Object recognizing apparatus for vehicle and the method thereof

• US 6,661,449 B1
• Filed: 08/28/2000
• Issued: 12/09/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 06/06/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Subaru Corp.
• Original Assignee: Fuji Jukogyo KK (Subaru Corp.)
• Inventors: Sogawa, Yoshiyuki
• Primary Examiner(s): DIEP, NHON THANH
• Application Number:
  US09/648,740
• Time in Patent Office: 1,198 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 for a vehicle having a pair of cameras mounted on said vehicle for taking a stereoscopic picture of an object in front of said vehicle, comprising:

stereoscopic image processing means for deriving a distance information from said stereoscopic picture about said object being in a visual field of said pair of cameras;

object recognizing means for recognizing said object and for calculating relative position of said object with respect to said vehicle;

object position memory means for memorizing said relative position of said object when said object is in a predetermined area outside of said vehicle including out of said visual field of said pair of cameras;

traveling amount calculating means for calculating said vehicle traveling amount; and

object positional information calculating means for updating said relative position of said object based on said vehicle traveling amount so as to recognize a current relative position of said object being out of said visual field of said pair of cameras.

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

said traveling amount calculating means calculates said vehicle traveling amount based on an output of a wheel rotation sensor and an output of a steering angle sensor.

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

said traveling amount calculating means calculates said vehicle traveling amount based on a rotation number of a right rear wheel and a rotation number of a left rear wheel.

4. The driving assist system according to claims 1, wherein;

said object position memory means deletes said relative position of said objects when said objects move out of said predetermined area outside of said vehicle according to traveling of said vehicle, and memorizes said relative position of said objects calculated by said object recognizing means as a current relative position when said object are in said visual field of said pair of cameras.

5. The driving assist system according to claim 1 wherein said object recognizing apparatus further comprises;

judging means for determining whether or not there is a possibility of a contact between said vehicle and said objects by comparing said relative information with a predetermined information stored in a memory;

indicating means for indicating said possibility to a driver.

6. A driving assist system for a vehicle having a pair of cameras mounted on said vehicle for taking a stereoscopic picture of an object in front of said vehicle, a left driving wheel driven by a left wheel driving motor provided on a left side of said vehicle and a right driving wheel driven by a right wheel driving motor provided on a right side of said vehicle, comprising:

stereoscopic image processing means for recognizing said object and for deriving a distance information from said stereoscopic picture about said object being in a visual field of said pair of cameras;

object recognizing means for recognizing said object and for calculating relative position of said object with respect to said vehicle;

object position memory means for memorizing said relative position of said object when said object is in a predetermined area outside of said vehicle including out of said visual field of said pair of cameras;

traveling amount calculating means for calculating said vehicle traveling amount;

object positional information calculating means for updating said relative position of said object based on said vehicle traveling amount so as to recognize a current relative position of said object being out of said visual field of said pair of cameras; and

running control means 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 object by comparing said relative position with a predetermined information about said vehicle stored in a memory and for driving 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.

7. A driving assist system method for a vehicle having a pair of cameras mounted on said vehicle for taking a stereoscopic picture of an object in front of said vehicle, comprising:

deriving a distance information from said stereoscopic picture about said object being in a visual field of said pair of cameras;

recognizing said object and for calculating a relative position of said object with respect to said vehicle;

memorizing said relative position of said object when said object is in a predetermined area outside of said vehicle including out of said visual field of said pair of cameras;

calculating said vehicle traveling amount; and

updating said relative position of said object based on said vehicle traveling amount so as to recognize a current relative position of said object being out of a visual field of said pair of cameras.

8. A driving assist method for a vehicle having a pair of cameras mounted on said vehicle for taking a stereoscopic picture of an object in front of said vehicle, left driving wheel driven by a left wheel driving motor provided on a left side of said vehicle and a right driving wheel driven by a right wheel driving motor provided on a right side of said vehicle, comprising:

deriving a distance information from said stereoscopic picture about said object being in a visual field of said pair of cameras;

recognizing said object and calculating a relative position of said object with respect to said vehicle;

memorizing said relative position of said object when said object is in a predetermined area outside of said vehicle including out of said visual field of said pair of cameras;

calculating said vehicle traveling amount;

updating said relative position of said object based on said vehicle traveling amount so as to recognize a current relative position of said object being out of said visual field of said pair of cameras; and

deciding a running direction of said vehicle by judging whether or not there is a possibility of a contact between said vehicle and said object by comparing said relative position with a predetermined information about said vehicle stored in a memory and for driving 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.