Driver assistance apparatus capable of recognizing a road surface state and vehicle including the same

• US 9,598,088 B2
• Filed: 04/21/2015
• Issued: 03/21/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 07/02/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: Lee, Hansung, Choi, Soohwan, Yang, Jaehyuk
• Primary Examiner(s): ARTHUR JEANGLAUDE, GERTRUDE
• Application Number:
  US14/691,785
• Publication Number:
  US 20160001780A1
• Time in Patent Office: 700 Days
• Field of Search: 701/1, 701/25, 701/36, 701/45, 701/48, 701/117, 340/905, 348/108, 382/108
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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: B60R 2300/8053 for bad weather conditions or night vision
• 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 40/06 Road conditions
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/56 exterior to a vehicle by using sensors mounted on the vehicle

Abstract

A driver assistance apparatus and a vehicle including the same are disclosed. The driver assistance apparatus includes a stereo camera, a memory to store road surface data regarding a state of a road surface classified into a dry state, a wet state, a snow covered state, and an icy state, and a processor to classify the state of the road surface as any one of the dry state, the wet state, the snow covered state, and the icy state based on stereo images received from the stereo camera and the road surface data. Consequently, it is possible to recognize a current road surface state.

Claims

1. A driver assistance apparatus comprising:

a communication unit to exchange data with a mobile terminal or a server;

a stereo camera to acquire stereo images;

a memory to store road surface data regarding a state of a road surface classified into a dry state, a wet state, a snow covered state, or an icy state; and

a processor to classify a current state of the road surface as any one of the dry state, the wet state, the snow covered state, or the icy state based on the stereo images and the road surface data, wherein the communication unit transmits the stereo images from the stereo camera and position and time information corresponding to the stereo images to the mobile terminal or the server wherein the communication unit receives weather information from the mobile terminal or the server, wherein the processor is configured to classify a current state of the road surface as any one of the dry state, the wet state, the snow covered state, or the icy state based on the weather information, the stereo images, and the road surface data, and wherein when a brake is operated, the processor is configured to output a brake operation weighting signal based on the classified current state of the road surface to a brake drive that drives the brake.

2. The driver assistance apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the processor calculates a disparity between the stereo images, detects a road surface in the stereo images based on the disparity between the stereo images, and classifies the state of the road surface as any one of the dry state, the wet state, the snow covered state, or the icy state based on data related to the detected road surface and the road surface data stored in the memory.

3. The driver assistance apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the processor includes a road surface pattern detector to classify the state of the road surface as any one of the dry state, the wet state, the snow covered state, or the icy state based on the data related to the road surface in the stereo images and the road surface data stored in the memory.

4. The driver assistance apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the processor classifies the state of the road surface as any one of the dry state, the wet state, the snow covered state, or the icy state based on brightness data of the data related to the road surface in the stereo images and the road surface data stored in the memory.

5. The driver assistance apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the processor classifies the state of the road surface as any one of the dry state, the wet state, the snow covered state, or the icy state based on frequency spectra of the data related to the road surface in the stereo images and the road surface data stored in the memory.

6. The driver assistance apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the road surface data stored in the memory are image data having position and time information.

7. The driver assistance apparatus according to claim 1, further including:

a display unit and an audio output, and wherein the processor controls at least one of the classified road surface state information or brake drive guidance information and steering drive guidance information corresponding to the classified road surface state information through at least one of the display or the audio output.

8. The driver assistance apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the processor generates and outputs at least one Of a brake drive signal or a steering drive signal corresponding to the classified road surface state information.

9. The driver assistance apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein the communication unit receives the road surface data regarding the state of the road surface classified into the dry state, the wet state, the snow covered state, or the icy state from the mobile terminal or the server.

10. The driver assistance apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein the communication unit further receives season information, and the processor classifies the state of the road surface as any one of the dry state, the wet state, the snow covered sure or the icy state further based on the season information, the stereo images received from the stereo camera, and the road surface data.

11. The driver assistance apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein the communication unit transmits a current vehicle travel path or an expected vehicle travel path to the mobile terminal or the server and receives the road surface data classified into the dry state, the wet state, the snow covered state, or the icy state corresponding to the current vehicle travel path or the expected vehicle travel path from the mobile terminal or the server.

12. The driver assistance apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the processor generates and outputs at least one of a brake drive signal or a steeling drive signal corresponding to the current vehicle travel path or the expected vehicle travel path and the classified road surface state information.

13. A vehicle comprising:

a steering drive to drive a steering apparatus;

a brake drive to drive a brake;

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

a communication unit to exchange data with a mobile terminal or a server;

a stereo camera;

a memory to store road surface data regarding a state of a road surface classified into a dry state, a wet state, a snow covered state, or an icy state; and

a processor to classify a current state of the road surface as any one of the dry state, the wet state, the snow covered state, or the icy state based on the stereo images and the road surface data, wherein the communication unit transmits the stereo images from the stereo camera and position and time information corresponding to the stereo images to the mobile terminal or the server, wherein the communication unit receives weather information from the mobile terminal or the server, wherein the processor is configured to classify a current state of the road surface as any one of the dry state, the wet state, the snow covered state, or the icy state based on the weather information, the stereo images and the road surface data, and wherein when the brake is operated, the processor is configured to output a brake operation weighting signal based on the classified current state of the road surface to the brake drive.

14. The vehicle according to claim 13, wherein the processor calculates a disparity between the stereo images, detects a road surface in the stereo images based on the disparity information between the stereo images, and classifies the state of the road surface as any one of the dry state, the wet state, the snow covered state, or the icy state based on data related to the detected road surface and the road surface data stored in the memory.

15. The vehicle according to claim 14, wherein the processor classifies the state of the road surface as any one of the dry state, the wet state, the snow covered state, or the icy state based on brightness data of the data related to the road surface in the stereo images and the road surface data stored in the memory.

16. The vehicle according to claim 14, wherein the processor classifies the state of the road surface as any one of the dry state, the wet state, the snow covered state, or the icy state based on frequency spectra of the data related to the road surface in the stereo images and the road surface data stored in the memory.

17. The vehicle according to claim 13,

wherein the communication unit receives the road surface data regarding the state of the road surface classified into the dry state, the wet state, the snow covered state, or the icy state from the mobile terminal or the server.

18. The vehicle according to claim 13,

wherein the communication unit receives information from the mobile terminal or the server, and the processor classifies the state of the road surface as any One of the dry state, the wet state, the snow coveted state, or the icy state further based on the season information, the stereo images received from the stereo camera, and the road surface data.

19. The vehicle according to claim 13,

wherein the communication unit transmits a current vehicle travel path or an expected vehicle travel path to the mobile terminal or the server and receives the road surface data classified into the dry state, the wet state, the snow covered state, or the icy state corresponding to the current vehicle travel path or the expected vehicle travel path from the mobile terminal or the server.

20. The vehicle according to claim 17, wherein the processor generates and outputs at least one of a brake drive signal or a steering drive signal corresponding to the current vehicle travel path or the expected vehicle travel path and the classified road surface state information.