Method and device for classifying a light object located ahead of a vehicle

• US 20130058592A1
• Filed: 08/22/2012
• Published: 03/07/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 08/23/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
• Original Assignee: Gregor Schwarzenberg
• Inventors: SCHWARZENBERG, Gregor
• Granted Patent: US 8,965,142 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 382/274
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/584 of vehicle lights or traffic lights

Abstract

A method for classifying a light object located ahead of a vehicle, the method including a determination of a brightness curve assigned to the light object via at least two images which depict the light object at different times and a combination of the brightness curve with a characteristic brightness curve, in order to classify the light object.

Claims

1. A method for classifying a light object located ahead of a vehicle, the method comprising:

determining a brightness curve assigned to the light object via at least two images, which depict the light object at different times; and

combining the brightness curve with a characteristic brightness curve to classify the light object.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

selecting the characteristic brightness curve as a function of an instantaneous illumination characteristic of a headlight of the vehicle which illuminates the area ahead of the vehicle.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein, in the determination, a first brightness of the light object in a first image, which depicts the light object, and at least one second brightness of the light object in at least one second image, which depicts the light object, are determined and the brightness curve is determined from the first brightness and the at least one second brightness.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein, in the determination, the brightness curve is determined as a change between the first brightness and the at least one second brightness.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein, in the determination, the brightness curve is determined over a number of images, which are recorded within a pre-definable time span and depict the light object.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the determination and combination are performed continuously until the light object is classified.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein, in the combination, the brightness curve is combined with a brightness curve which is characteristic for a reflecting light object to classify the depicted light object as one of a reflecting light object and a self-luminous light object.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein, in the combination, a correlation is performed between the brightness curve and the characteristic brightness curve.

9. A device for classifying a light object located ahead of a vehicle, comprising:

a determining arrangement to determine a brightness curve assigned to the light object via at least two images, which depict the light object at different times; and

a combining arrangement to combine the brightness curve with a characteristic brightness curve to classify the light object.

10. A computer readable medium having a computer program, which is executable by a processor, comprising:

a program code arrangement having program code for classifying a light object located ahead of a vehicle, by performing the following;

determining a brightness curve assigned to the light object via at least two images, which depict the light object at different times; and

combining the brightness curve with a characteristic brightness curve to classify the light object.