Vehicle lane detector

• US 7,307,545 B2
• Filed: 05/23/2005
• Issued: 12/11/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 05/28/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Nishida, Makoto
• Primary Examiner(s): PHAM, TOAN NGOC
• Application Number:
  US11/134,366
• Publication Number:
  US 20050265579A1
• Time in Patent Office: 932 Days
• Field of Search: 340/901, 340/435, 701/1, 701/41, 701/28, 701/43, 348/119, 348/148, 180/168, 382/103, 382/104
• US Class Current: 340/901
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/588 Recognition of the road, e.g. of lane markings; Recognition of the vehicle driving pattern in relation to the road
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0962 having an indicator mounted inside the vehicle, e.g. giving voice messages
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/167 Driving aids for lane monitoring, lane changing, e.g. blind spot detection

Abstract

In a vehicle lane detector that detects a lane sign on a road surface, a condition for determining that the lane sign is detected is changed based on one of a frequency and a ratio of detection error of the lane sign.

Claims

1. A vehicle lane detector that detects a lane sign on a road surface, wherein

a condition for determining that the lane sign is detected is changed based on one of a frequency and a ratio of detection error of the lane sign, and

the condition for determining that the lane sign is detected is changed to be stricter when one of the frequency or the ratio of the detection error of the lane sign is high compared with when one of the frequency and the ratio of the detection error of the lane sign is low.

2. The vehicle lane detector according to claim 1, wherein the detection error includes a determination that the lane sign is not detected.

3. The vehicle lane detector according claim 1, wherein the condition for determining that the lane sign is detected is changed so that when one of the frequency and the ratio of the detection error of the lane sign is high, the determination that the lane sign is detected is made when the lane sign is more stably detected than when one of the frequency and the ratio of the detection error is low.

4. The vehicle lane detector according to claim 3, wherein “

the lane sign is more stably detected”

means that a virtual line that is selected as a candidate for the lane sign is continuously present.

5. The vehicle lane detector according to claim 1, wherein one of the frequency and the ratio of the detection error includes a number that a virtual line that is selected as a candidate for the lane sign is determined to be abnormal in shape.

6. The vehicle lane detector according to claim 5, wherein the virtual line includes two straight lines that are selected as candidates for the lane sign.

7. The vehicle lane detector according to claim 6, wherein the shape of the virtual line includes at least one of an angle formed by the two straight lines, an inclination of the two straight lines, and a distance between the two straight lines.

8. The vehicle lane detector according to claim 1, wherein one of the frequency and the ratio of the detection error includes a number of changes from one of a state where the lane sign is determined to have been detected and a state where the lane sign is determined not to have been detected, to another of the state where the lane sign is determined to have been detected and the state where the lane sign is determined not to have been detected.

9. The vehicle lane detector according to claim 1, wherein one of the frequency and the ratio of the detection error includes a time period when the lane sign is determined not to be detected.

10. The vehicle lane detector according to claim 1, wherein the condition for determining that the lane sign is detected is changed based on a degree of abnormality at the time when a virtual line that is selected as the candidate of the lane sign is determined to be abnormal in shape.

11. The vehicle lane detector according to claim 10, wherein the degree of abnormality includes a deviation from a value in a range where the virtual line is determined to be normal in shape at the time the virtual line is determined to be abnormal in shape.

12. The vehicle lane detector according to claim 10, wherein the degree of abnormality includes a fluctuation of the deviation from a value in a range where the virtual line is determined to be normal in shape at the time the virtual line is determined to be abnormal in shape.

13. The vehicle lane detector according to claim 1, wherein the condition for determining that the lane sign is detected is a threshold of a length of a time period when a virtual line that is selected as a candidate for the lane sign is continuously present.

14. A method for detecting a lane sign on a road surface, comprising:

changing a condition for determining that the lane sign is detected, based on a frequency of detection error of the lane sign; and

determining whether the lane sign is detected, using the condition,

wherein the condition for determining that the lane sign is detected is changed to be stricter when the frequency of the detection error of the lane sign is high compared with when the frequency of the detection error of the lane sign is low.

15. A method for detecting a lane sign on a road surface, comprising:

changing a condition for determining that the lane sign is detected, based on a ratio of detection error of the lane sign; and

determining whether the lane sign is detected, using the condition,

wherein the condition for determining that the lane sign is detected is changed to be stricter when the ratio of the detection error of the lane sign is high compared with when the ratio of the detection error of the lane sign is low.