Vehicle assistance device and method

• US 9,045,075 B2
• Filed: 12/16/2013
• Issued: 06/02/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 04/29/2013
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Scienbizip Consulting (Shenzhen) Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Zhongshan Innocloud Intellectual Property Services Co.,Ltd.
• Inventors: Lee, Hou-Hsien, Lee, Chang-Jung, Lo, Chih-Ping
• Primary Examiner(s): Cheung, Mary
• Assistant Examiner(s): BRUSHABER, FREDERICK M
• Application Number:
  US14/108,157
• Publication Number:
  US 20140324285A1
• Time in Patent Office: 533 Days
• Field of Search: 701/36
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/00 Arrangement of optical signalling or lighting devices, the mounting or supporting thereof or circuits therefor for lighting vehicle interior B60Q3/00
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/143 combined with another condition, e.g. using vehicle recognition from camera images or activation of wipers
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 2300/31 Atmospheric conditions

Abstract

An example of a vehicle assistance method includes obtaining a surroundings image captured by at least one camera. The method then controls a converting unit to convert the obtained surroundings image into a birds-eye view. Next, the method determines a panorama area according to a rightmost road marker or a leftmost road marker, determines a detection area according to whether or not one or more road markers exclusive the rightmost road marker and the leftmost road marker appear in the panorama area, and further determine whether one or more objects appear in the detection area. If yes, the method then obtains the humidity of air detected by a humidity sensor. Next, the method determines a camera corresponding to the birds-eye view when the obtained humidity of air is greater than the preset humidity value, and controls a driving device to turn on a pair of lights.

Claims

1. A vehicle assistance device comprising:

a storage system;

a processor;

one or more programs stored in the storage system, executable by the processor, the one or more programs comprising;

an image obtaining module operable to obtain a surroundings image captured by at least one camera, each of the at least one surroundings image comprising a distance information indicating distances between the corresponding camera and each object captured by the corresponding camera;

a converting module operable to control a converting unit to convert the obtained surroundings image captured by each of the at least one camera into a birds-eye view corresponding to each of the at least one camera;

a detecting module operable to determine whether or not a rightmost road marker or a leftmost road marker appears in at least one birds-eye view;

an object determining module operable to determine a panorama area according to at least the rightmost road marker or the leftmost road marker when a rightmost road marker or a leftmost road marker appears in at least one birds-eye view, determine a detection area of the at least one birds-eye view according to whether or not one or more road markers exclusive the rightmost road marker and the leftmost road marker appear in the panorama area, compare the distance information of each two adjacent pixels of the detection area, determine a distance difference between the distances indicated by the two adjacent pixels is more than a preset range, and further determine whether or not the number of the determined two adjacent pixels is more than a preset value, to determine whether or not one or more objects appear in the detection area of the at least one birds-eye view;

a humidity obtaining module operable to obtain the humidity of air detected by a humidity sensor when one or more objects appear in the detection area of the at least one birds-eye view; and

an executing module operable to determine the at least one birds-eye view when the obtained humidity of air is greater than the preset humidity value, determine at least one camera corresponding to the at least one birds-eye view, and control a driving device to turn on at least one pair of lights corresponding to the determined at least one camera.

2. The vehicle assistance device as described in claim 1, wherein when the rightmost road marker and the leftmost road marker appear in at least one birds-eye view, the object determining module is operable to determine a geometry constructed by the rightmost road marker, the leftmost road marker, and two lines connected between the rightmost road marker and the leftmost road marker, determine the area of the geometry, determine a side perpendicular to the geometry, determine a high of the side, and further determine that the panorama area is equal to the area of the geometry multiplied by the high of the side.

3. The vehicle assistance device as described in claim 1, wherein when the rightmost road marker appears in at least one birds-eye view, the object determining module is operable to determine a geometry constructed by the rightmost road marker, the leftmost side of the birds-eye view, and two lines connected between the rightmost road marker and the leftmost side of the birds-eye view, determine the area of the geometry, determine a side perpendicular to the geometry, determine a high of the side, and further determine that the panorama area is equal to the area of the geometry multiplied by the high of the side.

4. The vehicle assistance device as described in claim 1, wherein when the leftmost road marker appears in at least one birds-eye view, the object determining module is operable to determine a geometry constructed by the leftmost road marker, the rightmost side of the birds-eye view, and two lines connected between the leftmost road marker and the rightmost side of the birds-eye view, determine the area of the geometry, determine a side perpendicular to the geometry, determine a high of the side, and further determine that the panorama area is equal to the area of the geometry multiplied by the high of the side.

5. The vehicle assistance device as described in claim 1, wherein when one or more road marks exclusive the rightmost road marker and the leftmost road marker appear in the panorama view, the object determining module is operable to determine that the detection area of the at least one birds-eye view is the panorama view without the one or more road marks exclusive the rightmost road marker and the leftmost road marker.

6. The vehicle assistance device as described in claim 1, wherein when no road mark exclusive the rightmost road marker and the leftmost road marker appears in the panorama view, the object determining module is operable to determine that the detection area is the panorama view.

7. The vehicle assistance device as described in claim 1, wherein the rightmost road marker is the road marker which is the rightmost in all road markers of the birds-eye view;

and the leftmost road marker is the road marker which is the leftmost in all road markers of the birds-eye view.

8. A vehicle assistance method comprising:

obtaining a surroundings image captured by at least one camera, each of the at least one surroundings image comprising a distance information indicating distances between the corresponding camera and each object captured by the corresponding camera;

controlling a converting unit to convert the obtained surroundings image captured by each of the at least one camera into a birds-eye view corresponding to each of the at least one camera;

determining whether or not a rightmost road marker or a leftmost road marker appears in at least one birds-eye view;

determining a panorama area according to at least the rightmost road marker or the leftmost road marker when a rightmost road marker or a leftmost road marker appears in at least one birds-eye view, determining a detection area of the at least one birds-eye view according to whether or not one or more road markers exclusive the rightmost road marker and the leftmost road marker appear in the panorama area;

comparing the distance information of each two adjacent pixels of the detection area, determining a distance difference between the distances indicated by the two adjacent pixels is more than a preset range, and further determining whether or not the number of the determined two adjacent pixels is more than a preset value, to determine whether or not one or more objects appear in the detection area of the at least one birds-eye view;

obtaining the humidity of air detected by a humidity sensor when one or more objects appear in the detection area of the at least one birds-eye view; and

determining the at least one birds-eye view when the obtained humidity of air is greater than the preset humidity value, determine at least one camera corresponding to the at least one birds-eye view, and controlling a driving device to turn on at least one pair of lights corresponding to the determined at least one camera.

9. The vehicle assistance method as described in claim 8, wherein the method further comprises:

determining a geometry constructed by the rightmost road marker, the leftmost road marker, and two lines connected between the rightmost road marker and the leftmost road marker when the rightmost road marker and the leftmost road marker appear in at least one birds-eye view, determining the area of the geometry;

determining a side perpendicular to the geometry, determining a high of the side, and further determining that the panorama area is equal to the area of the geometry multiplied by the high of the side.

10. The vehicle assistance method as described in claim 8, wherein the method further comprises:

determining a geometry constructed by the rightmost road marker, the leftmost side of the birds-eye view, and two lines connected between the rightmost road marker and the leftmost side of the birds-eye view when the rightmost road marker appears in at least one birds-eye view, determining the area of the geometry;

determine a side perpendicular to the geometry, determining a high of the side, and further determining that the panorama area is equal to the area of the geometry multiplied by the high of the side.

11. The vehicle assistance method as described in claim 8, wherein the method further comprises:

determining a geometry constructed by the leftmost road marker, the rightmost side of the birds-eye view, and two lines connected between the leftmost road marker and the rightmost side of the birds-eye view when the leftmost road marker appears in at least one birds-eye view, determining the area of the geometry;

determining a side perpendicular to the geometry, determine a high of the side, and further determining that the panorama area is equal to the area of the geometry multiplied by the high of the side.

12. The vehicle assistance method as described in claim 8, wherein the method further comprises:

determining that the detection area of the at least one birds-eye view is the panorama view without the one or more road marks exclusive the rightmost road marker and the leftmost road marker when one or more road marks exclusive the rightmost road marker and the leftmost road marker appears in the panorama view.

13. The vehicle assistance method as described in claim 8, wherein the method further comprises:

determining that the detection area of the at least one birds-eye view is the panorama view when no road mark exclusive the rightmost road marker and the leftmost road marker appears in the panorama view.

14. The vehicle assistance method as described in claim 8, wherein the rightmost road marker is the road marker which is the rightmost in all road markers of the birds-eye view;

and the leftmost road marker is the road marker which is the leftmost in all road markers of the birds-eye view.

15. A storage medium storing a set of instructions, the set of instructions capable of being executed by a processor of a vehicle assistance device, cause the vehicle assistance device to perform a vehicle assistance method, the method comprising:

obtaining a surroundings image captured by at least one camera, each of the at least one surroundings image comprising a distance information indicating distances between the corresponding camera and each object captured by the corresponding camera;

controlling a converting unit to convert the obtained surroundings image captured by each of the at least one camera into a birds-eye view corresponding to each of the at least one camera;

determining whether or not a rightmost road marker or a leftmost road marker appears in at least one birds-eye view;

determining a panorama area according to at least the rightmost road marker or the leftmost road marker when a rightmost road marker or a leftmost road marker appears in at least one birds-eye view, determining a detection area of the at least one birds-eye view according to whether or not one or more road markers exclusive the rightmost road marker and the leftmost road marker appear in the panorama area;

comparing the distance information of each two adjacent pixels of the detection area, determining a distance difference between the distances indicated by the two adjacent pixels is more than a preset range, and further determining whether or not the number of the determined two adjacent pixels is more than a preset value, to determine whether or not one or more objects appear in the detection area of the at least one birds-eye view;

obtaining the humidity of air detected by a humidity sensor when one or more objects appear in the detection area of the at least one birds-eye view; and

determining the at least one birds-eye view when the obtained humidity of air is greater than the preset humidity value, determine at least one camera corresponding to the at least one birds-eye view, and controlling a driving device to turn on at least one pair of lights corresponding to the determined at least one camera.

16. The storage medium as described in claim 15, wherein the method further comprises:

determining a geometry constructed by the rightmost road marker, the leftmost road marker, and two lines connected between the rightmost road marker and the leftmost road marker when the rightmost road marker and the leftmost road marker appear in at least one birds-eye view, determining the area of the geometry;

determining a side perpendicular to the geometry, determining a high of the side, and further determining that the panorama area is equal to the area of the geometry multiplied by the high of the side.

17. The storage medium as described in claim 15, wherein the method further comprises:

determining a geometry constructed by the rightmost road marker, the leftmost side of the birds-eye view, and two lines connected between the rightmost road marker and the leftmost side of the birds-eye view when the rightmost road marker appears in at least one birds-eye view, determining the area of the geometry;

determine a side perpendicular to the geometry, determining a high of the side, and further determining that the panorama area is equal to the area of the geometry multiplied by the high of the side.

18. The storage medium as described in claim 15, wherein the method further comprises:

determining a geometry constructed by the leftmost road marker, the rightmost side of the birds-eye view, and two lines connected between the leftmost road marker and the rightmost side of the birds-eye view when the leftmost road marker appears in at least one birds-eye view, determining the area of the geometry;

determining a side perpendicular to the geometry, determine a high of the side, and further determining that the panorama area is equal to the area of the geometry multiplied by the high of the side.

19. The storage medium as described in claim 15, wherein the method further comprises:

determining that the detection area of the at least one birds-eye view is the panorama view without the one or more road marks exclusive the rightmost road marker and the leftmost road marker when one or more road marks exclusive the rightmost road marker and the leftmost road marker appear in the panorama view.

20. The storage medium as described in claim 15, wherein the method further comprises:

determining that the detection area of the at least one birds-eye view is the panorama view when no road mark exclusive the rightmost road marker and the leftmost road marker appears in the panorama view.