Navigation based on detected occlusion overlapping a road entrance

• US 11,738,741 B2
• Filed: 07/10/2019
• Issued: 08/29/2023
• Est. Priority Date: 01/12/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: MobilEye Vision Technologies Ltd. (Intel Corporation)
• Original Assignee: MobilEye Vision Technologies Ltd. (Intel Corporation)
• Inventors: Shalev-Shwartz, Shai, Shashua, Amnon, Stein, Gideon, Shammah, Shaked
• Primary Examiner(s): Shudy, Angelina
• Application Number:
  US16/507,773
• Publication Number:
  US 20190329768A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,511 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2300/15 Agricultural vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2300/17 Construction vehicles, e.g. graders, excavators
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2420/403 Image sensing, e.g. optical camera
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2420/408 Radar; Laser, e.g. lidar
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2540/215 Selection or confirmation of options
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2540/30 Driving style
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2552/05 Type of road, e.g. motorways, local streets, paved or unpaved roads
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2552/50 Barriers
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2552/53 Road markings, e.g. lane marker or crosswalk
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2554/20 Static objects
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2554/4029 Pedestrians
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2554/4041 Position
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2554/4046 Behavior, e.g. aggressive or erratic
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2554/4048 Field of view, e.g. obstructed view or direction of gaze
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2554/60 Traversable objects, e.g. speed bumps or curbs
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2554/80 Spatial relation or speed relative to objects
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2554/801 Lateral distance
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2554/802 Longitudinal distance
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2554/804 Relative longitudinal speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/09 Taking automatic action to avoid collision, e.g. braking and steering
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/0956 : the prediction being responsive to traffic or environmental parameters
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/162 : Speed limiting therefor
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/165 : Automatically following the path of a preceding lead vehicle, e.g. "electronic tow-bar"
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/18163 : Lane change; Overtaking manoeuvres
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/0097 : Predicting future conditions
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/10 : Interpretation of driver requests or demands
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 60/001 : Planning or execution of driving tasks
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 60/0016 : of the vehicle or its occupants
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 60/00276 : for two or more other traffic participants
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3407 : specially adapted for specific applications
• 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: G01C 21/3658 : Lane guidance
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0088 : characterized by the autonomous decision making process, e.g. artificial intelligence, predefined behaviours using knowledge based models G06N5/00
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0214 : in accordance with safety or protection criteria, e.g. avoiding hazardous areas monitoring the location of vehicles within a certain area, e.g. forbidden or allowed areas, in traffic control systems for road vehicles G08G1/13
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0223 : involving speed control of the vehicle vehicle fittings for automatically controlling, i.e. preventing speed from exceeding an arbitrarily established velocity or maintaining speed at a particular velocity, as selected by the vehicle operator B60K31/00
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0246 : using a video camera in combination with image processing means
• 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 2207/30256 : Lane; Road marking
• 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 20/584 : of vehicle lights or traffic lights
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 2201/08 : Detecting or categorising vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0145 : for active traffic flow control
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0968 : Systems involving transmission of navigation instructions to the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/167 : Driving aids for lane monitoring, lane changing, e.g. blind spot detection

Abstract

A navigation system for a host vehicle is provided. The system may comprise at least one processing device programmed to receive, from a camera, a plurality of images representative of an environment of the host vehicle; analyze the plurality of images to identify at least one vehicle-induced occlusion zone in an environment of the host vehicle; and cause a navigational change for the host vehicle based, at least in part, on a size of a target vehicle that induces the identified occlusion zone.

Claims

1. A navigation system for a host vehicle, the system comprising:

at least one processing device comprising circuitry and having access to a memory, wherein the memory includes instructions that when executed by the circuitry cause the at least one processing device to;

receive a plurality of images acquired by a camera, the plurality of images being representative of an environment of the host vehicle;

analyze at least one of the plurality of images to identify at least one occlusion zone in an environment of the host vehicle;

analyze the at least one of the plurality of images to identify a portion of a lane;

determine, based on the identified portion of the lane, that the identified occlusion zone includes a hidden road entrance, wherein the hidden road entrance includes a driveway;

identify a likelihood of a target vehicle being present in the hidden road entrance; and

cause a navigational change for the host vehicle based on the hidden road entrance in the identified occlusion zone and the likelihood, wherein causing the navigational change for the host vehicle includes causing an adjustment of a navigational actuator of the host vehicle.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the hidden road entrance includes at least one of a merge lane, a traffic circle, or a side street.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the identified occlusion zone includes a region of the environment of the host vehicle that the at least one processing device determines, based on analysis of one or more of the plurality of images, is obscured from view by the target vehicle.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein determining that the identified occlusion zone includes a hidden road entrance is further based on a detected portion of a merge lane.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein determining that the identified occlusion zone includes a hidden road entrance is further based on a detected sign recognized as associated with a merge lane.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein determining that the identified occlusion zone includes a hidden road entrance is further based on a detected portion of a traffic circle.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein determining that the identified occlusion zone includes a hidden road entrance is further based on a detected sign recognized as associated with a traffic circle.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein determining that the identified occlusion zone includes a hidden road entrance is further based on a detected gap between buildings or trees on a roadside.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein determining that the identified occlusion zone includes a hidden road entrance is further based on a detected portion of a building indicating a presence of a driveway.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the navigational actuator includes at least one of a steering mechanism, a brake, or an accelerator.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the navigational change for the host vehicle includes slowing the host vehicle.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein an amount that the host vehicle is slowed depends on a type of road entrance determined to be present in the occlusion zone.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein an amount that the host vehicle is slowed depends on a distance between the host vehicle and the road entrance determined to be present in the occlusion zone.

14. The system of claim 1, wherein the navigational change for the host vehicle includes moving the host vehicle away from the identified occlusion zone.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein an amount that the host vehicle is moved depends on a type of road entrance determined to be present in the occlusion zone.

16. The system of claim 14, wherein an amount that the host vehicle is moved depends on a distance between the host vehicle and the road entrance determined to be present in the occlusion zone.

17. The system of claim 1, wherein the navigational change for the host vehicle includes navigating the host vehicle from a current travel lane to a different travel lane.

18. The system of claim 1, wherein the driveway is determined based on at least a portion of a house being represented in at least one of the plurality of images.

19. A method for navigating a host vehicle, the method comprising:

receiving a plurality of images acquired by a camera, the plurality of images being representative of an environment of the host vehicle;

analyzing at least one of the plurality of images to identify at least one occlusion zone in an environment of the host vehicle;

analyzing the at least one of the plurality of images to identify a portion of a lane;

determining, based on the identified portion of the lane, that the identified occlusion zone includes a hidden road entrance, wherein the hidden road entrance includes a driveway;

identifying a likelihood of a target vehicle being present in the hidden road entrance; and

causing a navigational change for the host vehicle based on the hidden road entrance in the identified occlusion zone and the likelihood, wherein causing the navigational change for the host vehicle includes causing an adjustment of a navigational actuator of the host vehicle.

20. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing instructions executable by at least one processor to perform a method for navigating a host vehicle, the method comprising:

receiving a plurality of images acquired by a camera, the plurality of images being representative of an environment of the host vehicle;

analyzing at least one of the plurality of images to identify at least one occlusion zone in an environment of the host vehicle;

analyzing the at least one of the plurality of images to identify a portion of a lane;

determining, based on the identified portion of the lane, that the identified occlusion zone includes a hidden road entrance, wherein the hidden road entrance includes a driveway;

identifying a likelihood of a target vehicle being present in the hidden road entrance; and

causing a navigational change for the host vehicle based on the hidden road entrance in the identified occlusion zone and the likelihood, wherein causing the navigational change for the host vehicle includes causing an adjustment of a navigational actuator of the host vehicle.