Vehicular lane monitoring system utilizing front and rear cameras

• US 20070091173A1
• Filed: 10/21/2005
• Published: 04/26/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 10/21/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC (General Motors Company)
• Original Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations Incorporated (Motors Liquidation Co. GUC Trust)
• Inventors: Kade, Alexander, Lybecker, Kent, Finch, Alan
• Granted Patent: US 7,400,236 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/119
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 2201/08 Lane monitoring; Lane Keeping Systems
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 2201/087 using active steering actuation
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/14 Means for informing the driver, warning the driver or prompting a driver intervention
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 15/025 Active steering aids, e.g. helping the driver by actively influencing the steering system after environment evaluation B62D1/28 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/16 using electromagnetic waves other than radio waves
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0246 using a video camera in combination with image processing means
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 2201/0213 Road vehicle, e.g. car or truck

Abstract

A lane monitoring system deployed on a vehicle is provided for monitoring the position of the vehicle relative to a lane in which the vehicle is traveling. The system comprises a front camera for capturing front lane image data relating to an area substantially to the front of the vehicle and a rear camera for capturing rear lane image data relating to an area substantially to the rear of the vehicle. A processor is coupled to the front camera and the rear camera and is configured to receive the front lane image data and the rear lane image data. The processor is further configured to determine the position of the vehicle relative to the lane boundary from (1) the front lane image data when the front camera is operational, and (2) the rear lane image data when the front camera is not operational and the rear camera is operational.

Claims

1. A lane monitoring system deployed on a vehicle for monitoring the position of the vehicle relative to a lane in which the vehicle is traveling, the system comprising:

a front camera mounted on the vehicle for capturing front lane image data relating to an area substantially to the front of the vehicle;

a rear camera mounted on the vehicle for capturing rear lane image data relating to an area substantially to the rear of the vehicle;

a processor coupled to said front camera and said rear camera for receiving said front lane image data and said rear lane image data, said processor configured to determine the position of the vehicle relative to the lane from (1) said front lane image data if said front camera is operational, and (2) said rear lane image data if said front camera is not operational and said rear camera is operational.

2. A lane monitoring system according to claim 1 further comprising an alert generator coupled to said processor, said processor configured to cause the generation of an alert when the vehicle has drifted from a desired lane position by a predetermined amount.

3. A lane monitoring system according to claim 2 wherein the lane includes lane boundaries and wherein said processor determines the lane position from said front lane image data only when said front camera can adequately detect the lane boundaries, and from said rear lane image data only when said rear camera can adequately detect the lane boundaries.

4. A lane monitoring system according to claim 1 wherein said processor is configured to determine the vehicle'"'"'s lane position from said front lane image data and from said rear lane image data when said front camera and said rear camera are operational.

5. A lane monitoring system according to claim 4 further comprising a vehicle heading correction device coupled to said processor for steering the vehicle, said processor configured to cause said vehicle heading correction device to perform a vehicle heading correction when the vehicle drifts form a desired lane position by more than a predetermined amount.

6. A lane monitoring system according to claim 5 wherein the vehicle heading correction occurs only when said front camera and said rear camera can adequately detect the lane boundaries.

7. A lane monitoring system according to claim 5 wherein the vehicle heading correction occurs only when a first lane position derived from said front lane image data differs from a second lane position derived from said rear lane image data by less than a predetermined amount.

8. A lane monitoring system according to claim 5 wherein said processor determines the lane position by averaging a first lane position derived from said front lane image data and a second lane position derived from said rear lane image data.

9. A lane monitoring system according to claim 1 wherein said processor determines vehicle position only when the speed of the vehicle is greater than a predetermined speed.

10. A lane monitoring system according to claim 1 wherein said processor determines vehicle position only when a driver is not actively steering the vehicle.

11. A method for monitoring the position of a vehicle relative to a lane in which the vehicle is traveling, the vehicle including a processor, a front camera, and a rear camera, the method comprising:

capturing front lane image data relating to an area substantially to the front of the vehicle with the front camera;

capturing rear lane image data relating to an area substantially to the rear of the vehicle with the rear camera;

determining the position of the vehicle relative to the lane with (1) front lane image data when the front camera is operational, and (2) rear lane image data when the front camera is not operational.

12. A method according to claim 11 wherein the vehicle includes an alert generator and the method further comprises generating an alert when the vehicle has drifted from a desired lane position by more than predetermined amount.

13. A method according to claim 11 further comprising determining the position of the vehicle from the front lane image data and from the rear lane image data when the front camera and the rear camera are operational.

14. A method according to claim 13 wherein the vehicle includes a vehicle heading correction device coupled to the processor and the method further comprises performing a vehicle heading correction when the vehicle has drifted from a desired lane position by more than a predetermined amount.

15. A method according to claim 14 further comprising comparing a first lane position derived from the front lane image data to a second lane position derived from the rear lane image data and performing a vehicle heading correction only when the first position differs from the second position by a less than predetermined amount.

16. A method according to claim 14 wherein performing a vehicle heading correction further comprises averaging a first lane position derived from the front lane image data with a second lane position derived from the rear lane image data.

17. A method according to claim 11 further comprising measuring the speed of the vehicle, establishing if a driver is actively steering the vehicle, and determining the lane position only when the speed of the vehicle is greater than a predetermined amount and the driver is not actively steering.

18. A lane monitoring system deployed on a vehicle for monitoring the position of the vehicle relative to a lane in which the vehicle is traveling, the system comprising:

a front camera mounted on the vehicle for capturing front lane image data relating to an area substantially to the front of the vehicle;

a rear camera mounted on the vehicle for capturing rear lane image data relating to an area substantially to the rear of the vehicle;

a vehicle heading correction means for directing the vehicle;

an alert generator; and

a processor coupled to said front camera, said rear camera, said vehicle heading correction means, and said alert generator, said processor configured (1) to generate an alert when the vehicle is out of lane position by more than a first predetermined amount, the lane position being derived from said front lane image data when said front camera is operational and from said rear lane image data when said front camera is not operational, and (2) to perform a vehicle heading correction when the vehicle is out of lane position by more than a second predetermined amount, the lane position being derived from said front lane image data and said rear lane image data.

19. A lane monitoring system according to claim 18 wherein said processor is configured to generate an alert only when at least one of said front camera and said rear camera can adequately detect the boundaries of the lane, and to perform a vehicle heading correction only when said front camera and said rear camera can adequately detect said boundaries.

20. A lane monitoring system according to claim 18 wherein the system monitors lane position only when a driver is not actively steering the vehicle and when the speed of the vehicle is greater than a predetermined speed.