Map-aided vision-based lane sensing

• US 8,676,492 B2
• Filed: 01/19/2006
• Issued: 03/18/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 01/19/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC (General Motors Company)
• Original Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC (General Motors Company)
• Inventors: Litkouhi, Bakhtiar Brian, Sadekar, Varsha
• Primary Examiner(s): Black, Thomas
• Assistant Examiner(s): Kong, Sze-Hon
• Application Number:
  US11/335,248
• Publication Number:
  US 20070168113A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,980 Days
• Field of Search: 701 23- 28, 701/201, 701205-208, 701/241, 701/300, 701/301, 701/203, 701/223, 701/408, 701/409, 701/445, 701/519, 701/532, 340/995.12, 340/988, 340/936, 340/937, 340/907, 340/435, 340/436, 340/438, 340/426.24, 340/425.5, 348/113, 348/116, 348/118, 348/148, 382/104
• US Class Current: 701/409
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/26 specially adapted for navigation in a road network

Abstract

A method for map-aided vision-based lane sensing. The method includes receiving map information corresponding to a current geographic position of a vehicle on a roadway. The map information includes the number of lanes on the roadway. Information about the number of lanes crossed by the vehicle on the roadway is received. It is determined which of the lanes on the roadway is currently occupied by the vehicle based on the map information and the number of lanes crossed by the vehicle on the roadway.

Claims

1. A method for lane sensing, the method comprising:

receiving map information corresponding to a current geographic position of a vehicle on a roadway, the map information including a number of lanes on the roadway; and

determining which of the lanes on the roadway is currently occupied by the vehicle in response to the map information and to a number of lanes crossed by the vehicle on the roadway, where the number of lanes crossed by the vehicle is based on detecting lane markers on the roadway and determining a number of lane markers crossed by the vehicle.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising assigning an attribute to at least one of a lane marker to the left of the vehicle and a lane marker to the right of the vehicle, the assigning responsive to the lane currently occupied by the vehicle.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the attribute of the lane marker to the left of the vehicle is set to solid yellow if the lane currently occupied by the vehicle on the roadway is the leftmost lane on the roadway.

4. The method of claim 2 wherein the attribute of the lane marker to the right of the vehicle is set to solid white if the lane currently occupied by the vehicle on the roadway is the rightmost lane on the roadway.

5. The method of claim 2 further comprising transmitting the attribute to a lane sensing (LS) system.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein an image processor in the LS system adjusts a lane detection filter in response to the attribute.

7. The method of claim 5 wherein an image processor in the LS system selects a lane detection algorithm in response to the attribute.

8. The method of claim 1 further comprising identifying a lane position of the vehicle as one or more of rightmost, leftmost and center and transmitting the lane position to an LS system, wherein the LS system utilizes the lane position to determine a type of warning to transmit to an operator of the vehicle.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the map information further includes an entrance point onto the roadway.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein the map information further includes a lane marker type, and the method further comprises assigning an attribute to at least one of a lane marker to the left of the vehicle and a lane marker to the right of the vehicle, the assigning responsive to the lane currently occupied by the vehicle and to the lane marker type.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein the attribute of the lane marker to the left of the vehicle is set to reflector if the lane currently occupied by the vehicle on the roadway is the leftmost lane on the roadway and the lane marker type is reflector, and the attribute of the lane marker to the right of the vehicle is set to reflector if the lane currently occupied by the vehicle on the roadway is the rightmost lane on the roadway and the lane marker type is reflector.

12. The method of claim 10 wherein the attribute of the lane marker to the left of the vehicle is set to solid yellow if the lane currently occupied by the vehicle on the roadway is the leftmost lane on the roadway and the lane marker type is painted line, and the attribute of the lane marker to the right of the vehicle is set to solid white if the lane currently occupied by the vehicle on the roadway is the rightmost lane on the roadway and the lane marker type is painted line.

13. The method of claim 10 wherein the lane marker type is one or more of reflector and painted line.

14. The method of claim 1 wherein the map information further includes a roadway type.

15. The method of claim 1 further comprising assigning an attribute to at least one of a lane marker to the left of the vehicle and a lane marker to the right of the vehicle, the assigning responsive to the map information.

16. A system for lane sensing, the system comprising:

an input device for;

receiving map information corresponding to a current geographic position of a vehicle on a roadway, the map information including a number of lanes on the roadway; and

a processor in communication with the input device, the processor including instructions for facilitating determining which of the lanes on the roadway is currently occupied by the vehicle in response to the map information and to a number of lanes crossed by the vehicle on the roadway, where the number of lanes crossed by the vehicle is based on detecting lane markers on the roadway and determining a number of lane markers crossed by the vehicle.

17. The system of claim 16 wherein the processor includes further instructions for facilitating assigning an attribute to at least one of a lane marker to the left of the vehicle and a lane marker to the right of the vehicle, the assigning responsive to the lane currently occupied by the vehicle.

18. The system of claim 17 wherein the attribute of the lane marker to the left of the vehicle is set to solid yellow if the lane currently occupied by the vehicle on the roadway is the leftmost lane on the roadway.

19. The system of claim 17 wherein the attribute of the lane marker to the right of the vehicle is set to solid white if the lane currently occupied by the vehicle on the roadway is the rightmost lane on the roadway.

20. The system of claim 16 wherein the processor includes further instructions for transmitting the attribute to an LS system.

21. A computer program product for vehicle-to-vehicle communication, the computer program product comprising:

a storage medium readable by a processing circuit and storing instructions for execution by the processing circuit for performing a method, the method including;

receiving map information corresponding to a current geographic position of a vehicle on a roadway, the map information including a number of lanes on the roadway; and

determining which of the lanes on the roadway is currently occupied by the vehicle in response to the map information and to a number of lanes crossed by the vehicle on the roadway, where the number of lanes crossed by the vehicle is based on detecting lane markers on the roadway and determining a number of lane markers crossed by the vehicle.