CLEAR PATH DETECTION WITH PATCH SMOOTHING APPROACH

• US 20100097457A1
• Filed: 10/19/2009
• Published: 04/22/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 04/24/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Carnegie Mellon University, GM Global Technology Operations LLC (General Motors Company)
• Original Assignee: Carnegie Mellon University, GM Global Technology Operations Incorporated (Motors Liquidation Co. GUC Trust)
• Inventors: Wu, Qi, Zhang, Wende, Chen, Tsuhan
• Granted Patent: US 8,890,951 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: 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: G06V 20/588 Recognition of the road, e.g. of lane markings; Recognition of the vehicle driving pattern in relation to the road

Abstract

A method for detecting a clear path of travel for a vehicle utilizing analysis of an image generated by a camera device located upon the vehicle includes monitoring the image, identifying through patch-based clear path detection analysis of the image a first patch within the image that indicates a not clear path, analyzing the first patch through patch smoothing, invalidating the first patch based upon the analyzing the first patch through patch smoothing, utilizing the invalidated first patch to define a clear path of travel for the vehicle, and utilizing the clear path of travel to navigate the vehicle.

Claims

1. Method for detecting a clear path of travel for a vehicle utilizing analysis of an image generated by a camera device located upon the vehicle, the method comprising:

monitoring the image;

identifying through patch-based clear path detection analysis of the image a first patch within the image that indicates a not clear path;

analyzing the first patch through patch smoothing;

invalidating the first patch based upon the analyzing the first patch through patch smoothing;

utilizing the invalidated first patch to define a clear path of travel for the vehicle; and

utilizing the clear path of travel to navigate the vehicle.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the patch smoothing comprises temporal smoothing.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the temporal smoothing comprises comparing previous analyses of previous images to determine invalidity of the first patch.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein comparing previous analyses comprises utilizing past indications of a clear path in corresponding areas of past images to determine the invalidity of the first patch.

5. The method of claim 2, wherein the first patch comprises a feature within the first patch.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the temporal smoothing comprises comparing previous analyses of previous images to determine invalidity of the feature indicating the not clear path.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein comparing previous analyses comprises utilizing past indications of a clear path in corresponding areas of past images to determine the invalidity of the feature indicating the not clear path.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the patch smoothing comprises spatial smoothing.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the spatial smoothing comprises comparing analysis of patches adjacent to the first patch to determine invalidity of the first patch.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the comparing comprises utilizing indications of a clear path in the patches adjacent to the first patch to determine the invalidity of a feature indicating the not clear path.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the utilizing indications of the clear path in the patches adjacent to the first patch to determine the invalidity of the feature indicating the not clear path comprises identifying substantially similar characteristics in the adjacent patches to the first patch.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the utilizing indications of the clear path in the patches adjacent to the first patch to determine the invalidity of the feature indicating the not clear path comprises identifying characteristics in the adjacent patches to the first patch leading to a clear path determination in the first patch.

13. The method of claim 8, wherein the patch smoothing further comprises temporal smoothing.

14. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

monitoring a subsequent image;

identifying through patch-based clear path detection analysis of the subsequent image a subsequent patch within the subsequent image indicating a not clear path corresponding to the first patch;

revalidating the first patch based upon the subsequent patch; and

utilizing the first patch and the subsequent patch to indicate a not clear path for use in navigating the vehicle.

15. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

monitoring a plurality of subsequent images;

identifying through patch-based clear path detection analysis of the subsequent images a plurality of subsequent patches within the subsequent images each indicating a not clear path corresponding to the first patch;

revalidating the first patch based upon the subsequent patches; and

utilizing the first patch and the subsequent patches to indicate a not clear path for use in navigating the vehicle.

16. Method for detecting a clear path of travel for a vehicle utilizing analysis of an image generated by a camera device located upon the vehicle, the method comprising:

monitoring the image;

analyzing the image through patch-based clear path detection analysis;

identifying a first patch within the image that indicates a not clear path based upon the analyzing;

determining through patch smoothing that the first patch is invalid;

utilizing the invalidated first patch to define a clear path of travel for the vehicle; and

utilizing the clear path of travel to navigate the vehicle.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the patch smoothing comprises temporal smoothing.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein the patch smoothing comprises spatial smoothing.

19. System for detecting a clear path of travel for a vehicle utilizing analysis of an image generated by a camera device located upon the vehicle, the method comprising:

the camera device; and

a processing module monitoring the image,

identifying through patch-based clear path detection analysis of the image a first patch within the image that indicates a not clear path,

analyzing through patch smoothing the first patch,

invalidating the first patch based upon the analyzing the patch through patch smoothing,

utilizing the invalidated patch to define a clear path of travel for the vehicle, and

utilize the clear path of travel to aid navigation of the vehicle.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein the patch smoothing comprises one of temporal smoothing and spatial smoothing.