual lane on which the vehicle (8) is traveling from among at least the lane mark candidate data for the respective predetermined colors output from the lane mark detection means (3, 4), and determining and outputting lane data indicating information of the actual lane based on the selected lane mark candidate data. Therefore, even if there are lane marks of different colors on the road, the lane marks of the respective colors can be recognized appropriately from the color image of the road acquired via the imaging means such as a camera.

Claims

1. A vehicle comprising:

an imaging means;

an image acquisition means for acquiring a color image of a road via the imaging means;

a lane mark detection means for performing processing of detecting lane marks of a plurality of predetermined colors different from each other on the road based on color information of the color image, and outputting a result of the processing as lane mark candidate data; and

a selection means for selecting lane mark candidate data corresponding to a lane mark defining an actual lane on which the vehicle is traveling from among at least the lane mark candidate data for the respective predetermined colors output from the lane mark detection means, and determining and outputting lane data indicating information of the actual lane based on the selected lane mark candidate data.

2. The vehicle according to claim 1, further comprising a road stud detection means for performing processing of detecting a lane mark of a stud type on the road on which the vehicle is traveling from the color image based on a shape pattern of the lane mark of the stud type, and outputting a result of the processing as lane mark candidate data, wherein

the selection means selects the lane mark candidate data corresponding to the lane mark defining the actual lane on which the vehicle is traveling from among the lane mark candidate data for the respective predetermined colors output from the lane mark detection means and the lane mark candidate data output from the road stud detection means.

3. The vehicle according to claim 1, wherein

each of the lane mark candidate data has lane mark position data indicating a position of the lane mark, color information of the lane mark, and type information of the lane mark,

the lane data output by the selection means has shape information of the actual lane, color information of the lane mark defining the actual lane, and type information of the lane mark defining the actual lane, and

the selection means determines the shape information in the lane data based on the lane mark position data in the selected lane mark candidate data, determines the color information in the lane data based on the color information in the selected lane mark candidate data, and determines the type information in the lane data based on the type information in the selected lane mark candidate data.

4. The vehicle according to claim 3, comprising a meaning determination means for performing processing of determining a meaning of the lane mark defining the lane based on the color information and the type information in the lane data output by the selection means, and outputting a result of the processing together with the lane data.

5. The vehicle according to claim 3 or 4, wherein

the lane mark position data in each of the lane mark candidate data is comprised of coordinate data of a dot sequence indicating a route of the lane mark, and

the selection means obtains, for each of the lane mark candidate data, a polynomial of predetermined degree of at least second degree approximating the dot sequence based on the coordinate data of the dot sequence, and calculates a determination coefficient that is a coefficient indicating a degree of approximation of the dot sequence by the polynomial, to select the lane mark candidate data having the highest determination coefficient as the lane mark candidate data corresponding to the lane mark defining the actual lane.

6. The vehicle according to claim 5, wherein the selection means determines the shape information in the lane data based on the polynomial approximating the dot sequence of the selected lane mark candidate data.

7. The vehicle according to claim 1, wherein

each of the lane mark candidate data is comprised of left lane mark candidate data that is candidate data for a lane mark defining a left side of the lane and right lane mark candidate data that is candidate data for a lane mark defining a right side of the lane, the left lane mark candidate data having lane mark position data indicating a position of the lane mark defining the left side of the lane, color information of the lane mark, and type information of the lane mark, and the right lane mark candidate data having lane mark position data indicating a position of the lane mark defining the right side of the lane, color information of the lane mark, and type information of the lane mark,

the lane data output by the selection means has left shape information that is shape information of a left side line defining a left side of the actual lane, left color information that is color information of the lane mark defining the left side line, left type information that is type information of the lane mark defining the left side line, right shape information that is shape information of a right side line defining a right side of the actual lane, right color information that is color information of the lane mark defining the right side line, and right type information that is type information of the lane mark defining the right side line, and

the selection means selects the left lane mark candidate data corresponding to the lane mark defining the left side of the actual lane from among the left lane mark candidate data, and selects the right lane mark candidate data corresponding to the lane mark defining the right side of the actual lane from among the right lane mark candidate data, determines the left shape information in the lane data based on the lane mark position data in the selected left lane mark candidate data, determines the left color information in the lane data based on the color information in the selected left lane mark candidate data, and determines the left type information in the lane data based on the type information in the selected left lane mark candidate data, and also determines the right shape information in the lane data based on the lane mark position data in the selected right lane mark candidate data, determines the right color information in the lane data based on the color information in the selected right lane mark candidate data, and determines the right type information in the lane data based on the type information in the selected right lane mark candidate data.

8. The vehicle according to claim 7, comprising meaning determination means for performing processing of determining meanings of the lane marks defining the left side line and the right side line based on the left color information, the right color information, the left type information, and the right type information in the lane data output by the selection means, and outputting a result of the processing together with the lane data.

9. The vehicle according to claim 7, wherein

the lane mark position data in each of the left lane mark candidate data is comprised of coordinate data of a left dot sequence that is a dot sequence indicating a route of the lane mark defining the left side of the lane, and the lane mark position data in each of the right lane mark candidate data is comprised of coordinate data of a right dot sequence that is a dot sequence indicating a route of the lane mark defining the right side of the lane, and

the selection means obtains, for each of the left lane mark candidate data, a polynomial of predetermined degree of at least second degree approximating the left dot sequence based on the coordinate data of the left dot sequence, and calculates a determination coefficient that is a coefficient indicating a degree of approximation of the left dot sequence by the polynomial, to select the left lane mark candidate data having the highest determination coefficient as the left lane mark candidate data corresponding to the lane mark defining the left side of the actual lane, and also obtains, for each of the right lane mark candidate data, a polynomial of predetermined degree of at least second degree approximating the right dot sequence based on the coordinate data of the right dot sequence, and calculates a determination coefficient that is a coefficient indicating a degree of approximation of the right dot sequence by the polynomial, to select the right lane mark candidate data having the highest determination coefficient as the right lane mark candidate data corresponding to the lane mark defining the right side of the actual lane.

10. The vehicle according to claim 9, wherein the selection means determines the left shape information in the lane data based on the polynomial approximating the left dot sequence of the selected left lane mark candidate data, and determines the right shape information in the lane data based on the polynomial approximating the right dot sequence of the selected right lane mark candidate data.

11. A lane recognition device comprising:

an image acquisition means for acquiring a color image of a road via an imaging means mounted on a vehicle;

a lane mark detection means for performing processing of detecting lane marks of a plurality of predetermined colors different from each other on the road based on color information of the color image, and outputting a result of the processing as lane mark candidate data; and

a selection means for selecting lane mark candidate data corresponding to a lane mark defining an actual lane on which the vehicle is traveling from among at least the lane mark candidate data for the respective predetermined colors output from the lane mark detection means, and determining and outputting lane data indicating information of the actual lane based on the selected lane mark candidate data.

12. The lane recognition device according to claim 11, further comprising a road stud detection means for performing processing of detecting a lane mark of a stud type on the road on which the vehicle is traveling from the color image based on a shape pattern of the lane mark of the stud type, and outputting a result of the processing as lane mark candidate data, wherein

the selection means selects the lane mark candidate data corresponding to the lane mark defining the actual lane on which the vehicle is traveling from among the lane mark candidate data for the respective predetermined colors output from the lane mark detection means and the lane mark candidate data output from the road stud detection means.

13. The lane recognition device according to claim 11, wherein

each of the lane mark candidate data has lane mark position data indicating a position of the lane mark, color information of the lane mark, and type information of the lane mark,

the lane data output by the selection means has shape information of the actual lane, color information of the lane mark defining the actual lane, and type information of the lane mark defining the actual lane, and

the selection means determines the shape information in the lane data based on the lane mark position data in the selected lane mark candidate data, determines the color information in the lane data based on the color information in the selected lane mark candidate data, and determines the type information in the lane data based on the type information in the selected lane mark candidate data.

14. The lane recognition device according to claim 13, comprising a meaning determination means for performing processing of determining a meaning of the lane mark defining the lane based on the color information and the type information in the lane data output by the selection means, and outputting a result of the processing together with the lane data.

15. The lane recognition device according to claim 13 or 14, wherein

the lane mark position data in each of the lane mark candidate data is comprised of coordinate data of a dot sequence indicating a route of the lane mark, and

the selection means obtains, for each of the lane mark candidate data, a polynomial of predetermined degree of at least second degree approximating the dot sequence based on the coordinate data of the dot sequence, and calculates a determination coefficient that is a coefficient indicating a degree of approximation of the dot sequence by the polynomial, to select the lane mark candidate data having the highest determination coefficient as the lane mark candidate data corresponding to the lane mark defining the actual lane.

16. The lane recognition device according to claim 15, wherein the selection means determines the shape information in the lane data based on the polynomial approximating the dot sequence of the selected lane mark candidate data.

17. The lane recognition device according to claim 11, wherein

each of the lane mark candidate data is comprised of left lane mark candidate data that is candidate data for a lane mark defining a left side of the lane and right lane mark candidate data that is candidate data for a lane mark defining a right side of the lane, the left lane mark candidate data having lane mark position data indicating a position of the lane mark defining the left side of the lane, color information of the lane mark, and type information of the lane mark, and the right lane mark candidate data having lane mark position data indicating a position of the lane mark defining the right side of the lane, color information of the lane mark, and type information of the lane mark,

the lane data output by the selection means has left shape information that is shape information of a left side line defining a left side of the actual lane, left color information that is color information of the lane mark defining the left side line, left type information that is type information of the lane mark defining the left side line, right shape information that is shape information of a right side line defining a right side of the actual lane, right color information that is color information of the lane mark defining the right side line, and right type information that is type information of the lane mark defining the right side line, and

the selection means selects the left lane mark candidate data corresponding to the lane mark defining the left side of the actual lane from among the left lane mark candidate data, and selects the right lane mark candidate data corresponding to the lane mark defining the right side of the actual lane from among the right lane mark candidate data, determines the left shape information in the lane data based on the lane mark position data in the selected left lane mark candidate data, determines the left color information in the lane data based on the color information in the selected left lane mark candidate data, and determines the left type information in the lane data based on the type information in the selected left lane mark candidate data, and also determines the right shape information in the lane data based on the lane mark position data in the selected right lane mark candidate data, determines the right color information in the lane data based on the color information in the selected right lane mark candidate data, and determines the right type information in the lane data based on the type information in the selected right lane mark candidate data.

18. The lane recognition device according to claim 17, comprising meaning determination means for performing processing of determining meanings of the lane marks defining the left side line and the right side line based on the left color information, the right color information, the left type information, and the right type information in the lane data output by the selection means, and outputting a result of the processing together with the lane data.

19. The lane recognition device according to claim 17, wherein

the lane mark position data in each of the left lane mark candidate data is comprised of coordinate data of a left dot sequence that is a dot sequence indicating a route of the lane mark defining the left side of the lane, and the lane mark position data in each of the right lane mark candidate data is comprised of coordinate data of a right dot sequence that is a dot sequence indicating a route of the lane mark defining the right side of the lane, and

the selection means obtains, for each of the left lane mark candidate data, a polynomial of predetermined degree of at least second degree approximating the left dot sequence based on the coordinate data of the left dot sequence, and calculates a determination coefficient that is a coefficient indicating a degree of approximation of the left dot sequence by the polynomial, to select the left lane mark candidate data having the highest determination coefficient as the left lane mark candidate data corresponding to the lane mark defining the left side of the actual lane, and also obtains, for each of the right lane mark candidate data, a polynomial of predetermined degree of at least second degree approximating the right dot sequence based on the coordinate data of the right dot sequence, and calculates a determination coefficient that is a coefficient indicating a degree of approximation of the right dot sequence by the polynomial, to select the right lane mark candidate data having the highest determination coefficient as the right lane mark candidate data corresponding to the lane mark defining the right side of the actual lane.

20. The lane recognition device according to claim 19, wherein the selection means determines the left shape information in the lane data based on the polynomial approximating the left dot sequence of the selected left lane mark candidate data, and determines the right shape information in the lane data based on the polynomial approximating the right dot sequence of the selected right lane mark candidate data.