Monitor system of vehicle outside and the method thereof

• US 20030088361A1
• Filed: 11/01/2002
• Published: 05/08/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 11/02/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Subaru Corp.
• Original Assignee: Fuji Heavy Industries Limited (Subaru Corp.)
• Inventors: Sekiguchi, Hiroyuki
• Granted Patent: US 6,823,261 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/301
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 11/12 using electromagnetic waves other than radio waves
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 17/86 Combinations of lidar systems with systems other than lidar, radar or sonar, e.g. with direction finders
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 17/89 for mapping or imaging
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 17/931 of land vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/60 Analysis of geometric attributes

Abstract

A monitor system of a vehicle includes an image-measured distance detector for detecting a distance data between a vehicle and a three-dimensional object based on information of an image in front of the vehicle, a laser-measured distance detector for detecting the distance data between the vehicle and the object by projecting a laser beam from the vehicle, and a three-dimensional object recognition device for recognizing the object based on the distance data detected by the image-measured distance detector and the distance data detected by the laser-measured distance detector. The three-dimensional object recognition device recognizes the object by coordinating the distance data and by making the distance data of a horizontal direction ineffective, when the two sets of distance data have a width within a present value and the difference between the distance values of the two sets of distance data is within a preset distance value.

Claims

1. A monitor system of a vehicle outside comprising:

image-measured distance detection means for detecting a distance data between a vehicle and a three-dimensional object existing in front of the vehicle based on informations of an image in front of the vehicle;

laser-measured distance detection means for detecting the distance data between the vehicle and the three-dimensional object existing in front of the vehicle on the basis of the information of a laser radar by projecting a laser beam from the vehicle; and

three-dimensional object recognition means for recognizing the three-dimensional object existing in front of the vehicle based on the distance data detected by the image-measured distance detection means and the distance data detected by the laser-measured distance detection means,

wherein the three-dimensional object recognition means recognizes the three-dimensional object by coordinating the distance data and by making the distance data of a horizontal direction and detected by the laser-measured distance detection means at the positions farther than the positions of the two sets of the distance data by a predetermined distance and which are detected by the image-measured distance detection means, ineffective, when the two sets of the distance data have a width within a preset value and the difference between the distance values of the two sets of the distance data is within a preset distance value.

2. The monitor system according to claim 1, wherein:

the three-dimensional object recognition means recognizes the three-dimensional object by making the distance data, which exist between the two sets of the distance data at the positions farther than the positions of the two sets of the distance data by the predetermined distance and which are detected by the image-measured distance detection means, ineffective, when the two sets of the distance data are distance data having a distance equal to or more than a preset distance.

3. The monitor system according to claim 1, wherein:

the three-dimensional object recognition means presets a survey area using the distance data as a reference and recognizes the three-dimensional object by making the distance data, which exist at the positions farther than the survey area, ineffective, when the coordinated distance data is distance data having a distance less than the preset distance.

4. The monitor system according to claim 1, wherein:

the three-dimensional object recognition means recognizes the three-dimensional object by making the distance data, which exist between the two sets of the distance data at the positions farther than the positions of the two sets of the distance data by the predetermined distance and which are detected by the image-measured distance detection means, ineffective, when the two sets of the distance data are distance data having a distance equal to or more than a preset distance, as well as the three-dimensional object recognition means presets a survey area using the distance data as a reference and recognizes the three-dimensional object by making the distance data, which exist at the positions farther than the survey area, ineffective, when the coordinated distance data is distance data having a distance less than the preset distance.

5. A method for monitoring an outside of a vehicle comprising the steps of:

image-measured distance detection step of detecting a distance data between a vehicle and a three-dimensional object existing in front of the vehicle based on informations of an image in front of the vehicle;

laser-measured distance detection step of detecting the distance data between the vehicle and the three-dimensional object existing in front of the vehicle on the basis of the information of a laser radar by projecting a laser beam from the vehicle; and

three-dimensional object recognition step of recognizing the three-dimensional object existing in front of the vehicle based on the distance data detected by the image-measured distance detection step and the distance data detected by the laser-measured distance detection step,

wherein the three-dimensional object recognition step recognizes the three-dimensional object by coordinating the distance data detected by the image-measured distance detection step with the distance data detected by the laser-measured distance detection step and by making the distance data, which exist between the two sets of distance data existing in a horizontal direction and detected by the laser-measured distance detection step at the positions farther than the positions of the two sets of the distance data by a predetermined distance and which are detected by the image-measured distance detection step, ineffective, when the two sets of the distance data have a width within a preset value and the difference between the distance values of the two sets of the distance data is within a preset distance value.