Driver assistance apparatus capable of diagnosing vehicle parts and vehicle including the same

• US 9,352,689 B2
• Filed: 03/27/2015
• Issued: 05/31/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 05/30/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: Kim, Ikkyu
• Primary Examiner(s): Marc, McDieunel
• Assistant Examiner(s): Stroud, James E
• Application Number:
  US14/671,145
• Publication Number:
  US 20150343951A1
• Time in Patent Office: 431 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 17/0195 characterised by the regulation being combined with other vehicle control systems conjoint control of vehicle sub-units including control of suspension systems B60W10/22
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 17/06 Characteristics of dampers , e.g. mechanical dampersB60G17/015 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2500/10 Damping action or damper
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 11/005 for lighting devices, e.g. indicating if lamps are burning or not
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 1/24 in front of the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 1/31 providing stereoscopic vision
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2300/107 using stereoscopic cameras
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 17/22 Devices for monitoring or checking brake systems; Signal devices
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 2201/089 using optical detection
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 2210/32 Vehicle surroundings
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 2270/413 Plausibility monitoring, cross check, redundancy
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 7/22 initiated by contact of vehicle, e.g. bumper, with an external object, e.g. another vehicle , or by means of contactless obstacle detectors mounted on the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 8/885 using electrical circuitry
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/18 including control of braking systems
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/20 including control of steering systems
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2050/022 Actuator failures
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2420/403 Image sensing, e.g. optical camera
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2540/12 Brake pedal position
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2540/18 Steering angle
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2554/80 Spatial relation or speed relative to objects
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2555/60 : Traffic rules, e.g. speed limits or right of way
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/0205 : Diagnosing or detecting failures; Failure detection models
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/14 : Means for informing the driver, warning the driver or prompting a driver intervention
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 5/0481 : monitoring the steering system, e.g. failures
• CPC Class Codes: G01M 11/064 : by using camera or other imaging system for the light analysis
• CPC Class Codes: G01M 11/068 : with part of the measurements done from inside the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/56 : exterior to a vehicle by using sensors mounted on the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/008 : communicating information to a remotely located station transmission systems for measured values G08C
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/02 : Registering or indicating driving, working, idle, or waiting time only apparatus forming part of taximeters G07B13/00
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/0808 : Diagnosing performance data testing of vehicles G01M17/00; testing of electrical installation on vehicles G01R31/005
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/0866 : the electronic data carrier being a digital video recorder in combination with video camera

Abstract

A driver assistance apparatus and a vehicle including the same are disclosed. The driver assistance apparatus includes a stereo camera, a sensor unit to sense a travel state of a vehicle, and a processor to diagnose a part of the vehicle based on stereo images received from the stereo camera and vehicle travel state information sensed by the sensor unit. Consequently, it is possible to easily diagnose parts of the vehicle that may be in need of repair or replacement.

Claims

1. A driver assistance apparatus comprising:

a stereo camera to acquire stereo images;

a sensor unit to sense a travel state of a vehicle; and

a processor in communication with the stereo camera and the sensor unit, the processor to diagnose a part of the vehicle based on the stereo images received from the stereo camera and the vehicle travel state sensed by the sensor unit, wherein the processor calculates vehicle heading information based on the stereo images, detects vehicle heading information from a steering wheel sensor of the sensor unit, and determines whether a steering apparatus or a tire of the vehicle is abnormal based on the calculated vehicle heading information and the detected vehicle heading information.

2. The driver assistance apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the processor detects a lane marker based on the stereo images, calculates a distance between the detected lane marker and the vehicle, detects speed information and vehicle heading information from a speed sensor and a steering angle sensor of the sensor unit, calculates the distance between the lane marker and the vehicle based on the detected speed information and the detected vehicle heading information, and determines that at least one of the steering apparatus, a tire, and a wheel alignment of the vehicle is abnormal in a case in which a difference between the distance calculated based on the stereo images and the distance calculated based on the sensor information is equal to or greater than a predetermined value.

3. The driver assistance apparatus according to claim 1, wherein if a steering wheel of the vehicle is positioned within a predetermined range for forward travel of the vehicle and a heading of the vehicle detected based on the stereo images received from the stereo camera does not correspond to the predetermined range, the processor determines that a wheel alignment is abnormal.

4. The driver assistance apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the processor detects a preceding vehicle and a distance to the preceding vehicle based on the stereo images, and

if a predicted distance to the preceding vehicle is greater by a predetermined distance than the distance to the preceding vehicle detected based on the stereo images when a brake apparatus of the vehicle is driven or if a braking distance when the brake apparatus of the vehicle is driven is greater by a predetermined distance than a braking distance calculated based on the stereo images, the processor determines that the brake apparatus is abnormal.

5. The driver assistance apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the processor detects a traffic sign or a road surface during travel of the vehicle in the nighttime based on the stereo images and determines that a head lamp is abnormal if brightness data for the detected traffic sign or the detected road surface are equal to or less than a predetermined level.

6. The driver assistance apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

a display unit; and

an audio output unit, wherein

the processor controls abnormality information based on an abnormality determination, the abnormality information is output through at least one of the display unit and the audio output unit.

7. The driver assistance apparatus to claim 6, wherein, if the number of times the abnormality determination is made is equal to or greater than a predetermined value, the processor controls a message indicating that a vehicle part replacement is needed, the message is output through at least one of the display unit and the audio output unit or the processor controls an emergency lamp in the vehicle to be turned on.

8. The driver assistance apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

a communication unit to communicate with a mobile terminal or a server, wherein

the processor controls the communication unit to transmit the abnormality information based on the abnormality determination or a message indicating that vehicle part replacement is needed to the mobile terminal or the server.

9. The driver assistance apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the processor comprises:

a disparity calculator to calculate a disparity between the stereo images;

an object detector to detect an object for at least one of the stereo images based on the disparity information of the stereo images; and

an object tracking unit to track the detected object.

10. The driver assistance apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the processor further comprises:

a segmentation unit to segment an object in the stereo images based on the disparity information of the stereo images; and

an object verification unit to classify the detected object, wherein

the object detector detects an object for at least one of the stereo images based on the segmented object.

11. A vehicle comprising:

a steering drive unit to drive a steering apparatus;

a brake drive unit to drive a brake apparatus;

a controller to control the steering drive unit and the brake drive unit;

a stereo camera for acquiring stereo images;

a sensor unit to sense a travel state of a vehicle; and

a processor in communication with the steering drive unit, the brake drive unit, the controller to control the steering drive unit, the stereo camera and the sensor unit, the processor to diagnose a part of the vehicle based on the stereo images received from the stereo camera and the vehicle travel state sensed by the sensor unit.

12. The vehicle according to claim 11, wherein the processor calculates vehicle heading information based on the stereo images, detects vehicle heading information from a steering wheel sensor of the sensor unit, and determines whether the steering apparatus or a tire of the vehicle is abnormal based on the calculated vehicle heading information and the detected vehicle heading information.

13. The vehicle according to claim 11, wherein the processor detects a lane marker based on the stereo images, calculates a distance between the detected lane marker and the vehicle, detects speed information and vehicle heading information from a speed sensor and a steering angle sensor of the sensor unit, calculates the distance between the lane marker and the vehicle based on the detected speed information and the detected vehicle heading information, and determines that at least one selected from among the steering apparatus, a tire, and a wheel alignment of the vehicle is abnormal if a difference between the distance calculated based on the stereo images and the distance calculated based on the sensor information is equal to or greater than a predetermined value.

14. The vehicle according to claim 11, wherein if a steering wheel of the vehicle is positioned within a predetermined range for forward travel of the vehicle and a heading of the vehicle detected based on the stereo images received from the stereo camera does not correspond to the predetermined range, the processor determines that a wheel alignment is abnormal.

15. The vehicle according to claim 11, wherein

the processor detects a preceding vehicle and a distance to the preceding vehicle based on the stereo images, and

if a predicted distance to the preceding vehicle is greater by a predetermined distance than the distance to the preceding vehicle detected based on the stereo images when the brake apparatus of the vehicle is driven or in a case in which a braking distance when the brake apparatus of the vehicle is driven is greater by a predetermined distance than a braking distance calculated based on the stereo images, the processor determines that the brake apparatus is abnormal.

16. The vehicle according to claim 11, further comprising:

a head lamp, wherein if the processor detects a traffic sign or a road surface during travel of the vehicle in the nighttime based on the stereo images and determines that the head lamp is abnormal in a case in which brightness data for the detected traffic sign or the detected road surface are equal to or less than a predetermined level.

17. The vehicle according to claim 11, further comprising:

a display unit; and

an audio output unit, wherein

the processor or the controller controls abnormality information based on an abnormality determination, the abnormality information is output through at least one of the display unit and the audio output unit.

18. The vehicle according to claim 17, wherein if the number of times the abnormality determination is made is equal to or greater than a predetermined value, the processor controls a message indicating that vehicle part replacement is needed, the message is output through at least one of the display unit and the audio output unit or the processor controls an emergency lamp in the vehicle to be turned on.

19. The vehicle according to claim 12, further comprising:

a communication unit to communicate with a mobile terminal or a server, wherein the processor controls the communication unit to transmit the abnormality information based on the abnormality determination or a message indicating that vehicle part replacement is needed to the mobile terminal or the server.