Method and apparatus for estimating inter-vehicle distance using radar and camera
First Claim
1. A method for estimating an inter-vehicle distance of an automotive vehicle to a preceding vehicle which is running ahead of the vehicle, comprising:
- detecting the inter-vehicle distance;
photographing a video image of a vehicular forwarding zone;
detecting a plurality of edges including at least a part of the preceding vehicle from the photographed video image;
detecting an inter-edge spacing of mutually opposing edges from the detected video image; and
calculating a present inter-vehicle distance of the vehicle to the preceding vehicle at a present time point from a previous inter-vehicle distance calculated thereby at a previous time point at which the inter-edge spacing of the mutually opposing edges has previously been detected and the inter-edge spacings at the previous time point and at the present time point.
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Abstract
In method and apparatus for estimating an inter-vehicle distance of an automotive vehicle to a preceding vehicle which is running ahead of the vehicle, the inter-vehicle distance is detected using a radar, a video image of a vehicular forwarding zone is photographed, a plurality of edges including at least a part of the preceding vehicle are detected from the photographed vide image, an inter-edge spacing of mutually opposing edges from the detected image is detected, and a present inter-vehicle distance of the vehicle to the preceding vehicle at a present time point is calculated from a previous inter-vehicle distance calculated thereby at a previous time point at which the inter-edge spacing of the mutually opposing edges has previously been detected and the inter-edge spacings at the previous time point and at the present time point.
30 Citations
25 Claims
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1. A method for estimating an inter-vehicle distance of an automotive vehicle to a preceding vehicle which is running ahead of the vehicle, comprising:
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detecting the inter-vehicle distance; photographing a video image of a vehicular forwarding zone; detecting a plurality of edges including at least a part of the preceding vehicle from the photographed video image; detecting an inter-edge spacing of mutually opposing edges from the detected video image; and calculating a present inter-vehicle distance of the vehicle to the preceding vehicle at a present time point from a previous inter-vehicle distance calculated thereby at a previous time point at which the inter-edge spacing of the mutually opposing edges has previously been detected and the inter-edge spacings at the previous time point and at the present time point. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 23)
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11. An apparatus for estimating an inter-vehicle distance of an automotive vehicle to a preceding vehicle which is running ahead of the vehicle, comprising:
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an inter-vehicle distance detecting section that detects the inter-vehicle distance; a photographing device that photographs a video image of a vehicular forwarding zone; an edge detecting section that detects a plurality of edges including at least a part of the preceding vehicle from the photographed video image by the photographing device and detects an inter-edge spacing of mutually opposing edges from the detected image; and an inter-vehicle distance calculating section that calculates a present inter-vehicle distance from the vehicle to the preceding vehicle at a present time point from a previous inter-vehicle distance calculated thereby at a previous time point at which the inter-edge spacing of the mutually opposing edges has previously been detected and the inter-edge spacings at the previous time point and at the present time point. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 24, 25)
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22. An apparatus for estimating an inter-vehicle distance of an automotive vehicle to a preceding vehicle which is running ahead of the vehicle, comprising:
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inter-vehicle distance detecting means for detecting the inter-vehicle distance; photographing means for photographing a video image of a vehicular forwarding zone; edge detecting means for detecting a plurality of edges including at least a part of the preceding vehicle from the photographed vide image by the photographing means and for detecting an inter-edge spacing of mutually opposing edges from the detected image; and inter-vehicle distance calculating means for calculating a present inter-vehicle distance from the vehicle to the preceding vehicle at a present time point from a previous inter-vehicle distance calculated thereby at a previous time point at which the inter-edge spacing of the mutually opposing edges has previously been detected and the inter-edge spacings at the previous time point and at the present time point.
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Specification