Inter-vehicle cooperation for vehicle self height estimation

• US 10,745,005 B2
• Filed: 01/24/2018
• Issued: 08/18/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 01/24/2018
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Inventors: Herman, David Michael, Herman, David A., Orris, David Joseph, DeCia, Nunzio, Orris, Jr., Stephen Jay
• Primary Examiner(s): Frejd, Russell
• Application Number:
  US15/879,151
• Publication Number:
  US 20190225210A1
• Time in Patent Office: 937 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 16/02 electric constitutive elements
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2420/403 Image sensing, e.g. optical camera
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2530/00 Input parameters relating to vehicle conditions or values, not covered by groups B60W2510/00 or B60W2520/00
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2554/00 Input parameters relating to objects
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/09 Taking automatic action to avoid collision, e.g. braking and steering
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 17/00 Three dimensional [3D] modelling, e.g. data description of 3D objects
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 17/05 Geographic models
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/30261 Obstacle
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/50 Depth or shape recovery
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/55 from multiple images
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/60 Analysis of geometric attributes
• 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 20/64 Three-dimensional objects
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 2201/12 Acquisition of 3D measurements of objects
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/161 Decentralised systems, e.g. inter-vehicle communication
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/165 for passive traffic, e.g. including static obstacles, trees
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/025 using location based information parameters
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/06 Selective distribution of broadcast services, e.g. multimedia broadcast multicast service [MBMS]; Services to user groups; One-way selective calling services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/40 for vehicles, e.g. vehicle-to-pedestrians [V2P]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/46 for vehicle-to-vehicle communication [V2V]

Abstract

Method and apparatus are disclosed for inter-vehicle cooperation for vehicle self height estimation. An example vehicle includes an inter-vehicle communication module and a body control module. The body control module broadcasts a request for images via the inter-vehicle communication module. The body control module also performs semantic segmentation on the images, generates a composite image of the vehicle based on the segmented images, and generates a three dimensional representation of the vehicle based on the composite image. Using the three dimensional representation, the body control module determines a height of the vehicle, and based on the height, controls the vehicle to avoid obstacles.

Claims

1. A vehicle comprising:

an inter-vehicle communication module; and

a body control module to;

broadcast a request for images via the inter-vehicle communication module;

perform semantic segmentation on the images;

generate a composite image of the vehicle based on the segmented images;

generate a three dimensional representation of the vehicle based on the composite image;

using the three dimensional representation, determine a height of the vehicle;

based on the height, control the vehicle to avoid obstacles.

2. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the request includes geo-spatial information regarding the vehicle to facilitate recipients of the request to locate the vehicle.

3. The vehicle of claim 2, wherein the geo-spatial information includes coordinates of the vehicle, an orientation of the vehicle, and at least one of a color of the vehicle or a model of the vehicle.

4. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the three dimensional representation is a point cloud based on the composite image and a three dimensional model of the vehicle stored in memory of the vehicle.

5. The vehicle of claim 4, wherein to determine the height of the vehicle, the body control module is to:

establish a virtual camera in relation to the three dimensional representation; and

calculate the height based on a viewing angle of the virtual camera, the viewing angle being an angle at which a perspective of the virtual camera clears a top edge of the three dimensional representation with respective to a ground plane of a road.

6. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the three dimensional representation is a mesh model based on a point cloud generated using the composite image and a three dimensional model of the vehicle stored in memory of the vehicle.

7. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the obstacles are infrastructure that have a lower clearance requirement than the height of the vehicle along a current route of the vehicle.

8. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein to avoid the obstacles, the body control module is to instruct a navigation system to change a route of the vehicle.

9. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein to avoid the obstacles, the body control module is to autonomously control motive functions of the vehicle to prevent the vehicle from encountering the obstacles.

10. A method comprising:

broadcast, via an inter-vehicle communication module, a request for images;

performing, with a processor of a vehicle, semantic segmentation on the images received in response to the broadcasted request;

generating a composite image of the vehicle based on the segmented images;

generating a three dimensional representation of the vehicle based on the composite image;

using the three dimensional representation, determining a height of the vehicle;

autonomously controlling the vehicle to avoid infrastructure that have lower clearance requirements than the height of the vehicle along a current route of the vehicle.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the request includes geo-spatial information regarding the vehicle to facilitate recipients of the request to locate the vehicle.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the geo-spatial information includes coordinates of the vehicle, an orientation of the vehicle, and at least one of a color of the vehicle or a model of the vehicle.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein the three dimensional representation is a point cloud based on the composite image and a three dimensional model of the vehicle stored in memory of the vehicle.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein to determining the height of the vehicle includes:

establishing a virtual camera in relation to the three dimensional representation; and

calculating the height based on a viewing angle of the virtual camera, the viewing angle being an angle at which a perspective of the virtual camera clears a top edge of the three dimensional representation with respective to a ground plane of a road.

15. The method of claim 10, wherein the three dimensional representation is a mesh model based on a point cloud generated using the composite image and a three dimensional model of the vehicle stored in memory of the vehicle.

16. The method of claim 10, including, in response to detecting the infrastructure that has the lower clearance requirement than the height of the vehicle along the current route of the vehicle, lowering the height of the vehicle using at least one of an active suspension system or an active tire pressure system.