Object recognizing apparatus for vehicle and the method thereof

• US 6,169,572 B1
• Filed: 05/15/1997
• Issued: 01/02/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 06/06/1996
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Fuji Jukogyo KK (Subaru Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Fuji Jukogyo KK (Subaru Corp.)
• Inventors: Sogawa, Yoshiyuki
• Primary Examiner(s): Le, Vu
• Assistant Examiner(s): DIEP, NHON THANH
• Application Number:
  US08/856,805
• Time in Patent Office: 1,328 Days
• Field of Search: H04/N.700, H04/N.718, H04/N.947, 348/113, 348/114, 348/116, 348/118, 348/119, 701/23, 701/28, 701/117, 701/200, 701/300, 701/301
• US Class Current: 348/113
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 11/12 using electromagnetic waves other than radio waves
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2013/932 using own vehicle data, e.g. ground speed, steering wheel direction
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2013/9323 Alternative operation using light waves
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2013/93273 on the top of the vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 3/7864 T.V. type tracking systems
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0251 extracting 3D information from a plurality of images taken from different locations, e.g. stereo vision stereoscopic image analysis H04N13/00; depth recovery from images G06T7/593
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0255 using acoustic signals, e.g. ultra-sonic singals sonar systems designed for anti-collision purposes G01S15/93
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0272 comprising means for registering the travel distance, e.g. revolutions of wheels measuring distance traversed on the ground by vehicles, e.g. using odometers G01C22/00
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/58 Recognition of moving objects or obstacles, e.g. vehicles or pedestrians; Recognition of traffic objects, e.g. traffic signs, traffic lights or roads
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/189 Recording image signals; Reproducing recorded image signals
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/239 using two 2D image sensors having a relative position equal to or related to the interocular distance H04N13/243 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/25 using two or more image sensors with different characteristics other than in their location or field of view, e.g. having different resolutions or colour pickup characteristics; using image signals from one sensor to control the characteristics of another sensor
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/257 Colour aspects
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/296 Synchronisation thereof; Control thereof
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2013/0077 Colour aspects
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2013/0081 Depth or disparity estimation from stereoscopic image signals
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2013/0092 Image segmentation from stereoscopic image signals
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2013/0096 Synchronisation or controlling aspects

Abstract

A stereoscopic optical system images a stereoscopic picture image, a stereoscopic image processing section calculates a three-dimensional distance distribution from the stereoscopic picture image, and an object recognizing section recognizes objects from the distance distribution information to calculate a relative position of the objects with respect to the vehicle. On the other hand, a travelling amount of the vehicle is detected by a steering sensor and a rear wheel rotation sensor. Then, an object positional information calculating section calcuLates a new relative position of the objects based on the relative position information memorized in a memory section and the calculated travelling amount of the vehicle and the memory section memorizes the new positional information. And, a bumping judgment outputting section judges the possibility of bumping against the objects based on the new relative position of the objects with reference to memorized information about the external shape of the vehicle. If it is judged therein that there is a possibility of bumping, the bumping judgment outputting section outputs a warning signal to an indicating section.

Claims

1. A driving assist system mounted on a vehicle and provided to recognize an object near the vehicle, having a left driving wheel driven by a left wheel driving motor provided on a left side of said vehicle, a left driving wheel speed sensor provided to calculate a left driving wheel displacement amount from a left driving wheel r.p.m. of said left driving wheel and to produce a left displacement signal, a right wheel driven by a right wheel driving motor and provided on a right side of said vehicle, a right driving wheel speed sensor provided to calculate a right driving wheel displacement amount from a right driving wheel r.p.m. of said right wheel and to produce a right displacement signal, a pair of cameras mounted on a rotating table driven by a rotating motor and provided to take a stereoscopic picture in front of said vehicle and to generate an image signal, and a rotating angle sensor attached to said rotating table and provided to detect a rotating angle thereof and to produce a rotating angle signal, comprising:

stereoscopic image processing means responsive to said image signal for deriving a distance information about said object and for transmitting a distance signal;

object recognizing means responsive to said distance signal and said rotating angle signal for deriving parameters of a position and a shape of said object taken from various angles of said rotating table in order to distinguish a desired course from said objects by an image difference and for outputting a positional signal;

positional information calculating means responsive to said left and right displacement signals and said positional signal for deriving a new positional information around said vehicle by updating a previous positional information thereabout and for producing an information signal; and

running control means responsive to said information signal for deciding a running direction of said vehicle by judging whether or not there is a possibility of a contact between said vehicle and said objects by comparing said information with a predetermined information stored in a memory and for driving said left and right motors so as to make said vehicle to run precisely on a predetermined course only by said left and right driving wheels without using side view cameras in a compact configuration.

2. The driving assist system according to claim 1, wherein

said rotating table is rotated at an angle with respect to a frontal direction of said vehicle; and

said angle is changed in a left and right direction at a constant speed.

3. The driving assist system according to claim 1, wherein

said rotating table is rotated at an angle with respect to a frontal direction of said vehicle;

and

said angle is changed in a left direction when said vehicle makes a left turn and in a right direction when said vehicle makes a right turn.

4. A drive assisting method for a vehicle through recognizing an object near the vehicle, having a left driving wheel driven by a left wheel driving motor provided on a left side of said vehicle, a left driving wheel speed sensor provided to calculate a left driving wheel displacement amount from a left driving wheel r.p.m. of said left driving wheel, a right wheel driven by a right wheel driving motor and provided on a right side of said vehicle, a right driving wheel speed sensor provided to calculate a right driving wheel displacement amount from a right driving wheel r.p.m. of said right wheel, a pair of cameras mounted on a rotating table driven by a rotating motor and provided to take a stereoscopic picture in front of said vehicle, and a rotating angle sensor attached to said rotating table and provided to detect a rotating angle thereof, comprising:

processing a stereoscopic image in order to derive a distance information about said object;

recognizing said object as parameters of a position and a shape of said object taken from various angles of said rotating table in order to distinguish a desired course from said objects by an image difference;

calculating a positional information for deriving a new positional information around said vehicle by updating a previous positional information; and

controlling said vehicle by deciding a running direction thereof through judging whether or not there is a possibility of a contact between said vehicle and said object by comparing said information with a predetermined information stored in a memory and to drive said left and right motors so as to make said vehicle run precisely on a predetermined course only by said left and right driving wheels without using side view cameras in a compact configuration.