Systems and methods for vehicle lane estimation

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11679768-B2
Application number	US-202017074043-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 19, 2020
Priority date	Oct 19, 2020
Publication date	Jun 20, 2023
Grant date	Jun 20, 2023

Abstract

Methods, systems, and computer readable mediums for determining a scene representation for a vehicle are provided. A disclosed method includes acquiring data from one or more sensors of the vehicle. The method further includes detecting, using processing circuitry, one or more objects in a surrounding of the vehicle based on the acquired data; determining whether an object of the detected one or more objects intersects with a vehicle lane of travel; determining whether the object is in a lane of travel of the vehicle; determining inter-vehicle gaps and cut-ins between the object and the vehicle; and rendering a scene representation including the inter-vehicle gaps and cut-ins between the object and the vehicle.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method for determining a scene representation for a vehicle, the method comprising:
acquiring data from one or more sensors of the vehicle;
detecting, using processing circuitry, one or more objects in a surrounding of the vehicle based on the acquired data;
expanding a line from a center of the vehicle in a direction of travel or a direction opposite to the direction of travel;
expanding the line by a fixed amount in a lateral direction to obtain an expanded lane;
determining whether the expanded lane intersects with an object of the detected one or more objects;
determining that the object is in a vehicle lane of travel in response to determining that the expanded lane intersects with the object
determining a gap and any cut-ins between the object and the vehicle; and
rendering a scene representation including the gap and any cut-ins between the object and the vehicle.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the scene representation is a dynamic scene representation.

3. The method of claim 2 , further comprising continuously updating a trajectory associated with the object and the vehicle.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein the trajectory is a planned travel path generated by control circuitry, further comprising obtaining the planned travel path from the control circuitry.

5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
expanding a line from a center of the vehicle in a direction of travel of the vehicle or a direction opposite to the direction of travel;
determining whether the expanded line intersects with the object; and
determining that the object is in the vehicle lane of travel in response to determining that the expanded line intersects with the object.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein the object includes a point, further comprising determining one or more dimensions associated with the object.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein the one or more sensors include at least one sensor configured to generate data indicative of a vehicle size or a lane size; and wherein the method further comprises determining a width of the object based on the data from the at least one sensor.

8. The method of claim 6 , wherein the object is in the lane of travel when the expanded line intersects with a target area of the object.

9. The method of claim 8 , further comprising:
determining a time period corresponding to the expanded line intersecting with the target area; and
determining that the object is in the vehicle lane of travel when the time period exceeds a predetermined threshold.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the expansion of the line in the lateral direction is equal to a width of the vehicle or a factor of the width.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein the object is in the lane of travel when at least a predetermined area of the object overlaps with the expanded lane.

12. The method of claim 11 , further comprising adjusting the predetermined area based on false positive and false negative determinations.

13. The method of claim 11 , further comprising:
determining a time period corresponding to the object being in the expanded lane; and
determining that the object is in the expanded lane when the time period exceeds a predetermined threshold.

14. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
determining a gap factor between the vehicle and the object; and
adjusting a speed of the vehicle based on the gap factor.

15. The method of claim 14 , further comprising monitoring a rate of change in the gap factor.

16. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
determining whether the object is in an adjacent lane relative to the vehicle; and
tracking the object as a potential cut-in when the object is in the adjacent lane.

17. The method of claim 1 , wherein determining whether the object is in the vehicle lane of travel is a function of a filtered position of the object.

18. A system for determining a scene representation for a vehicle, the system comprising:
processing circuitry configured to
acquire data from one or more sensors of the vehicle,
detect one or more objects in a surrounding of the vehicle based on the acquired data,
expand a line from a center of the vehicle in a direction of travel or a direction opposite to the direction of travel,
expand the line by a fixed amount in a lateral direction to obtain an expanded lane,
determine whether the expanded lane intersects with an object of the detected one or more objects,
determine that the object is in a vehicle lane of travel in response to determining that the expanded lane intersects with the object,
determine a gap and any cut-ins between the object and the vehicle, and
render a scene representation including the gap and any cut-ins between the object and the vehicle.

19. A non-transitory computer readable medium storing computer-readable instructions therein which when executed by a computer cause the computer to perform a method for determining a scene representation for a vehicle, the method comprising:
acquiring data from one or more sensors of the vehicle;
detecting one or more objects in a surrounding of the vehicle based on the acquired data;
expanding a line from a center of the vehicle in a direction of travel or a direction opposite to the direction of travel;
expanding the line by a fixed amount in a lateral direction to obtain an expanded lane;
determining whether the expanded lane intersects with an object of the detected one or more objects;
determining that the object is in a vehicle lane of travel in response to determining that the expanded lane intersects with the object;
determining a gap and any cut-ins between the object and the vehicle; and
rendering a scene representation including the gap and any cut-ins between the object and the vehicle.

Assignees

• Toyota Eng & Mfg North America

Inventors

• Wiesenberg Ryan M
• Das Colin
• Hill Matthew
• Lerner Emily
• Fanelli William

Classifications

• B60W2554/404

  Characteristics · CPC title

• G06T2207/30241

  Trajectory · CPC title

• B60W30/0956 Primary

  the prediction being responsive to traffic or environmental parameters · CPC title

• G06V20/56

  exterior to a vehicle by using sensors mounted on the vehicle · CPC title

• B60W30/16 Primary

  Control of distance between vehicles, e.g. keeping a distance to preceding vehicle · CPC title