Object recognition device

• US 7,898,437 B2
• Filed: 05/15/2007
• Issued: 03/01/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 05/17/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Aisin AW Company Limited (Aisin Corp.), Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Aisin AW Company Limited (Aisin Corp.), Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Nakamura, Motohiro, Hasunuma, Makoto, Nakamura, Masaki, Okada, Kiyokazu
• Primary Examiner(s): Bugg; George A
• Assistant Examiner(s): LAU, HOI CHING
• Application Number:
  US12/067,100
• Publication Number:
  US 20100061591A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,386 Days
• Field of Search: 340/995.25, 340/990, 340/988, 340/995.14, 340/903, 340/436, 340/995.24, 340/435, 382/103, 382/104, 382/154, 382/190, 701/212, 701/35, 701/221, 701/200, 701/207, 701/208
• US Class Current: 340/995.25
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/30 Map- or contour-matching
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3602 Input other than that of destination using image analysis, e.g. detection of road signs, lanes, buildings, real preceding vehicles using a camera
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 7/04 involving a vehicle which moves along the profile to be traced
• 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: G08G 1/16 Anti-collision systems road vehicle drive control systems for predicting or avoiding probable or impending collision otherwise than by control of a particular sub-unit B60W30/08
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/166 for active traffic, e.g. moving vehicles, pedestrians, bikes
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/167 Driving aids for lane monitoring, lane changing, e.g. blind spot detection

Abstract

An object recognition device detects a position of a vehicle based on a running path obtained by GPS, vehicle speed, steering angle, etc., and also detects the position of the vehicle based on a result of recognition of an object obtained using a captured image of a camera. The device computes a positioning accuracy in detecting the vehicle position, which accuracy mostly deteriorates as a movement distance of the vehicle increases. Positional data of the object on the road to be recognized is stored in a map database beforehand. A recognition range of the road of the object to be recognized is set based on the detected position of the vehicle, a position of the object stored in the map database, and the computed positioning accuracy. The object is recognized for the set recognition range by processing of the captured image of the camera.

Claims

1. An object recognition device of an automotive vehicle, comprising:

a positioning part including a microcomputer, which detects a position of the vehicle in accordance with a predetermined method;

a positioning-accuracy computing part including a microcomputer, which computes a positioning accuracy in detecting a position of the vehicle;

a storing part including a storage medium or a recording medium, which stores beforehand positional information of an object on a road to be recognized by the vehicle;

a recognition-range part including a microcomputer, which sets a recognition range of the road of the object to be recognized, based on the position of the vehicle detected by the positioning part, a position of the object stored by the storing part, and the positioning accuracy computed by the positioning accuracy computing part; and

an object recognition part including a camera, which recognizes the object for the recognition range set by the recognition-range setting part;

wherein the positioning-accuracy computing part is arranged so that a level of the position accuracy, computed at a time of adjusting of the detected position of the vehicle by the positioning part based on a recognition result of the object, decreases in accordance with an increase of a movement distance of the vehicle.

2. The object recognition device according to claim 1, wherein the recognition-range setting part is arranged to set a wider recognition range as the level of the positioning accuracy computed by the positioning accuracy computing part decreases.

3. The object recognition device according to claim 1, wherein the recognition-range setting part is arranged to set a wider recognition range as a distance from the position of the vehicle detected by the positioning part to the position of the object stored by the storing part increases.

4. The object recognition device according to claim 1, wherein, when the object is recognized for the recognition range by the object recognition part, the positioning part adjusts the detected position of the vehicle obtained from GPS or a running path of the vehicle, based on the recognition result from the object recognition part.

5. The object recognition device according to claim 1, further comprising a recognized object setting part which sets, as an object to be recognized, a specific object from among all objects positional information of which is stored in the storing part which exists on a running path of the vehicle, wherein the object recognition part is arranged to recognize only the specific object that is set by the recognized object setting part.

6. The object recognition device according to claim 1, further comprising a recognized object setting part wherein, when a support control part which performs support control of the vehicle according to a position of the vehicle requests the object recognition device to meet a required positioning accuracy during execution of the support control, the recognized object setting part sets, as an object to be recognized, a specific object from among all objects positional information of which is stored in the storing part, which specific object exists on a running path of the vehicle in which adjusting of the detected position of the vehicle by the positioning part based on the recognition result allows the positioning accuracy required by the support control part to be met during execution of the support control,

wherein the object recognition part is arranged to recognize only the specific object that is set by the recognized object setting part.

7. The object recognition device according to claim 1, wherein the object recognition part recognizes the object using image information obtained from an image of the recognition range set by the recognition-range setting part, which image is captured by an imaging part arranged in a predetermined position of the vehicle.