VEHICLE VISION SYSTEM WITH ADAPTIVE LANE MARKER DETECTION

• US 20160180180A1
• Filed: 12/15/2015
• Published: 06/23/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 12/18/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Magna Electronics Incorporated (Magna International Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Magna Electronics Incorporated (Magna International Incorporated)
• Inventors: Djeziri, Salim, Gupta, Nikhil, Corral-Soto, Eduardo R.
• Granted Patent: US 9,946,940 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/10016 Video; Image sequence
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/30256 Lane; Road marking
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/12 Edge-based segmentation
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/181 involving edge growing; involving edge linking
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 10/421 by analysing segments intersecting the pattern
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 10/44 Local feature extraction by analysis of parts of the pattern, e.g. by detecting edges, contours, loops, corners, strokes or intersections; Connectivity analysis, e.g. of connected components
• 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: H04N 7/188 Capturing isolated or intermittent images triggered by the occurrence of a predetermined event, e.g. an object reaching a predetermined position signal generation from motion picture films H04N5/253

Abstract

A vision system of a vehicle includes a camera configured to be disposed at a vehicle so as to have a field of view exterior of the vehicle. An image processor is operable to process image data captured by the camera. The image processor is operable to determine lane markers on a road on which the vehicle is traveling. The image processor processes intensity gradient information of captured image data to determine lane markers, and, responsive to processing of captured image data, the image processor is operable to detect straight or curved lane markers. The image processor is operable to adapt the processing of lane marker image data in subsequent frames of captured image data responsive to image processing of lane marker image data in previous frames of captured image data.

Claims

1. A vision system of a vehicle, said vision system comprising:

a camera configured to be disposed at a vehicle so as to have a field of view exterior of the vehicle;

wherein said camera comprises a pixelated imaging array having a plurality of photosensing elements;

an image processor operable to process frames of image data captured by said camera;

wherein, with said camera disposed at the vehicle, said image processor is operable to determine lane markers on a road on which the vehicle is traveling;

wherein said image processor processes intensity gradient information of captured image data to determine lane markers, and wherein, responsive to processing of captured image data, said image processor is operable to detect straight or curved lane markers; and

wherein said image processor is operable to adapt the processing of lane marker image data in subsequent frames of captured image data responsive to image processing of lane marker image data in previous frames of captured image data.

2. The vision system of claim 1, wherein said image processor determines respective contrast values at both sides of a center region of a determined lane marker.

3. The vision system of claim 2, wherein, using the determined contrast values over a plurality of angles, said image processor determines a maximum contrast value over a plurality of orientations.

4. The vision system of claim 2, wherein said system utilizes a database of contrast values for central, left and right regions for typical angles of a lane marker segment relative to the direction of travel of the vehicle, and compares the determined contrast values with database contrast values to determine the angle of a determined lane marker segment relative to the vehicle.

5. The vision system of claim 4, wherein the database provides sets of pixels for central, right and left regions around each determined point of the determined lane marker segment.

6. The vision system of claim 1, wherein, responsive to processing of captured image data, portions of lane markers are grouped to determine the angle of the determined lane marker relative to the direction of travel of the vehicle.

7. The vision system of claim 1, wherein, responsive to processing of captured image data, lane marker segments are determined.

8. The vision system of claim 7, wherein a direction of lane markers on the road is derived by grouping determined lane marker segments to form lines.

9. The vision system of claim 8, wherein said vision system approximates a direction of a group of lane marker segments using linear regression.

10. The vision system of claim 1, wherein, responsive to processing of captured image data, determined lane marker segments are grouped within respective bounding boxes that encompass determined points along the determined lane marker segments.

11. The vision system of claim 10, wherein lane marker segments are grouped to determine a lane marker and a direction of the determined lane marker responsive to a determination that a gap between centers of adjacent bounding boxes is less than a width of the larger of both bounding boxes.

12. The vision system of claim 1, wherein said camera comprises a wide angle lens and wherein said camera has a wide angle field of view exterior of the vehicle.

13. A vision system of a vehicle, said vision system comprising:

a camera configured to be disposed at a vehicle so as to have a field of view exterior of the vehicle;

wherein said camera comprises a pixelated imaging array having a plurality of photosensing elements;

wherein said camera comprises a wide angle lens and wherein said camera has a wide angle field of view exterior of the vehicle;

an image processor operable to process frames of image data captured by said camera;

wherein, with said camera disposed at the vehicle, said image processor is operable to determine lane markers on a road on which the vehicle is traveling;

wherein said image processor processes intensity gradient information of captured image data to determine lane markers, and wherein, responsive to processing of captured image data, said image processor is operable to detect straight or curved lane markers;

wherein said image processor is operable to adapt the processing of lane marker image data in subsequent frames of captured image data responsive to image processing of lane marker image data in previous frames of captured image data;

wherein said image processor determines respective contrast values at both sides of a center region of a determined lane marker;

wherein, using the determined contrast values over a plurality of angles, said image processor determines a maximum contrast value over a plurality of orientations; and

wherein said system utilizes a database of contrast values for central, left and right regions for typical angles of a lane marker segment relative to the direction of travel of the vehicle, and compares the determined contrast values with database contrast values to determine the angle of a determined lane marker segment relative to the vehicle.

14. The vision system of claim 13, wherein the database provides sets of pixels for central, right and left regions around each determined point of the determined lane marker segment.

15. The vision system of claim 13, wherein, responsive to processing of captured image data, portions of lane markers are grouped to determine the angle of the determined lane marker relative to the direction of travel of the vehicle.

16. The vision system of claim 13, wherein, responsive to processing of captured image data, lane marker segments are determined, and wherein a direction of lane markers on the road is derived by grouping determined lane marker segments to form lines.

17. A vision system of a vehicle, said vision system comprising:

a camera configured to be disposed at a vehicle so as to have a field of view exterior of the vehicle;

wherein said camera comprises a pixelated imaging array having a plurality of photosensing elements;

wherein said camera comprises a wide angle lens and wherein said camera has a wide angle field of view exterior of the vehicle;

an image processor operable to process frames of image data captured by said camera;

wherein, with said camera disposed at the vehicle, said image processor is operable to determine lane markers on a road on which the vehicle is traveling;

wherein said image processor processes intensity gradient information of captured image data to determine lane markers, and wherein, responsive to processing of captured image data, said image processor is operable to detect straight or curved lane markers;

wherein said image processor is operable to adapt the processing of lane marker image data in subsequent frames of captured image data responsive to image processing of lane marker image data in previous frames of captured image data;

wherein said image processor determines respective contrast values at both sides of a center region of a determined lane marker;

wherein, responsive to processing of captured image data, lane marker segments are determined; and

wherein a direction of lane markers on the road is derived by grouping determined lane marker segments to form lines.

18. The vision system of claim 17, wherein said vision system approximates a direction of a group of lane marker segments using linear regression.

19. The vision system of claim 17, wherein, responsive to processing of captured image data, determined lane marker segments are grouped within respective bounding boxes that encompass determined points along the determined lane marker segments.

20. The vision system of claim 19, wherein lane marker segments are grouped to determine a lane marker and a direction of the determined lane marker responsive to a determination that a gap between centers of adjacent bounding boxes is less than a width of the larger of both bounding boxes.