LANE DEPARTURE PREVENTION SUPPORT APPARATUS, METHOD OF DISPLAYING A LANE BOUNDARY LINE AND PROGRAM

• US 20120314055A1
• Filed: 05/03/2012
• Published: 12/13/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 06/08/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: KATAOKA, Hiroaki
• Granted Patent: US 8,896,687 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/117
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/167 Driving aids for lane monitoring, lane changing, e.g. blind spot detection

Abstract

A lane departure prevention support apparatus comprises: imaging means for capturing an image of a lane boundary line which defines a traveling lane; vehicle position detecting means for recognizing the lane boundary line in a recognition area of captured image data to detect a host vehicle position within the traveling lane in a width direction; assisting means for performing driver assist using the recognition result of the lane boundary line; displaying means for displaying the recognition result of the lane boundary line; and recognition result display controlling means for displaying an unrecognized lane boundary line according to the host vehicle position, if one of left and right white lines is not recognized, wherein a display of the unrecognized lane boundary line is not such a display which indicates that the lane boundary line is not recognized.

Claims

1. A lane departure prevention support apparatus, comprising:

an imaging device configured to capture an image of a lane boundary sign which defines a lane in which a vehicle is traveling;

a display apparatus configured to recognize the lane boundary sign from captured image data and display the lane boundary sign according to a recognition result and a host vehicle position; and

a vehicle position detecting part configured to detect the host vehicle position within the traveling lane, wherein

the lane departure prevention support apparatus is configured to prevent a departure from the traveling lane,

wherein the display apparatus is configured such that

under a status in which the lane boundary sign is not recognized, if the host vehicle is closer to one lane boundary sign of left and right lane boundary signs of the traveling lane and another lane boundary sign of the traveling lane is unrecognized, the display apparatus indicates a status in which the lane boundary signs are recognized, and

under the status in which the lane boundary sign is not recognized, if the host vehicle is not closer to one lane boundary sign of the left and the right lane boundary signs of the traveling lane, the display apparatus indicates a status in which the lane boundary sign is not recognized.

2. The lane departure prevention support apparatus of claim 1, wherein if a farther lane boundary sign with respect to the host vehicle position recognized by the vehicle position detecting part is not recognized, the display apparatus indicates a status in which the farther lane boundary sign with respect to the host vehicle position is recognized.

3. The lane departure prevention support apparatus of claim 2, further comprising a distance detecting part configured to detect, based on the host vehicle position recognized by the vehicle position detecting part and a lane width of the traveling lane, a first distance from the farther lane boundary sign with respect to the host vehicle position to the host vehicle position, wherein

if the first distance is greater than or equal to a threshold, the display apparatus indicates a status in which the farther lane boundary sign with respect to the host vehicle position is recognized.

4. The lane departure prevention support apparatus of claim 3, wherein the distance detecting part detects, based on the host vehicle position recognized by the vehicle position detecting part and a lane width of the traveling lane, a second distance from a nearer lane boundary sign with respect to the host vehicle position to the host vehicle position, or a departure amount of the host vehicle position with respect to a center line of the traveling lane, and

if the second distance is less than a value of (the lane width)−

(the threshold) or the departure amount is greater than or equal to a value of (the threshold)−

(the lane width)/2, the display indicates a status in which the farther lane boundary sign with respect to the host vehicle position is recognized.

5. The lane departure prevention support apparatus of claim 2, wherein if the display apparatus detects that the recognized lane boundary sign has moved out of a recognition area from a right end or a left end of the recognition area, the display apparatus determines the moved lane boundary sign as the farther lane boundary sign with respect to the host vehicle position, the recognition area being set in the captured image data for recognizing the lane boundary sign.

6. The lane departure prevention support apparatus of claim 3, wherein if the display apparatus detects that the recognized lane boundary sign has moved out of a recognition area from a right end or a left end of the recognition area, the display apparatus determines the moved lane boundary sign as the farther lane boundary sign with respect to the host vehicle position, the recognition area being set in the captured image data for recognizing the lane boundary sign.

7. The lane departure prevention support apparatus of claim 4, wherein if the display apparatus detects that the recognized lane boundary sign has moved out of a recognition area from a right end or a left end of the recognition area, the display apparatus determines the moved lane boundary sign as the farther lane boundary sign with respect to the host vehicle position, the recognition area being set in the captured image data for recognizing the lane boundary sign.

8. The lane departure prevention support apparatus of claim 1, wherein if the host vehicle becomes closer to one of the left and the right lane boundary signs of the traveling lane more than a threshold, the display apparatus indicates a status in which the lane boundary sign, which is opposite to the closer lane boundary sign, is recognized.

9. The lane departure prevention support apparatus of claim 1, wherein if the host vehicle is away from another of the left and the right lane boundary signs of the traveling lane more than a threshold, the display apparatus indicates a status in which the lane boundary sign, which is away from the host vehicle, is recognized.

10. A lane departure prevention method, comprising:

capturing an image of a lane boundary sign which defines a traveling lane in which a host vehicle is traveling;

recognizing the lane boundary sign from captured image data,

detecting a host vehicle position within the traveling lane;

under a status in which the lane boundary sign is not recognized, indicating a status in which the lane boundary signs are recognized, if the host vehicle is closer to one lane boundary sign of left and right lane boundary signs of the traveling lane and another lane boundary sign of the traveling lane is unrecognized,

under a status in which the lane boundary sign is not recognized, indicating a status in which the lane boundary sign is not recognized, if the host vehicle is not closer to one lane boundary sign of the left and the right lane boundary signs of the traveling lane; and

preventing a departure of the host vehicle from the traveling lane according to the host vehicle position.

11. A recording medium on which a program is stored for causing a computer to

capture an image of a lane boundary sign which defines a traveling lane in which a host vehicle is traveling;

recognize the lane boundary sign from captured image data,

detect a host vehicle position within the traveling lane;

under a status in which the lane boundary sign is not recognized, indicate a status in which the lane boundary signs are recognized, if the host vehicle is closer to one lane boundary sign of left and right lane boundary signs of the traveling lane and another lane boundary sign of the traveling lane is unrecognized,

under a status in which the lane boundary sign is not recognized, indicate a status in which the lane boundary sign is not recognized, if the host vehicle is not closer to one lane boundary sign of the left and the right lane boundary signs of the traveling lane; and

prevent a departure of the host vehicle from the traveling lane according to the host vehicle position.