Driving assistance system and non-transitory computer readable medium

Abstract

The invention relates to a driving assistance system and a non-transitory computer readable medium. The driving assistance system includes: a camera module disposed in a vehicle or disposed to be associated with the vehicle and configured to capture a surrounding image; and a controller configured to control driving of the vehicle based on camera information provided from the camera module and navigation information provided from a navigation module provided in or in association with the vehicle, the controller configured to compare a distance to a shunt point of a road on which the vehicle is traveling with a reference distance, and when the distance to the diverting point is smaller than the reference distance, setting the lane closest to the diverting point as a target lane, and controlling the vehicle to move to the target lane.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] Some embodiments of the present invention generally relate to a driving assistance system capable of automatically driving a vehicle using navigation information and camera information, a vehicle including the driving assistance system, and a computer-readable recording medium. Background Art

[0002] In recent years, autonomous vehicles that can drive themselves have been actively studied. An autonomous vehicle may be a vehicle that uses technology to partially or completely replace a human driver to navigate the vehicle from a starting point to a destination while avoiding road hazards and coping with traffic conditions. However, not only vehicles that drive completely automatically without any intervention from the driver are considered autonomous vehicles, and the capabilities of autonomous vehicles can be divided into multiple levels depending on the degree of driver intervention. For example, advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) can be considered level 1 and level 2.

[0003] HD maps with centimeter (cm)-level accuracy can be used for autonomous driving. However, HD maps cost a lot of money from map construction to maintenance. In addition, since HD maps have a large amount of data, Ethernet communication may have to be used to update, transmit, and receive HD maps, and high computing power and resources may also be required to process the data. Summary of the invention

[0004] Therefore, some embodiments of the present invention may provide a driving assistance system, a vehicle including the driving assistance system, and a computer-readable recording medium, wherein the driving assistance system can achieve autonomous driving even with low computing power or resources by using navigation information and camera information instead of high-definition maps for autonomous driving.

[0005] According to one aspect of the present invention, a driving assistance system includes: a camera module, which is arranged in a vehicle and configured to capture surrounding images; and a controller, which is configured to control the driving of the vehicle based on camera information provided from the camera module and navigation information provided from a navigation module arranged in the vehicle, wherein the controller is configured to compare the distance to a diverging point of a road on which the vehicle is traveling with a first reference distance, and when the distance to the diverging point is less than the first reference distance, set the lane closest to the diverging point as a target lane, and control the vehicle to move to the target lane.

[0006] The controller may set the first reference distance based on at least one of a volume of traffic on a road on which the vehicle is traveling and a lane in which the vehicle is traveling.

[0007] As the volume of traffic on the road on which the vehicle is traveling increases, the controller may set the first reference distance to be longer.

[0008] The farther the lane in which the vehicle is traveling is from the diverging point, the controller may set the first reference distance to be longer.

[0009] The controller may change the reference lane until the vehicle reaches the target lane, and move the vehicle to the reference lane so that the vehicle reaches the target lane.

[0010] After the vehicle passes the diversion point, the controller can move the vehicle to the diversion lane.

[0011] The controller may compare the distance to the merging point with the main road lanes with a third reference distance, and when the distance to the merging point is less than the third reference distance, set one of the main road lanes as a target lane, and control the vehicle to move to the target lane after the vehicle passes the merging point.

[0012] The controller may compare the distance to the next divergence point on the vehicle driving route with a fourth reference distance, and when the distance to the next divergence point is less than the fourth reference distance, set the nth lane (n is an integer greater than or equal to 1) in the main road lanes as the target lane, and when the distance to the next divergence point is greater than or equal to the fourth reference distance, set the mth lane (m is an integer greater than or equal to 1 and less than n) in the main road lanes as the target lane.

[0013] When there is a dedicated lane in the main road lane, the controller can set the nth lane (n is an integer greater than or equal to 2) in the main road lane as the target lane, and when there is no dedicated lane in the main road lane, the controller can set the mth lane (m is an integer greater than or equal to 1 and less than n) in the main road lane as the target lane.

[0014] The controller may receive the camera information and the navigation information by communicating with a controller area network (CAN) of the camera module and the navigation module.

[0015] According to another aspect of the present invention, a computer-readable recording medium having a driving assistance method recorded thereon is provided, the driving assistance method comprising: receiving camera information from a camera module disposed in a vehicle, receiving navigation information from a navigation module disposed in the vehicle, comparing a distance to a diverging point of a road on which the vehicle is traveling with a first reference distance, and when the distance to the diverging point is less than the first reference distance, setting a lane closest to the diverging point as a target lane, and controlling the vehicle to move to the target lane.

[0016] The driving assistance method may further include setting the first reference distance based on at least one of a traffic volume on a road on which the vehicle is traveling and a lane in which the vehicle is traveling.

[0017] Setting the first reference distance may include setting the first reference distance longer as a volume of traffic on a road on which the vehicle is traveling increases.

[0018] Setting the first reference distance may include setting the first reference distance longer as a lane in which the vehicle is traveling is farther from the diverging point.

[0019] Controlling the vehicle to move to the target lane may include changing a reference lane until the vehicle reaches the target lane, and moving the vehicle to the reference lane so that the vehicle reaches the target lane.

[0020] The driving assistance method may also include moving the vehicle to a diverging lane after the vehicle passes the diverging point.

[0021] The driving assistance method may also include comparing the distance to a merging point with a main road lane with a third reference distance, setting one of the main road lanes as a target lane when the distance to the merging point is less than the third reference distance, and controlling the vehicle to move to the target lane after the vehicle passes the merging point.

[0022] Setting one of the main road lanes as a target lane may include comparing the distance to a next divergence point located on the vehicle driving route with a fourth reference distance, and when the distance to the next divergence point is less than the fourth reference distance, setting the nth lane (n is an integer greater than or equal to 1) of the main road lanes as the target lane, and when the distance to the next divergence point is greater than or equal to the fourth reference distance, setting the mth lane (m is an integer greater than or equal to 1 and less than n) of the main road lanes as the target lane.

[0023] Setting one of the main road lanes as the target lane may include setting the nth lane (n is an integer greater than or equal to 2) in the main road lanes as the target lane when there is a dedicated lane in the main road lanes, and setting the mth lane (m is an integer greater than or equal to 1 and less than n) in the main road lanes as the target lane when there is no dedicated lane in the main road lanes.

[0024] According to another aspect of the present invention, a vehicle includes: a camera module configured to capture surrounding images; a navigation module configured to obtain navigation information; and a controller configured to control the driving of the vehicle based on camera information provided from the camera module and navigation information provided from the navigation module, wherein the controller is configured to compare the distance to a diverging point of a road on which the vehicle is traveling with a first reference distance, and when the distance to the diverging point is less than the first reference distance, set a lane closest to the diverging point as a target lane, and control the vehicle to move to the target lane. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0025] These and / or other aspects of the present invention will become apparent and more easily understood from the following description of the embodiments in conjunction with the following drawings:

[0026] Figure 1 is a block diagram illustrating the operation of a vehicle and a driving assistance system included in the vehicle according to one embodiment of the present invention;

[0027] Figure 2 is a table showing an example of navigation information provided from a navigation module of a vehicle and camera information provided from a camera module according to one embodiment of the present invention;

[0028] Figure 3 and Figure 4 is a schematic diagram and a table for illustrating an example of navigation information provided from a navigation module of a vehicle according to one embodiment of the present invention;

[0029] Figure 5 is an example of camera information provided by a camera module of a vehicle according to one embodiment of the present invention;

[0030] Figure 6 is a flow chart showing a driving assistance method according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0031] Figure 7 is an example of the work of changing lanes to a highway diverging point by a driving assistance method according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0032] Figure 8 is a flowchart for illustrating a driving assistance method according to another embodiment of the present invention;

[0033] Fig. 9 is a flow chart showing a lane change operation of a vehicle after passing a diverging point in a driving assistance method according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0034] Fig.10 It is used to show that according to Fig. 9 An example of the lane change operation of the driver assistance method shown;

[0035] Fig.11 is a flowchart illustrating the operation of merging a vehicle into a main road lane in a driving assistance method according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0036] Fig.12 It is used to show that according to Fig.11 An example of the lane change operation of the driver assistance method shown;

[0037] Fig.13 is a flowchart for illustrating the operation of setting a main road lane as a target lane in a driving assistance method according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0038] Fig.14 It is used to show that according to Fig.13 An example of lane change operation of the driver assistance method shown; and

[0039] Fig.15 is a flowchart for illustrating an operation of setting a main road lane as a target lane in a driving assistance method according to another embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0040] The following detailed description is provided to assist the reader in gaining a comprehensive understanding of the methods, apparatuses, and / or systems described herein. Accordingly, various changes, modifications, and equivalents of the methods, apparatuses, and / or systems described herein will be suggested to those of ordinary skill in the art. The progression of processing steps described is an example; however, the order of steps and / or steps are not limited to the order of steps and / or steps set forth herein, and, except for steps that must occur in a particular order, may be varied as known in the art. In addition, for greater clarity and conciseness, corresponding descriptions of well-known functions and structures may be omitted.

[0041] In addition, exemplary embodiments will now be described more fully below with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, exemplary embodiments may be implemented in many different forms and should not be construed as being limited to the embodiments set forth herein. These embodiments are provided to make the present invention detailed and complete and to fully convey the exemplary embodiments to those of ordinary skill in the art. The same reference numerals represent the same elements throughout.

[0042] It should be understood that although the terms "first", "second", etc. may be used herein to describe various elements, these elements should not be limited by these terms. These terms are only used to distinguish one element from another element. As used herein, the term "and / or" includes any and all combinations of one or more of the relevant listed items.

[0043] It should be understood that when an element is referred to as being "connected" or "coupled" to another element, it can be directly connected or coupled to the other element, or intervening elements may exist. In contrast, when an element is referred to as being "directly connected" or "directly coupled" to another element, there are no intervening elements.

[0044] The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting.As used herein, the singular forms "a", "an", and "the" include the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise.

[0045] The expression "at least one of a, b, and c" should be understood to include only a, only b, only c, both a and b, both a and c, both b and c, or all a, b, and c.

[0046] Reference will now be made in detail to the embodiments of the present invention, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein like reference numerals refer to the like elements throughout.

[0047] Figure 1 is a block diagram showing the operation of a vehicle and a driving assistance system included in the vehicle according to one embodiment of the present invention, and Figure 2 is a table showing an example of navigation information provided from a navigation module of a vehicle and camera information provided from a camera module according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0048] like Figure 1 As shown, the vehicle 1 may include a controller 110 , an actuator 120 , a sensor module 130 , a camera module 140 , and a navigation module or navigator 150 .

[0049] The vehicle 1 according to one embodiment of the present invention can perform autonomous driving. For example, according to the levels commonly used in the industry, the vehicle 1 can achieve level 2, level 3 or level 4 autonomous driving, but is not limited thereto.

[0050] The automatic driving of the vehicle 1 according to one embodiment may be performed by the driving assistance system 100. Therefore, the driving assistance system 100 may perform driver assistance and automatic driving according to the automatic driving level and the driving mode. For example, when the driving mode is set to the driving assistance mode, the driving assistance system 100 may assist the driver, and when the driving mode is set to the automatic driving mode, the driving assistance system 100 may perform automatic driving.

[0051] The driving assistance system 100 may include a controller 110. In addition, the driving assistance system 100 may further include a camera module 140. However, the components included in the driving assistance system 100 may vary according to the level of autonomous driving implemented by the driving assistance system 100, so the driving assistance system 100 may include a camera module 140 if necessary. Figure 1 Any parts shown.

[0052] The components included in the driving assistance system 100 may vary according to the designs of the driving assistance system 100 and the vehicle 1. For example, the sensor module 130 and / or the navigation module 150 may be included in the driving assistance system 100, if necessary.

[0053] For illustration purposes only, Figure 1 The block diagram of FIG. 1 shows components related to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. Figure 1Various components not shown may also be added to the driving assistance system 100 or the vehicle 1 .

[0054] The controller 110 may perform operations related to the automatic driving of the vehicle 1. As an example, the controller 110 may control the operation of the vehicle 1 entering or leaving a highway by appropriately changing lanes at an interchange (IC) or a junction (JC).

[0055] The "highway" mentioned in this embodiment may include all roads that are different from general roads and allow entry and exit through access roads.

[0056] Furthermore, the “divergence point” mentioned in the present embodiment may include any point where lanes diverge to enable a vehicle to change from one road on which the vehicle is traveling to another road or to leave a road and switch to a general road.

[0057] The controller 110 may include at least one memory storing a program for performing the work described herein and / or data associated with the program, and at least one processor executing the stored program. In addition, at least one memory included in the controller 110 is a computer-readable recording medium such as a non-transitory computer-readable medium, and may store the program non-transitorily.

[0058] For example, the controller 110 may be implemented by integrating a plurality of electronic control units (ECUs) and may be referred to as an automatic driving control unit (ADCU).

[0059] The actuator 120 may perform acceleration, braking, and steering of the vehicle 1 , and for these purposes, may include a driving module, a braking module, a steering module, and the like.

[0060] The drive module generates power required to move the vehicle 1. For example, the drive module may include one or more of an engine, an engine management system (EMS), a transmission, and a transmission control unit (TCU) or a transmission controller.

[0061] The engine can generate power for driving the vehicle 1, and the engine management system can control the engine in response to the driver's intention to accelerate through the accelerator pedal and / or a request or control signal from the driving assistance system 100. The transmission can transmit the power generated by the engine to the wheels, and the transmission control unit can control the transmission in response to the driver's shift command through the shift lever and / or a request or control signal from the driving assistance system 100.

[0062] Alternatively, the driving module may include one or more of a driving motor, a speed reducer (eg, a gear mechanism and / or a belt mechanism), a battery, a power control device, etc. In this case, the vehicle 1 may be implemented as an electric vehicle.

[0063] Alternatively, the driving module may include engine-related devices and drive motor-related devices. In this case, the vehicle 1 may be implemented as a hybrid vehicle.

[0064] The brake module may be configured to perform braking work such as slowing down or stopping the vehicle 1 by using the brake. For example, the brake module may include a brake caliper and an electronic brake control module (EBCM). The brake caliper may slow down or stop the vehicle 1 using friction with a brake disc.

[0065] The electronic brake control module may control the brake caliper in response to the driver's intention to brake the vehicle 1 through the brake pedal or a request or control signal from the driving assistance system 100. For example, the electronic brake control module may receive a braking request or control signal including deceleration rate information from the driving assistance system 100, and electrically or hydraulically control the brake caliper based on the requested deceleration rate information to decelerate or stop the vehicle 1.

[0066] The steering module may include an electronic power steering control module (EPS). The steering module may control or change the driving direction of the vehicle 1, and the electronic power steering control module may assist the work of the steering module so that the driver can easily operate the steering wheel in response to the driver's intention to steer through the steering wheel.

[0067] In addition, the electronic power steering control module may control the steering module in response to a request or control signal from the driving assistance system 100. For example, the electronic power steering control module may receive a steering request or control signal including information related to the steering torque from the driving assistance system 100, and control the steering module so that the vehicle 1 can steer based on the requested steering torque.

[0068] The sensor module 130 may detect the driving environment of the vehicle 1 or the behavior of the vehicle 1. For example, the sensor module 130 may include a radio detection and ranging (radar). The radar may transmit radio waves to the surroundings of the vehicle 1 and detect objects around the vehicle 1 based on reflected radio waves reflected from surrounding objects.

[0069] The radar may include a transmitting antenna (or a transmitting antenna array) for radiating a transmission signal (ie, transmitting radio waves) to the surroundings of the vehicle 1 and a receiving antenna (or a receiving antenna array) for receiving a reflected signal (ie, reflected radio waves) reflected from an object.

[0070] The radar can obtain radar data from the transmitted radio waves transmitted by the transmitting antenna and the reflected radio waves received by the receiving antenna. The radar data may include, for example but not limited to, position information (e.g., distance information) or speed information about one or more objects around the vehicle 1.

[0071] The radar may include a processor for processing radar data. Alternatively, the processor for processing radar data may be included in the controller 110 , and the radar is electrically or communicatively connected to the processor included in the controller 110 .

[0072] The processor can obtain radar data from the receiving antenna of the radar and generate a track corresponding to the object by clustering the reflection points of the reflected signal. For example, the processor can calculate or obtain the distance of the track based on the time difference between the transmission time of the transmitted radio wave and the reception time of the reflected radio wave, and calculate or obtain the relative speed of the track based on the difference between the frequency of the transmitted radio wave and the frequency of the reflected radio wave.

[0073] The processor may transmit data about a trajectory (or a distance and relative speed of a trajectory) around the vehicle 1 (hereinafter referred to as a "radar trajectory") obtained from the radar data to the controller 110. The controller 110 may assist the driver or perform autonomous driving based on the radar trajectory.

[0074] Alternatively, the sensor module 130 may include a light detection and ranging (LiDAR). The LiDAR may emit light (e.g., infrared rays) to the surroundings of the vehicle 1 and detect one or more surrounding objects around the vehicle 1 based on the reflected light reflected from the surrounding objects. The LiDAR may include a light source (e.g., a light emitting diode, a light emitting diode array, a laser diode, or a laser diode array) that emits light (e.g., infrared rays) and an optical sensor (e.g., a photodiode or a photodiode array) that receives light (e.g., infrared rays). In addition, the LiDAR may also include a drive device for rotating or moving the light source or the optical sensor as needed.

[0075] When the light source or light sensor rotates or moves, the LiDAR can emit light through the light source and receive light reflected from the object through the light sensor, thereby acquiring LiDAR data.

[0076] The LiDAR data may include relative positions (eg, distances or directions to the surrounding objects) or relative speeds of the vehicle 1 .

[0077] The LiDAR may include a processor configured to process the LiDAR data. Alternatively, the processor for processing the LiDAR data may be included in the driving assistance system 100 .

[0078] The processor can generate a trajectory corresponding to the object by clustering the reflection points through the reflected light. The processor can obtain the distance to the object based on, for example, the time difference between the light emission time and the light reception time. In addition, when the optical sensor receives the reflected light, the processor can obtain the direction (or angle) of the object relative to the driving direction of the vehicle 1 based on the direction of the light source emitting light.

[0079] The processor may transmit data regarding a trajectory around the vehicle 1 (eg, a distance and a relative speed of the trajectory) (hereinafter referred to as “LiDAR trajectory”) obtained from the LiDAR data to the controller 110 .

[0080] Both radar and LiDAR are described as examples for the purpose of explanation, but the vehicle 1 according to the embodiment of the present invention may include only one of the radar and LiDAR, or may include both radar and LiDAR. That is, the present invention is not limited to a specific example of whether or not radar and LiDAR are included.

[0081] In addition, the sensor module 130 may also include at least one of a behavior sensor such as a vehicle speed sensor for detecting the speed of the vehicle 1, an acceleration sensor for detecting the longitudinal acceleration and lateral acceleration of the vehicle 1, and / or a gyroscope sensor for detecting the yaw rate, roll rate or pitch rate of the vehicle 1.

[0082] The camera module 140 may include at least one camera for capturing images around the vehicle 1. For example, the camera module 140 may include a front camera mounted on the front windshield of the vehicle 1 or facing the front of the vehicle 1, and a side camera mounted on the side of the vehicle 1 or facing the side of the vehicle 1. In addition, the camera module 140 may also include a rear camera mounted on the rear of the vehicle 1 or facing the rear of the vehicle 1.

[0083] The camera module 140 may include a processor for processing the surrounding image captured by the camera to obtain necessary information. In this embodiment, the information obtained by the camera module 140 and provided to the controller 110 will be referred to as camera information.

[0084] refer to Figure 2 In an exemplary embodiment, the camera information acquired by the camera module 140 may include object recognition information about other vehicles, pedestrians, obstacles, etc. located around or moving around the vehicle 1, information about the number of lanes on the road on which the vehicle 1 is traveling, front lane recognition information, information about the driving lane of the vehicle 1, etc.

[0085] The navigation module or navigator 150 may generate a route to a destination input by the driver and provide the generated route to the driver or the controller 110. The navigation module 150 may receive a GNSS signal from a global navigation satellite system (GNSS) and identify an absolute position (e.g., coordinates) of the vehicle 1 based on the GNSS signal. The navigation module 150 may generate a route to the destination based on the position (e.g., coordinates) of the destination input by the driver and the current position (e.g., coordinates) of the vehicle 1.

[0086] In this embodiment, the information acquired by the navigation module 150 and provided to the controller 110 will be referred to as navigation information. Figure 2 In an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the navigation information may include, for example but not limited to, information about the road type of the road on which the vehicle 1 is currently traveling or will later travel on the set route, information about the relative distance to the diverging point, lane information for leaving at the diverging point, information about the relative distance to the destination, information about the relative distance to the starting point of the tunnel when the tunnel is located on the driving route or the set route, information about the relative distance to the tunnel exit point, information about the relative distance to the toll booth when the toll booth is located on the driving route or the set route, etc. The navigation module 150 may include a processor configured to process the navigation information. Optionally, the navigation module 150 may include a global positioning system (GPS) or be communicatively connected to the GPS, and / or the navigation module 150 may include a communicator configured to communicate with a GNSS, although this is not required.

[0087] Despite Figure 1 Although not shown in the exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the vehicle 1 may include a display device such as a cluster display, a head-up display, a central instrument panel display, etc. At least part of the navigation information may be displayed through the display device together with the route generated by the navigation module 150 .

[0088] The above components can exchange data with each other through the vehicle communication network. The controller 110 can use data provided from other components of the vehicle 1 as a basis for identification or determination, and send control signals for controlling the vehicle 1 to other components of the vehicle 1 based on the identification or determination results.

[0089] Various types of vehicle communication networks such as Ethernet, Media Oriented Systems Transport (MOST), FlexRay, Controller Area Network (CAN), Local Interconnect Network (LIN), etc. may be used for communication between components of the vehicle 1 .

[0090] When using HD maps for autonomous driving, a lot of costs or resources are required from building the HD maps to maintaining the HD maps, and Ethernet communication for updating, transmitting and receiving map information and computing power or resources for processing the map information are also required.

[0091] The driving assistance system 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention can use camera information and navigation information without using a high-definition map to achieve autonomous driving. Therefore, the vehicle 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention can use CAN communication to exchange data between components. However, the present invention does not exclude the use of a high-definition map in the driving assistance system 100, although some exemplary embodiments of the present invention can be implemented without using a high-definition map.

[0092] Figure 3 and Figure 4 is a schematic diagram and a table for illustrating an example of navigation information provided by a navigation module of a vehicle according to an embodiment of the present invention and Figure 5 is an example of camera information provided by a camera module of a vehicle according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0093] exist Figure 3 In the example of , the route to the destination may include traveling on a highway and may include diversion points and toll booths for entering and leaving the highway. Figure 4 As shown, the navigation information may include road type information about the road on which vehicle 1 is traveling based on the current position of vehicle 1 (i.e., highway), information about the relative distance to a diverging point (i.e., diverging point A closest to the current position), lane information for leaving at the diverging point (i.e., the fifth lane), information about the relative distance to the destination (i.e., 21.6 km), information about the relative distance to the starting point of a tunnel (i.e., 5 km), information about the relative distance to a tunnel exit point (i.e., 6 km), and information about the relative distance to a toll station (i.e., 10 km).

[0094] As in Figure 5 In an example, when the front camera of the camera module 140 captures surrounding images, the processor of the camera module 140 or a processor connected to the camera module 140 can process the captured surrounding images and identify various objects, lanes, etc. included in the surrounding images.

[0095] For example, the camera module 140 can identify the lanes included in the surrounding image and the type of the identified lanes. For example, the camera module 140 can identify the central lane or the central dividing strip, and based on the central lane or the central dividing strip, it can be determined how many lanes the road on which the vehicle 1 is traveling has.

[0096] In addition, the camera module 140 can identify the lane as a solid lane, a dashed lane, a left turn lane, or a straight lane and generate lane information, and the identified lane information can be used to determine whether the vehicle 1 is allowed to change lanes or whether the vehicle 1 must change lanes.

[0097] In addition, the camera module 140 can identify and determine various objects included in the surrounding image. The camera module 140 can identify other vehicles or pedestrians located in front of the vehicle 1, and can identify traffic lights and the current state of the traffic lights, and use the identified state to determine whether the vehicle 1 is traveling or whether the vehicle 1 needs to slow down.

[0098] The controller 110 may fuse the above navigation information and camera information, and use the fused information for automatic driving and control of the vehicle 1. Hereinafter, some exemplary embodiments of a driving assistance system 100 or a driving assistance method using the vehicle 1 will be described.

[0099] Figure 6 is a flowchart showing a driving assistance method according to an embodiment of the present invention, and Figure 7 This is an example of the operation of changing lanes to a highway diverging point by a driving assistance method according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0100] Some embodiments of the driving assistance method may be performed by the driving assistance system 100 or the vehicle 1 including the system. The driving assistance method to be described below may be applied to or implemented in some embodiments of the driving assistance system 100 or the vehicle 1 .

[0101] according to Figure 6 In the exemplary embodiment of the driving assistance method shown, the controller 110 receives navigation information and camera information (step 1100 ).

[0102] Navigation information may be provided from a navigation module or navigator 150, while camera information may be provided from camera module 140. Additionally, CAN communications may be used to communicate navigation information.

[0103] The navigation information and the camera information may be provided in real time or periodically at a specific time interval (eg, a preset time interval). In addition, depending on the driving mode of the vehicle 1, the navigation information and the camera information may be provided when a specific event or condition occurs or is satisfied.

[0104] The controller 110 may compare the distance from the current position of the vehicle 1 to the diverging point with the first reference distance D1 (step 1300). For example, in step 1300, when the vehicle 1 is about to leave the road on which the vehicle 1 is traveling, the controller 110 compares the distance from the current position of the vehicle 1 to the diverging point with the first reference distance D1.

[0105] As described above, the navigation information includes information about the distance to a diverging point on the road on which the vehicle 1 is traveling. A diverging point is a point where multiple roads, routes, or lanes diverge or a new road, route, or lane begins, for example, but not limited to, the starting point, midpoint, or end point of an exit lane (such as an off-ramp lane). When it is necessary or necessary to navigate the vehicle 1 to leave by setting a corresponding diverging point on the route, the controller 110 may compare the distance from the current position of the vehicle 1 to the diverging point with the first reference distance D1, and when the distance to the diverging point is less than the first reference distance D1 (yes in step 1300), the lane on the traveling road closest to the diverging point is set as the target lane (step 1400).

[0106] For example, in Figure 7 In the example, when the road on which the vehicle 1 is traveling is a four-lane highway consisting of a first lane L1, a second lane L2, a third lane L3, and a fourth lane L4, the lane closest to the divergence point is the fourth lane L4. In this case, the controller 110 may set the fourth lane as the target lane.

[0107] The controller 110 may set a reference lane based on the target lane (step 1500 ) and control the vehicle 1 to change one or more lanes until the vehicle 1 reaches the target lane (step 1600 ).

[0108] In this embodiment, the target lane is the lane that is finally reached by the lane change work, and the reference lane is the next lane that the vehicle 1 must move to from the current lane in order to reach the target lane. The controller 110 can set the adjacent lane on the right or left side of the current driving lane (i.e., the lane that is +1 or -1 away from the current driving lane) as the reference lane until the vehicle 1 reaches the target lane.

[0109] exist Figure 7 In the example shown, the divergence point is located on the right side of the vehicle 1. Therefore, the third lane L3, which is the adjacent lane or +1 lane on the right side of the current driving lane, the second lane L2, can be set as the reference lane. After the vehicle 1 moves to the third lane L3, the fourth lane L4, which is the adjacent lane or +1 lane on the right side of the third lane L3, can be set as the reference lane, and when the vehicle 1 reaches the fourth lane L4 as the target lane, the lane change work can be completed.

[0110] Figure 8 is a flowchart for illustrating a driving assistance method according to another embodiment of the present invention.

[0111] As described above, the controller 110 may determine whether to change one or more lanes by comparing the distance to the diverging point with the first reference distance D1. In this case, the time required to change the lane to the target lane may vary depending on the current situation. Figure 8In another embodiment of the present invention shown, the first reference distance D1 may be set based on at least one of the distance between the driving lane and the diverging point and the traffic volume (step 1200 ).

[0112] Return to reference Figure 7 In the example, when the diverging point is located on the right side of the vehicle 1, the time required to move to the fourth lane L4 as the target lane varies depending on whether the vehicle 1 is traveling in the first lane L1 or the third lane L3. Since the vehicle 1 traveling in the first lane L1 takes longer to reach the target lane than the vehicle 1 traveling in the third lane L3, when the vehicle 1 is traveling in the first lane L1, the controller 110 can start changing lanes earlier and set the first reference distance D1 to be longer.

[0113] In addition, the first reference distance D1 may be adjusted according to the traffic on the road on which the vehicle 1 is traveling or is about to travel. When the traffic volume on the road is heavy, it takes longer to change one or more lanes. Therefore, when the traffic volume is heavy, the controller 110 may set the first reference distance D1 to be longer. Information about the traffic volume may be included in the navigation information or the information received from the camera module 140.

[0114] As an example, a first reference distance table having multiple predetermined first reference distances that vary according to the driving lane in which the vehicle 1 is traveling and the number of lanes of the road on which the vehicle 1 is traveling, or a first reference distance table having multiple first reference distances that vary according to the traffic volume can be preset and stored, and the controller 110 can select a first reference distance from the table that matches the current driving lane or the current traffic volume.

[0115] Alternatively, an algorithm configured to calculate and output an appropriate first reference distance based on a driving lane or traffic volume may also be provided, and as an example, the algorithm may be a pre-trained deep learning algorithm.

[0116] Fig. 9 is a flowchart showing a lane change operation of a vehicle after passing a diverging point in a driving assistance method according to an embodiment of the present invention, and Fig.10 It is used to show that according to Fig. 9 An example of the lane change operation of the driver assistance method is shown.

[0117] The controller 110 receives navigation information and camera information (step 2100 ).

[0118] The controller 110 may compare the distance to the diverging point with the second reference distance D2, and when the distance to the diverging point is less than the second reference distance D2 (yes in step 2200), set the diverging lane (e.g., the exit ramp lane) as the target lane (step 2300).

[0119] For example, in Fig. 9 The work performed in the exemplary embodiment of is the work performed in the state where the vehicle 1 has moved to the lane closest to the divergence point to leave the road, as previously referred to in Figures 6 to 8 Therefore, Fig.10 As shown, when the vehicle 1 is traveling in the fourth lane L4 closest to the diverging point, when the distance to the diverging point is less than the second reference distance D2, the controller 110 can set the diverging lane L5 (e.g., the exit ramp lane) as the target lane.

[0120] Generally, after the vehicle 1 passes through the diverging point, a new lane for leaving the road appears, and in this embodiment, the lane appearing after the diverging point is referred to as a “diverging lane.” The diverging lane is included in the camera information.

[0121] When the vehicle 1 passes the diverging point (yes in step 2400 ), the controller 110 may change one or more lanes until the vehicle reaches the target lane (step 2500 ).

[0122] The operation of setting a reference lane and moving the vehicle 1 to the reference lane to reach a target lane according to the present embodiment is the same or similar to the above-described exemplary embodiments and examples.

[0123] Fig.11 is a flowchart showing the operation of merging a vehicle into a main road lane in a driving assistance method according to an embodiment of the present invention, and Fig.12 It is used to show that according to Fig.11 An example of the lane change operation of the driver assistance method is shown.

[0124] refer to Fig.11 , the controller 110 receives navigation information and camera information (step 3100).

[0125] The controller 110 may compare the distance from the current position of the vehicle 1 to the merging point with the third reference distance D3 (step 3200). The merging point is a point where multiple roads, routes, or lanes merge, or the starting point, midpoint, or end point of an exit lane (such as an on-ramp lane). For example, in step 3200, when the vehicle 1 is about to enter the main road lane from another road, the controller 110 compares the distance from the current position of the vehicle 1 to the merging point with the third reference distance D3. Here, the other road may be another highway, a freeway, a local road, a general road, or any road that merges with the road that the vehicle is about to enter.

[0126] exist Fig.12The work described in the illustrated example is a work in which the vehicle 1 merges into a new road after leaving at a divergence point of another road to change roads. Alternatively, even if the work is not a work for changing roads, when the vehicle 1 enters a road from a general road, the work in the Fig.11 and Fig.12 The same or similar work described in the exemplary embodiments of the present invention may be performed.

[0127] refer to Fig.12 When a vehicle enters a highway from another highway or a general road, the vehicle travels in the acceleration lane or the on-ramp lane AL before merging into the main road lane. Since there may be a risk of an accident when a newly merged vehicle enters the main road lane at a very low speed, it is preferred to accelerate to an appropriate speed in the acceleration lane or the on-ramp lane AL before merging into the main road lane and then merge into the main road lane.

[0128] The controller 110 may accelerate the vehicle 1 based on information such as the length of the acceleration lane or on-ramp lane AL, the speed of another vehicle traveling on a lane closest to the acceleration lane AL among the main road lanes, and the traffic volume in the main road lanes.

[0129] When the distance to the merging point is less than the third reference distance D3 (yes in step 3200), the controller 110 may set the main road lane as the target lane (step 3300), and when the vehicle has passed the merging point (yes in step 3400), the controller 110 may change one or more lanes until the vehicle reaches the target lane (step 3500).

[0130] The controller 110 may set one of the main road lanes consisting of the first lane L1 to the fourth lane L4 as the target lane. The operation of setting the reference lane and moving the vehicle 1 to the reference lane to reach the target lane is the same or similar to the above-described exemplary embodiment. For example, when the main road lane is located on the left side of the acceleration lane or the ramp lane AL, the lane of the adjacent lane or the -1 lane on the left side of the current driving lane may be set as the reference lane.

[0131] Fig.13 is a flowchart for illustrating the operation of setting a main road lane as a target lane in a driving assistance method according to an embodiment of the present invention, and Fig.14 It is used to show that according to Fig.13 An example of the lane change operation of the driver assistance method is shown. Fig.15 is a flowchart for illustrating an operation of setting a main road lane as a target lane in a driving assistance method according to another embodiment of the present invention.

[0132] refer to Fig.13In order to set one of the main road lanes as the target lane, the controller 110 may determine whether there is a dedicated lane in the main road lane (step 3310). For example, some roads may have one or more dedicated lanes for only allowing vehicles that meet requirements such as laws or regulations to travel thereon, such as but not limited to buses, vehicles carrying a certain number of people or more, and vehicles that have paid to travel.

[0133] Information about these dedicated lanes may be included in the navigation information, and when such a dedicated lane exists on the main road (yes in step 3310), the controller 110 may set the nth lane of the main road as the target lane (step 3320), and when there is no dedicated lane (no in step 3310), set the mth lane of the main road as the target lane (step 3330).

[0134] n and m are integers greater than or equal to, and as an example, n may be 3 and m may be n-1. Fig.14 In the example, when the first lane L1 is a dedicated lane, the second lane L2 is set as an overtaking lane, and the controller 110 can set the third lane (n=3) as the next lane of the overtaking lane as the target lane. However, when there is no dedicated lane on the road on which the vehicle 1 is driving, the first lane L1 is set as an overtaking lane, and the controller 110 can set the second lane (m=2) as the next lane of the overtaking lane as the target lane.

[0135] However, of course, n=2 and m=1 can be set according to the driver's driving tendency. In this case, the controller 110 can set the target lane as the overtaking lane based on the average driving speed of the vehicle 1 and the frequency of overtaking other vehicles in the self-driving mode where the driver directly drives the vehicle.

[0136] Alternatively, the driver may be provided with the option of selecting a lane when entering a highway.

[0137] Furthermore, the above example assumes a case where the vehicle 1 is not a vehicle allowed to travel in the dedicated lane. However, when the vehicle 1 is a vehicle allowed to travel in the dedicated lane, the dedicated lane can be set as the target lane.

[0138] Furthermore, the remainder of the route of vehicle 1 may also be taken into account when setting the target lane.

[0139] refer to Fig.15 In the example of FIG. 33 , the controller 110 may compare the distance to the next diverging point with the fourth reference distance D4 to set one of the main road lanes as the target lane (step 3340 ).

[0140] Here, the next diverging point means the next diverging point that the vehicle 1 will leave on the travel route set to the destination, and information on the distance to the next diverging point is included in the navigation information.

[0141] When the distance from the current position of the vehicle 1 to the next diverging point is less than the fourth reference distance D4 (yes in step 3340), there is no need to move to a lane farther from the current diverging point. Accordingly, the nth lane of the main road can be set as the target lane (step 3350), and for example, when the main road lanes consist of a total of p lanes, n can satisfy p-1≤n≤p (p is an integer greater than or equal to 2).

[0142] However, the above example assumes that the diverging point is located on the right side of the road, and when the diverging point is located on the left side of the road, n may satisfy 1≤n≤2.

[0143] When the distance from the current position of the vehicle 1 to the next diverging point is greater than the fourth reference distance D4 (No in step 3340), the vehicle 1 may move further to the left compared to the case where the distance to the next diverging point is less than the fourth reference distance D4, and for this purpose, the mth lane of the main road may be set as the target lane (step 3360). As an example, m may satisfy 1≤m <n-1。

[0144] According to some embodiments of the present invention, navigation information and camera information may be used to perform autonomous driving of a vehicle without using high-definition maps that cost a great deal of time and money to build and maintain.

[0145] In particular, since the vehicle can change lanes to reach a target lane by using only navigation information and camera information when the vehicle enters and leaves a highway, efficient autonomous driving can be achieved without adopting a high-specification processor or communication module.

[0146] In addition, the disclosed embodiments may be implemented in the form of a recording medium storing instructions executable by a computer. For example, instructions for executing the above-mentioned driving assistance method may be stored in the form of program code, and when executed by a processor, the work of the disclosed embodiments may be performed. The recording medium may be implemented as a computer-readable recording medium.

[0147] Computer-readable recording media include all types of recording media that store instructions that can be decoded by a computer, such as read-only memory (ROM), random access memory (RAM), magnetic tapes, magnetic disks, flash memory, optical data storage devices, etc.

[0148] The machine-readable storage medium may be provided in the form of a non-transitory storage medium. For example, a "non-transitory storage medium" may include a cache memory that temporarily stores data.

[0149] According to one aspect of the present invention, autonomous driving can be achieved even with low computing power by using navigation information and camera information instead of a high-definition map for autonomous driving.

[0150] Exemplary embodiments of the present invention are described above. In the above exemplary embodiments, some components may be implemented as "modules". Here, the term "module" means, for example but not limited to, software and / or hardware components that perform specific tasks, such as field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs) or application specific integrated circuits (ASICs). Modules may advantageously be configured to reside on an addressable storage medium and to be executed on one or more processors.

[0151] Thus, as examples, modules may include components, such as software components, object-oriented software components, class components and task components, processes, functions, attributes, procedures, subroutines, program code segments, drivers, firmware, microcode, circuits, data, databases, data structures, tables, arrays and variables. The operations provided in components and modules may be combined into fewer components and modules, or further divided into additional components and modules. In addition, components and modules may be implemented so that they execute one or more CPUs in a device.

[0152] That is, in addition to the above exemplary embodiments, the embodiments may therefore be implemented by computer-readable code / instructions in / on a medium (e.g., a computer-readable medium) to control at least one processing element to implement any of the above exemplary embodiments. The medium may correspond to any medium that allows storage and / or transmission of computer-readable code.

[0153] The computer readable code may be recorded on a medium or transmitted over the Internet. The medium may include a read-only memory (ROM), a random access memory (RAM), a compact disc read-only memory (CD-ROM), a magnetic tape, a floppy disk, and an optical recording medium. In addition, the medium may be a non-temporary computer readable medium. The medium may also be a distributed network so that the computer readable code is stored or transmitted and executed in a distributed manner. In addition, by way of example only, the processing element may include at least one processor or at least one computer processor, and the processing element may be distributed and / or included in a single device.

[0154] While exemplary embodiments have been described with respect to a limited number of embodiments, those skilled in the art, having benefit of this disclosure, will appreciate that other embodiments can be devised which do not depart from the scope disclosed herein. Accordingly, the scope should be limited only by the claims appended hereto.

Claims

1. A driving assistance system, wherein: include: a camera module associated with the vehicle and configured to capture surrounding images to generate camera information representative of the environment of the vehicle, and a controller configured to control driving of the vehicle based on the camera information provided from the camera module and navigation information provided from a navigator associated with the vehicle; The controller is configured to: When the vehicle is about to leave the road on which the vehicle is traveling, comparing the distance to the diverging point on the road on which the vehicle is traveling with a first reference distance, When the distance to a diverging point of the road on which the vehicle is traveling is shorter than the first reference distance, the vehicle is controlled to change lanes to a target lane to move the vehicle to a lane closest to the diverging point among the lanes of the road.

2. The driving assistance system according to claim 1, wherein: The controller is configured to: The first reference distance is set based on at least one of a traffic volume on the road on which the vehicle is traveling and a lane in which the vehicle is traveling.

3. The driving assistance system according to claim 1, wherein: The controller is configured to: The higher the traffic volume on the road on which the vehicle is traveling, the longer the first reference distance is set.

4. The driving assistance system according to claim 1, wherein: The controller is configured to: The farther the lane in which the vehicle is traveling is from the diverging point of the road, the longer the first reference distance is set.

5. The driving assistance system according to claim 1, wherein: The controller is configured to: changing a reference lane until the vehicle reaches the target lane, the reference lane being a lane closer to the target lane among lanes adjacent to the lane in which the vehicle is traveling, The vehicle is moved to the reference lane so that the vehicle reaches the target lane.

6. The driving assistance system according to claim 1, wherein: The controller is configured to: After the vehicle passes the diverging point of the road, the vehicle is moved to a diverging lane.

7. The driving assistance system according to claim 1, wherein: The controller is configured to: When the vehicle is about to enter the main road lane from another road, the distance to the merging point of the main road lane and the another road is compared with a third reference distance, When the distance to the merging point of the main road lane and the other road is less than the third reference distance, setting one of the main road lanes as the target lane, After the vehicle passes through the merging point between the main road lane and the other road, the vehicle is controlled to move to the target lane.

8. The driving assistance system according to claim 7, wherein: The controller is configured to: comparing the distance to the next diverging point on the route to be traveled by the vehicle with a fourth reference distance, When the distance to the next diverging point is less than the fourth reference distance, the nth lane in the main road lanes is set as the target lane, and when the distance to the next diverging point is greater than or equal to the fourth reference distance, the mth lane in the main road lanes is set as the target lane, where n is an integer greater than or equal to 1, and m is an integer greater than or equal to 1 and less than n.

9. The driving assistance system according to claim 7, wherein: The controller is configured to: When at least one of the main road lanes is a dedicated lane, the nth lane of the main road lanes is set as the target lane, where n is an integer greater than or equal to 2, When the main road lane has no dedicated lane, the mth lane in the main road lane is set as the target lane, where m is an integer greater than or equal to 1 and less than n.

10. A non-transitory computer readable medium configured to store instructions, which when executed by a processor cause the processor to perform the following operations: receiving camera information from a camera module associated with the vehicle, receiving navigation information from a navigator associated with the vehicle, When the vehicle is about to leave the road on which the vehicle is traveling, comparing the distance to the diverging point of the road on which the vehicle is traveling with a first reference distance, When the distance to the diverging point of the road on which the vehicle is traveling is less than the first reference distance, the vehicle is controlled to change lanes to a target lane to move the vehicle to a lane among the lanes of the road that is closest to the diverging point.

Images