METHOD FOR DETECTING VEHICLE-TO-VEHICLE DISTANCE AND SYSTEM THEREOF

• US 20100085173A1
• Filed: 03/20/2009
• Published: 04/08/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 10/08/2008
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Altek Corporation
• Original Assignee: Altek Corporation
• Inventors: LIN, Tzu-Chih, YANG, Chih-Kun
• Application Number:
  US12/407,891
• Publication Number:
  US 20100085173A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/435
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/017 identifying vehicles G08G1/015, G08G1/054 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/166 for active traffic, e.g. moving vehicles, pedestrians, bikes

Abstract

A method for detecting a vehicle-to-vehicle distance and a system thereof are applied in a first vehicle for detecting a distance between the first vehicle and a second vehicle. The method includes focusing on the second vehicle; capturing an image of the second vehicle after the focusing; analyzing the captured image to obtain at least one main feature in the image; determining whether the image is a vehicle license plate according to the main feature; calculating a focusing distance to the second vehicle after the focusing when the image is the vehicle license plate; outputting the calculated focusing distance as the vehicle-to-vehicle distance. A low-cost and reliable dynamic vehicle alarm and protection system can be realized based on the method for detecting a vehicle-to-vehicle distance.

Claims

1. A method for detecting a vehicle-to-vehicle distance, applied in a first vehicle, for obtaining a distance between the first vehicle and a second vehicle, the method comprising:

focusing on the second vehicle;

capturing an image of the second vehicle after the focusing;

analyzing the captured image to obtain at least one main feature in the image;

determining whether the image is a vehicle license plate according to the main feature;

calculating a focusing distance to the second vehicle after the focusing when the image is the vehicle license plate; and

outputting the calculated focusing distance as the vehicle-to-vehicle distance.

2. The method for detecting a vehicle-to-vehicle distance according to claim 1, further comprising:

continually storing the image and the vehicle-to-vehicle distance at different time points.

3. The method for detecting a vehicle-to-vehicle distance according to claim 1, wherein the at least one main feature comprises at least one of a shape of the vehicle license plate, words and symbols on the vehicle license plate, numbers on the vehicle license plate, and a color of the vehicle license plate.

4. The method for detecting a vehicle-to-vehicle distance according to claim 1, further comprising:

lowering a driving speed of the first vehicle when the vehicle-to-vehicle distance is smaller than a set value.

5. The method for detecting a vehicle-to-vehicle distance according to claim 4, wherein the set value is between 1 m and 30 m.

6. A system for detecting a vehicle-to-vehicle distance, applied in a first vehicle, for obtaining a distance between the first vehicle and a second vehicle, the system comprising:

an image pickup device, embedded on a surface of the first vehicle, for capturing an image of the second vehicle after focusing, and transmitting the image and a focusing distance of the second vehicle after the focusing; and

an image recognition device, electrically connected to the image pickup device, for analyzing at least one main feature in the captured image after receiving the image and the focusing distance, determining whether the image is a vehicle license plate according to the at least one main feature, and using the focusing distance as the vehicle-to-vehicle distance when the image is the vehicle license plate.

7. The system for detecting a vehicle-to-vehicle distance according to claim 6, wherein the at least one main feature comprises at least one of a shape of the vehicle license plate, words and symbols on the vehicle license plate, numbers on the vehicle license plate, and a color of the vehicle license plate.

8. The system for detecting a vehicle-to-vehicle distance according to claim 6, further comprising:

a storage unit, disposed in the first vehicle, for continually storing the image and the vehicle-to-vehicle distance at different time points.

9. The system for detecting a vehicle-to-vehicle distance according to claim 6, further comprising:

a power system, disposed in the first vehicle, and connected to the image recognition device, for automatically lowering a driving speed when the image is the car license plate and the vehicle-to-vehicle distance is smaller than a set value.

10. The system for detecting a vehicle-to-vehicle distance according to claim 9, wherein the set value is between 1 m and 30 m.