APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR PREVENTING COLLISION OF VEHICLE

• US 20110144859A1
• Filed: 05/13/2010
• Published: 06/16/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 12/14/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Andong National University Industry Academic Cooperation Foundation, Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute
• Original Assignee: Andong National University Industry Academic Cooperation Foundation, Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute
• Inventors: LEE, Jeong Hwan, SHIM, Jae Chang, CHUNG, Wook Jin, YEO, Soon Il, CHUN, Ik Jae, LYUH, Chun Gi, SUK, Jung Hee, ROH, Tae Moon
• Granted Patent: US 9,031,774 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/35
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/12 Lane keeping
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/18163 Lane change; Overtaking manoeuvres
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/0097 Predicting future conditions
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 15/0265 Automatic obstacle avoidance by steering
• 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 1/16 Anti-collision systems road vehicle drive control systems for predicting or avoiding probable or impending collision otherwise than by control of a particular sub-unit B60W30/08
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/84 Data processing systems or methods, management, administration

Abstract

The present invention provides an apparatus and method for predicting a moving direction of another vehicle running on a carriageway adjacent to a user'"'"'s vehicle using periodically acquired image information around the user'"'"'s vehicle, and performing a control process of preventing collision of the user'"'"'s vehicle when a moving direction of the user'"'"'s vehicle crosses the moving direction of the other vehicle.

Claims

1. An apparatus for preventing collision of a vehicle, comprising:

an image data acquisition part for photographing an external image including a portion of a user'"'"'s running vehicle, a painted lane at one or more sides of the user'"'"'s vehicle, and another vehicle running on an adjacent carriageway, at predetermined time intervals, and acquiring external image data;

an image recognition part for analyzing the external image data and recognizing the user'"'"'s vehicle, the painted lane, and the other vehicle;

a running information determination part for calculating spacing distances from the user'"'"'s vehicle and the other vehicle to the painted lane on the basis of the recognized external image information, predicting a relative moving direction between the user'"'"'s vehicle and the other vehicle, and determining whether an intersection point occurs in the relative moving direction between the user'"'"'s vehicle and the other vehicle; and

a controller for generating a control signal to control an external apparatus when the intersection point occurs in the relative moving direction between the user'"'"'s vehicle and the other vehicle.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the running information determination part writes disposition information of the user'"'"'s vehicle in the running carriageway and disposition information of the other vehicle in an adjacent carriageway on the basis of the calculated spacing distance, and predicts a relative moving direction between the user'"'"'s vehicle and the other vehicle with respect to the painted lane on the basis of the written disposition information.

3. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the image data acquisition part further acquires external image data including the painted lane in front or rear of the user'"'"'s vehicle.

4. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein, when two or more other vehicles run on the adjacent carriageway, the image recognition part gives specific numbers to the respective vehicles to discriminate the vehicles.

5. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the running information determination part calculates a distance from one position of a side surface of the user'"'"'s vehicle to a position at which a straight line perpendicular to the side surface of the user'"'"'s vehicle meets the painted lane as the spacing distance.

6. The apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the running information determination part calculates a relative moving direction of the user'"'"'s vehicle on the basis of the at least two spacing distances calculated from the at least two external image information.

7. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the running information determination part separately calculates a distance from one position of a side surface of the user'"'"'s vehicle to a position at which a straight line perpendicular to the side surface of the user'"'"'s vehicle meets the painted lane as a first spacing distance, and distances from one position of a side surface of the user'"'"'s vehicle to positions at which straight lines having angles ±

θ

(0°

<

θ

<

90°

) with respect to the straight line perpendicular to the side surface of the user'"'"'s vehicle meet the painted lane as second and third spacing distances.

8. The apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the running information determination part calculates a relative moving direction of the user'"'"'s vehicle on the basis of the first to third spacing distances.

9. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the running information determination part determines whether the intersection point occurs within a predetermined distance.

10. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the running information determination part determines whether the intersection point occurs within a predetermined distance according to a current speed of the user'"'"'s vehicle.

11. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the controller generates and outputs a control signal for controlling a steering apparatus or a speed controller.

12. The apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the controller further generates and outputs a sound or image signal for outputting an alarm message.

13. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the controller collects a running speed of the user'"'"'s vehicle, a spacing distance between the user'"'"'s vehicle and the other vehicle, and position information between the user'"'"'s vehicle and the other vehicle with respect to the painted lane, and stores the information in a black box.

14. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the running information determination part determines whether the user'"'"'s vehicle has left a carriageway in which the user'"'"'s vehicle is running;

when the user'"'"'s vehicle has left the carriageway, the image data acquisition part acquires driver'"'"'s state image data obtained by photographing a driver of the user'"'"'s vehicle according to request of the controller;

the image recognition part analyzes the driver'"'"'s state image data to determine whether a driver of the user'"'"'s vehicle is drowsy; and

the controller starts a control for cruise driving when the driver of the user'"'"'s vehicle is drowsy.

15. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a driver input part for receiving a signal to request cruise driving from a driver of the user'"'"'s vehicle,

wherein, when the signal to request the cruise driving is input, the controller starts a control for cruise driving.

16. The apparatus according to claim 14, wherein the controller determines whether the user'"'"'s vehicle is running on a center of the carriageway upon the start of a control for cruise driving, and generates and outputs a control signal for controlling a steering apparatus when the user'"'"'s vehicle is not running on the center of the carriageway.

17. The apparatus according to claim 16, wherein the controller calculates a steering angle to move the user'"'"'s vehicle to the center of the carriageway, and generates and outputs a control signal corresponding to the calculated steering angle.

18. The apparatus according to claim 17, wherein the controller calculates the steering angle on the basis of the current running speed of the user'"'"'s vehicle.

19. The apparatus according to claim 14, wherein the controller generates and outputs a sound or image signal to inform that the cruise driving has begun when the cruise driving control has begun.

20. A method of preventing collision of a vehicle, comprising:

acquiring external image data including a portion of a user'"'"'s vehicle running on a carriageway, a painted lane at one or more sides of the user'"'"'s vehicle, and another vehicle running on an adjacent carriageway, at predetermined time intervals;

analyzing the external image data, and recognizing the user'"'"'s vehicle, the painted lane and the other vehicle;

calculating spacing distances from the user'"'"'s vehicle and the other vehicle to the painted lane on the basis of the recognized external image information;

writing disposition information of the user'"'"'s vehicle in the carriageway and disposition information of the other vehicle in the adjacent carriageway on the basis of the calculated spacing distances;

calculating a relative moving direction between the user'"'"'s vehicle and the other vehicle with respect to the painted lane on the basis of the written disposition information;

determining whether an intersection point occurs in the relative moving direction between the user'"'"'s vehicle and the other vehicle; and

generating and outputting a control signal for controlling an external apparatus when the intersection point occurs.