Systems and methods for lane end recognition

• US 9,233,688 B2
• Filed: 01/30/2015
• Issued: 01/12/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 01/30/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: MobilEye Vision Technologies Ltd. (Intel Corporation)
• Original Assignee: MobilEye Vision Technologies Ltd. (Intel Corporation)
• Inventors: Clarke, Anna, Bagon, Eyal, Tubis, Igor
• Primary Examiner(s): Fitzpatrick, Atiba O
• Application Number:
  US14/610,077
• Publication Number:
  US 20150210274A1
• Time in Patent Office: 347 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 31/00 Vehicle fittings, acting on a single sub-unit only, for automatically controlling vehicle speed, i.e. preventing speed from exceeding an arbitrarily established velocity or maintaining speed at a particular velocity, as selected by the vehicle operator fittings acting on two or more sub-units B60W30/14; speedometers G01P; systems or devices for controlling speed in general G05D13/00 ; in traffic anti-collision system for road vehicles G08G1/16
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 7/12 for automatic initiation; for initiation not subject to will of driver or passenger limiting speed of vehicles other than rail vehicles B60K31/00
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/20 including control of steering systems
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2420/403 Image sensing, e.g. optical camera
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2552/15 Road slope, i.e. the inclination of a road segment in the longitudinal direction
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2552/30 Road curve radius
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2554/00 Input parameters relating to objects
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2554/20 Static objects
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2554/4029 Pedestrians
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2554/4041 Position
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2554/4042 Longitudinal speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2554/80 Spatial relation or speed relative to objects
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2554/806 Relative heading
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2555/60 Traffic rules, e.g. speed limits or right of way
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2710/207 Steering angle of wheels
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/00 Purposes of road vehicle drive control systems not related to the control of a particular sub-unit, e.g. of systems using conjoint control of vehicle sub-units
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/09 Taking automatic action to avoid collision, e.g. braking and steering
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/12 Lane keeping
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/14 Adaptive cruise control
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/18163 Lane change; Overtaking manoeuvres
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 60/00276 : for two or more other traffic participants
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 6/00 : Arrangements for automatically controlling steering depending on driving conditions sensed and responded to, e.g. control circuits means for initiating a change in direction B62D1/00; steering valves B62D5/06; combined with means for inclining the vehicle body or wheels on bends B62D9/00
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/42 : Determining position
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0246 : using a video camera in combination with image processing means
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0276 : using signals provided by a source external to the vehicle involving a plurality of vehicles G05D1/0287; automatically controlling vehicle speed responsive to externally generated signals B60K31/0058
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/30256 : Lane; Road marking
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/30261 : Obstacle
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/62 : of area, perimeter, diameter or volume
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/58 : Recognition of moving objects or obstacles, e.g. vehicles or pedestrians; Recognition of traffic objects, e.g. traffic signs, traffic lights or roads
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/584 : of vehicle lights or traffic lights
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/588 : Recognition of the road, e.g. of lane markings; Recognition of the vehicle driving pattern in relation to the road
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/095 : Traffic lights
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/165 : for passive traffic, e.g. including static obstacles, trees
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/167 : Driving aids for lane monitoring, lane changing, e.g. blind spot detection
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/181 : for receiving images from a plurality of remote sources
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/183 : for receiving images from a single remote source

Abstract

Systems and methods use cameras to provide autonomous navigation features. In one implementation, a lane ending detection system is provided for a vehicle. One or more processing devices associated with the system receive at least one image via a data interface. The device(s) extract lane ending information from the road sign(s) included in the image data and determine, based on at least one indicator of position of the vehicle, a distance from the vehicle to one or more lane constraints associated with the current lane. The processing device(s) determine, based on the lane ending information and the vehicle position, whether a current lane in which the vehicle is traveling is ending. Further, the system may cause the vehicle to change lanes if the lane in which the vehicle is traveling is ending.

Claims

1. A lane ending detection system for a vehicle, the system comprising:

at least one image capture device configured to acquire at least one image of an area forward of the vehicle, the area including at least one road sign providing information indicative of a lane ending;

a data interface; and

at least one processing device configured to;

receive the at least one image via the data interface;

extract lane ending information from a representation of the at least one road sign included in the at least one image;

determine, based on at least one indicator of position of the vehicle, a distance from the vehicle to one or more lane constraints associated with the current lane in which the vehicle is traveling;

determine, based on the extracted lane ending information and based on the determined distance from the vehicle to the one or more lane constraints, whether the current lane in which the vehicle is traveling is ending;

cause the vehicle to change lanes to a new lane in which the vehicle is not already traveling based on the determination of whether the current lane in which the vehicle is traveling is ending; and

update, based on the at east one indicator of position of the vehicle, the distance from the vehicle to one or more lane constraints associated with the new lane.

2. The lane ending detection system of claim 1, wherein the at least one indicator of position of the vehicle includes a visual determination of which lane among a plurality of lanes the vehicle is traveling.

3. The lane ending detection system of claim 1, wherein the extracted lane ending information includes an identification of which lane from among a plurality of lanes is ending.

4. The lane ending detection system of claim 1, wherein the extracted lane ending information includes a distance to the lane ending.

5. The lane ending detection system of claim 1, wherein the extracted lane ending information includes a curvature of the roadway prior to the lane ending.

6. The lane ending detection system of claim 1, wherein the at least one indicator of position of the vehicle includes a visual determination of a distance to the lane ending.

7. The lane ending detection system of claim 1, wherein the at least one indicator of position of the vehicle includes a visual determination of a distance to a second vehicle.

8. The lane ending detection system of claim 7, wherein the second vehicle is traveling in front of the vehicle.

9. The lane ending detection system of claim 1, wherein causing the vehicle to change lanes includes sending an instruction to a steering system of the vehicle.

10. A vehicle, comprising:

a body;

at least one image capture device configured to acquire at least one image of an area forward of the vehicle, the area including at least one road sign providing information indicative of a lane ending;

a data interface; and

at least one processing device configured to;

receive the at least one image via the data interface;

extract lane ending information from a representation of the at least one road sign included in the at least one image;

determine, based on at least one indicator of position of the vehicle, a distance from the vehicle to one or more lane constraints associated with the current lane in which the vehicle is traveling;

determine, based on the extracted lane ending information and based on the determined distance from the vehicle to the one or more lane constraints, whether a current lane in which the vehicle is traveling is ending;

cause the vehicle to change lanes to a new lane in which the vehicle is not already traveling based on the determination of whether the current lane in which the vehicle is traveling is ending; and

update, based on the at least one indicator of position of the vehicle, the distance from the vehicle to one or more lane constraints associated with the new lane.

11. The vehicle of claim 10, wherein the at least one indicator of position of the vehicle includes a visual determination of which lane among a plurality of lanes the vehicle is traveling.

12. The vehicle of claim 10, wherein the extracted lane ending information includes an identification of which lane from among a plurality of lanes is ending.

13. The vehicle of claim 10, wherein the extracted lane ending information includes a distance to the lane ending.

14. The vehicle of claim 10, wherein the extracted lane ending information includes a curvature of the roadway prior to the lane ending.

15. The vehicle of claim 10, wherein the at least one indicator of position of the vehicle includes a visual determination of a distance to the lane ending.

16. The vehicle of claim 10, wherein causing the vehicle to change lanes includes sending an instruction to a steering system of the vehicle.

17. A method for detecting a lane ending for a vehicle, the method comprising:

acquiring, via at least one image capture device, at least one image of an area forward of the vehicle, the area including at least one road sign providing information indicative of the lane ending;

extracting lane ending information from a representation of the at least one road sign included in the at least one image;

determining, based on at least one indicator of position of the vehicle, a distance from the vehicle to one or more lane constraints associated with the current lane in which the vehicle is traveling;

determining, based on the extracted lane ending information and based on the determined distance from the vehicle to the one or more lane constraints, whether a current lane in which the vehicle is traveling is ending;

causing the vehicle to change lanes to a new lane in which the vehicle is not already traveling based on the determination of whether the current lane in which the vehicle is traveling is ending; and

updating, based on the at least one indicator of position of the vehicle, the distance from the vehicle to one or more lane constraints associated with the new lane.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the at least one indicator of position of the vehicle includes a visual determination of which lane among a plurality of lanes the vehicle is traveling.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein the extracted lane ending information includes an identification of which lane from among a plurality of lanes is ending.

20. The method of claim 17, wherein the extracted lane ending information includes a distance to the lane ending.