APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR GENERATING VIRTUAL LANE, AND SYSTEM SYSTEM FOR CONTROLLING LANE KEEPING OF VEHICLE WITH THE APPARATUS

• US 20150145664A1
• Filed: 12/26/2013
• Published: 05/28/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 11/28/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hyundai Mobis Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Hyundai Mobis Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: YOU, Eun Young, RYU, Kyung Jin, HWANG, Tae Hun, LEE, Kyu Hoon
• Granted Patent: US 9,552,523 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/438
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2420/403 Image sensing, e.g. optical camera
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/12 Lane keeping
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 15/025 Active steering aids, e.g. helping the driver by actively influencing the steering system after environment evaluation B62D1/28 takes precedence
• 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

Disclosed are an apparatus and a method for generating a virtual lane, which correct or estimate an undetected lane depending on detection of a lane at each side and a system for controlling lane keeping of a vehicle with the apparatus. The apparatus for generating a virtual lane according to the present invention includes: a lane detection judging unit configured to judge whether both lanes of a front road are normally detected based on a front image; a lane correction unit configured to generate a virtual lane by correcting one lane based on the other lane when it is judged that the one lane of both lanes is not normally detected; and a lane estimation unit configured to generate the virtual lane by estimating both lanes based on previously detected lane information when it is judged that either lane is not normally detected.

Claims

1. An apparatus for generating a virtual lane, the apparatus comprising:

a lane detection judging unit configured to judge whether both lanes of a front road are normally detected based on a front image;

a lane correction unit configured to generate a virtual lane by correcting one lane based on the other lane when it is judged that the one lane of both lanes is not normally detected; and

a lane estimation unit configured to generate the virtual lane by estimating both lanes based on previously detected lane information when it is judged that both lanes are not normally detected.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the lane detection judging unit judges whether both lanes are normally detected based on an offset between a vehicle and a lane at each side.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the lane detection judging unit judges whether both lanes are normally detected based on the offset between the vehicle and the lane at each lane, a heading angle of the vehicle, and lane accuracy.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the lane detection judging unit judges whether both lanes are normally detected based on a difference value between a change rate of the offset between the vehicle and a left lane and a change rate of the offset between the vehicle and a right lane.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the lane detection judging unit judges whether both lanes are normally detected based on a first difference value between the change rate of the offset between the vehicle and the left lane and the change rate of the offset between the vehicle and the right lane, a second difference value between a left heading angle and a right heading angle of the vehicle, and a third difference value between the lane accuracy and a reference value.

6. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the lane detection judging unit judges that both lanes are normally detected when an index value acquired by substituting the first difference value, the second difference value, and the third difference value is equal to a first threshold value, judge that one lane is not normally detected when the index value is more than the first threshold value or less than a second threshold value, and judges that both lanes are not normally detected when the index value is more than the second threshold value.

7. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the lane detection judging unit judges whether both lanes are not normally detected or one lane is not normally detected based on a result of generating a previous virtual lane when the index value is equal to the second threshold value.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the lane correction unit corrects one lane based on the offset between the vehicle and the lane at each side, the heading angle of the vehicle, and a curvature of the front road.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the lane correction unit corrects the left lane by using a value, which is acquired by adding a lane width to the offset between the vehicle and the right lane, as the offset between the vehicle and the left lane when one lane is the left lane and corrects the right lane by using a value, which is acquired by subtracting the lane width from the offset between the vehicle and the left lane, as the offset between the vehicle and the right lane when one side is the right lane.

10. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the lane correction unit corrects one lane so that the heading angles at both sides of the vehicle are the same as each other or corrects one lane so that the curvatures of both lanes are the same as each other on the front road.

11. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the lane estimation unit estimates both lanes based on first driving state information of the vehicle acquired from the front image and second driving state information of the vehicle acquired from sensors mounted on the vehicle.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the lane estimation unit uses the offset between the vehicle and the lane at each side, the heading angle of the vehicle, and the curvature of the front road as the first driving state information and uses the velocity and the yaw rate of the vehicle as the second driving state information.

13. A method for generating a virtual lane, the method comprising:

judging whether both lanes of a front road are normally detected based on a front image;

generating a virtual lane by correcting one lane based on the other lane when it is judged that the one lane of both lanes is not normally detected; and

generating the virtual lane by estimating both lanes based on previously detected lane information when it is judged that both lanes are not normally detected.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein in the judging of whether both lanes of the front road are normally detected based on the front image,

it is judged whether both lanes are normally detected based on an offset between a vehicle and a lane at each lane, a heading angle of the vehicle, and lane accuracy.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein in the generating of the virtual lane by correcting one lane based on the other lane when it is judged that the one lane of both lanes is not normally detected,

one lane is corrected based on the offset between the vehicle and the lane at each side, the heading angle of the vehicle, and a curvature of the front road.

16. The method of claim 13, wherein in the generating of the virtual lane by estimating both lanes based on the previously detected lane information when it is judged that both lanes are not normally detected,

both lanes are estimated based on the offset between the vehicle and the lane at each lane, the heading angle of the vehicle, the curvature of the front road, velocity of the vehicle and a yaw rate of the vehicle.

17. A system for controlling lane keeping of a vehicle, the system comprising:

a lane detection judging unit configured to judge whether both lanes of a front road are normally detected based on a front image;

a lane detection unit configured to acquire a lane normally detected from the front image;

a lane correction unit configured to generate a virtual lane by correcting one lane based on the other lane when it is judged that the one lane of both lanes is not normally detected;

a lane estimation unit configured to generate the virtual lane by estimating both lanes based on previously detected lane information when it is judged that either lane is not normally detected;

a steering torque calculating unit configured to calculate steering torque for controlling the vehicle based on driving state information of both lanes and the vehicle acquired by at least one method of detection, correction, and estimation; and

a lane keeping control unit configured to control the lane keeping of the vehicle based on the steering torque.