CLEAR PATH DETECTION USING A HIERACHICAL APPROACH

• US 20100097456A1
• Filed: 10/19/2009
• Published: 04/22/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 04/24/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC (General Motors Company)
• Original Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations Incorporated (General Motors Company)
• Inventors: Naik, Sanjeev M., Zhang, Wende
• Granted Patent: US 8,421,859 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/119
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2420/403 Image sensing, e.g. optical camera
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/09 Taking automatic action to avoid collision, e.g. braking and steering
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 10/56 relating to colour
• 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 1/165 for passive traffic, e.g. including static obstacles, trees
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/166 for active traffic, e.g. moving vehicles, pedestrians, bikes

Abstract

A method for detecting a clear path of travel for a vehicle using an image generated by a camera includes monitoring the image, and utilizing a first patch-based analysis of the image including dividing the image into a plurality of patches, and analyzing each patch to determine a first clear path confidence likelihood for each of the patches of the first patch-based analysis. Each of the patches with the first clear path confidence likelihood greater than a first threshold confidence likelihood is defined as a clear path patch. A second analysis is utilized upon a portion of the patches with the first clear path confidence not greater than the first threshold confidence likelihood to determine a second clear path confidence likelihood for each of the patches of the second analysis. Each of the patches of the second analysis with the second clear path confidence likelihood greater than a second threshold confidence likelihood is defined as a clear path patch. The clear path of travel for the vehicle is identified based upon the clear path patches.

Claims

1. Method for detecting a clear path of travel for a vehicle using an image generated by a camera, the method comprising:

monitoring the image;

utilizing a first patch-based analysis of the image comprising

dividing the image into a plurality of patches, and

analyzing each patch to determine a first clear path confidence likelihood for each of the patches of the first patch-based analysis;

defining each of the patches with the first clear path confidence likelihood greater than a first threshold confidence likelihood as a clear path patch;

utilizing a second analysis upon a portion of the patches with the first clear path confidence not greater than the first threshold confidence likelihood to determine a second clear path confidence likelihood for each of the patches of the second analysis;

defining each of the patches of the second analysis with the second clear path confidence likelihood greater than a second threshold confidence likelihood as a clear path patch; and

identifying the clear path of travel for the vehicle based upon the clear path patches.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising comparing the first clear path confidence likelihood for each of the patches of the first patch-based analysis to a third threshold confidence likelihood;

and

wherein utilizing the second analysis further comprises utilizing the second analysis upon a portion of the patches of the first patch-based analysis with the first clear path confidence likelihood greater than the third threshold confidence likelihood.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising defining each of the patches of the first patch-based analysis with the first clear path confidence likelihood not greater than the third threshold confidence likelihood as a not clear path patch.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising defining each of the patches of the second analysis with the second clear path confidence likelihood not greater than the second threshold confidence likelihood as a not clear path patch.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the second analysis comprises a pixel-based clear path method.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the pixel-based clear path method comprises a texture-rich clear path method.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein the pixel-based clear path method comprises a textureless clear path method.

8. The method of claim 5, wherein the pixel-based clear path method comprises a fusion of a texture rich clear path method and a textureless clear path method.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the second analysis comprises an example-based clear path method.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

utilizing a third analysis upon the patches of the second analysis with the second clear path confidence likelihood not greater than the second threshold confidence likelihood to determine a third clear path confidence likelihood for each of the patches of the third analysis; and

defining each of the patches of the third analysis with the third clear path confidence likelihood greater than a third threshold confidence likelihood as a clear path patch.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising comparing the second clear path confidence likelihood for each of the patches of the second patch-based analysis to a fourth threshold confidence likelihood;

and

wherein utilizing the third analysis further comprises utilizing the third analysis upon a portion of the patches of the second patch-based analysis with the second clear path confidence likelihood greater than the fourth threshold confidence likelihood.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising defining each of the patches of the second patch-based analysis with the second clear path confidence likelihood not greater than the fourth threshold confidence likelihood as a not clear path patch.

13. The method of claim 10, further comprising defining each of the patches of the third analysis with the third clear path confidence likelihood not greater than the third threshold confidence likelihood as a not clear path patch.

14. The method of claim 10, wherein the third analysis comprises a pixel-based clear path method upon the portion of the patches.

15. The method of claim 10, wherein the third analysis comprises an example-based clear path method upon the portion of the patches.

16. Method for detecting a clear path of travel for a vehicle using an image generated by a camera, the method comprising:

monitoring the image;

utilizing a first patch-based analysis of the image comprising

dividing the image into a plurality of patches, and

analyzing each patch to determine a first clear path confidence likelihood for each of the patches of the first patch-based analysis;

defining each of the patches with the first clear path confidence likelihood greater than a first threshold confidence likelihood as a clear path patch;

utilizing a pixel-based analysis upon a portion of the patches with the first clear path confidence not greater than the first threshold confidence likelihood to determine a second clear path confidence likelihood for each of the patches of the second analysis;

defining each of the patches of the pixel-based analysis with the second clear path confidence likelihood greater than a second threshold confidence likelihood as a clear path patch;

identifying the clear path of travel for the vehicle based upon the clear path patches; and

utilizing the clear path of travel to navigate the vehicle.

17. Method for detecting a clear path of travel for a vehicle using an image generated by a camera, the method comprising:

monitoring the image;

utilizing a first patch-based analysis of the image comprising

dividing the image into a plurality of patches, and

analyzing each patch to determine a first clear path confidence likelihood for each of the patches of the first patch-based analysis;

defining each of the patches with the first clear path confidence likelihood greater than a first threshold confidence likelihood as a clear path patch;

utilizing example-based analysis upon a portion of the patches with the first clear path confidence not greater than the first threshold confidence likelihood to determine a second clear path confidence likelihood for each of the patches of the second analysis;

defining each of the patches of the example-based analysis with the second clear path confidence likelihood greater than a second threshold confidence likelihood as a clear path patch;

identifying the clear path of travel for the vehicle based upon the clear path patches; and

utilizing the clear path of travel to navigate the vehicle.