Assistant Driving System with Video Radar

• US 20120130561A1
• Filed: 11/22/2010
• Published: 05/24/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 11/22/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Yan-Hong Chiang
• Original Assignee: Yan-Hong Chiang
• Inventors: Chiang, Yan-Hong
• Granted Patent: US 8,447,437 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2420/403 Image sensing, e.g. optical camera
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2554/801 Lateral distance
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/12 Lane keeping
• 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

An assistant driving system with video radar installed on a vehicle is disclosed. The assistant driving system includes a camera array capturing environment images for the environment around the vehicle, an image recognition unit identifying environment objects and their image, location, color, speed and direction from the environment images, an environment monitor and control unit receiving the information generated by the image recognition unit and creating the rebuild environment information for the vicinity of the vehicle as well as judging the space relationship between the vehicle and the environment objects to generate the warning information, a video radar display unit showing a single image for the rebuild environment information, a vehicle warning unit performing the processes corresponding to the warning information, a vehicle driving unit generating the driving control command based on the rebuild environment information, and a vehicle controlling unit receiving the driving control command to control the throttle, brake or steering wheel of the vehicle. Thus, the safety of steering the vehicle in various situations is greatly improved.

Claims

1. An assistant driving system with video radar, having video radar function and installed on a vehicle to assist a driver to steer the vehicle, comprising:

at least a camera array, each having at least a camera to capture a plurality of environment images in a different direction for an environment of the vehicle;

at least an image recognition unit, receiving the environment images through a video medium electrically connected with the camera array, and identifying at least an environment object and an image, location, color, speed and direction for the environment object from the environment images;

an environment object library, connected with said image recognition unit to receive and store said image of the environment object;

an image recognition library, connected with said image recognition unit to receive and store said location, color, speed and direction of the environment object;

a vehicle driving library, having dynamic and static information for the vehicle, said dynamic information comprising dynamic speed and direction of the vehicle, said static information predetermined for the vehicle comprising braking distance, turning radius, accelerating level and safe distance, and length, width and height of the vehicle;

an environment monitor and control unit, connected with said environment object library, said image recognition library and said vehicle driving library to receive the image, location, color, speed and direction of the environment object, create rebuild environment information for the vicinity of the vehicle, and generate warning information by judging a space relationship between the vehicle and the environment object based on the rebuild environment information;

a video radar display unit, receiving the rebuild environment information and showing a single image corresponding to the rebuild environment information;

a vehicle warning unit, receiving the warning information generated by the environment monitor and control unit, and performing processes corresponding to the warning information, including sound, light or vibration, so as to warn and remind the driver;

a vehicle driving unit, receiving the rebuild environment information and generating a driving control command based on the rebuild environment information; and

a vehicle controlling unit, receiving the driving control command through a transfer medium and generating a control command to control at least one of a throttle, brake or steering wheel of the vehicle.

2. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said vehicle comprises at least one of a car, ship and airplane.

3. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said video medium comprises one of USB and video signal cable, and said video signal cable comprises one of composite, component, HDMI, RGB, YUV, CCIR601 and CCIR656 signal cable.

4. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said camera is directed toward at least one of front, back, left and right of the vehicle.

5. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said space relationship comprises static and dynamic space relationships, said static space relationship comprises relative distance and direction, and said dynamic space relationship comprises relative speed between the vehicle and the environment object.

6. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said single image is shown by one of a bird'"'"'s eye view and a radar figure.

7. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said warning information is generated by the environment monitor and control unit when a relative distance between the vehicle and the environment object is less than a predetermined safe distance.

8. The system as claimed in claim 7, wherein said predetermined safe distance increases by at least 6 meters as relative speed between the vehicle and the environment object increases by 10 km/hr.

9. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said transfer medium comprises one of wire and wireless medium, said wire medium comprising one of LIN (Local Interconnect Network), CAN (Controller Area Network) and TCP/IP (Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol), said wireless medium comprising one of infrared medium using IrDA (Infrared Data Association) protocol, radio frequency medium using Bluetooth protocol and WIFI/WIMAX/3G/LTE used in communication for a computer and a mobile phone.

10. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said video radar display unit further receives the warning information from the environment monitor and control unit, and said single image shows at least an icon corresponding to the warning information.