APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR RECOGNIZING POSITION OF OBSTACLE IN VEHICLE

• US 20160125588A1
• Filed: 06/18/2015
• Published: 05/05/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 11/03/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hyundai Motor Company (Hyundai Motor Group), Industry-University Cooperation Foundation Hanyang University, Kia Motors Corporation (Kia Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Hyundai Motor Company (Hyundai Motor Group), Industry-University Cooperation Foundation Hanyang University, Kia Motors Corporation (Kia Corp.)
• Inventors: CHOI, Jae Seob, RYU, Seong Sook, YOON, Dae Joong, CHANG, Eu Gene, JUNG, Ho Gi, SUHR, Jae Kyu, CHOI, Jin Wook
• Granted Patent: US 10,186,039 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/10016 Video; Image sequence
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/30261 Obstacle
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/13 Edge detection
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/80 Camera processing pipelines; Components thereof

Abstract

An apparatus for recognizing a position of an obstacle in a vehicle obtains image data and ultrasonic sensor data through a camera and an ultrasonic sensor, detects linear edges perpendicular to a ground surface in the image data, detects a discontinuous position at which the ultrasonic sensor data are not continuous, detects intersection points of the linear edges detected in continuous images from the image data when the discontinuous position coincides with a camera position, and estimates the intersection points to be the position of the obstacle.

Claims

1. A method for recognizing a position of an obstacle in a vehicle, comprising:

obtaining image data and ultrasonic sensor data through a camera and an ultrasonic sensor, respectively;

detecting linear edges perpendicular to a ground surface in the image data;

detecting a discontinuous position at which the ultrasonic sensor data are not continuous;

detecting intersection points of the linear edges detected in continuous images from the image data when the discontinuous position coincides with a camera position; and

estimating the intersection points to be the position of the obstacle.

2. The method for recognizing a position of an obstacle in a vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the detecting of the linear edges includes:

performing a distance transform based on an edge image of the image data;

creating a polar histogram in the image on which the distance transform is performed; and

extracting linear edges in which the most edge pixels are distributed through the polar histogram.

3. The method for recognizing a position of an obstacle in a vehicle according to claim 1, wherein in the detecting of the linear edges, the linear edges are detected by estimating linear edge start and end positions of the obstacle in the image data based on camera information and obstacle information.

4. The method for recognizing a position of an obstacle in a vehicle according to claim 1, the detecting of the discontinuous position further comprising confirming whether the discontinuous position coinciding with the camera position is an obstacle sensing start position.

5. The method for recognizing a position of an obstacle in a vehicle according to claim 4, wherein in the detecting of the intersection points of the linear edges, intersection points of straight lines extended from linear edges detected in the image data and the following image toward the camera are detected upon confirmation that the camera position is the obstacle sensing start position.

6. The method for recognizing a position of an obstacle in a vehicle according to claim 5, wherein in the detecting of the intersection points of the linear edges, one point at which a vertical distance to the straight lines is minimum is detected.

7. The method for recognizing a position of an obstacle in a vehicle according to claim 1, wherein in the detecting of the discontinuous position, it is confirmed whether the discontinuous position coinciding with the camera position is an obstacle sensing end position.

8. The method for recognizing a position of an obstacle in a vehicle according to claim 7, wherein in the detecting of the intersection points of the linear edges, intersection points of straight lines extended from linear edges detected in the image data and the previous image toward the camera are detected upon confirmation that the camera position is the obstacle sensing end position.

9. The method for recognizing a position of an obstacle in a vehicle according to claim 8, wherein in the detecting of the intersection points of the linear edges, one point at which a vertical distance to the straight lines is minimum is detected.

10. An apparatus for recognizing a position of an obstacle in a vehicle, comprising:

a camera configured to photograph image data around the vehicle;

an ultrasonic sensor configured to sense an obstacle around the vehicle; and

a controller configured to detect linear edges perpendicular to a ground surface in the image data to register the linear edges in a storage based on movement information of the vehicle, detect a discontinuous position of ultrasonic sensor data output from the ultrasonic sensor, and detect intersection points of linear edges detected in continuous image data obtained within a predetermined distance based on a camera position when the discontinuous position coincides with the camera position to recognize the intersection points to be positions of edges of the obstacle.

11. The apparatus for recognizing a position of an obstacle in a vehicle according to claim 10, wherein the controller transforms the image data into an edge image, performs a distance transform on the edge image, and then creates a polar histogram to extract linear edges in which the most edge pixels are distributed.

12. The apparatus for recognizing a position of an obstacle in a vehicle according to claim 10, wherein the controller estimates linear edge start and end positions of the obstacle in the image data based on camera information and obstacle information to detect the linear edges.

13. The apparatus for recognizing a position of an obstacle in a vehicle according to claim 10, wherein the controller detects intersection points of the linear edges within an interest region set based on the ultrasonic sensor data.

14. The apparatus for recognizing a position of an obstacle in a vehicle according to claim 10, wherein the controller detects intersection points of straight lines extended from linear edges detected in the image data and the following image data toward the camera when the camera position coincides with an obstacle sensing start position.

15. The apparatus for recognizing a position of an obstacle in a vehicle according to claim 10, wherein the controller detects intersection points of straight lines extended from linear edges detected in the image data and the following image data toward the camera when the camera position coincides with an obstacle sensing start position.

16. The apparatus for recognizing a position of an obstacle in a vehicle according to claim 15, wherein the controller calculates one point on a straight line at which a vertical distance to the straight lines is minimum.

17. The apparatus for recognizing a position of an obstacle in a vehicle according to claim 10, wherein the controller detects intersection points of straight lines extended from linear edges detected in the image data and the previous image data toward the camera when the camera position coincides with an obstacle sensing end position.

18. The apparatus for recognizing a position of an obstacle in a vehicle according to claim 17, wherein the controller calculates one point on a straight line at which a vertical distance to the straight lines is minimum.