Intelligent video navigation for automobiles

• US 9,915,539 B2
• Filed: 02/25/2013
• Issued: 03/13/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 02/25/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Continental Automotive GmbH (Continental AG), Karlsruher Institut Fur Technologie, National Taras Shevchenkol University of Kyiv
• Original Assignee: Continental Automotive GmbH (Continental AG)
• Inventors: Chia, Wei Ming Dan, Lim, Chuan Hock, Kong, Bee Ching
• Primary Examiner(s): TRAN, KHOI H
• Assistant Examiner(s): Nguyen, Robert
• Application Number:
  US14/769,274
• Publication Number:
  US 20160010998A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,842 Days
• Field of Search: 701461, 701268
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/12 executed aboard the object being navigated; Dead reckoning
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/26 specially adapted for navigation in a road network
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/34 Route searching; Route guidance
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3602 Input other than that of destination using image analysis, e.g. detection of road signs, lanes, buildings, real preceding vehicles using a camera
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/13 Receivers
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/20 for generating image signals from infrared radiation only
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/90 Arrangement of cameras or camera modules, e.g. multiple cameras in TV studios or sports stadiums
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/33 Transforming infrared radiation cameras or camera modules for generating image signals from infrared radiation H04N23/20; circuitry of SSIS for transforming infrared radiation into image signals H04N25/20
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/181 for receiving images from a plurality of remote sources

Abstract

A method of vehicle navigation guidance includes: receiving at least three satellite positioning data; receiving road marking data from a driver assistance device; calculating a first position of a vehicle according to the at least three satellite positioning data and according to the road marking data; determining a turning action of the vehicle according to the road marking data; determining an acceleration force of the vehicle according to the road marking data; and calculating a second position of the vehicle according to the first position, according to the turning action, and according to the acceleration force.

Claims

1. A method of vehicle navigation guidance, the method comprising:

receiving via a GPS receiver satellite positioning signals including at least three satellite positioning data;

receiving road marking data from a driver assistance device;

calculating a first position of a vehicle according to the at least three satellite positioning data and according to the road marking data;

determining a turning action of the vehicle according to the road marking data without a gyroscope;

determining a presence of two parallel roads and gravitational level information of the vehicle according to the road marking data without an accelerometer using data from at least one of an image sensor and a radar sensor; and

calculating a second position of the vehicle on one of the two parallel roads according to the first position, according to the turning action, and according to the gravitational level information,

providing vehicle navigation guidance based at least in part on the determined second position.

2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising determining a changing of lane of the vehicle according to the road marking data.

3. The method according to claim 1, further comprising generating a map database that comprises:

receiving image data from the driver assistance device;

detecting at least one object data surrounding the vehicle in the image data;

assigning a position data to the object data; and

storing the object data with the position data.

4. The method according to claim 3, wherein the detecting of the at least one object data comprises detecting a bus stop.

5. The method according to claim 3, wherein the detecting of the at least one object data comprises detecting a building of interest.

6. The method according to claim 1, further comprising a video conferencing that comprises:

transmitting an image data of the surrounding of the vehicle;

receiving the image data by a routing service location; and

transmitting a routing guidance according the image data from the routing service location to the vehicle.

16. The method according to claim 1, further comprising providing navigation guidance in a covered facility where satellite signals cannot be received based at least in part on the determined second position.

7. A vehicle navigation device for providing route guidance, the vehicle navigation device comprising:

a satellite positioning data receiver;

a driver assistance device image data receiving port;

a navigation display port;

a navigation audio port; and

a processor communicatively connecting to the satellite positioning receiver, to the driver assistance device image data receiver port, to the display port, and to the audio port,

wherein

the vehicle navigation device is configured to provide;

route guidance,

a data collection mode,

a first position determination mode, and

a second position determination mode,

in the data collection mode,

the satellite positioning data receiver receives at least three satellite positioning data, and the driver assistance device image data receiving port obtains road marking data,

in the first position determination mode,

the processor calculates a first position of a vehicle according to the at least three satellite positioning data and the road marking data, and

in the second position determination mode,

the processor determines at least one turning action of the vehicle according to the road marking data,

the processor determines a presence of two parallel roads and gravitational level information of the vehicle according to the road marking data using data from at least one of an image sensor and a radar sensor, and

the processor calculates a second position on one of the two parallel roads including of the vehicle according to the first position, to the turning action, and to the gravitational level information.

8. The vehicle navigation device according to claim 7, wherein the second position determination mode further comprises the processor determining a tilt of the vehicle according to a direction of the gravitational level information.

9. The vehicle navigation device according to claim 7, wherein the vehicle navigation device is configured to further provide a map generation mode,

in the map generation mode,

the processor receives image data from the driver assistance device image data receiving port,

the processor detects at least one object data in the image data,

the processor assigns a position data to the object data, and

the processor stores the object data with the position data.

10. A vehicle comprising:

a driver assistance device that comprises at least two vision image sensors for providing image data and a navigation device according to claim 7 connected to the driver assistance device.

11. The vehicle according to claim 10, wherein the vision image sensors comprise an infrared sensor.

12. The vehicle according to claim 10, wherein the vision image sensors comprise a camera sensor.

13. The vehicle according to claim 10, wherein the driver assistance device further comprises at least two radar image sensors for providing image data.

14. The vehicle according to claim 10, wherein the image data comprises road marking data.

15. The vehicle according to claim 10, wherein the image data comprises data of objects surrounding the vehicle.