Lane line recognition apparatus

• US 9,542,606 B2
• Filed: 03/02/2015
• Issued: 01/10/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 03/03/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Original Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Inventors: Ishigami, Hirotake, Kawasaki, Naoki, Kumano, Syunya, Suzuki, Shunsuke, Osanai, Satoshi, Takafuji, Tetsuya
• Primary Examiner(s): Mehta, Bhavesh
• Assistant Examiner(s): YOUSSEF, MENATOALLAH M
• Application Number:
  US14/635,540
• Publication Number:
  US 20150248588A1
• Time in Patent Office: 680 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/20061 Hough transform
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/30256 Lane; Road marking
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/13 Edge detection
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/60 Analysis of geometric attributes
• 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

Abstract

In a lane line recognition apparatus, an abnormality determiner is configured to determine whether or not a width of a travel lane defined by left-side and right-side lane lines is abnormal, and a lane-line recognizer is configured to, when the width of the travel lane is not abnormal, recognize both of the left-side and right-side lane lines in a both-side line recognition mode, and when the width of the travel lane is abnormal, recognize one of the lane lines in a one-side line recognition mode. In the one-side line recognition mode, the lane-line recognizer is configured to, for each of the left-side and right-side lane lines, calculate two or more parameters of the lane line, and then integrate recognition results for the respective two or more parameters, and based on the integrated recognition results of the left-side and right-side lane lines, select one of the lane lines to be recognized.

Claims

1. A lane line recognition apparatus comprising:

an imaging unit mounted in a vehicle and configured to capture an image of a travel lane;

a lane-line detector configured to detect left-side and right-side lane lines that define the travel lane based on the image captured by the vehicle-mounted camera;

an abnormality determiner configured to determine whether or not a width of the travel lane defined by the left-side and right-side lane lines detected by the lane-line detector is abnormal;

a lane-line recognizer configured to, when it is determined by the abnormality determiner that the width of the travel lane is not abnormal, recognize both of the left-side and right-side lane lines in a both-side line recognition mode, and when it is determined by the abnormality determiner that the width of the travel lane is abnormal, recognize one of the left-side and right-side lane lines in a one-side line recognition mode,

wherein in the one-side line recognition mode, the lane-line recognizer is configured to, for each of the left-side and right-side lane lines detected by the lane-line detector, calculate two or more parameters, of parameters representing positions of the vehicle in the travel lane relative to the lane line and parameters representing a shape of the lane line, then integrate recognition results for the respective two or more parameters are integrated, and based on the integrated recognition results of the left-side and right-side lane lines, select one of the left-side and right-side lane lines to be recognized;

wherein the lane-line detector, the abnormality determiner, and the lane-line recognizer are all being performed by one or more processors.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising an annunciator configured to inform a driver of the vehicle of a recognition mode of the lane-line recognizer switching between the both-side line recognition mode and the one-side recognition mode.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein

the two or more parameters for each of the left-side and right-side lane lines detected by the lane-line detector include a current angle of the lane line to the vehicle, and

the lane-line recognizer is configured to, in the one-side line recognition mode, select one of the left-side and right-side lane lines that is at a smaller angle to the vehicle in preference to the other.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein

the two or more parameters for each of the left-side and right-side lane lines detected by the lane-line detector include a current cross-lane direction distance between the lane line and the vehicle, and

the lane-line recognizer is configured to, in the one-side line recognition mode, select one of the left-side and right-side lane lines that is currently closer to the vehicle in preference to the other.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein

the two or more parameters for each of the left-side and right-side lane lines detected by the lane-line detector include an angle of the lane line to an expected direction of travel of the vehicle after a predetermined time of travel, and

the lane-line recognizer is configured to, in the one-side line recognition mode, select one of the left-side and right-side lane lines that is at a smaller angle to the expected direction of travel of the vehicle in preference to the other.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein

the two or more parameters for each of the left-side and right-side lane lines detected by the lane-line detector include a cross-lane direction distance between an expected position of the vehicle after a predetermined time of travel and the lane line, and

the lane-line recognizer is configured to, in the one-side line recognition mode, estimate the cross-lane direction distance between the expected position of the vehicle after the predetermined time of travel and each of the left-side and right-side lane lines detected by the lane-line detector, and select one of the left-side and right-side lane lines that is closer to the expected position of the vehicle after the predetermined time of travel in preference to the other.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein

the two or more parameters for each of the left-side and right-side lane lines detected by the lane-line detector include a curvature radius of the lane line, and

the lane-line recognizer is configured to, in the one-side line recognition mode, select one of the left-side and right-side lane lines having a larger curvature radius in preference to the other.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein

the two or more parameters for each of the left-side and right-side lane lines detected by the lane-line detector include a thickness of the lane line, and

the lane-line recognizer is configured to, in the one-side line recognition mode, select one of the left-side and right-side lane lines having a larger thickness in preference to the other.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein

for each of the left-side and right-side lane lines detected by the lane-line detector,

recognition results of the lane line for the parameters representing a position of the vehicle in the travel lane relative to the lane line are weighted more heavily than recognition results of the lane line for the parameters representing a shape of the lane line,

a recognition result of the lane line for an angle of the lane line to the vehicle at a time point is weighted more heavily than a recognition result of the lane line for a cross-lane direction distance between the lane line and the vehicle at the same time point, and

the recognition results of the lane line for the respective two or more parameters are integrated.