VEHICLE DETECTION APPARATUS

• US 20120027255A1
• Filed: 07/22/2011
• Published: 02/02/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 07/27/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Koito Manufacturing Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Koito Manufacturing Company Limited
• Inventors: Endo, Osamu
• Granted Patent: US 9,042,600 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 382/103
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/584 of vehicle lights or traffic lights
• 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 vehicle detection apparatus comprises an other-vehicle detection module configured to detect points of light in an image captured by a vehicle to which the vehicle detection module is mounted and to detect other vehicles based on the points of light, a vehicle lane-line detection module configured to detect an vehicle lane-line in the captured image, and a region sectioning module configured to section the captured image based on the detected vehicle lane-line into an own vehicle lane region, an oncoming vehicle lane region, and a vehicle lane exterior region. Other vehicles are detected by the other-vehicle detection module by detecting points of light based on respective detection conditions set for each of the sectioned regions.

Claims

1. A vehicle detection apparatus comprising:

an other-vehicle detection module configured to detect points of light in an image captured by a vehicle to which the vehicle detection module is mounted and to detect other vehicles based on the points of light;

a vehicle lane-line detection module configured to detect an vehicle lane-line in the captured image; and

a region sectioning module configured to section the captured image based on the detected vehicle lane-line into an own vehicle lane region, an oncoming vehicle lane region, and a vehicle lane exterior region,

wherein other vehicles are detected by the other-vehicle detection module by detecting points of light based on respective detection conditions set for each of the sectioned regions.

2. The vehicle detection apparatus of claim 1, wherein the region sectioning module is configured to employ the most distant point on the vehicle lane-line as a dividing position.

3. The vehicle detection apparatus of claim 1, wherein for the oncoming vehicle lane region, the other-vehicle detection module is configured to detect by prioritizing for points of white light.

4. The vehicle detection apparatus of claim 1, wherein for the own vehicle lane region, the other-vehicle detection module is configured to detect by prioritizing for points of red light.

5. The vehicle detection apparatus of claim 1, wherein for the vehicle lane exterior region, the other-vehicle detection module is configured to detect by prioritizing to reduce a detection sensitivity for points of light.

6. The vehicle detection apparatus of claim 2, wherein for the oncoming vehicle lane region, the other-vehicle detection module is configured to detect by prioritizing for points of white light.

7. The vehicle detection apparatus of claim 2, wherein for the own vehicle lane region, the other-vehicle detection module is configured to detect by prioritizing for points of red light.

8. The vehicle detection apparatus of claim 3, wherein for the own vehicle lane region, the other-vehicle detection module is configured to detect by prioritizing for points of red light.

9. The vehicle detection apparatus of claim 6, wherein for the own vehicle lane region, the other-vehicle detection module is configured to detect by prioritizing for points of red light.

10. The vehicle detection apparatus of claim 2, wherein for the vehicle lane exterior region, the other-vehicle detection module is configured to detect by prioritizing to reduce a detection sensitivity for points of light.

11. The vehicle detection apparatus of claim 3, wherein for the vehicle lane exterior region, the other-vehicle detection module is configured to detect by prioritizing to reduce a detection sensitivity for points of light.

12. The vehicle detection apparatus of claim 4, wherein for the vehicle lane exterior region, the other-vehicle detection module is configured to detect by prioritizing to reduce a detection sensitivity for points of light.

13. The vehicle detection apparatus of claim 7, wherein for the vehicle lane exterior region, the other-vehicle detection module is configured to detect by prioritizing to reduce a detection sensitivity for points of light.

14. The vehicle detection apparatus of claim 8, wherein for the vehicle lane exterior region, the other-vehicle detection module is configured to detect by prioritizing to reduce a detection sensitivity for points of light.

15. The vehicle detection apparatus of claim 9, wherein for the vehicle lane exterior region, the other-vehicle detection module is configured to detect by prioritizing to reduce a detection sensitivity for points of light.