LANE BOUNDARY LINE RECOGNITION APPARATUS AND PROGRAM FOR RECOGNIZING LANE BOUNDARY LINE ON ROADWAY

• US 20150332101A1
• Filed: 04/29/2015
• Published: 11/19/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 05/14/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Original Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Inventors: TAKAKI, Masanari, KOBAYASHI, Kenji
• Granted Patent: US 9,713,983 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 1/00 Optical viewing arrangements; Real-time viewing arrangements for drivers or passengers using optical image capturing systems, e.g. cameras or video systems specially adapted for use in or on vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2300/105 using multiple cameras
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2300/301 combining image information with other obstacle sensor information, e.g. using RADAR/LIDAR/SONAR sensors for estimating risk of collision
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2300/804 for lane monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 2201/08 Lane monitoring; Lane Keeping Systems
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 2201/089 using optical detection
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 7/22 initiated by contact of vehicle, e.g. bumper, with an external object, e.g. another vehicle , or by means of contactless obstacle detectors mounted on the vehicle
• 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 1/167 Driving aids for lane monitoring, lane changing, e.g. blind spot detection
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/183 for receiving images from a single remote source

Abstract

A boundary line recognition apparatus receives detection results transmitted from camera devices and a laser radar device performing different optical detection methods. These detection results indicate information regarding a lane boundary line of a vehicle lane on a roadway on which an own vehicle drives. The apparatus further obtains surrounding environmental information of the own vehicle on the roadway, and selects at least one of the camera devices and the laser radar device suitable for correctly recognizing the lane boundary line on the basis of the environmental information. The apparatus finally recognizes the lane boundary line with high accuracy on the basis of the detection result transmitted form one or more devices selected based on the environment information.

Claims

1. A lane boundary line recognition apparatus capable of recognizing a lane boundary line of a vehicle lane on a roadway on which an own vehicle drives, the lane boundary line separating an inside of the vehicle lane, on which the own vehicle drives, from the outside of the vehicle lane, the lane boundary line recognition apparatus comprising:

a plurality of boundary line recognizers capable of recognizing a lane boundary line by using different optical detection methods;

an environmental information obtaining section capable of obtaining environmental information which represent surrounding environment of the own vehicle; and

a selection section capable of selecting at least one of the boundary line recognizers on the basis of the environmental information suitable for recognizing the lane boundary line of the vehicle lane of the own vehicle on the basis of the environmental information.

2. The lane boundary line recognition apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the environmental information obtaining section obtains at least one of obstacle factors in the environmental information which prevent correct recognition of the lane boundary line of the vehicle lane of the own vehicle,

the selection section selects at least one of the boundary line recognizers to be used for recognizing the lane boundary line of the vehicle lane of the own vehicle according to the presence of the obstacle factors.

3. The lane boundary line recognition apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the environmental information obtaining section obtains the environmental information generated on the basis of sensor information transmitted from sensors mounted to the own vehicle.

4. The lane boundary line recognition apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the environmental information obtaining section obtains the environmental information generated on the basis of sensor information transmitted from sensors mounted to the own vehicle.

5. The lane boundary line recognition apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a current location obtaining section capable of obtaining a current location of the own vehicle,

wherein the environmental information obtaining section obtains the environmental information corresponding to the current location of the own vehicle.

6. The lane boundary line recognition apparatus according to claim 2, further comprising a current location obtaining section capable of obtaining a current location of the own vehicle,

wherein the environmental information obtaining section obtains the environmental information corresponding to the current location of the own vehicle.

7. The lane boundary line recognition apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the environmental information obtaining section obtains, as the environmental information, map information corresponding to the current location of the own vehicle.

8. The lane boundary line recognition apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the environmental information obtaining section obtains, as the environmental information, map information corresponding to the current location of the own vehicle.

9. The lane boundary line recognition apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the environmental information obtaining section obtains, as the environmental information, information which indicates a difference between the recognition results of the boundary line recognizers.

10. The lane boundary line recognition apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the environmental information obtaining section obtains, as the environmental information, information which indicates a difference between the recognition results of the boundary line recognizers.

11. A program for performing processes to be executed by a central processing unit for performing the functions of the boundary line recognizers, the environmental information obtaining section and the selection section according to claim 1.

12. A program for performing processes to be executed by a central processing unit for performing the functions of the boundary line recognizers, the environmental information obtaining section and the selection section according to claim 2.