Camera adjustment system

• US 10,778,901 B2
• Filed: 06/28/2018
• Issued: 09/15/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 06/27/2018
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Aptiv Technologies AG
• Original Assignee: Aptiv Technologies Limited (BorgWarner Incorporated)
• Inventors: Moawad, Mohamed A., Samiei, Ehsan, Kosiak, Walter K.
• Primary Examiner(s): Vaughn, Jr., William C
• Assistant Examiner(s): Noh, Jae N
• Application Number:
  US16/021,686
• Publication Number:
  US 20200007775A1
• Time in Patent Office: 810 Days
• Field of Search: 348148
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2554/00 Input parameters relating to objects
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/12 Lane keeping
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 10/245 by locating a pattern; Special marks for positioning
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/69 Control of means for changing angle of the field of view, e.g. optical zoom objectives or electronic zooming

Abstract

A camera adjustment system includes a camera, an actuator, an inertial-measurement-unit, and one or more controller-circuits. The camera renders an image of lane-markings of a roadway traveled by a host-vehicle. The actuator is operable for controlling an aim-direction of the camera. The inertial-measurement-unit detects relative-movement of the host-vehicle. The one or more controller-circuits are in communication with the camera, the actuator, and the inertial-measurement-unit. The one or more controller-circuits determine whether a range-of-detection of the lane-markings in the image is less than a detection-threshold and adjust the aim-direction based on the relative-movement.

Claims

1. A camera adjustment system, the system comprising:

a camera, the camera rendering an image of lane-markings of a roadway traveled by a host-vehicle;

an actuator operable for controlling an aim-direction of the camera;

an inertial-measurement-unit, the inertial-measurement-unit detecting relative-movement of the host-vehicle; and

one or more controller-circuits in communication with the camera, the actuator, and the inertial-measurement-unit;

the one or more controller-circuits determining whether a range-of-detection of the lane-markings in the image is less than a detection-threshold, and

in accordance with the determination that the range-of-detection is less than the detection-threshold, adjusting the aim-direction based on the relative-movement;

wherein the one or more controller-circuits recalibrates camera-settings based on the aim-direction.

2. The system in accordance with claim 1, wherein the one or more controller-circuits adjusts the aim-direction based on a vehicle-yaw detected by the inertial-measurement-unit.

3. The system in accordance with claim 1, wherein the one or more controller-circuits adjusts the aim-direction until the range-of-detection is greater than the detection-threshold.

4. The system in accordance with claim 1, wherein the system further includes an image-magnification feature, and the one or more controller-circuits increases a magnification of the image thereby increasing the range-of-detection.

18. The system in accordance with claim 1, wherein a plurality of calibration files are stored in a memory of the one or more controller-circuits and include calibrations of the camera-settings for each unique aim-direction.

19. The system in accordance with claim 18, wherein the camera-settings include extrinsic parameters that link the camera-position and orientation to a calibration-plane.

20. The system in accordance with claim 19, wherein the extrinsic parameters include one or more of a rotation matrix and a translation vector.

21. The system in accordance with claim 1, wherein the calibrations are calculated for each aim-direction based on an initial calibration of polynomial parameters.

5. A camera adjustment system, the system comprising:

a camera, the camera rendering an image of lane-markings of a roadway traveled by a host-vehicle;

an actuator operable for controlling an aim-direction of the camera;

one or more controller-circuits in communication with the camera and the actuator;

the one or more controller-circuits determining whether a range-of-detection of the lane-markings in the image is less than a detection-threshold; and

in accordance with the determination that the range-of-detection is less than the detection-threshold;

adjusting the aim-direction based on the lane-markings;

wherein the one or more controller-circuits recalibrates camera-settings based on the aim-direction.

6. The system in accordance with claim 5, wherein the one or more controller-circuits adjusts the aim-direction based on a radius-of-curvature of lane-markings.

7. The system in accordance with claim 5, wherein the one or more controller-circuits adjusts the aim-direction until the range-of-detection is greater than the detection-threshold.

8. The system in accordance with claim 5, wherein the system further includes an image-magnification feature, and the one or more controller-circuits increases a magnification of the image thereby increasing the range-of-detection.

22. The system in accordance with claim 5, wherein a plurality of calibration files are stored in a memory of the one or more controller-circuits and include calibrations of the camera-settings for each unique aim-direction.

23. The system in accordance with claim 22, wherein the camera-settings include extrinsic parameters that link the camera-position and orientation to a calibration-plane.

24. The system in accordance with claim 23, wherein the extrinsic parameters include one or more of a rotation matrix and a translation vector.

25. The system in accordance with claim 5, wherein the calibrations are calculated for each aim-direction based on an initial calibration of polynomial parameters.

9. A camera adjustment system, the system comprising:

a camera, the camera rendering an image of lane-markings of a roadway traveled by a host-vehicle;

an actuator operable for controlling an aim-direction of the camera;

one or more controller-circuits in communication with the camera and the actuator;

the one or more controller-circuits determining a region-of-interest within the image indicative of a future-path of the host-vehicle;

the one or more controller-circuits determining whether a range-of-detection of the lane-markings in the image is less than a detection-threshold; and

in accordance with the determination that the range-of-detection is less than the detection-threshold;

adjusting the aim-direction based on the region-of-interest;

wherein the one or more controller-circuits recalibrates camera-settings based on the aim-direction.

10. The system in accordance with claim 9, wherein the one or more controller-circuits adjusts the aim-direction until the range-of-detection is greater than the detection-threshold.

11. The system in accordance with claim 9, wherein the system further includes an image-magnification feature, and the one or more controller-circuits increases a magnification of the image thereby increasing the range-of-detection.

26. The system in accordance with claim 9, wherein a plurality of calibration files are stored in a memory of the one or more controller-circuits and include calibrations of the camera-settings for each unique aim-direction.

27. The system in accordance with claim 26, wherein the camera-settings include extrinsic parameters that link the camera-position and orientation to a calibration-plane.

28. The system in accordance with claim 27, wherein the extrinsic parameters include one or more of a rotation matrix and a translation vector.

29. The system in accordance with claim 9, wherein the calibrations are calculated for each aim-direction based on an initial calibration of polynomial parameters.

12. A method of adjusting a camera, the method comprising:

rendering an image, with a camera, of lane-markings of a roadway traveled by a host-vehicle;

detecting relative-movement of the host-vehicle with an inertial-measurement-unit; and

determining, with one or more controller-circuits in communication with the camera, an actuator, and the inertial-measurement-unit, whether a range-of-detection of the lane-markings in the image is less than a detection-threshold; and

in accordance with the determination that the range-of-detection is less than the detection-threshold;

adjusting the aim-direction with the actuator based on the relative-movement;

further including the step of recalibrating camera-settings based on the aim-direction with the one or more controller-circuits.

13. The method in accordance with claim 12, further including the step of adjusting the aim-direction, with the one or more controller-circuits, until the range-of-detection is greater than the detection-threshold.

30. The method in accordance with claim 12, wherein a plurality of calibration files are stored in a memory of the one or more controller-circuits and include calibrations of the camera-settings for each unique aim-direction.

31. The method in accordance with claim 30, wherein the camera-settings include extrinsic parameters that link the camera-position and orientation to a calibration-plane.

32. The method in accordance with claim 31, wherein the extrinsic parameters include one or more of a rotation matrix and a translation vector.

33. The method in accordance with claim 12, wherein the calibrations are calculated for each aim-direction based on an initial calibration of polynomial parameters.

14. A method of operating a camera adjustment system, the method comprising:

rendering an image, with a camera, of lane-markings of a roadway traveled by a host-vehicle;

determining, with one or more controller-circuits in communication with the camera and an actuator;

whether a range-of-detection of the lane-markings in the image is less than a detection-threshold; and

in accordance with the determination that the range-of-detection is less than the detection-threshold;

adjusting the aim-direction with the actuator based on the lane-markings;

further including the step of recalibrating camera-settings based on the aim-direction with the one or more controller-circuits.

15. The method in accordance with claim 14, further including the step of adjusting the aim-direction, with the one or more controller-circuits, until the range-of-detection is greater than the detection-threshold.

34. The method in accordance with claim 14, wherein a plurality of calibration files are stored in a memory of the one or more controller-circuits and include calibrations of the camera-settings for each unique aim-direction.

35. The method in accordance with claim 34, wherein the camera-settings include extrinsic parameters that link the camera-position and orientation to a calibration-plane.

36. The method in accordance with claim 35, wherein the extrinsic parameters include one or more of a rotation matrix and a translation vector.

37. The method in accordance with claim 14, wherein the calibrations are calculated for each aim-direction based on an initial calibration of polynomial parameters.

16. A method of operating a camera adjustment system, the method comprising:

rendering an image, with a camera, of lane-markings of a roadway traveled by a host-vehicle;

determining, with one or more controller-circuits in communication with the camera and an actuator;

a region-of-interest within the image indicative of a future-path of the host-vehicle;

whether a range-of-detection of the lane-markings in the image is less than a detection-threshold; and

in accordance with the determination that the range-of-detection is less than the detection-threshold;

adjusting the aim-direction with the actuator based on the region-of-interest;

further including the step of recalibrating camera-settings based on the aim-direction with the one or more controller-circuits.

17. The method in accordance with claim 16, further including the step of adjusting the aim-direction, with the one or more controller-circuits, until the range-of-detection is greater than the detection-threshold.

38. The method in accordance with claim 16, wherein a plurality of calibration files are stored in a memory of the one or more controller-circuits and include calibrations of the camera-settings for each unique aim-direction.

39. The method in accordance with claim 38, wherein the camera-settings include extrinsic parameters that link the camera-position and orientation to a calibration-plane.

40. The method in accordance with claim 39, wherein the extrinsic parameters include one or more of a rotation matrix and a translation vector.

41. The method in accordance with claim 16, wherein the calibrations are calculated for each aim-direction based on an initial calibration of polynomial parameters.