Recognition and prediction of lane constraints and construction areas in navigation

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10150473-B2
Application number	US-201514828112-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 17, 2015
Priority date	Aug 18, 2014
Publication date	Dec 11, 2018
Grant date	Dec 11, 2018

Abstract

Systems and methods use cameras to provide autonomous and/or driver-assist navigation features. In some implementations, techniques for predicting the location of first roadway lane constraints are provided. The system may receive multiple images of a roadway in a vicinity of a vehicle, recognize a first roadway lane constraint, and, when lane prediction conditions are determined to be satisfied, predict a location of a second roadway lane constraint. In some implementations, techniques for detecting and responding to construction zones are provided. The system may receive multiple images of a roadway in a vicinity of a vehicle, recognize indicators of a construction zone in the images, determine that the vehicle is proximate to a construction zone, and output a signal indicating that the vehicle is proximate to a construction zone.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A device mountable on a vehicle, comprising:
a camera adapted to capture, when mounted on the vehicle, and while the vehicle is in motion, multiple images of a roadway within a field of view of the camera;
a processor configured to:
obtain the multiple images from the camera;
apply image processing to the multiple images to recognize a first roadway lane constraint appearing in at least one of the multiple images;
determine, based on the multiple images, that one or more defined lane prediction conditions are satisfied;
in accordance with a determination that one or more defined lane prediction conditions are satisfied, predict a location of a second roadway lane constraint;
while predicting the location of the second roadway lane constraint, enable automatic control of the vehicle according to the predicted location of the second roadway lane constraint;
issue a control signal to control a motion of the vehicle according to the predicted location of the second roadway lane constraint;
determine whether one or more defined lane prediction cancellation conditions are satisfied;
in accordance with a determination that one or more defined lane prediction cancellation conditions are satisfied, disable automatic control of the vehicle according to the predicted location of the second roadway lane constraint.

2. The device according to claim 1 , wherein the processor is configured to issue a notification or a control signal to direct a motion of the vehicle according to a location of the first roadway lane constraint.

3. The device according to claim 1 , wherein the processor is configured to issue a notification or a control signal to direct a motion of the vehicle along a lane or an area between the first roadway lane constraint and the second roadway lane constraint.

4. The device according to claim 1 , wherein the processor is configured to issue a notification or a control signal for moving the vehicle issue a notification or a control signal to direct a motion of the vehicle to avoid the first roadway lane constraint and the second roadway lane constraint.

5. The device of claim 1 , wherein the one or more defined lane prediction conditions comprise that the second roadway lane constraint ceases to be recognized, based on the multiple images, as the vehicle moves on the roadway.

6. The device of claim 1 , wherein the one or more defined lane prediction conditions comprise that the first roadway lane constraint has been recognized for at least a threshold time or a threshold distance.

7. The device of claim 1 , wherein the one or more defined lane prediction conditions comprise that a guard rail is present in the vicinity of the vehicle.

8. The device of claim 7 , wherein determining that a guard rail is present in the vicinity of the vehicle comprises detecting, in the one or more images, a pattern created by posts supporting the guard rail.

9. The device of claim 7 , wherein the one or more defined lane prediction conditions comprise that the guard rail is casting a shadow onto the roadway.

10. The device of claim 1 , wherein the one or more defined lane prediction conditions comprise that multiple parallel edges are detected, in the multiple images, on one side of a lane on the roadway.

11. The device of claim 1 , wherein predicting the location of the second roadway lane constraint comprises accounting for a location of the first roadway lane constraint.

12. The device of claim 1 , wherein predicting the location of the second roadway lane constraint comprises predicting a width of a lane based on information about a previously determined width of the lane.

13. The device of claim 1 , wherein the processor is configured to:
in accordance with a determination that one or more defined lane prediction cancellation conditions are satisfied, cease to predict the location of the second roadway lane constraint.

14. The device of claim 1 , wherein the one or more defined lane prediction cancellation conditions comprise that, after ceasing to be recognized, the second roadway lane constraint is recognized based on the one or more images.

15. The device of claim 1 , wherein the one or more defined lane prediction cancellation conditions comprise that a driver is moving the vehicle between lanes.

16. The device of claim 1 , wherein the one or more defined lane prediction cancellation conditions comprise that the vehicle is traversing a curve that exceeds a predefined sharpness threshold.

17. The device of claim 1 , wherein determining whether one or more defined lane prediction cancellation conditions are satisfied comprises:
selecting a maximum lane prediction distance setting, and
determining whether a distance traveled by the vehicle while predicting the location of the second roadway lane constraint is greater than a maximum lane prediction distance associated with the maximum lane prediction distance setting.

18. The device of claim 17 , wherein selecting a maximum lane prediction distance setting comprises, in accordance with a determination that a first lane is merging with a second lane in the vicinity of the vehicle, selecting a maximum lane prediction distance setting such that the maximum lane prediction distance is greater than a default maximum lane prediction distance.

19. The device of claim 17 , wherein selecting a maximum lane prediction distance setting comprises, in accordance with a determination that defined guard-rail conditions are satisfied, selecting a maximum lane prediction distance setting having no maximum lane prediction distance.

20. The device of claim 17 , wherein selecting a maximum lane prediction distance setting comprises, in accordance with a determination that defined guard-rail conditions are satisfied, selecting a maximum lane prediction distance setting such that the maximum lane prediction distance is greater than a default maximum lane prediction distance.

21. The device according to claim 1 , wherein the processor is configured to issue a notification to control a motion of the vehicle according to the predicted location of the second roadway lane constraint.

22. A computer system comprising:
a memory that stores instructions, and
a processor that executes the instructions to cause the computer system to:
obtain multiple images from a camera, the camera being adapted to capture, when mounted on the vehicle, and while the vehicle is in motion, images of a roadway within a field of view of the camera;
apply image processing to the multiple images to recognize a first roadway lane constraint appearing in at least one of the multiple images;
determine, based on the multiple images, that one or more defined lane prediction conditions are satisfied;
in accordance with a determination that one or more defined lane prediction conditions are satisfied, predict a location of a second roadway lane constraint;
while predicting the location of the second roadway lane constraint, enable automatic control of the vehicle according to the predicted location of the second roadway lane constraint;
issue a control signal to direct a motion of the vehicle according to the predicted location of the second roadway lane constraint;
determine whether one or more defined lane prediction cancellation conditions are satisfied;
in accordance with a determination that one or more defined lane prediction cancellation conditions are satisfied, disable automatic control of the vehicle according to the predicted location of the se

Assignees

• Mobileye Vision Technologies Ltd

Inventors

• Aharony Hila
• Dyshel Maria
• Harel Amir
• Rabani Meital
• SHAMMAH Shaked
• Horn Kobi

Classifications

• B60W2710/18

  Braking system · CPC title

• B60W10/04

  including control of propulsion units · CPC title

• B60W10/18

  including control of braking systems · CPC title

• G06K9/00798

  Physics · mapped topic

• B60W10/20

  including control of steering systems · CPC title