Vehicle light source detection device, light beam control device and program of detecting vehicle light source

• US 9,342,745 B2
• Filed: 06/20/2013
• Issued: 05/17/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 07/25/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Original Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Inventors: Mori, Raise, Kato, Kenji
• Primary Examiner(s): Patel, Jayesh A
• Assistant Examiner(s): Summers, Geoffrey E
• Application Number:
  US13/922,519
• Publication Number:
  US 20140029792A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,062 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/08 automatically
• 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 2300/324 Road inclination, e.g. uphill or downhill
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 2300/42 oncoming vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/56 exterior to a vehicle by using sensors mounted on the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/584 of vehicle lights or traffic lights

Abstract

A vehicle light source detection device in a light beam control system detects a position of a light source appeared and detected in captured image data. The device calculates a gradient of a road on which the own vehicle is running. The vehicle light source detection device estimates a vanishing point in the captured image data on the basis of the detected gradient of the road. The device further increases a reliability value of the detected light source when the point of the detected light source more approaches the vanishing point. When the reliability value of the detected light source is not less than a predetermined reference value, the device determines that the detected light source is a head lamp of an oncoming vehicle, and adjusts an irradiation range of the light beam of the head lamps of the own vehicle to avoid the oncoming vehicle.

Claims

1. A vehicle light source detection device mounted to an own vehicle configured to detect a light source of a vehicle in captured image data, comprising:

a light source appearance detection section configured to detect a presence of a light source detected in captured image data;

a gradient calculation section configured to calculate a gradient of a road on which the own vehicle is running;

a vanishing point estimation section configured to estimate a vanishing point in the captured image data on the basis of at least the detected gradient of the road;

a reliability value calculation section configured to more increase a magnitude of a reliability value of the detected light source when a position of the detected light source more approaches to the vanishing point in the captured image data, and the reliability value of the detected light source indicating a possibility that the detected light source is a light source of a vehicle; and

a light source detection section configured to determine that the detected light source is a light source of a vehicle when the reliability value of the detected light source is not less than a predetermined reference value;

wherein

the light source appearance detection section traces a position of the detected light source in the captured image data, and the reliability value calculation section determines the reliability value of the detected light source on the basis of a gradient of the road on which the own vehicle is running and a moving speed of the detected light source in the captured image data; and

the reliability value calculation section decreases the reliability value of the detected light source when a moving speed of the detected light source is less than a predetermined lower limit speed of a vehicle, as compared with when a moving speed of the detected light source is not less than the predetermined lower limit speed of the vehicle, and the reliability value calculation section more decreases at least the predetermined lower limit speed of the vehicle when the road on which the own vehicle is running is an uphill road.

2. The vehicle light source detection device according to claim 1, wherein the reliability value calculation section decreases the reliability value of the detected light source when the moving speed of the detected light source exceeds the predetermined upper limit speed of the vehicle, as compared with the reliability value of the detected light source when the moving speed of the detected light source is not more than the predetermined upper limit speed of the vehicle, and

the reliability value calculation section more increases at least the predetermined upper limit speed of the vehicle when the road on which the own vehicle is running is a downhill road.

3. The vehicle light source detection device according to claim 1, wherein the reliability value calculation section calculates the reliability value of the detected light source on the basis of a gradient of the road on which the own vehicle is running and the moving direction of the detected light source in the captured image data.

4. The vehicle light source detection device according to claim 3, wherein when the road is an uphill road, the reliability value calculation section decreases the reliability value of the detected light source, which indicates a possibility that the detected light source is a light source of a vehicle, when the detected light source moves downward in the captured image data.

5. The vehicle light source detection device according to claim 3, wherein when the road is the uphill road, the reliability value calculation section more increases the reliability value of the detected light source, which indicates a possibility that the detected light source is a light source of a vehicle, when the detected light source moves upward in the captured image data.

6. The vehicle light source detection device according to claim 3, wherein when the road is a downhill road, the reliability value calculation section more increases the reliability value of the detected light source which indicates a possibility that the detected light source is a light source of a vehicle when the detected light source moves downward in the captured image data.

7. The vehicle light source detection device according to claim 3, wherein when the road is a downhill road, the reliability value calculation section more decreases the reliability value of the detected light source which indicates a possibility that the detected light source is a light source of a vehicle when the detected light source moves upward in the captured image data.

8. A light beam control system mounted to the own vehicle controlling an irradiation range of a light beam of head lamps of the own vehicle, comprising:

the vehicle light source detection device according to claim 1; and

an irradiation range changing section configured to receive a detection result transmitted from the vehicle light source detection device, and when the detection result of the vehicle light source detection device indicates that the detected light source is a head lamp of a vehicle, the irradiation range changing section configured to change the irradiation range of the light beam of the head lamps of the own vehicle so that the irradiation range of the light beam of the head lamps of the own vehicle is out of the detected light source of the vehicle when the light source of the vehicle is detected.

9. A vehicle light source detection unit comprising:

the vehicle light source detection device according to claim 1;

a memory section configured to store one or more programs for executing the functions of the vehicle light source detection device according to claim 1; and

a central processing unit configured to read the program stored in the memory section and execute the programs.