Camera adjustment system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10778901-B2
Application number	US-201816021686-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 28, 2018
Priority date	Jun 27, 2018
Publication date	Sep 15, 2020
Grant date	Sep 15, 2020

Abstract

A camera adjustment system includes a camera, an actuator, an inertial-measurement-unit, and one or more controller-circuits. The camera renders an image of lane-markings of a roadway traveled by a host-vehicle. The actuator is operable for controlling an aim-direction of the camera. The inertial-measurement-unit detects relative-movement of the host-vehicle. The one or more controller-circuits are in communication with the camera, the actuator, and the inertial-measurement-unit. The one or more controller-circuits determine whether a range-of-detection of the lane-markings in the image is less than a detection-threshold and adjust the aim-direction based on the relative-movement.

First claim

We claim:

1. A camera adjustment system, the system comprising:
a camera, the camera rendering an image of lane-markings of a roadway traveled by a host-vehicle;
an actuator operable for controlling an aim-direction of the camera;
an inertial-measurement-unit, the inertial-measurement-unit detecting relative-movement of the host-vehicle; and
one or more controller-circuits in communication with the camera, the actuator, and the inertial-measurement-unit;
the one or more controller-circuits determining whether a range-of-detection of the lane-markings in the image is less than a detection-threshold, and
in accordance with the determination that the range-of-detection is less than the detection-threshold, adjusting the aim-direction based on the relative-movement; wherein the one or more controller-circuits recalibrates camera-settings based on the aim-direction.

2. The system in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the one or more controller-circuits adjusts the aim-direction based on a vehicle-yaw detected by the inertial-measurement-unit.

3. The system in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the one or more controller-circuits adjusts the aim-direction until the range-of-detection is greater than the detection-threshold.

4. The system in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the system further includes an image-magnification feature, and the one or more controller-circuits increases a magnification of the image thereby increasing the range-of-detection.

5. A camera adjustment system, the system comprising:
a camera, the camera rendering an image of lane-markings of a roadway traveled by a host-vehicle;
an actuator operable for controlling an aim-direction of the camera;
one or more controller-circuits in communication with the camera and the actuator;
the one or more controller-circuits determining whether a range-of-detection of the lane-markings in the image is less than a detection-threshold; and
in accordance with the determination that the range-of-detection is less than the detection-threshold;
adjusting the aim-direction based on the lane-markings; wherein the one or more controller-circuits recalibrates camera-settings based on the aim-direction.

6. The system in accordance with claim 5 , wherein the one or more controller-circuits adjusts the aim-direction based on a radius-of-curvature of lane-markings.

7. The system in accordance with claim 5 , wherein the one or more controller-circuits adjusts the aim-direction until the range-of-detection is greater than the detection-threshold.

8. The system in accordance with claim 5 , wherein the system further includes an image-magnification feature, and the one or more controller-circuits increases a magnification of the image thereby increasing the range-of-detection.

9. A camera adjustment system, the system comprising:
a camera, the camera rendering an image of lane-markings of a roadway traveled by a host-vehicle;
an actuator operable for controlling an aim-direction of the camera;
one or more controller-circuits in communication with the camera and the actuator;
the one or more controller-circuits determining a region-of-interest within the image indicative of a future-path of the host-vehicle;
the one or more controller-circuits determining whether a range-of-detection of the lane-markings in the image is less than a detection-threshold; and
in accordance with the determination that the range-of-detection is less than the detection-threshold;
adjusting the aim-direction based on the region-of-interest; wherein the one or more controller-circuits recalibrates camera-settings based on the aim-direction.

10. The system in accordance with claim 9 , wherein the one or more controller-circuits adjusts the aim-direction until the range-of-detection is greater than the detection-threshold.

11. The system in accordance with claim 9 , wherein the system further includes an image-magnification feature, and the one or more controller-circuits increases a magnification of the image thereby increasing the range-of-detection.

12. A method of adjusting a camera, the method comprising:
rendering an image, with a camera, of lane-markings of a roadway traveled by a host-vehicle;
detecting relative-movement of the host-vehicle with an inertial-measurement-unit; and
determining, with one or more controller-circuits in communication with the camera, an actuator, and the inertial-measurement-unit, whether a range-of-detection of the lane-markings in the image is less than a detection-threshold; and
in accordance with the determination that the range-of-detection is less than the detection-threshold;
adjusting the aim-direction with the actuator based on the relative-movement; further including the step of recalibrating camera-settings based on the aim-direction with the one or more controller-circuits.

13. The method in accordance with claim 12 , further including the step of adjusting the aim-direction, with the one or more controller-circuits, until the range-of-detection is greater than the detection-threshold.

14. A method of operating a camera adjustment system, the method comprising:
rendering an image, with a camera, of lane-markings of a roadway traveled by a host-vehicle;
determining, with one or more controller-circuits in communication with the camera and an actuator:
whether a range-of-detection of the lane-markings in the image is less than a detection-threshold; and
in accordance with the determination that the range-of-detection is less than the detection-threshold; adjusting the aim-direction with the actuator based on the lane-markings; further including the step of recalibrating camera-settings based on the aim-direction with the one or more controller-circuits.

15. The method in accordance with claim 14 , further including the step of adjusting the aim-direction, with the one or more controller-circuits, until the range-of-detection is greater than the detection-threshold.

16. A method of operating a camera adjustment system, the method comprising:
rendering an image, with a camera, of lane-markings of a roadway traveled by a host-vehicle;
determining, with one or more controller-circuits in communication with the camera and an actuator:
a region-of-interest within the image indicative of a future-path of the host-vehicle;
whether a range-of-detection of the lane-markings in the image is less than a detection-threshold; and
in accordance with the determination that the range-of-detection is less than the detection-threshold;
adjusting the aim-direction with the actuator based on the region-of-interest; further including the step of recalibrating camera-settings based on the aim-direction with the one or more controller-circuits.

17. The method in accordance with claim 16 , further including the step of adjusting the aim-direction, with the one or more controller-circuits, until the range-of-detection is greater than the detection-threshold.

18. The system in accordance with claim 1 , wherein a plurality of calibration files are stored in a memory of the one or more controller-circuits and include calibrations of the camera-settings for each unique aim-direction.

19. The system in accordance with claim 18 , wherein the camera-settings include extrinsic parameters that link the camera-position and orientation to a calibration-plane.

20. The system in accordance with claim 19 , wherein the extrinsic parameters include one or more of a rotation matrix and a translation vector.

21. The system in accordance with cla

Assignees

• Aptiv Tech Ltd

Inventors

• Moawad Mohamed A
• Samiei Ehsan
• Kosiak Walter K

Classifications

• B60W30/12

  Lane keeping · CPC title

• G06V10/245

  by locating a pattern; Special marks for positioning · CPC title

• H04N23/69

  Control of means for changing angle of the field of view, e.g. optical zoom objectives or electronic zooming · CPC title

• G06V20/588 Primary

  Recognition of the road, e.g. of lane markings; Recognition of the vehicle driving pattern in relation to the road · CPC title

• B60W2554/00

  Input parameters relating to objects · CPC title