Automatic traffic sign recognition

• US 6,813,545 B2
• Filed: 07/07/2003
• Issued: 11/02/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 07/09/2002
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Accenture Global Services Limited (Accenture PLC)
• Original Assignee: Accenture Global Services GmbH (Accenture PLC)
• Inventors: Stromme, Oyvind
• Primary Examiner(s): Black, Thomas G.
• Assistant Examiner(s): To, Tuan C
• Application Number:
  US10/615,091
• Publication Number:
  US 20040010352A1
• Time in Patent Office: 484 Days
• Field of Search: 701/1, 340/425.5, 340/457, 340/435, 340/933, 340/905, 348/148, 348/143, 348/119, 382/103, 382/104, 358/107
• US Class Current: 701/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/582 of traffic signs
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096716 where the received information does not generate an automatic action on the vehicle control
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096758 where no selection takes place on the transmitted or the received information
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096783 where the origin of the information is a roadside individual element
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/18 Closed-circuit television [CCTV] systems, i.e. systems in which the video signal is not broadcast

Abstract

The invention concerns a system for reminding a driver of the presence of at least one particular traffic sign, comprising: an imaging unit (1) attached to the vehicle and directed towards the road ahead of the vehicle; a database (3) containing at least one pre-registered shape of traffic sign; an automatic recognition unit (2) for detecting and identifying, in successive images, a traffic sign by searching image areas having a shape contained in said database; and a sound (5) and/or visual (4) indicator of an identified traffic sign.

Claims

1. A system for reminding a driver of the presence of at least one particular traffic sign, comprising:

an imaging unit attached to the vehicle and directed towards the road ahead of the vehicle;

a database containing at least one pre-registered shape of traffic sign;

an automatic recognition unit for detecting and identifying, in successive images, traffic signs by searching image areas having a shape contained in said database, a selection between two signs identified in a same picture being performed by comparing the variation of the rectangular coordinates of a reference point of the signs in two successive pictures for evaluating the distance between the vehicle and the signs; and

a sound and/or visual indicator of at least one identified traffic sign.

2. The system of claim 1, in which said automatic recognition unit also compares the colors of an identified shape with a set of stored color information.

3. The system of claim 1, in which said automatic recognition unit also compares the symbol included in an identified shape with a set of stored symbols.

4. The system of claim 1, in which said database contains, for each shape, various view angles.

5. The system of claim 1, in which the imaging unit is actuated at a frequency dependent upon the speed of the vehicle.