DRIVER ASSISTANCE APPARATUS CAPABLE OF RECOGNIZING A ROAD SURFACE STATE AND VEHICLE INCLUDING THE SAME

• US 20160001780A1
• Filed: 04/21/2015
• Published: 01/07/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 07/02/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: LEE, Hansung, Choi, Soohwan, Yang, Jaehyuk
• Granted Patent: US 9,598,088 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 1/24 in front of the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 1/31 providing stereoscopic vision
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2300/107 using stereoscopic cameras
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2300/8053 for bad weather conditions or night vision
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/18 including control of braking systems
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/20 including control of steering systems
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 40/06 Road conditions
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/56 exterior to a vehicle by using sensors mounted on the vehicle

Abstract

A driver assistance apparatus and a vehicle including the same are disclosed. The driver assistance apparatus includes a stereo camera, a memory to store road surface data regarding a state of a road surface classified into a dry state, a wet state, a snow covered state, and an icy state, and a processor to classify the state of the road surface as any one of the dry state, the wet state, the snow covered state, and the icy state based on stereo images received from the stereo camera and the road surface data. Consequently, it is possible to recognize a current road surface state.

Claims

1. A driver assistance apparatus comprising:

a stereo camera to acquire stereo images;

a memory to store road surface data regarding a state of a road surface classified into a dry state, a wet state, a snow covered state, and an icy state; and

a processor to classify a current state of the road surface as any one of the dry state, the wet state, the snow covered state, and the icy state based on the stereo images and the road surface data.

2. The driver assistance apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the processor calculates a disparity between the stereo images, detects a road surface in the stereo images based on the disparity between the stereo images, and classifies the state of the road surface as any one of the dry state, the wet state, the snow covered state, and the icy state based on data related to the detected road surface and the road surface data stored in the memory.

3. The driver assistance apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the processor comprises a road surface pattern detection unit to classify the state of the road surface as any one of the dry state, the wet state, the snow covered state, and the icy state based on the data related to the road surface in the stereo images and the road surface data stored in the memory.

4. The driver assistance apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the processor classifies the state of the road surface as any one of the dry state, the wet state, the snow covered state, and the icy state based on brightness data of the data related to the road surface in the stereo images and the road surface data stored in the memory.

5. The driver assistance apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the processor classifies the state of the road surface as any one of the dry state, the wet state, the snow covered state, and the icy state based on frequency spectra of the data related to the road surface in the stereo images and the road surface data stored in the memory.

6. The driver assistance apparatus according to any one of claim 1, wherein the road surface data stored in the memory are image data having position and time information.

7. The driver assistance apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

a display unit and an audio output unit, and wherein the processor controls at least one of the classified road surface state information and brake drive guidance information and steering drive guidance information corresponding to the classified road surface state information through at least one of the display unit and the audio output unit.

8. The driver assistance apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the processor generates and outputs at least one of a brake drive signal and a steering drive signal corresponding to the classified road surface state information.

9. The driver assistance apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

a communication unit to exchange data with a mobile terminal or a server, and wherein the communication unit transmits the stereo images from the stereo camera to the mobile terminal or the server and receives the road surface data regarding the state of the road surface classified into the dry state, the wet state, the snow covered state, and the icy state from the mobile terminal or the server.

10. The driver assistance apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

a communication unit to exchange data with a mobile terminal or a server, and wherein the communication unit receives at least one of time information, season information, and weather information from the mobile terminal or the server, and

the processor classifies the state of the road surface as any one of the dry state, the wet state, the snow covered state, and the icy state based on at least one of the time information, the season information, and the weather information, the stereo images received from the stereo camera, and the road surface data.

11. The driver assistance apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

a communication unit to exchange data with a mobile terminal or a server, and wherein the communication unit transmits a current vehicle travel path or an expected vehicle travel path to the mobile terminal or the server and receives the road surface data classified into the dry state, the wet state, the snow covered state, and the icy state corresponding to the current vehicle travel path or the expected vehicle travel path from the mobile terminal or the server.

12. The driver assistance apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the processor generates and outputs at least one of a brake drive signal and a steering drive signal corresponding to the current vehicle travel path or the expected vehicle travel path and the classified road surface state information.

13. A vehicle comprising:

a steering drive unit to drive a steering apparatus;

a brake drive unit to drive a brake apparatus;

a controller to control the steering drive unit and the brake drive unit;

a stereo camera;

a memory to store road surface data regarding a state of a road surface classified into a dry state, a wet state, a snow covered state, and an icy state; and

a processor to classify a current state of the road surface as any one of the dry state, the wet state, the snow covered state, and the icy state based on the stereo images and the road surface data.

14. The vehicle according to claim 13, wherein the processor calculates a disparity between the stereo images, detects a road surface in the stereo images based on the disparity information between the stereo images, and classifies the state of the road surface as any one of the dry state, the wet state, the snow covered state, and the icy state based on data related to the detected road surface and the road surface data stored in the memory.

15. The vehicle according to claim 14, wherein the processor classifies the state of the road surface as any one of the dry state, the wet state, the snow covered state, and the icy state based on brightness data of the data related to the road surface in the stereo images and the road surface data stored in the memory.

16. The vehicle according to claim 14, wherein the processor classifies the state of the road surface as any one of the dry state, the wet state, the snow covered state, and the icy state based on frequency spectra of the data related to the road surface in the stereo images and the road surface data stored in the memory.

17. The vehicle according to claim 13, further comprising:

a communication unit to exchange data with a mobile terminal or a server, and wherein the communication unit transmits the stereo images from the stereo camera to the mobile terminal or the server and receives the road surface data regarding the state of the road surface classified into the dry state, the wet state, the snow covered state, and the icy state from the mobile terminal or the server.

18. The vehicle according to claim 13, further comprising:

a communication unit to exchange data with a mobile terminal or a server, and wherein the communication unit receives at least one of time information, season information, and weather information from the mobile terminal or the server, and

the processor classifies the state of the road surface as any one of the dry state, the wet state, the snow covered state, and the icy state based on at least one of the time information, the season information, and the weather information, the stereo images received from the stereo camera, and the road surface data.

19. The vehicle according to claim 13, further comprising:

a communication unit to exchange data with a mobile terminal or a server, and wherein the communication unit transmits a current vehicle travel path or an expected vehicle travel path to the mobile terminal or the server and receives the road surface data classified into the dry state, the wet state, the snow covered state, and the icy state corresponding to the current vehicle travel path or the expected vehicle travel path from the mobile terminal or the server.

20. The vehicle according to claim 17, wherein the processor generates and outputs at least one of a brake drive signal and a steering drive signal corresponding to the current vehicle travel path or the expected vehicle travel path and the classified road surface state information.