Lane identification method and related apparatus thereof

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016148061-A1
Application number	US-201615012774-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Feb 1, 2016
Priority date	Jan 8, 2013
Publication date	May 26, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

A lane identification method for identifying a lane whereon a vehicle is traveling, which includes: providing a drive video; generating an identification result of recognizing a plurality of lane lines corresponding to the line according the drive video, wherein the identification result is generated based on inside borderlines of the lane lines; and determining the lane according to the identification result.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A lane identification method for identifying a lane whereon a vehicle is traveling, comprising:
providing a drive video; generating an identification result of recognizing a plurality of lane lines corresponding to the line according the drive video, wherein the identification result is generated based on inside borderlines of the lane lines; and determining the lane according to the identification result.

2 . The lane identification method of claim 1 , wherein the step of generating the identification result comprises:
generating a processed drive video which includes a plurality of objects.

3 . The lane identification method of claim 2 , wherein the step of generating the processed drive video comprises:
performing a pre-processing operation upon the drive video, which selects the objects from the drive video that meet a specific brightness requirement and a specific geometry requirement.

4 . The lane identification method of claim 2 , wherein the step of generating the identification result comprises:
determining a video central axis of the processed drive video; selecting a plurality of candidate lane line segments from the objects according to the video central axis; and generating the identification result according to the plurality of candidate lane line segments.

5 . The lane identification method of claim 4 , wherein the step of selecting the plurality of candidate lane line segments from the objects according to the video central axis comprises:
when there is no other object between an inside borderline of a specific object of the objects and the video central axis, determining that the specific object is one of the candidate lane line segments.

6 . The lane identification method of claim 5 , wherein the step of determining that the specific object is one of the candidate lane line segments comprises:
when the specific object is located at a left side of the video center axis, determining the specific object is one of candidate the lane line segments if there is no other object between a right borderline of the specific object and the video central axis; and when the specific object is located at a right side of the video center axis, determining the specific object is one of the candidate lane line segments if there is no other object between a left borderline of the specific object and the video central axis.

7 . The lane identification method of claim 4 , wherein the step of generating the identification result according to the candidate lane line segments comprises:
checking if there is any specific geometric relationship between the candidate lane line segments; and treating the candidate lane line segments as a lane line when there is specific geometric relationship between the candidate lane line segments.

8 . The lane identification method of claim 7 , wherein the specific geometric relationship comprises angle relationship with respect to the video central axis and neighboring relationship with respect to other candidate lane line segments.

9 . A lane identification apparatus for identifying a lane whereon a vehicle is traveling, comprising:
an identification module, for generating an identification result of recognizing a plurality of lane lines corresponding to the line according a drive video, wherein the identification result is generated based on inside borderlines of the lane lines; and a determination module, coupled to the identification module, for determining the lane according to the identification result.

10 . The lane identification apparatus of claim 9 , further comprising:
a video processing module, for generating a processed drive video which includes a plurality of objects.

11 . The lane identification apparatus of claim 10 , wherein the video processing module performs a pre-processing operation upon the drive video, which selects the objects from the drive video that meet a specific brightness requirement and a specific geometry requirement.

12 . The lane identification apparatus of claim 10 , wherein the identification module determines a video central axis of the processed drive video; selects a plurality of candidate lane line segments from the objects according to the video central axis; and generates the identification result according to the plurality of candidate lane line segments.

13 . The lane identification apparatus of claim 12 , wherein the identification module determines a specific object is one of the candidate lane line segments when there is no other object between an inside borderline of a specific object of the objects and the video central axis.

14 . The lane identification apparatus of claim 13 , wherein:
when the specific object is located at a left side of the video center axis, the identification module determines the specific object is one of candidate the lane line segments if there is no other object between a right borderline of the specific object and the video central axis; and when the specific object is located at a right side of the video center axis, the identification module determines the specific object is one of the candidate lane line segments if there is no other object between a left borderline of the specific object and the video central axis.

15 . The lane identification apparatus of claim 12 , wherein the identification module checks if there is any specific geometric relationship between the candidate lane line segments; treats the candidate lane line segments as a lane line when there is specific geometric relationship between the candidate lane line segments.

16 . The lane identification apparatus of claim 15 , wherein the specific geometric relationship comprises angle relationship with respect to the video central axis and neighboring relationship with respect to other candidate lane line segments.

Assignees

• Pixart Imaging Inc

Inventors

• Su Tse-Chung

Classifications

• G06V20/588

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

• G08G1/167 Primary

  Driving aids for lane monitoring, lane changing, e.g. blind spot detection · CPC title

• G06K9/00798 Primary

  Physics · mapped topic

• G06K9/4638

  Physics · mapped topic

• G06K9/4661

  Physics · mapped topic