Headlight, taillight and streetlight detection
First Claim
1. In a computerized vehicle control system including an image sensor mounted on a moving vehicle, wherein the image sensor captures consecutively in real time a plurality of image frames, a method comprising the steps of:
- (a) in at least one of the image frames, detecting a spot of measurable brightness;
(b) matching in at least one subsequent image frame of the image frames, a corresponding spot, wherein said spot and said corresponding spot are images of a light source;
(c) acquiring data respectively from said spot and from said corresponding spot,wherein said data includes at least one of position characteristics, intensity characteristics, size characteristics, and shape characteristics, but not color characteristics, of said light source; and
(d) processing said data, thereby classifying the light source based on said data, and producing a light source classification, wherein substantially all the image frames are available to the computerized vehicle control system and at least one other vehicle control system;
wherein the vehicle control system controls headlights of the moving vehicle based on said light source classification and said at least one other vehicle control system is selected from the group consisting of a lane departure warning system, a collision warning system, and an ego-motion estimation system.
3 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A method in a computerized system including an image sensor mounted in a moving vehicle. The image sensor captures image frames consecutively in real time. In one of the image flames, a spot is detected of measurable brightness; the spot is matched in subsequent image frames. The image frames are available for sharing between the computerized system and another vehicle control system. The spot and the corresponding spot are images of the same object. The object is typically one or more of headlights from an oncoming vehicle, taillights of a leading vehicle, streetlights, street signs and/or traffic signs. Data is acquired from the spot and from the corresponding spot. By processing the data, the object (or spot) is classified. producing an object classification. The vehicle control system controls preferably headlights of the moving vehicle based on the object classification. The other vehicle control system using the image frames is one or more of: lane departure warning system, collision warning system and/or ego-motion estimation system.
209 Citations
27 Claims
-
1. In a computerized vehicle control system including an image sensor mounted on a moving vehicle, wherein the image sensor captures consecutively in real time a plurality of image frames, a method comprising the steps of:
-
(a) in at least one of the image frames, detecting a spot of measurable brightness; (b) matching in at least one subsequent image frame of the image frames, a corresponding spot, wherein said spot and said corresponding spot are images of a light source; (c) acquiring data respectively from said spot and from said corresponding spot, wherein said data includes at least one of position characteristics, intensity characteristics, size characteristics, and shape characteristics, but not color characteristics, of said light source; and (d) processing said data, thereby classifying the light source based on said data, and producing a light source classification, wherein substantially all the image frames are available to the computerized vehicle control system and at least one other vehicle control system; wherein the vehicle control system controls headlights of the moving vehicle based on said light source classification and said at least one other vehicle control system is selected from the group consisting of a lane departure warning system, a collision warning system, and an ego-motion estimation system. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
-
-
12. In a computerized system including an image sensor mounted on a moving vehicle, wherein the image sensor captures in real time an image frame, a method comprising the steps of:
-
(a) detecting in the image frame a plurality of spots of measurable brightness, wherein said spots are respective images of a plurality of light sources; (b) acquiring data from said spots; and (c) processing said data, thereby classifying said light sources based on said data; wherein said classifying is performed by previously training with a plurality of known images, and wherein at least one edge of at least one of said spots is detected and an intensity profile across said at least one edge is used for said classifying. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23)
-
-
24. In a computerized system including an image sensor mounted on a moving vehicle, wherein the image sensor captures in real time an image frame, a method comprising the steps of:
-
(a) detecting in the image frame a spot of measurable brightness, wherein said spot is an image of at least one light source, said spot including a cluster of patches of intensity; (b) acquiring data from said spot; and (c) processing said data, thereby classifying said at least one light source based on said patches, wherein said classifying is based on a symmetry of said cluster, wherein said at least one light source is classified as a traffic sign based on a lack of said symmetry, and wherein the image sensor has a high dynamic range with a linear response corresponding to more than eight bits or by having a nonlinear response to light intensity and wherein said acquiring data is performed using said high dynamic range. - View Dependent Claims (25, 26, 27)
-
Specification