Method for supporting the driver of a road-bound vehicle in guiding the vehicle
First Claim
1. Method for supporting the driver of a vehicle in guiding the vehicle on a road, comprising:
- using an image sensor system, detecting at least two different types of image data of a vehicle environment outside of the vehicle, respectively differently selected from among lane marking data regarding lane markings that delimit a lane of the road, traffic sign data regarding traffic signs along the road, and license plate data regarding license plates of other motor vehicles,if the lane marking data are present, then performing a first evaluating of the lane marking data by a first image evaluation system with regard to detected lane-relevant information in the lane marking data, selected from a width of the lane markings, blank intervals and segment lengths of broken line lane markings, and a color of the lane markings, relative to first stored data that are stored in a first memory device and that indicate country-specific lane markings,from a first result of the first evaluating, if present, in the first image evaluation system generating a first country estimation signal that indicates a first estimate of a current location of the vehicle,if the traffic sign data are present, then performing a second evaluating of the traffic sign data by a second image evaluation system with regard to detected traffic-sign-relevant information in the traffic sign data, relative to second stored data that are stored in a second memory device and that indicate country-specific traffic signs,from a second result of the second evaluating, if present, in the second image evaluation system generating a second country estimation signal that indicates a second estimate of the current location of the vehicle,if the license plate data are present, then performing a third evaluating of the license plate data by a third image evaluation system with regard to detected license-plate-relevant information in the license plate data, relative to third stored data that are stored in a third memory device and that indicate country-specific license plates,from a third result of the third evaluating, if present, in the third image evaluation system generating a third country estimation signal that indicates a third estimate of the current location of the vehicle,in a microprocessor, by merging the plural country estimation signals, generating a country signal that indicates the current location of the vehicle, wherein the country signal is generated exclusively from only the image data,with the country signal, activating a driver information device outputting country-specific information regarding longitudinal and/or transverse guidance of the vehicle, and/or feeding the country signal to at least one driver assistance system that supports the longitudinal and/or transverse guidance of the vehicle.
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Abstract
To support a driver in guiding a road vehicle, the lane markings of the road, traffic signs and/or vehicle license plates are detected by an environment sensor system, which produces corresponding image data, which is evaluated by an image evaluation system by comparison to stored country-specific data. From that evaluation, at least one country estimation signal is generated in an image processor, and then a country signal indicating the current location of the vehicle is generated from the at least one country estimation signal by a microprocessor. The country signal correspondingly activates a driver information device outputting country-specific information for guidance of the vehicle and/or the country signal is fed to a driver assistance system that supports the guidance of the vehicle.
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Citations
16 Claims
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1. Method for supporting the driver of a vehicle in guiding the vehicle on a road, comprising:
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using an image sensor system, detecting at least two different types of image data of a vehicle environment outside of the vehicle, respectively differently selected from among lane marking data regarding lane markings that delimit a lane of the road, traffic sign data regarding traffic signs along the road, and license plate data regarding license plates of other motor vehicles, if the lane marking data are present, then performing a first evaluating of the lane marking data by a first image evaluation system with regard to detected lane-relevant information in the lane marking data, selected from a width of the lane markings, blank intervals and segment lengths of broken line lane markings, and a color of the lane markings, relative to first stored data that are stored in a first memory device and that indicate country-specific lane markings, from a first result of the first evaluating, if present, in the first image evaluation system generating a first country estimation signal that indicates a first estimate of a current location of the vehicle, if the traffic sign data are present, then performing a second evaluating of the traffic sign data by a second image evaluation system with regard to detected traffic-sign-relevant information in the traffic sign data, relative to second stored data that are stored in a second memory device and that indicate country-specific traffic signs, from a second result of the second evaluating, if present, in the second image evaluation system generating a second country estimation signal that indicates a second estimate of the current location of the vehicle, if the license plate data are present, then performing a third evaluating of the license plate data by a third image evaluation system with regard to detected license-plate-relevant information in the license plate data, relative to third stored data that are stored in a third memory device and that indicate country-specific license plates, from a third result of the third evaluating, if present, in the third image evaluation system generating a third country estimation signal that indicates a third estimate of the current location of the vehicle, in a microprocessor, by merging the plural country estimation signals, generating a country signal that indicates the current location of the vehicle, wherein the country signal is generated exclusively from only the image data, with the country signal, activating a driver information device outputting country-specific information regarding longitudinal and/or transverse guidance of the vehicle, and/or feeding the country signal to at least one driver assistance system that supports the longitudinal and/or transverse guidance of the vehicle. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
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14. Device for supporting the driver of a vehicle in guiding the vehicle on a road, comprising:
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a camera arranged and adapted to detect image data of a vehicle environment outside of the vehicle including lane markings that delimit a lane of the road and traffic signs, a first image processing system connected to the camera and adapted to evaluate the image data with regard to detected relevant information in the image data, including lane-relevant information, including a width of the lane markings, blank intervals and segment lengths of broken line lane markings, and a color of the lane markings, a first memory device that is connected to or incorporated in the first image processing system and that stores first stored data which indicate country-specific lane markings, wherein the first image processing system is adapted to evaluate the detected relevant information relative to the first stored data, and from a result thereof is adapted to generate a first country estimation signal that indicates a first estimate of a current location of the vehicle, a second image processing system connected to the camera and adapted to evaluate the image data with regard to further detected relevant information in the image data, including traffic-sign-relevant information, a second memory device that is connected to or incorporated in the second image processing system and that stores second stored data which indicate country-specific traffic signs, wherein the second image processing system is adapted to evaluate the detected traffic-sign-relevant information relative to the second stored data, and from a result thereof is adapted to generate a second country estimation signal that indicates a second estimation of the current location of the vehicle, a microprocessor that is connected to the first image processing system and/or the first memory device and connected to the second image processing system and/or the second memory device, and that comprises a merger module adapted to merge the first country estimation signal and the second country estimation signal, wherein the microprocessor is adapted to generate, from a merger of the first country estimation signal and the second country estimation signal, a country signal that indicates the current location of the vehicle, wherein the country signal is generated exclusively from only the image data, and connected to the microprocessor, at least one of a driver information device adapted to output country-specific information regarding longitudinal and/or transverse guidance of the vehicle in response to and dependent on the country signal, and/or a driver assistance system adapted to support the longitudinal and/or transverse guidance of the vehicle in response to and dependent on the country signal.
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15. An apparatus for providing location information regarding the location of a vehicle driving on a road that has lanes marked by lane markings, traffic signs along the road, and other vehicles that are identified by license plates and that are also driving on the road, wherein the apparatus comprises:
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a camera mounted on the vehicle and oriented and adapted to produce image data including at least two of the following;
lane marking image data representing the lane markings, traffic sign image data representing the traffic signs, and license plate image data representing the license plates,a first memory storing first stored data selected from country-specific lane marking data, country-specific traffic sign data, and country-specific license plate data, a second memory storing second stored data that is distinct from the first stored data and that is selected from the country-specific lane marking data, the country-specific traffic sign data, and the country-specific license plate data, other than the first stored data, a first image processing system that is connected to the camera and to the first memory, and that is adapted to evaluate the image data relative to the first stored data and in response thereto produce a first country estimation signal, a second image processing system that is connected to the camera and to the second memory, and that is adapted to evaluate the image data relative to the second stored data and in response thereto produce a second country estimation signal, and a microprocessor that is connected to the first and second image processing systems, and that is adapted to merge the first and second country estimation signals to produce therefrom a single country signal, as the location information, that identifies a country or geographical region in which the vehicle is driving, wherein the country signal is produced exclusively from only the image data.
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16. A method of providing location information regarding the location of a vehicle driving on a road that has lanes marked by lane markings, traffic signs along the road, and other vehicles that are identified by license plates and that are also driving on the road, wherein the method comprises:
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using a camera mounted on the vehicle, producing image data including at least two of the following;
lane marking image data representing the lane markings, traffic sign image data representing the traffic signs, and license plate image data representing the license plates,in a first memory, storing first stored data selected from country-specific lane marking data, country-specific traffic sign data, and country-specific license plate data, in a second memory, storing second stored data that is distinct from the first stored data and that is selected from the country-specific lane marking data, the country-specific traffic sign data, and the country-specific license plate data, other than the first stored data, using a first image processing system connected to the camera and to the first memory, evaluating the image data relative to the first stored data and in response thereto producing a first country estimation signal, using a second image processing system connected to the camera and to the second memory, evaluating the image data relative to the second stored data and in response thereto producing a second country estimation signal, and using a microprocessor that is connected to the first and second image processing systems, merging the first and second country estimation signals and producing therefrom a single country signal, as the location information, that identifies a country or geographical region in which the vehicle is driving, wherein the country signal is produced exclusively from only the image data.
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Specification