Method of determining the passage of a vehicle through a gap

• US 8,854,462 B2
• Filed: 08/06/2007
• Issued: 10/07/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 08/24/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Valeo Vision (Valeo SE)
• Original Assignee: Valeo Vision (Valeo SE)
• Inventors: Herbin, Anne, Reilhac, Patrice
• Primary Examiner(s): Dharia, Rupal
• Assistant Examiner(s): Ma, Wing
• Application Number:
  US11/834,145
• Publication Number:
  US 20080049150A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,619 Days
• Field of Search: 348/148, 348/149, 348113-115, 340/435, 340/436, 701/300, 701/301
• US Class Current: 348/148
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 2400/50 Projected symbol or information, e.g. onto the road or car body
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 9/00 Arrangement or adaptation of signal devices not provided for in one of main groups B60Q1/00 - B60Q7/00 , e.g. haptic signalling
• 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 1/165 for passive traffic, e.g. including static obstacles, trees
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/166 for active traffic, e.g. moving vehicles, pedestrians, bikes
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/168 Driving aids for parking, e.g. acoustic or visual feedback on parking space

Abstract

The invention discloses a method of determining the ability of a vehicle to pass through a restricted gap in the roadway, including the steps of: detecting a restricted gap in the roadway, defining an image of the vehicle, and comparing the vehicle image with the restricted gap.

Claims

1. A method of determining the ability of a vehicle to pass through a restricted gap in a roadway, said method comprising the steps of:

detecting the restricted gap in said roadway using a camera and generating an image of said restricted gap in response thereto, said restricted gap being an area between at least two objects and said image of said restricted gap being an image captured in a direction of travel of said vehicle;

defining a vehicle image of said vehicle;

comparing said vehicle image with said image of said restricted gap using an evaluation unit;

determining a projection distance between said vehicle and said restricted gap and using said projection distance to dimensionally re-size and scale said vehicle image to provide a scaled image of said vehicle relative to said image of said restricted gap; and

simultaneously displaying on a display said scaled vehicle image and said image of said restricted gap to enable a driver to determine whether said vehicle can pass through said restricted gap;

wherein said image of said restricted gap is fixed on said display and said scaled image of said vehicle adapts and is scaled to said image of said restricted gap, while said image of said restricted gap on said display does not move;

wherein the method further comprises the steps of;

using said projection distance to dimensionally re-size and scale said vehicle image to provide a scaled image of the said vehicle relative to said image of said restricted gap; and

fixing said image of said restricted gap on said display and adapting said scaled image of said vehicle to said image of said restricted gap, while said image of said restricted gap on said display does not move;

said scaled vehicle image being overlaid on said image of said restricted gap so that a dimensional scale of said scaled vehicle image of said vehicle matches a scale of the restricted gap and is located in its image plane.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein comparison of said vehicle image with said restricted gap is automatic.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein said restricted gap and said vehicle image are represented on a display in a manner such that comparison of said restricted gap represented with said vehicle image makes it possible to determine whether said vehicle can pass through said restricted gap without damage.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein said restricted gap represented on a display forms part of a recorded image of an environment.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein a position and a plane of said vehicle image are manually adjustable on a display to move said vehicle image to a location of said restricted gap.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein a position and a plane of said vehicle image are moved automatically on a display situated in said vehicle to a location of said restricted gap.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein said restricted gap is fixed in a display situated in said vehicle.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein said vehicle image is sized in relation to a speed of said vehicle and a projection distance, the latter being a distance between a front of said vehicle and said vehicle image.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein said vehicle image is defined in relation to a vehicle model.

10. The method according to claim 1, wherein, in case of overlap of said vehicle image and zones delineating said restricted gap, a warning signal is emitted.

11. The method according to claim 1, wherein said vehicle image is represented by at least one of an outline of said vehicle or a line depicting its outline.

12. The method according to claim 1, wherein a travel path running towards said vehicle image is shown in a bottom part of a display situated in said vehicle.

13. The method according to claim 1, wherein at least one of a width or height of said vehicle is made visible for a user of said vehicle in a direction of travel in front of said vehicle by means of light sources disposed on said vehicle.

14. The method according to claim 1, wherein light sources project onto said roadway two lines delimiting a width and/or height of said vehicle.

15. A driver assistance system for implementation of said method according to claim 1, including:

a camera to record an environment,

an evaluation unit, said evaluation unit comprising;

an image analyzer that detects a restricted gap in a roadway,

a comparator that compares said restricted gap with an image of a vehicle, and

said vehicle on a display.

16. The driver assistance system according to claim 15, in which a reproduction of a recorded environment and said image of said vehicle are represented on said display.

17. The driver assistance system according to claim 15, additionally including an automatic adjustment unit that adjusts a position and a plane of said image of said vehicle on said display and to move said image of said vehicle to a location of said restricted gap.

18. The driver assistance system according to claim 15, additionally including light sources to render at least one of a width or a height of said vehicle visible for a user of said vehicle.

19. The method according to claim 1, wherein said method further comprises the step of:

generating a warning to a driver if a comparison shows that said restricted gap is smaller than acceptable.

20. The driver assistance system according to claim 15, wherein said driver assistance system further comprises:

an alarm to the driver for generating a signal if a comparison of said restricted gap with said image of said vehicle establishes that said vehicle will not fit through said restricted gap.

21. A system for determining the ability of a vehicle to pass through a restricted gap in a roadway, said system comprising:

a camera for detecting the restricted gap in said roadway to generate an image of said restricted gap in response thereto, said restricted gap being an area behind at least two objects and said image of said restricted gap being an image captured in a direction of travel of said vehicle;

an evaluation unit that compares a vehicle image of the vehicle with said image of said restricted gap;

said evaluation unit determining a projection distance between said vehicle and said restricted gap and using said projection distance to dimensionally re-size and scale said vehicle image to provide a scaled image of said vehicle relative to said image of said restricted gap; and

a display for simultaneously displaying said scaled vehicle image and said image of said restricted gap to enable a driver to determine whether said vehicle can pass through said restricted gap in response to said comparison;

wherein said image of said restricted gap is fixed on said display and said scaled image of said vehicle adapts and is scaled to said image of said restricted gap, while said image of said restricted gap on said display does not move;

wherein said evaluation unit uses said projection distance to dimensionally scale and re-size said vehicle image to provide a scaled image of the said vehicle relative to said image of said restricted gap and then fixes said image of said restricted gap on said display and adapts said scaled image of said vehicle to said image of said restricted gap, while said image of said restricted gap on said display does not move;

said scaled vehicle image being overlaid on said image of said restricted gap so that a dimensional scale of said scaled vehicle image of said vehicle matches a scale of the restricted gap and is located in its image plane.

22. The system according to claim 21, wherein evaluation unit compares said vehicle image with said image of said restricted gap automatically.

23. The system according to claim 21, wherein said restricted gap and said vehicle image are represented on said display in a manner such that comparison of said restricted gap represented with said vehicle image makes it possible to determine whether said vehicle can pass through said restricted gap without damage.