Method for supporting a traffic-light-sequence assistant of a vehicle, said assistant detecting traffic lights

• US 9,409,571 B2
• Filed: 10/21/2013
• Issued: 08/09/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 12/03/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Continental Teves AG & Co. OHG (Continental AG), Conti Temic Microelectronic GmbH (Continental AG)
• Original Assignee: Continental Teves AG & Co. OHG (Continental AG), Conti Temic Microelectronic GmbH (Continental AG)
• Inventors: Lueke, Stefan, Hegemann, Stefan, Komar, Matthias
• Primary Examiner(s): Kiswanto, Nicholas
• Application Number:
  US14/395,940
• Publication Number:
  US 20150105989A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,023 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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: B60T 7/18 operated by wayside apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2420/403 Image sensing, e.g. optical camera
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2555/60 Traffic rules, e.g. speed limits or right of way
• 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 30/181 Preparing for stopping
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/18109 Braking
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/14 Means for informing the driver, warning the driver or prompting a driver intervention
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/584 of vehicle lights or traffic lights

Abstract

A method supports a vehicle'"'"'s traffic-light-sequence assistant system that detects traffic light sequences of a traffic light (11) with a camera (1). According to the method, when the traffic light (11) is detected in the field of view (1a ) of the camera (1), a length or an end stopping point (L) of a driving path (W) toward the traffic light (11) is determined by a control unit (3), such that the traffic light will remain within view of the camera when the vehicle drives the determined length along the driving path to the end stopping point, and a control signal (St) concerning the determined length (L) or the end stopping point of the driving path (W) is outputted.

Claims

1. A method for supporting a traffic-light-sequence assistant of a subject vehicle, wherein said assistant detects traffic light sequences of a traffic light with a camera, characterized in that:

when the traffic light is detected in a field of view of the camera, a control unit determines a length or an end stopping point of a driving path along a road toward the traffic light such that the traffic light will remain in the field of view of the camera when the vehicle drives the determined length or to the end stopping point along the driving path, and

the control unit outputs a control signal concerning the length or the end stopping point of the driving path.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that the control signal is outputted to an indicating device of the vehicle, and the indicating device produces a visual and/or acoustic indication of the end stopping point of the driving path.

3. The method according to claim 2, characterized in that the visual and/or acoustic indication comprises an indication of distance in length units as a measurement of the length of the driving path.

4. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that the control signal is outputted to a braking assistance system that intervenes in a brake system of the vehicle, and the assistance system is configured and arranged to take over the end stopping point of the driving path as a point to be reached by the vehicle when it stops by a targeted braking maneuver, and the braking assistance system supports a driver of the vehicle in the targeted braking maneuver.

5. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that the control signal is outputted to an automatic vehicle control system that controls the vehicle such that the vehicle will stop at the end stopping point of the driving path.

6. The method according to claim 5, characterized in that the automatic vehicle control system informs a driver of the vehicle with a visual and/or acoustic indication.

7. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that on the road there is a stop line associated with the traffic light, the stop line is detected by the camera, and the length or the end stopping point of the driving path is determined such that a remaining distance between the end stopping point of the driving path and the stop line will not exceed a predetermined distance.

8. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that the camera is a 3D camera, and a geometric position and a distance between the traffic light and the vehicle are determined by the 3D camera to determine the length of the driving path.

9. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that the camera is a mono camera, and for determining the length of the driving path, a distance to the traffic light is estimated by analyzing image data of the mono camera by 3D scene construction.

10. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that the camera is a mono camera, and for determining the length of the driving path, a distance to the traffic light is estimated by analyzing image data of the mono camera with respect to an angle change of the traffic light in the image data.

11. The method according to claim 1, wherein the control unit determines the length of the driving path, and outputs the control signal concerning the length.

12. The method according to claim 1, wherein the control unit determines the end stopping point of the driving path, and outputs the control signal concerning the end stopping point.

13. The method according to claim 1, wherein the control unit determines the length or the end stopping point of the driving path as a farthest travel of the vehicle toward the traffic light such that the traffic light will remain in the field of view of the camera.

14. The method according to claim 1, wherein a leading vehicle is stopped at the traffic light in front of the subject vehicle, and based on the length or the end stopping point, the driving path ends at a gap spacing distance behind the leading vehicle larger than a usual spacing distance between vehicles queuing up behind a red traffic light.

15. The method according to claim 1, wherein on the road there is a stop line associated with the traffic light, and based on the length or the end stopping point, the driving path ends at a gap spacing distance before reaching the stop line.

16. A method of automatically evaluating a phase of a traffic light comprising steps:

a) with a camera of a subject vehicle that is driving on a road, capturing camera images of a traffic light;

b) in an image analysis unit of the vehicle, evaluating the camera images to detect the traffic light and a signal phase thereof;

c) when the signal phase is detected as a red light phase, further evaluating the camera images and in consideration thereof, with a control unit of the vehicle determining a maximum travel distance or a farthest stopping point along the road at which the vehicle would have to stop to ensure that the traffic light will remain in view of the camera;

d) with the control unit, producing a control signal dependent on and indicative of the maximum travel distance or the farthest stopping point; and

e) in response to the control signal, either outputting a warning to a driver of the vehicle with an indicating device of the vehicle, or controlling a braking assistance system or an autonomous brake control system of the vehicle.

17. The method according to claim 16, wherein the step c) comprises the determining of the maximum travel distance.

18. The method according to claim 16, wherein the step c) comprises the determining of the farthest stopping point.

19. The method according to claim 16, wherein a lead vehicle is stopped at the traffic light in front of the subject vehicle, and the maximum travel distance or the farthest stopping point ends at a gap spacing distance behind the leading vehicle larger than a usual spacing distance between vehicles queuing up behind a red traffic light.

20. The method according to claim 16, wherein on the road there is a stop line associated with the traffic light, and the maximum travel distance or the farthest stopping point ends at a gap spacing distance before reaching the stop line.