Driver assistance system for traffic sign recognition

• US 8,223,038 B2
• Filed: 12/28/2007
• Issued: 07/17/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 01/04/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Continental Automotive GmbH (Continental AG)
• Original Assignee: Continental Automotive GmbH (Continental AG)
• Inventors: Bauer, Jochen, Giebel, Jan
• Primary Examiner(s): Tweel, Jr., John A
• Application Number:
  US12/522,177
• Publication Number:
  US 20100141476A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,663 Days
• Field of Search: 340/905, 340/937, 382/104, 382/224, 701/117
• US Class Current: 340/905
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 10/255 Detecting or recognising potential candidate objects based on visual cues, e.g. shapes
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/582 of traffic signs

Abstract

An evaluation device for a driver assistance system for a vehicle includes an input for receiving image information recorded by a camera, a first component for locating an image section present in a predefined shape in first image information received from the camera, and a second component for requesting second image information. The second image information corresponds to a renewed image of an image section found by the first component, with improved contrast in relation to the first image information. A third component is present for identifying a traffic sign in the second image information, and an output for emitting a signal relating to a traffic sign identified by the third component. There is also provided a computer program product and a method for operating a driver assistance system.

Claims

1. An evaluation device for a driver assistance system for a vehicle, comprising:

an input for receiving image information recorded by a camera;

a first component for locating an image segment containing a predetermined shape in first image information received from the camera;

a second component configured to send to the camera an instruction to record the image segment with a higher contrast relative to the first image information and to request second image information, wherein the second image information corresponds to a new recording of the image segment located by said first component with better contrast than the first image information;

a third component configured to receive the second image information and to identify a traffic sign in the second image information; and

an output for outputting a signal relating to the traffic sign identified by the third component.

2. The evaluation device according to claim 1, wherein the predetermined shape is a circle.

3. The evaluation device according to claim 1, wherein the traffic sign is a speed limit traffic sign.

4. The evaluation device according to claim 1, wherein the second image information corresponds to a new recording of a located image segment with a modified exposure time compared with the first image information.

5. The evaluation device according to claim 1, wherein the second image information corresponds to a new recording of a located image segment with a different offset value from the first image information by adding constant values to the individual image points.

6. The evaluation device according to claim 1, wherein the second image information corresponds to a new recording of a located image segment with modified amplification compared with the first image information.

7. The evaluation device according to claim 1, wherein the second image information corresponds to a new recording of a located image segment with different High Dynamic Range parameters from the first image information.

8. The evaluation device according to claim 1, wherein the first image information and the second image information have a common image depth.

9. The evaluation device according to claim 1, wherein the signal relating to the traffic sign is a signal perceptible to a driver of the vehicle.

10. The evaluation device according to claim 1, wherein the signal relating to the traffic sign is a signal that brings about an automatic reduction of a speed of the vehicle.

11. A driver assistance system for a vehicle, comprising:

an evaluation device according to claim 1 and the camera connected to said evaluation device.

12. A computer program product for a vehicle assistance system for a vehicle, comprising computer-readable instructions stored in memory and being executable to:

locate an image segment containing a predetermined shape in first image information received from a camera;

send an instruction to the camera to re-record the image segment with a higher contrast than the images in the first image information and to request second image information, the second image information corresponding to a new recording of a located image segment with better contrast than the first image information;

identify a traffic sign in the second image information; and

output a signal relating to a traffic sign thus identified.

13. A method for operating a driver assistance system for a vehicle, the method which comprises:

locating an image segment containing a predetermined shape in first image information;

sending instructions to the camera to record the image regions with a higher contrast than the images and requesting second image information, the second image information corresponding to a new recording of a located image segment with better contrast than the first image information;

identifying a traffic sign in the second image information; and

outputting a signal relating to an identified traffic sign.