Method for preventing lane departure for use with vehicle

• US 7,746,221 B2
• Filed: 01/02/2008
• Issued: 06/29/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 03/30/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hyundai Motor Company (Hyundai Motor Group)
• Original Assignee: Hyundai Motor Company (Hyundai Motor Group)
• Inventors: Jung, Ho Choul
• Primary Examiner(s): Lee; Benjamin C
• Assistant Examiner(s): TANG, SIGMUND N
• Application Number:
  US12/006,307
• Publication Number:
  US 20080238718A1
• Time in Patent Office: 909 Days
• Field of Search: 340/438, 340/435, 340/901, 340/425.5, 340/903, 340/937, 340/436, 701/301, 701/28, 701/41, 701/96
• US Class Current: 340/435
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 15/025 Active steering aids, e.g. helping the driver by actively influencing the steering system after environment evaluation B62D1/28 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 15/029 Steering assistants using warnings or proposing actions to the driver without influencing the steering system
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/167 Driving aids for lane monitoring, lane changing, e.g. blind spot detection

Abstract

Disclosed is a method for preventing lane departure for use in a vehicle. The method determines whether the vehicle is moving out of its lane by extracting lane markings from an image inputted by using rear side cameras mounted on both side mirrors, calculating a lane departure distance from the directional angle and side distance calculated by three-dimensional mapping of the extracted lane markings, and estimating a lane departure time through the calculated lane departure distance and a vehicle speed sensed by a vehicle speed sensor, thereby preventing vehicle accidents caused by the driver'"'"'s lane departure.

Claims

1. A method for preventing lane departure for use in a vehicle, comprising a machine and the steps of;

(a) extracting lane markings from left and right images of the rear side inputted by cameras mounted on both side mirrors and calculating the real coordinate lines of the lane markings with the equation of a straight line by three-dimensional mapping of the extracted lane markings;

(b) calculating left and right direction angles between the direction line of the vehicle and the real coordinate lines of the lane markings by using the real coordinates of the lane markings calculated in step (a) and calculating left and right side distances between the real coordinate lines of the lane markings and the vehicle;

(c) calculating a lane departure distance from the direction angle and side distance calculated in step (b) wherein the left direction angle and the left side distance are used when the vehicle head is deviated to the left side, and a the right direction angle and the right side distance are used when the vehicle head is deviated to the right side; and

(d) warning the driver of the possibility of lane departure depending on the lane departure distance calculated in step (c).

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the three-dimensional mapping of the step (a) compensates for distortion aberration caused by a camera lens when image coordinates are converted into real coordinates by Tsai'"'"'s Equation.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the side distances calculated in step (b) are obtained by measuring the distance from the lane markings to the intersection between the lines extending perpendicularly from a point of the vehicle direction lines, which corresponds to the center point of the side body lines of the vehicle, and the real coordinate lines of the lane markings.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein, in step (d), a lane departure time is calculated from the lane departure distance calculated in step (c) and a vehicle speed information detected by a vehicle speed sensor and, if the departure time is less than a reference value, warning is issued.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein, in step (c), the lane departure distance G is calculated by inputting a direction angle (θ

) and a side distance (L) into the following Equation;

G=tan(90−

θ

)*L.