Road Marking Recognition System

• US 20090088978A1
• Filed: 08/04/2006
• Published: 04/02/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 08/05/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Aisin AW Company Limited (Aisin Corp.), Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Aisin AW Company Limited (Aisin Corp.), Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Nakamura, Motohiro, Nakamura, Masaki, Aisaka, Osamu, Ishikawa, Tomoaki, Kanba, Motoki
• Granted Patent: US 8,600,655 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/223
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/26 specially adapted for navigation in a road network
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0244 using reflecting strips
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/582 of traffic signs
• 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: G08G 1/096716 where the received information does not generate an automatic action on the vehicle control
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096725 where the received information generates an automatic action on the vehicle control
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/09675 where a selection from the received information takes place in the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096783 where the origin of the information is a roadside individual element
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/167 Driving aids for lane monitoring, lane changing, e.g. blind spot detection

Abstract

Systems, methods, and programs capture an image of a periphery of a vehicle. The systems, methods, and programs, store predetermined patterns representing conditions of road markings formed on a road surface, detect a road marking on the basis of the captured image, and compare the detected road marking to the predetermined patterns. If the detected road marking matches one of the predetermined patterns, the systems, methods, and programs execute a predetermined action associated with the matching predetermined pattern.

Claims

1-5. -5. (canceled)

6. A road marking recognition system for a vehicle, comprising:

a camera disposed on the vehicle that captures an image of a periphery of the vehicle;

a memory that stores predetermined patterns representing conditions of road markings formed on a road surface; and

a controller that;

detects a road marking on the basis of the image captured by the camera;

compares the detected road marking to the predetermined patterns; and

if the detected road marking matches one of the predetermined patterns, executes a predetermined action associated with the matching predetermined pattern.

16. A road marking recognition method for use with a vehicle, comprising:

capturing an image of a periphery of the vehicle;

storing predetermined patterns representing conditions of road markings formed on a road surface;

detecting a road marking on the basis of the image captured by the camera;

comparing the detected road marking to the predetermined patterns; and

if the detected road marking matches one of the predetermined patterns, executing a predetermined action associated with the matching predetermined pattern.

17. The road marking recognition method according to claim 16, further comprising:

detecting a current location of the vehicle;

storing position information of road markings;

extracting information regarding a road marking positioned within a predetermined range of the detected current location from the stored position information;

comparing the extracted road marking to the predetermined patterns; and

if the extracted road marking matches one of the predetermined patterns, executes a predetermined action associated with the matching predetermined pattern.

18. The road marking recognition method according to claim 16, wherein each stored predetermined pattern comprises measurement starting points in a plurality of locations, the method further comprising:

selecting one of the measurement starting points from the plurality of measurement starting points on the basis of a condition of the detected road marking; and

calculating a distance between the vehicle and the detected road marking based on the selected measurement starting point.

19. The road marking recognition method according to claim 16, wherein the stored predetermined patterns comprise patterns indicating an approaching pedestrian crossing, the patterns indicating the approaching pedestrian crossing representing various types of deterioration.

20. The road marking recognition method according to claim 16, wherein the stored predetermined patterns comprise patterns representing a traffic lane boundary line positioned at a connection portion between a main road and an access road of an expressway, the patterns representing the traffic lane boundary line positioned at the connection portion between the main road and the access road of the expressway representing various types of deterioration.

21. The road marking recognition method according to claim 20, wherein the stored predetermined patterns comprise a pattern representing a traffic lane boundary line which has been divided in a length direction due to deterioration.

22. The road marking recognition method according to claim 20, further comprising:

detecting a current location of the vehicle;

storing position information of road markings;

extracting information regarding a road marking positioned within a predetermined range of the detected current location from the stored position information;

recognizing a shape of the road marking formed on the road surface on the basis of the captured image; and

when the recognized shape includes double lines that are parallel to each other via a predetermined gap and when the extracted information does not include information of a road marking containing double lines, detecting the recognized shape as the traffic lane boundary line.

23. The road marking recognition method according to claim 16, wherein the captured image an image of a rear periphery of the vehicle captured by a camera located on a rear of the vehicle.

24. The road marking recognition method according to claim 23, further comprising capturing an image of a front periphery of the vehicle with a second camera located on a front of the vehicle.

25. The road marking recognition method according to claim 24, further comprising:

detecting the road marking based on the image of the front periphery of the vehicle;

calculating a distance form the vehicle to the detected road marking; and

determining a timing for capturing an image of the road marking with the rear camera based on the calculated distance.

26. A computer-readable storage medium storing a computer-executable program usable to recognize road markings, the program comprising:

instructions for capturing an image of a periphery of a vehicle;

instructions for storing predetermined patterns representing conditions of road markings formed on a road surface;

instructions for detecting a road marking on the basis of the image captured by the camera;

instructions for comparing the detected road marking to the predetermined patterns; and

instructions for executing a predetermined action associated with the matching predetermined pattern if the detected road marking matches one of the predetermined patterns.