Detecting vehicle movement through wheel movement

• US 10,380,757 B2
• Filed: 06/13/2018
• Issued: 08/13/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 09/29/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Waymo LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Waymo LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Robinson, Craig Lewin
• Primary Examiner(s): Rush, Eric
• Application Number:
  US16/007,506
• Publication Number:
  US 20180330508A1
• Time in Patent Office: 426 Days
• Field of Search: 382100, 382103, 382104, 382107, 382287, 382291, 356 27, 356 28, 356 29, 356138, 35613909, 356614, 356615, 356620, 356622, 356955, 356958, 348148, 348149, 348154, 348155, 348169, 340435, 340436, 340438, 340441, 340463-467, 340901, 340903, 340936, 340937, 340938, 701 19, 701 20, 701 70, 701 71, 701 74, 701 93, 701 96, 701119, 701300, 701301, 702 42, 702145-149, 702151, 180197
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2031/0025 Detecting position of target vehicle, e.g. vehicle driving ahead from host vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0253 extracting relative motion information from a plurality of images taken successively, e.g. visual odometry, optical flow determining position or orientation from images G06T7/70
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/30252 Vehicle exterior; Vicinity of vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/20 Analysis of motion motion estimation for coding, decoding, compressing or decompressing digital video signals H04N19/43, H04N19/51
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/246 using feature-based methods, e.g. the tracking of corners or segments
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/70 Determining position or orientation of objects or cameras camera calibration G06T7/80
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/56 exterior to a vehicle by using sensors mounted on the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/58 Recognition of moving objects or obstacles, e.g. vehicles or pedestrians; Recognition of traffic objects, e.g. traffic signs, traffic lights or roads
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/584 of vehicle lights or traffic lights
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/0866 the electronic data carrier being a digital video recorder in combination with video camera
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/01 Detecting movement of traffic to be counted or controlled G08G1/07 - G08G1/14 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0112 from the vehicle, e.g. floating car data [FCD]
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/04 using optical or ultrasonic detectors
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0962 having an indicator mounted inside the vehicle, e.g. giving voice messages
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/166 for active traffic, e.g. moving vehicles, pedestrians, bikes

Abstract

Aspects of the disclosure relate to detecting vehicle movement. For example, one or more computing devices may receive first image data representative of a vehicle'"'"'s wheel and second image data representative of the wheel captured subsequent to the capture of the first image data. The one or more computing devices may determine a first location of a first portion of the wheel based on the first image data, and a second location of the first portion of the wheel based on the second image data. The one or more computing devices may calculate a value based on the angular distance between the first location and the second location of the first portion, and based on the value, determine whether the vehicle is in motion. Upon determining the vehicle is in motion the one or more computing devices may provide a signal that the vehicle is in motion.

Claims

1. A computer implemented method for determining whether a vehicle is in motion, the method comprising:

determining, with one or more computing devices, that the vehicle is traveling slower than a predetermined speed;

upon determining that the vehicle is traveling slower than the predetermined speed, receiving, with the one or more computing devices, a set of image data representative of a wheel of the vehicle captured over a period of time;

determining, with the one or more computing devices and based on a subset of the set of image data, a first location of a first portion of the wheel;

determining, with the one or more computing device and based on a second subset of the set of image data, a second location of the first portion of the wheel;

calculating, with the one or more computing devices, a value based on an angular distance between the first location and the second location of the first portion;

determining, with the one or more computing devices and based on the value, whether the vehicle is in motion; and

providing, with the one or more computing devices, in response to determining that the vehicle is in motion, a signal instructing another vehicle to perform a driving maneuver.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the vehicle is traveling slower than the predetermined speed comprises:

receiving a second set of image data representative of the vehicle;

determining, based on the second set of image data, a first linear distance between the vehicle and an external object;

determining, based on the second set of image data, a second linear distance between the vehicle and the external object;

calculating a difference value between the first linear distance and the second linear distance; and

based on the difference value, generating the determination the vehicle is traveling slower than the predetermined speed.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the vehicle is traveling slower than the predetermined speed, further comprising:

assigning a confidence level to the determination that the vehicle is traveling slower than the predetermined speed;

determining whether the confidence level meets a threshold value; and

upon determining the confidence level satisfies the threshold value, generating the determination the vehicle is traveling slower than the predetermined speed.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving the set of image data representative of the wheel further comprises:

receiving, from a sensor located on a second vehicle, a series of images of an environment surrounding the second vehicle; and

analyzing the series of images to identify at least one image having image data that includes visual characteristics of the vehicle and the wheel of the vehicle,

wherein the image data of the at least one image is selected as the set of image data representative of the wheel.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the second subset of the set of image data was captured subsequently to the subset of the set of image data.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the first location of the first portion of the wheel further comprises:

determining a trackable feature representative of the wheel within the subset of the set of image data;

determining a location of the trackable feature relative to the center of the wheel; and

selecting the location of the trackable feature as the first location of the first portion of the wheel.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the trackable feature includes at least a portion of a hub cap, spoke, bolt, and/or writing in the vicinity of the wheel.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the second location of the first portion of the wheel further comprises:

determining a trackable feature representative of the wheel within the second subset of the set of image data;

determining a location of the trackable feature relative to the center of the wheel; and

selecting the location of the trackable feature as the second location of the first portion of the wheel.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the trackable feature includes at least a portion of a hub cap, spoke, bolt, and/or writing in the vicinity of the wheel.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the subset of the set of image data includes one or more images.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the second subset of the set of image data includes one or more images.

12. A system for determining whether a vehicle is in motion comprising:

one or more sensors;

one or more computing devices; and

memory storing instructions, the instructions executable by the one or more computing devices;

wherein the instructions comprise;

determining that the vehicle is traveling slower than a predetermined speed;

upon determining that the vehicle is traveling slower than the predetermined speed, receiving a set of image data representative of a wheel of the vehicle captured over a period of time;

determining, based on a subset of the set of image data, a first location of a first portion of the wheel;

determining, based on a second subset of the set of image data, a second location of the first portion of the wheel;

calculating, a value based on an angular distance between the first location and the second location of the first portion;

determining, based on the value, whether the vehicle is in motion; and

providing, with the one or more computing devices, in response to determining that the vehicle is in motion, a signal instructing another vehicle to perform a driving maneuver.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein determining the vehicle is traveling slower than the predetermined speed comprises:

receiving a second set of image data representative of the vehicle;

determining, based on the second set of image data, a first linear distance between the vehicle and an external object;

determining, based on the second set of image data, a second linear distance between the vehicle and the external object;

calculating a difference value between the first linear distance and the second linear distance; and

based on the difference value, generating the determination the vehicle is traveling slower than the predetermined speed.

14. The system of claim 12, wherein determining the vehicle is traveling slower than the predetermined speed, further comprising:

assigning a confidence level to the determination that the vehicle is traveling slower than the predetermined speed;

determining whether the confidence level meets a threshold value; and

upon determining the confidence level satisfies the threshold value, generating the determination the vehicle is traveling slower than the predetermined speed.

15. The system of claim 12,

wherein receiving the set of image data representative of the wheel further comprises:

receiving, from a sensor located on a second vehicle, a series of images of an environment surrounding the second vehicle; and

analyzing the series of images to identify at least one image having image data that includes visual characteristics of the vehicle and the wheel of the vehicle,

wherein the image data of the at least one image is selected as the set of image data representative of the wheel.

16. The system of claim 12, wherein the second subset of the set of image data was captured subsequently to the subset of the set of image data.

17. The system of claim 12,

wherein determining the first location of the first portion of the wheel further comprises:

determining a trackable feature representative of the wheel within the subset of the set of image data;

determining a location of the trackable feature relative to the center of the wheel; and

selecting the location of the trackable feature as the first location of the first portion of the wheel.

18. The system of claim 12, wherein determining the second location of the first portion of the wheel further comprises:

determining a trackable feature representative of the wheel within the second subset of the set of image data;

determining a location of the trackable feature relative to the center of the wheel; and

selecting the location of the trackable feature as the second location of the first portion of the wheel.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the trackable feature includes at least a portion of a hub cap, spoke, bolt, and/or writing in the vicinity of the wheel.

20. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium on which computer-readable instructions of a program are stored, the instructions, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform a method, the method comprising:

determining that a vehicle is traveling slower than a predetermined speed;

upon determining that the vehicle is traveling slower than the predetermined speed, receiving a set of image data representative of a wheel of the vehicle captured over a period of time;

determining, based on a subset of the set of image data, a first location of a first portion of the wheel;

determining, based on a second subset of the set of image data, a second location of the first portion of the wheel;

calculating, a value based on an angular distance between the first location and the second location of the first portion;

determining, based on the value, whether the vehicle is in motion; and

providing, in response to determining that the vehicle is in motion, a signal instructing another vehicle to perform a driving maneuver.