METHOD FOR DETECTING A CLEAR PATH OF TRAVEL FOR A VEHICLE ENHANCED BY OBJECT DETECTION

• US 20100104199A1
• Filed: 10/19/2009
• Published: 04/29/2010
• 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 (Motors Liquidation Co. GUC Trust)
• Inventors: Naik, Sanjeev M., Zhang, Wende
• Granted Patent: US 8,605,947 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 382/199
• 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
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/167 Driving aids for lane monitoring, lane changing, e.g. blind spot detection

Abstract

Method for detecting a clear path of travel for a host vehicle including fusion of clear path detection by image analysis and detection of an object within an operating environment of the host vehicle including monitoring an image from a camera device, analyzing the image through clear path detection analysis to determine a clear path of travel within the image, monitoring sensor data describing the object, analyzing the sensor data to determine an impact of the object to the clear path, utilizing the determined impact of the object to describe an enhanced clear path of travel, and utilizing the enhanced clear path of travel to navigate the host vehicle.

Claims

1. Method for detecting a clear path of travel for a host vehicle including fusion of clear path detection by image analysis and detection of an object within an operating environment of the host vehicle, the method comprising:

monitoring an image from a camera device;

analyzing the image through clear path detection analysis to determine a clear path of travel within the image;

monitoring sensor data describing the object;

analyzing the sensor data to determine an impact of the object to the clear path;

utilizing the determined impact of the object to describe an enhanced clear path of travel; and

utilizing the enhanced clear path of travel to navigate the host vehicle.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein monitoring sensor data describing the object comprises monitoring sensor data describing a position of another vehicle.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein utilizing the determined impact of the object to describe the enhanced clear path of travel comprises removing from the clear path of travel the position of the other vehicle.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein utilizing the determined impact of the object to describe the enhanced clear path of travel comprises removing from the clear path of travel a projected future position of the other vehicle.

5. The method of claim 2, wherein utilizing the determined impact of the object to describe the enhanced clear path of travel comprises augmenting the clear path of travel utilizing a path traveled by the other vehicle.

6. The method of claim 2, wherein utilizing the determined impact of the object to describe the enhanced clear path of travel comprises affecting a clear path confidence likelihood for different regions of the image based upon the sensor data describing the position of another vehicle.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein monitoring sensor data describing the object comprises monitoring sensor data describing a construction area including structures within the construction area.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein utilizing the determined impact of the object to describe the enhanced clear path of travel comprises removing from the clear path of travel the structures within the construction area.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein analyzing the sensor data to determine the impact of the object to the clear path comprises defining a construction area boundary based upon the sensor data describing the construction area.

10. The method of claim 7, wherein monitoring sensor data describing the construction area comprises utilizing pattern recognition to determine lane instructions;

and

wherein analyzing the sensor data to determine the impact of the object to the clear path comprises determining a lane geometry restriction based upon the lane instructions.

11. The method of claim 7, wherein utilizing the determined impact of the object to describe the enhanced clear path of travel comprises affecting a clear path confidence likelihood for different regions of the image based upon the sensor data describing the construction area.

12. The method of claim 7, wherein monitoring sensor data describing the object further comprises monitoring sensor data describing a track of another vehicle;

and

wherein analyzing the sensor data to determine the impact of the object to the clear path comprises utilizing the track of the other vehicle to augment a clear path defined within the construction area.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein monitoring sensor data describing the object comprises monitoring data from a camera system.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein monitoring sensor data describing the object comprises monitoring data from a system selected from the group consisting of a radar system, a LIDAR system, a vehicle-to-vehicle communications system, a vehicle-to-infrastructure communications system, and an ultrasonic detection system.

15. The method of claim 1, further comprising monitoring sensor data describing a lane geometry;

and

wherein analyzing the sensor data to determine the impact of the object to the clear path is based upon the lane geometry.

16. The method of claim 1, further comprising utilizing the enhanced clear path of travel to augment subsequent monitoring of sensor data describing the object.

17. The method of claim 1, further comprising utilizing the clear path detection analysis to describe an enhanced location of the object.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein utilizing the clear path detection analysis to describe the enhanced location of the object comprises describing an enhanced location of another vehicle proximate to the host vehicle.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein utilizing the clear path detection analysis to describe the enhanced location of the object comprises describing an enhanced location of a construction area object.

20. Method for detecting a clear path of travel for a host vehicle including fusion of clear path detection by image analysis and detection of an object within an operating environment of the host vehicle, the method comprising:

monitoring an image from a camera device;

analyzing the image through segmentation-based clear path detection analysis to determine a clear path of travel within the image;

monitoring sensor data describing the object;

analyzing the sensor data to determine an impact of the object to the clear path;

utilizing the determined impact of the object to describe an enhanced clear path of travel; and

utilizing the enhanced clear path of travel to navigate the vehicle.

21. System for detecting a clear path of travel for a host vehicle including fusion of clear path detection by image analysis and detection of an object within an operating environment of the host vehicle, the system comprising:

a camera device monitoring a view in front of the vehicle; and

a processing module

monitoring an image from the camera device,

analyzing the image through clear path detection analysis to determine a clear path of travel within the image,

monitoring sensor data describing the object,

analyzing the sensor data to determine an impact of the object to the clear path,

utilizing the determined impact of the object to describe an enhanced clear path of travel, and

utilizing the enhanced clear path of travel to navigate the vehicle.

22. The system of claim 21, further comprising a radar imaging system;

and

wherein the sensor data describing the object comprises data from the radar imaging system describing the object.