Vehicle control method that compares a light distribution pattern extracted from an image captured by a camera with a reference light distribution pattern

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10889232-B2
Application number	US-201815944169-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 3, 2018
Priority date	Apr 10, 2017
Publication date	Jan 12, 2021
Grant date	Jan 12, 2021

Abstract

A method for controlling a vehicle that includes at least one camera and a lamp, the method including: controlling the at least one camera to capture at least one image of an area in front of the vehicle; extracting, from the at least one image, a light distribution pattern formed by the lamp in the area in front of the vehicle; and performing at least one control related to the extracted light distribution pattern, based on a comparison result obtained by comparing the extracted light distribution pattern with a reference light distribution pattern.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for controlling a vehicle including at least one camera and a lamp, the method comprising:
controlling the at least one camera to capture at least one image of an area in front of the vehicle;
extracting, from the at least one image, a light distribution pattern formed by the lamp in the area in front of the vehicle; and
performing at least one control related to the extracted light distribution pattern, based on a comparison result obtained by comparing the extracted light distribution pattern with a reference light distribution pattern,
wherein performing the at least one control related to the extracted light distribution pattern is performed based on a determination that a vertical structure is located in front of the vehicle,
wherein the method further comprises:
determining that a distance between the vertical structure and a first part of the vehicle is a first distance, and
generating a control command for the vehicle to move the vehicle so that the distance between the vertical structure and the first part of the vehicle is a second distance that satisfies a predetermined condition, and

wherein extracting, from the at least one image, the light distribution pattern formed by the lamp is performed after completion of the movement of the vehicle by the control command.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein performing the at least one control related to the extracted light distribution pattern comprises:
based on a determination that the extracted light distribution pattern does not match the reference light distribution pattern, controlling the lamp to perform a light distribution pattern compensation that transforms the extracted light distribution pattern to the reference light distribution pattern.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein controlling the lamp to perform the light distribution pattern compensation comprises:
activating or deactivating at least one or more light sources of the lamp to transform the extracted light distribution pattern to the reference light distribution pattern.

4. The method of claim 2 , wherein controlling the lamp to perform the light distribution pattern compensation comprises:
driving at least one or more driving units of the lamp to transform the extracted light distribution pattern to the reference light distribution pattern.

5. The method of claim 2 , further comprising:
based on a determination that controlling the lamp to perform the light distribution pattern compensation does not satisfy at least one criteria related to executability of the light distribution compensation, controlling the lamp to form a basic light distribution pattern other than the reference light distribution pattern.

6. The method of claim 5 , further comprising:
based on a determination that controlling the lamp to perform the light distribution pattern compensation does not satisfy the at least one criteria related to the executability of the light distribution compensation, restricting execution of a lamp control mode corresponding to the reference light distribution pattern.

7. The method of claim 5 , further comprising:
based on a determination that controlling the lamp to perform the light distribution pattern compensation does not satisfy the at least one criteria related to the executability of the light distribution compensation, outputting notification information to at least one of a mobile terminal or a display provided in the vehicle.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein performing the at least one control related to the extracted light distribution pattern further comprises:
selecting a reference light distribution pattern among a plurality of reference light distribution patterns; and
comparing the selected reference light distribution pattern with the extracted light distribution pattern.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the selected reference light distribution pattern depends on a driving state of the vehicle.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein performing the at least one control related to the extracted light distribution pattern is performed according to whether an information received from a sensor provided in the vehicle satisfies a predetermined condition related to adjusting the light distribution pattern.

11. The method of claim 10 , further comprising controlling the lamp, based on the predetermined condition being satisfied, to operate according to a lamp scenario for consecutively forming different light distribution patterns within a predetermined time,
wherein a plurality of light distribution patterns is extracted from a plurality of images captured during the predetermined time, and
wherein each of the plurality of light distribution patterns is compared with a different reference light distribution pattern, respectively.

12. The method of claim 11 , further comprising:
based on the information received from the sensor satisfying a first predetermined condition, operating the lamp according to a first lamp scenario corresponding to the first predetermined condition; and
based on the information received from the sensor satisfying a second predetermined condition, operating the lamp according to a second lamp scenario corresponding to the second predetermined condition.

13. The method of claim 11 , further comprising:
based on an object being detected in front of the vehicle while the lamp is controlled to operate according to a lamp scenario:
stopping the control of the lamp to operate according to the lamp scenario; and
controlling the lamp to form a basic light distribution pattern.

14. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
controlling a display provided in the vehicle to display the at least one image captured by the at least one camera; and
controlling the display to display, on the at least one image that is displayed on the display, at least one of a first image corresponding to the extracted light distribution pattern or a second image corresponding to the basic light distribution pattern.

15. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
determining, based on the least one image captured by the at least one camera, a first geographic region in which the comparison result is to be obtained by comparing the extracted light distribution pattern with the reference light distribution pattern; and
controlling the lamp to form, on the first geographic region, a test light distribution pattern that is to be utilized in obtaining the comparison result by comparing the extracted light distribution pattern with the reference light distribution pattern.

16. The method of claim 15 , wherein a type of the test light distribution pattern is varied depending on at least one of a speed of the vehicle or a size of the first geographic region.

17. The method of claim 15 , wherein controlling the lamp to form, on the first geographic region, the test light distribution pattern further comprises:
controlling the lamp to maintain, on a remaining region of the area in front of the vehicle other than the first geographic region, the light distribution pattern that was formed by the lamp in the area in front of the vehicle.

18. The method of claim 15 , further comprising:
based on a determination that a second vehicle enters into the first geographic region, determining a second geographic region in which the comparison result is to be obtained by comparing the extracted light distribution pattern with the reference light distribution pattern; and
controlling the lamp to form the test light distribution pattern on the second geographic region.

Assignees

• Zkw Group Gmbh

Inventors

• Park Sangshin
• Na Taeyoung

Classifications

• B60Q2900/50

  Arrangements to reconfigure features of lighting or signalling devices, or to choose from a list of pre-defined settings · CPC title

• G01M11/064

  by using camera or other imaging system for the light analysis · CPC title

• B60Q11/005 Primary

  for lighting devices, e.g. indicating if lamps are burning or not · CPC title

• B60Q2300/334

  on motorways · CPC title

• B60Q2300/332

  on city roads · CPC title