Method and apparatus for controlling vehicle

Abstract

A vehicle control method includes: estimating, by an estimator, a first gradient of a first region by photographing the first region using a first camera, if a vehicle is located in a region in which a gradient of a vehicle bottom surface is the same as a gradient of a road surface; estimating, by the estimator, a second gradient of a second region farther from the vehicle than the first region by using a second camera; and estimating, by the estimator, a third gradient of the second region by photographing the second region using the first camera, if the vehicle travels and is located in the first region.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a vehicle control method and apparatus, and more particularly, to a vehicle control method and apparatus using a camera. Background Art

[0002] To assist vehicle driving, various sensors can be used to measure the distance between the vehicle and an object. For example, a vehicle can use a camera to measure the distance between the vehicle and an object. However, depending on changes in the vehicle posture caused by vehicle acceleration or deceleration, or changes in the vehicle posture caused by bumps or road surface inclination, the measurement accuracy of the distance between the vehicle and the object may be reduced.

[0003] Therefore, a method may be needed to accurately measure the distance between the vehicle and an object by considering the vehicle posture, road surface gradient, etc.

[0004] The information included in the background art of the present disclosure is only for enhancing the understanding of the general background of the present disclosure, and should not be regarded as an admission or an indication in any form that this information constitutes the prior art known to those skilled in the art. Summary of the Invention

[0005] Aspects of the present disclosure aim to provide a method and apparatus for estimating the gradient of a road surface.

[0006] Aspects of the present disclosure aim to provide a method and apparatus for estimating the shape of lane lines / lane.

[0007] Aspects of the present disclosure aim to provide a method and apparatus for matching the vehicle posture difference in each driving area with the road surface gradient difference.

[0008] Aspects of the present disclosure aim to provide a method and apparatus for estimating the gradient of a road surface or the shape of lane lines by photographing the same area of the road surface with multiple cameras at different times.

[0009] Aspects of the present disclosure aim to provide a method and apparatus for correcting geometric errors of an image regarding a camera based on the gradient of a road surface.

[0010] Aspects of the present disclosure aim to provide a method and apparatus for measuring the distance between a vehicle and an object using a camera even when the vehicle is on an inclined road.

[0011] The aspects of the present disclosure to be achieved in the exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure are not limited to the aspects of the present disclosure mentioned above, and those skilled in the art to which the present disclosure pertains will clearly understand another aspect of the present disclosure not mentioned from the following description.

[0012] The technical problems to be solved by the present disclosure are not limited to the above problems, and those skilled in the art to which the present disclosure pertains will clearly understand any other technical problems not mentioned herein from the following description.

[0013] According to an aspect of the present disclosure, a vehicle control method includes: if a vehicle is located in an area where the inclination of the vehicle bottom surface is the same as the slope of the road surface, estimating, by an estimator, a first slope of a first area by using a first camera to photograph the first area; estimating, by the estimator, a second slope of a second area that is farther from the vehicle than the first area by using a second camera to photograph the second area; if the vehicle is traveling and located in the first area, estimating, by the estimator, a third slope of the second area by using the first camera to photograph the second area; estimating, by the estimator, a final slope of the second area or a lane line pattern of the second area based on a comparison result between the second slope and the third slope; and controlling the vehicle by a controller based on road surface information including at least a part of the first slope, the final slope of the second area, and the lane line pattern of the second area.

[0014] According to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, estimating the first slope of the first area may include: detecting, by a detector, a first lane line of the first area; detecting, by the detector, a first vanishing point based on the first lane line; estimating, by the estimator, a first vehicle posture based on the first vanishing point; and estimating, by the estimator, the first slope based on the first vehicle posture.

[0015] According to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, estimating the first slope of the first area may include: estimating, by the estimator, the first slope by matching a pitch angle of the first vehicle posture with the first slope.

[0016] According to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, estimating the second slope of the second area may include: detecting, by a detector, a second lane line of the second area; detecting, by the detector, a second vanishing point based on the second lane line; estimating, by the estimator, a second vehicle posture based on the second vanishing point; and estimating, by the estimator, the second slope based on the first vehicle posture, the second vehicle posture, and the first slope.

[0017] According to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, estimating the second slope of the second area may include: estimating, by the estimator, the second slope by matching a difference between a pitch angle of the first vehicle posture and a pitch angle of the second vehicle posture with a difference between the first slope and the second slope.

[0018] According to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, estimating the final slope of the second area or the lane line pattern of the second area may include: if the second slope is the same as the third slope, estimating, by the estimator, the second slope as the final slope, and if the second slope is different from the third slope, estimating, by the estimator, the first slope as the final slope.

[0019] According to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, the final slope of the second region or the lane line pattern of the second region may further include: when the second slope is different from the third slope, the estimator estimates that the lane lines in the second region are not parallel to each other.

[0020] According to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, estimating the final slope of the second region or the lane line pattern of the second region may further include: the estimator estimates the degree of widening of the lane lines in the second region based on the difference between the second slope and the third slope.

[0021] According to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, controlling the vehicle may include: the controller controls the vehicle by correcting the geometric error regarding the image from the first camera or the second camera based on the road surface information.

[0022] According to an aspect of the present disclosure, a vehicle control device includes a first camera, a second camera, an estimator, and a controller. If the vehicle is in a region where the inclination of the vehicle bottom surface is the same as the slope of the road surface, the estimator estimates the first slope of the first region by using the first camera to capture the first region; estimates the second slope of the second region by using the second camera to capture the second region that is farther from the vehicle than the first region; if the vehicle is traveling and in the first region, the estimator estimates the third slope of the second region by using the first camera to capture the second region; and the estimator estimates the final slope of the second region or the lane line pattern of the second region based on the comparison result between the second slope and the third slope, where the controller is configured to: control the vehicle through the controller based on the road surface information including at least a part of the first slope, the final slope of the second region, and the lane line pattern of the second region.

[0023] According to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, the vehicle control device may further include a detector and an estimator. The detector is configured to: detect the first lane line of the first region and detect the first vanishing point based on the first lane line. The estimator estimates the first vehicle pose based on the first vanishing point and estimates the first slope based on the first vehicle pose.

[0024] According to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, the estimator may estimate the first slope by matching the pitch angle of the first vehicle with the first slope.

[0025] According to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, the detector may detect the second lane line of the second region and detect the second vanishing point based on the second lane line, and the estimator may estimate the second vehicle pose based on the second vanishing point and estimate the second slope based on the first vehicle pose, the second vehicle pose, and the first slope.

[0026] According to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, the estimator may estimate the second slope by matching the difference between the pitch angles of the first vehicle pose and the pitch angle of the second vehicle pose with the difference between the first slope and the second slope.

[0027] According to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, if the second slope is the same as the third slope, the estimator may estimate the second slope as the final slope, and if the second slope is different from the third slope, the estimator may estimate the first slope as the final slope.

[0028] According to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, if the second slope is different from the third slope, the estimator may estimate that the lane lines in the second region are not parallel to each other.

[0029] According to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, the estimator may estimate the degree of widening of the lane lines in the second region based on the difference between the second slope and the third slope.

[0030] According to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, the controller may be configured to: control the vehicle by the controller by correcting the geometric error regarding the images from the first camera or the second camera.

[0031] The features briefly outlined above for the present disclosure are merely example aspects of the specific embodiments of the present disclosure described below and do not limit the scope of the present disclosure.

[0032] The methods and apparatuses of the present disclosure have other features and advantages that are common for explaining certain principles of the present disclosure and the following specific embodiments, and these features and advantages will become apparent from or be more particularly set forth in the accompanying drawings incorporated herein. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0033] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram for describing the geometry of the camera;

[0034] Figure 2 is a flowchart for describing a vehicle control method according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0035] Figure 3A is a schematic diagram for describing the shooting area of the camera according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0036] Figure 3B is a schematic diagram for describing the shooting area of the camera according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0037] Figure 4 is a flowchart for describing a vehicle control method according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0038] Figure 5is a flowchart for describing a vehicle control method according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0039] Figure 6 is a flowchart for describing a vehicle control method according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0040] Figure 7 is a flowchart for describing a vehicle control method according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0041] Figure 8 is a block diagram showing a vehicle control device according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure; and

[0042] Figure 9 is a block diagram showing a computing system for performing a vehicle control method according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0043] It can be understood that the drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale, presenting simplified representations of various features illustrating the basic principles of the present disclosure. The predetermined design features of the present disclosure included herein, including, for example, specific dimensions, orientations, positions, and shapes, will be determined in part by the particular intended application and the use environment.

[0044] In the drawings, reference numerals refer to the same or equivalent parts of the present disclosure throughout several figures. Detailed Description of Specific Embodiments

[0045] Now, various embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail, and examples thereof are shown in the drawings and described below. Although the present disclosure will be described in conjunction with the exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure, it will be understood that this description is not intended to limit the present disclosure to those exemplary embodiments. On the other hand, the present disclosure is intended to cover not only the exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure, but also various alternatives, modifications, equivalents, and other embodiments that may be included within the spirit and scope of the present disclosure as defined by the appended claims.

[0046] Hereinafter, various exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the drawings so that those skilled in the art can easily implement the present disclosure. However, the present disclosure can be implemented in many different forms and should not be construed as limited to the exemplary embodiments set forth herein.

[0047] In describing the embodiments of the present disclosure, if it is determined that a detailed description of a known configuration or function may obscure the gist of the present disclosure, its detailed description will be omitted to avoid redundancy. In addition, in the drawings, parts not relevant to the description of the present disclosure are omitted, and like reference numerals are provided for like parts.

[0048] In an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, when a component is said to be "connected", "coupled", or "combined" with another component, this may include not only a direct connection relationship but also an indirect connection relationship in which another component is located between the two. Additionally, when a component is said to "include" or "contain" another component, this does not mean excluding that other component, but may also include the other component, unless stated to the contrary.

[0049] In an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, terms such as first and second are only used to distinguish one component from other components and do not limit the order or importance of the components, unless specifically mentioned. Thus, within the scope of the present disclosure, the first component in various exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure may be referred to as the second component in another embodiment, and likewise, the second component in various exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure may be referred to as the first component in another embodiment.

[0050] In an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, different components are only used to clearly describe each feature and do not necessarily mean that the components are separate. That is, multiple components may be integrated to form one hardware or software unit, or one component may be distributed to form multiple hardware or software units. Therefore, even if not specifically mentioned, such integrated or distributed embodiments are included within the scope of the present disclosure.

[0051] In an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, the components described in various embodiments are not necessarily essential components, and some components may be optional components. Therefore, various exemplary embodiments including a subset of the components described in the exemplary embodiments are also included within the scope of the present disclosure. Additionally, various exemplary embodiments including other components in addition to the components described in the various exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure are also included within the scope of the present disclosure.

[0052] In an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, the expressions of positional relationships used in this specification, such as top, bottom, left, right, etc., are described for convenience of description, and when the drawings shown in this specification are viewed in reverse, the positional relationships described in this specification may be interpreted in the opposite way.

[0053] As used herein, each phrase such as "A or B", "at least one of A and B", "at least one of A or B", "A, B, or C", "at least one of A, B, and C", and "at least one of A, B, or C" may include any one or all possible combinations of the items listed together with the corresponding phrase.

[0054] Hereinafter, reference will be made to Figure 1 、 Figure 2 、 Figure 3A 、 Figure 3B 、Figure 4 , Figure 5 , Figure 6 , Figure 7 , Figure 8 and Figure 9 describe various embodiments of the present disclosure in detail.

[0055] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram for describing the geometry of a camera.

[0056] Referring to Figure 1 , vehicle 100 can use camera 110 to measure the distance between vehicle 100 and tree 120. For example, different from Figure 1 , if vehicle 100 is on a road surface with a slope of '0', the shooting angle of camera 110 can be 'θ'. Therefore, if the height of camera 110 from the ground is 'h', the distance 'd' between tree 120 and vehicle 100 can be determined as h * tanθ. However, as shown in Figure 1 , vehicle 100 may pass over bump 130, so the shooting angle of camera 110 can be θ + Δθ. In addition, due to bump 130, the height from the ground to camera 110 can be h + Δh, so camera 110 can perceive the distance between vehicle 100 and tree 120 as d + Δd. Specifically, an error may occur where vehicle 100 perceives the distance between vehicle 100 and tree 120 as d + Δd, which is a distance longer than the actual distance 'd'. Therefore, in order to reduce these errors, a method for correcting the geometric error of the image of camera 110 by considering the slope of the road surface may be required. The vehicle control method and apparatus according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure estimate the slope of the road surface and correct the geometric error of the image of the camera based on the slope of the road surface, thereby accurately measuring the distance between the vehicle and an object.

[0057] Figure 2 is a flowchart for describing a vehicle control method according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure. Figure 3A is a schematic diagram for describing the shooting area of a camera according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure. Figure 3B is a schematic diagram for describing the shooting area of a camera according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure. Hereinafter, reference will be made to Figure 3A and Figure 3B to describe Figure 2 .

[0058] Referring to Figure 2, according to the vehicle control method of an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, in S210, if the vehicle is located in an area where the inclination of the vehicle bottom surface is the same as the slope of the road surface, the estimator may estimate the first slope of the first area by using the first camera to capture the first area. The first area may be a close-range area in front of the vehicle, and the first camera may be a camera that captures the close-range area in front. For example, referring to Figure 3A , the vehicle 300 may include a close-range camera for capturing the close-range area 340, a mid-range camera for capturing the mid-range area 320, a long-range camera for capturing the long-range area 310, and a side camera for capturing the side area 330. The front of the close-range area 340 may be referred to as the first area, the rear of the close-range area 340 may be referred to as the fourth area, the front of the mid-range area 320 may be referred to as the second area, the rear of the mid-range area 320 may be referred to as the fifth area, and the long-range area may be referred to as the third area. The close-range camera may include a close-range front camera that captures the front of the close-range area 340 based on the vehicle 300, a close-range rear camera that captures the rear of the close-range area 340, and a close-range side camera that captures the side of the close-range area 340, and the close-range front camera may be referred to as the first camera, and the close-range rear camera may be referred to as the fourth camera. In addition, the mid-range camera may capture the mid-range area 320 that is farther than the close-range area 340 based on the vehicle 300, and may include a mid-range front camera and a mid-range rear camera. In this case, the mid-range front camera may be referred to as the second camera, and the mid-range rear camera may be referred to as the fifth camera. In addition, the long-range camera may capture the long-range area 310 that is farther than the mid-range area 320 based on the vehicle 300, and may be referred to as the third camera.

[0059] The vehicle control method according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure may estimate the slope of the road surface by estimating the vehicle posture. For example, the vehicle control method may estimate the slope of the road surface by estimating the vehicle posture using the LI-VDC (Lane Inference-based Vehicle Dynamic Compensation) logic. The LI-VDC logic may be a logic that, if the slope of the road surface is uniform, estimates the vehicle posture by detecting the vanishing point based on the lane line and estimating the pitch angle of the vehicle based on the vanishing point. The LI-VDC logic, as a logic for estimating the vehicle posture, may estimate the vehicle posture in the area around the vehicle 300 on the assumption that the vehicle 300 is located in an area where the inclination of the vehicle bottom surface is the same as the slope of the road surface. More specific details about the LI-VDC logic will be described later.

[0060] Referring to Figure 3B, as described above, the vehicle 300 may be located in an area where the inclination of the vehicle bottom surface is the same as the slope of the road surface, and the road surface in the close area (i.e., the first area 341 or the area 342), which is relatively close to the vehicle 300, may include a slope. In addition, the road surface in the middle distance area 320, which is farther from the vehicle 300 than the road surface in the close area 340 (i.e., the second area 321 or the area 322), may also include a slope. In addition, the road surface 311 in the far distance area 310, which is farther from the vehicle 300 than the road surface in the middle distance area 320, may also include a slope.

[0061] The vehicle control method may estimate the first slope of the first area 341 by using the first camera to capture the first area 341. Specifically, the vehicle control method may estimate the slope of the front of the close area 340 (i.e., the first area 341) by using the front camera in the close range (the first camera) to capture the front of the close area 340. For example, the vehicle control method may estimate the vehicle posture in the first area by using the first camera to capture the first area 341, and may estimate the first slope in the first area 341 by matching the vehicle posture with the slope of the road surface. More specific details about estimating the first slope will be described later.

[0062] According to the vehicle control method, at S220, the estimator may estimate the second slope of the second area 321, which is farther from the vehicle than the first area 341, by using the second camera to capture the second area 321. Specifically, the vehicle control method may estimate the second slope of the front 321 of the middle distance area 320 by using the front camera in the middle distance (the second camera) to capture the front 321 of the middle distance area 320. For example, the vehicle control method may estimate the vehicle posture in the second area 321 by using the second camera to capture the second area 321, and may estimate the second slope of the second area 321 by matching the difference between the vehicle postures in the first area 341 and the second area 321 with the difference between the slopes of the first area 341 and the second area 321. More specific details about estimating the second slope will be described later.

[0063] According to the vehicle control method, in S230, if the vehicle 300 is traveling and located in the first area 341, the estimator can estimate the third slope of the second area 321 by using the first camera to capture the second area 321. Specifically, if the vehicle 300 is moving forward, the vehicle located in the area where the bottom surface of the vehicle and the road surface have the same inclination can be located in the first area 341 after a predetermined period of time. The first area 341 is the area in front of the close-range area 340. The vehicle 300 located in the first area 341 can capture the second area 321, which is a part of the existing mid-range area that uses the first camera to capture the area in front of the close-range area 340. For this purpose, the vehicle control method can estimate the third slope of the second area 321 by using the first camera to capture the second area 321. Specifically, if t = 0, the vehicle 300 can estimate the second slope of the second area 321 by using the second camera to capture the second area 321, and if t = 1, the vehicle 300 can estimate the third slope of the second area 321 by using the first camera to capture the second area 321. More specific details of estimating the second slope by capturing the second area 321 with the first camera or the second camera according to the change of time will be described later.

[0064] According to the vehicle control method, in S240, the estimator can estimate the final slope of the second area 321 or the lane line pattern of the second area 321 based on the comparison result between the second slope and the third slope. For example, since the second slope and the third slope each correspond to the estimated value of the slope of the second area, which is the same area, the second slope can be the same as the third slope. If the second slope and the third slope are the same, the final slope of the second area 321 can be estimated as the second slope. If the second slope is different from the third slope, the estimated values of the slopes in the second area, which is the same area, can be derived differently, so there may be a reason for the error between the second slope and the third slope. For example, the LI-VDC logic is a logic for estimating the vehicle posture when the lane lines are parallel. Therefore, if the LI-VDC logic is used to estimate the slope, it is necessary to assume that these lane lines are parallel. Therefore, if the slope values estimated for the same area are different from each other, it can be estimated that there is an error due to the non-parallel lane lines in the corresponding area. Therefore, if there is an error between the second slope and the third slope, it can be estimated that the lane lines in the second area are not parallel. For example, the widening degree of the lane lines in the second area can be estimated based on the difference between the second slope and the third slope. In addition, if the second slope and the third slope are different from each other, the slope of the second area 321 can be estimated to be the same as the first slope.

[0065] According to the vehicle control method, at S250, the controller can be configured to: control the vehicle based on road surface information including at least some of a first slope, a final slope of a second region, and a lane line pattern of the second region. Specifically, the vehicle control method can be configured to: control the vehicle 300 by correcting geometric errors in an image from a camera included in the vehicle 300 based on the road surface information. For example, as Figure 1 described, errors may occur when measuring the distance between the vehicle 300 and an object due to reasons such as the vehicle 300 being on an inclined road. The vehicle control method can estimate the slope of the road surface and consider the slope when measuring the distance between the vehicle 300 and the object, thereby correcting the camera angle when measuring the distance between the vehicle 300 and the object. Therefore, the distance between the vehicle 300 and the object can be accurately measured.

[0066] Figure 4 is a flowchart for describing a vehicle control method according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure. Figure 4 The flowchart of Figure 2 is a flowchart of a more detailed method of S210 of

[0067] Referring to Figure 4 , according to the vehicle control method of an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, at S211, a detector can detect a first lane line in a first region. For example, the vehicle control method can detect the lane line in the first region to estimate the posture of the vehicle using LI-VDC logic.

[0068] In addition, according to the vehicle control method, at S212, the detector can detect a first vanishing point based on the first lane line.

[0069] In addition, according to the vehicle control method, at S213, an estimator can estimate a first vehicle posture based on the first vanishing point. For example, the vehicle control method can determine the pitch angle of the camera based on the coordinates of the first vanishing point. In addition, the vehicle control method can estimate the pitch angle of the vehicle, i.e., the first vehicle posture, by converting the domain of the pitch angle of the camera from the camera to the vehicle.

[0070] In addition, according to the vehicle control method, at S214, the estimator can estimate a first slope based on the first vehicle posture. For example, through LI-VDC logic, if the slope of the first region is the same as the slope of the region where the vehicle was initially located (the region where the slope of the vehicle bottom surface and the road surface is the same), the estimated first vehicle posture can be the vehicle posture in the first region. In this case, by assuming that the pitch angle of the first vehicle posture is the angle generated by the first slope of the first region, the first slope can be estimated by matching the pitch angle of the first vehicle posture with the first slope.

[0071] Figure 5It is a flowchart for describing a vehicle control method according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure. Figure 5 The flowchart of Figure 2 is a flowchart of a more detailed method of S220 of

[0072] Referring to Figure 5 , for the vehicle control method according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, at S221, the detector may detect a second lane line in a second area. For example, the vehicle control method may detect a lane line in the second area to estimate the posture of the vehicle using the LI-VDC logic.

[0073] In addition, according to the vehicle control method, at S222, the detector may detect a second vanishing point based on the second lane line.

[0074] In addition, according to the vehicle control method, at S223, the estimator may estimate a second vehicle posture based on the second vanishing point. For example, the vehicle control method may determine the pitch angle of the camera based on the coordinates of the second vanishing point. In addition, the vehicle control method may estimate the pitch angle of the vehicle in the second area, that is, the second vehicle posture, by converting the domain of the pitch angle of the camera from the camera to the vehicle.

[0075] In addition, according to the vehicle control method, at S224, the estimator may estimate a second slope based on the first vehicle posture, the second vehicle posture, and the first slope. For example, the second slope may be estimated by matching the difference between the pitch angles of the first vehicle posture and the second vehicle posture with the difference between the first slope and the second slope.

[0076] Figure 6 It is a flowchart for describing a vehicle control method according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0077] The vehicle 60 according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure may include a first camera, a second camera, a third camera, a fourth camera, and a fifth camera.

[0078] At time t = 0, the vehicle 60 may be located in an area 600 where the inclination of the vehicle bottom surface is the same as the slope of the road surface.

[0079] In addition, the vehicle 60 may capture a first area 610 as a front close-range area with the first camera, may capture a second area 620 as a front medium-range area with the second camera, and may capture a third area 630 as a front long-range area with the third camera. In addition, the vehicle 60 may capture a fourth area 650 as a rear close-range area with the fourth camera, and may capture a fifth area 660 as a rear medium-range area with the fifth camera.

[0080] Vehicle 60 can estimate a first slope that is the slope of a first area 610 by capturing the first area 610 with a first camera at time t = 0. For example, a first lane line in the first area 610 can be detected, a first vanishing point can be detected based on the first lane line, a first vehicle pose can be estimated based on the first vanishing point, and a first slope of the first area 610 can be estimated based on the first vehicle pose.

[0081] In addition, vehicle 60 can estimate a second slope that is the slope of a second area 620 by capturing the second area 620 with a second camera at time t = 0. For example, a second lane line in the second area 620 can be detected, a second vanishing point can be detected based on the second lane line, a second vehicle pose can be estimated based on the second vanishing point, and the second slope can be estimated based on the first vehicle pose, the second vehicle pose, and the first slope.

[0082] If t = 1, a predetermined period of time has elapsed since t = 0, and vehicle 60 can drive straight and be located in the first area 610.

[0083] Therefore, vehicle 60 can capture the second area 620 with the first camera, capture the third area 630 with the second camera, and capture the sixth area 640 with the third camera. In addition, vehicle 60 can capture an area 600 where the inclination of the vehicle bottom surface is the same as the slope of the road surface with a fourth camera, and can capture the fourth area 650 with a fifth camera.

[0084] Vehicle 60 can estimate a third slope of the second area 620 by capturing the second area 620 with the first camera at time t = 1.

[0085] Even if the slopes are estimated by capturing with different cameras (the first camera and the second camera), the second slope and the third slope can be the same because both slopes are with respect to the second area 620. If the second slope and the third slope are the same, the second slope can be referred to as the final slope of the second area 620.

[0086] However, if the second slope and the third slope are not the same, the slope estimate in the second region 620 is derived differently, so the error between the second slope and the third slope may be attributable. For example, if the slope is estimated using LI-VDC logic, it may be necessary to assume that the lane lines are parallel. Therefore, if the slope values estimated for the same region are different from each other, it can be estimated that there is an error due to the non-parallelism of the lane lines in the corresponding region. Therefore, if there is an error between the second slope and the third slope, it can be estimated that the second lane lines in the second region 620 are not parallel. Specifically, the degree of widening of the second lane lines in the second region 620 can be estimated based on the difference between the second slope and the third slope. In addition, if the second slope is different from the third slope, the final slope of the second region can be estimated to be the same as the slope of the first region.

[0087] Figure 7 is a flowchart for describing a vehicle control method according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0088] According to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, the vehicle control method may estimate the second slope of the second region at S710. Specifically, the vehicle control method may estimate the second slope of the second region by capturing the second region, which is farther from the vehicle than the first region, using a second camera (at time t = 0).

[0089] The vehicle control method may estimate the third slope of the second region at S720. Specifically, if the vehicle is traveling and located in the first region (t = 1), the third slope of the second region may be estimated by capturing the second region using the first camera.

[0090] At S730, the vehicle control method may compare the second slope with the third slope.

[0091] At S740, the vehicle control method may determine whether the second slope is the same as the third slope.

[0092] At S750, if the second slope is the same as the third slope, the vehicle control method may estimate the second slope as the final slope of the second region.

[0093] In S760, if the second slope is different from the third slope, the vehicle control method may estimate the first slope as the final slope of the second region and may estimate that the lane lines of the second region are not parallel. For example, if the second slope is different from the third slope, the estimated value of the slope in the second region, which is the same region, is derived differently, so there may be a reason for the error between the second slope and the third slope. For example, the LI-VDC logic is a logic for estimating the vehicle posture when the lane lines are parallel. Therefore, if the LI-VDC logic is used to estimate the slope, it may be necessary to assume that these lane lines are parallel. Thus, if the slope values estimated for the same region are different from each other, it can be estimated that an error occurs because the lane lines in the corresponding region are not parallel. Therefore, if there is an error between the second slope and the third slope, it can be estimated that the lane lines in the second region are not parallel. The widening degree of the lane lines in the second region can be estimated based on the difference between the second slope and the third slope. In addition, if the second slope and the third slope are different from each other, the slope of the second region can be estimated to be the same as the first slope.

[0094] Figure 8 is a block diagram showing a vehicle control device according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0095] The vehicle control device 800 according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure may include a first camera 810, a second camera 820, an estimator 830, a controller 840, and a detector 850. Although not shown in Figure 8 it, the vehicle control device 800 includes a memory configured to store computer-executable instructions and at least one processor configured to access the memory and execute the instructions. The estimator 830, the controller 840, and the detector 850 may correspond to or be included in at least one processor.

[0096] The estimator 830 can be configured to: estimate a first slope of a first area by capturing the first area using the first camera 810 if the vehicle is in an area where the inclination of the vehicle bottom surface is the same as the slope of the road surface; estimate a second slope of a second area by capturing a second area farther from the vehicle than the first area using the second camera 820; estimate a third slope of the second area by capturing the second area using the first camera 810 if the vehicle is moving and in the first area; and estimate a final slope of the second area or the lane line pattern of the second area based on the comparison result between the second slope and the third slope. Specifically, the estimator 830 can be configured to: estimate the second slope as the final slope when the second slope is the same as the third slope; and estimate the first slope as the final slope if the second slope is different from the third slope. In addition, the estimator 830 can be configured to: estimate that the lane lines in the second area are not parallel to each other if the second slope is different from the third slope. For example, the estimator 830 can be configured to: estimate the widening degree of the second lane line based on the difference between the second slope and the third slope.

[0097] The controller 840 can be configured to: control the vehicle based on road surface information including at least a part of the first slope, the final slope for the second area, and the lane line pattern of the second area. For example, the controller 840 can be configured to: control the vehicle by correcting the geometric error of the images from the first camera 810 and the second camera 820 based on the road surface information.

[0098] The detector 850 can be configured to: detect a first lane line in the first area and detect a first vanishing point based on the first lane line.

[0099] In addition, the detector 850 can be configured to: detect a second lane line in the second area and detect a second vanishing point based on the second lane line.

[0100] The estimator 830 can be configured to: estimate a first vehicle pose based on the first vanishing point and estimate a first slope based on the first vehicle pose. Specifically, the estimator 830 can be configured to: estimate the first slope by matching the pitch angle of the first vehicle pose with the first slope.

[0101] The estimator 830 can be configured to: estimate a second vehicle pose based on the second vanishing point and estimate a second slope based on the first vehicle pose, the second vehicle pose, and the first slope. Specifically, the estimator 830 can be configured to: estimate the second slope by matching the difference between the pitch angles of the first vehicle pose and the second vehicle pose with the difference between the first slope and the second slope.

[0102] Figure 9A block diagram showing a computing system for performing a vehicle control method according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0103] Referring to Figure 9 , the method of the security system for determining camera image recognition according to the exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure described above can be implemented by the computing system 1000. The computing system 1000 may include at least one processor 1100, a memory 1300, a user interface input device 1400, a user interface output device 1500, a storage 1600, and a network interface 1700 linked by a system bus 1200.

[0104] The processor 1100 may be a central processing unit (CPU) or a semiconductor device that processes instructions stored in the memory 1300 and / or the storage 1600. The processor 1100 may correspond to Figure 8 the processor.

[0105] The memory 1300 and the storage 1600 may include various types of volatile or non-volatile storage media. For example, the memory 1300 may include a read-only memory (ROM) 1310 and a random access memory (RAM) 1320.

[0106] Therefore, the process of the method or algorithm related to the exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure can be directly implemented by hardware, software modules, or a combination thereof executed by the processor 1100. The software module may reside in a storage medium (i.e., the memory 1300 and / or the storage 1600), such as RAM, flash memory, ROM, EPROM, EEPROM, registers, a hard disk, a solid-state drive (SSD), a removable disk, or a CD-ROM. The exemplary storage medium is coupled to the processor 1100, and the processor 1100 can read information from the storage medium and can write information to the storage medium. In another method, the storage medium may be integrated with the processor 1100. The processor 1100 and the storage medium may reside in an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC). The ASIC may reside in a user terminal. In another method, the processor 1100 and the storage medium may reside in the user terminal as independent components. According to the exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, the slope of the road surface can be estimated.

[0107] According to the exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, the alignment can be estimated.

[0108] According to the exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, the difference in the vehicle posture of each driving area of the vehicle can be matched with the difference in the slope of the road surface.

[0109] According to the exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, the slope or alignment of the road surface can be estimated by taking pictures of the same area of the road surface with multiple cameras at different times.

[0110] According to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, geometric errors regarding an image generated by a camera can be corrected based on the slope of a road surface.

[0111] According to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, even when a vehicle is on a sloped road, the distance between the vehicle and an object can be accurately measured using a camera.

[0112] According to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, a slope or a lane line pattern can be estimated without additional hardware.

[0113] The effects that can be obtained from the present disclosure are not limited to the effects mentioned above, and those skilled in the art can more clearly understand other effects not described herein from the detailed description above.

[0114] In various exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure, each of the above operations can be performed by a control device, and the control device can be configured by a plurality of control devices or an integrated single control device.

[0115] In various exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure, a memory and a processor can be provided as one chip or as separate chips.

[0116] In various exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure, the scope of the present disclosure includes software or machine-executable commands (e.g., an operating system, an application, firmware, a program, etc.) for enabling the operations of a method according to various embodiments to be performed on a device or a computer, and a non-transitory computer-readable medium including such software or commands stored thereon and executable on the device or the computer.

[0117] In various exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure, the control device can be implemented in the form of hardware or software, or can be implemented in a combination of hardware and software.

[0118] Furthermore, terms such as "unit" and "module" included in this specification represent units for processing at least one function or operation, which can be implemented by hardware, software, or a combination thereof.

[0119] In an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, a vehicle can be referred to based on a concept including various transportation means. In some cases, a vehicle can be interpreted based on a concept including not only various land transportation means traveling on a road, such as cars, motorcycles, trucks, and buses, but also various transportation means, such as airplanes, drones, ships, etc.

[0120] For ease of explanation and for an accurate definition in the appended claims, the terms "upper", "lower", "inner", "outer", "above", "below", "upward", "downward", "front", "rear", "behind", "inner", "outer", "inwardly", "outwardly", "inner", "outer", "inward", "outward", "forward" and "backward" are used to describe the features of the exemplary embodiments with reference to the positions of these features shown in the accompanying drawings. It will be further understood that the term "connected" or its derivatives refer to both direct and indirect connection.

[0121] In this specification, unless otherwise stated, the singular expressions include plural expressions, unless the context clearly dictates otherwise.

[0122] In the exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure, it should be understood that terms such as "comprising" or "having" are intended to indicate the presence of the features, numbers, steps, operations, elements, components or combinations thereof described in this specification, and do not preclude the possibility of adding or the presence of one or more other features, numbers, steps, operations, elements, components or combinations thereof.

[0123] According to the exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure, the various components may be combined with each other as one implementation, or some components may be omitted.

[0124] For purposes of illustration and description, the foregoing has described specific exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure. They are not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the present disclosure to the precise forms disclosed, and obviously, many modifications and variations are possible in light of the above teachings. The exemplary embodiments were chosen and described in order to explain certain principles of the invention and its practical application so that others skilled in the art may make and utilize the various exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure and their various alternatives and modifications. The scope of the present disclosure is intended to be defined by the appended claims and their equivalents.

Claims

1. A method for controlling a vehicle, the method comprising the following steps: When the vehicle is located in an area where the inclination of the bottom surface of the vehicle is the same as the slope of the road surface, an estimator estimates a first slope of the first area by photographing the first area using a first camera; estimating, by the estimator, a second slope of a second area by photographing a second area farther from the vehicle than the first area using a second camera; When the vehicle is traveling and located in the first area, the estimator estimates a third slope of the second area by photographing the second area using the first camera; The estimator estimates a final slope of the second area or a lane line shape of the second area based on a comparison result between the second slope and the third slope; as well as The vehicle is controlled by a controller based on road surface information including at least a portion of the first slope, the final slope of the second area, and the lane line shape of the second area.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein: The step of estimating a first slope of the first area comprises: Detecting, by a detector, a first lane line in the first area; Detecting, by the detector, a first vanishing point based on the first lane line; estimating, by the estimator, a first vehicle posture based on the first vanishing point; and The first slope is estimated by the estimator based on the first vehicle posture.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein: The step of estimating a first slope of the first area comprises: The first slope is estimated by the estimator by matching a pitch angle of the first vehicle posture with the first slope.

4. The method according to claim 2, wherein: The step of estimating a second slope of the second area comprises: Detecting, by the detector, a second lane line in the second area; Detecting, by the detector, a second vanishing point based on the second lane line; estimating, by the estimator, a second vehicle posture based on the second vanishing point; and The second gradient is estimated by the estimator based on the first vehicle posture, the second vehicle posture, and the first gradient.

5. The method according to claim 4, wherein: The step of estimating a second slope of the second area comprises: The second slope is estimated by the estimator by matching a difference between a pitch angle of the first vehicle posture and a pitch angle of the second vehicle posture with a difference between the first slope and the second slope.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein: The step of estimating the final slope of the second area or the lane line shape of the second area comprises: In a state where the second slope is the same as the third slope, the second slope is estimated by the estimator as the final slope, and in a state where the second slope is different from the third slope, the first slope is estimated by the estimator as the final slope.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein: The step of estimating the final slope of the second area or the lane line shape of the second area further includes: In a state where the second slope is different from the third slope, the estimator estimates that the lane lines in the second area are not parallel to each other.

8. The method according to claim 7, wherein: The step of estimating the final slope of the second area or the lane line shape of the second area further includes: The estimator estimates a widening degree of the lane line in the second area based on a difference between the second slope and the third slope.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein: The steps to control the vehicle include: The controller controls the vehicle by correcting a geometric error regarding the image from the first camera or the second camera based on the road surface information.

10. A vehicle control device, comprising: First camera; Second camera; a memory configured to store computer executable instructions; and at least one or more processors configured to access the memory and execute the instructions, and Wherein, the at least one or more processors are configured to: When the vehicle is located in an area where the inclination of the bottom surface of the vehicle is the same as the slope of the road surface, a first slope of the first area is estimated by photographing the first area with the first camera, a second slope of the second area is estimated by photographing the second area farther from the vehicle than the first area with the second camera, a third slope of the second area is estimated by photographing the second area with the first camera while the vehicle is traveling and located in the first area, and a final slope of the second area or a lane line shape of the second area is estimated based on a comparison result between the second slope and the third slope; as well as The vehicle is controlled based on road surface information including at least a portion of the first slope, the final slope of the second area, and the lane line shape of the second area.

11. The vehicle control device according to claim 10, wherein: The at least one or more processors are further configured to: Detecting a first lane line in the first area, and detecting a first vanishing point based on the first lane line; and A first vehicle posture is estimated based on the first vanishing point, and the first slope is estimated based on the first vehicle posture.

12. The vehicle control device according to claim 11, wherein: The at least one or more processors are further configured to: The first slope is estimated by matching a pitch angle of the first vehicle posture with the first slope.

13. The vehicle control device according to claim 11, wherein: The at least one or more processors are further configured to: Detecting a second lane line in the second area, and detecting a second vanishing point based on the second lane line; and A second vehicle posture is estimated based on the second vanishing point, and the second slope is estimated based on the first vehicle posture, the second vehicle posture, and the first slope.

14. The vehicle control device according to claim 13, wherein: The at least one or more processors are further configured to: The second gradient is estimated by matching a difference between a pitch angle of the first vehicle posture and a pitch angle of the second vehicle posture with a difference between the first gradient and the second gradient.

15. The vehicle control device according to claim 10, wherein: The at least one or more processors are further configured to: In a state where the second slope is the same as the third slope, the second slope is estimated as the final slope, and in a state where the second slope is different from the third slope, the first slope is estimated as the final slope.

16. The vehicle control device according to claim 10, wherein: The at least one or more processors are further configured to: In a state where the second slope is different from the third slope, it is estimated that the lane lines in the second area are not parallel to each other.

17. The vehicle control device according to claim 16, wherein: The at least one or more processors are configured to: Based on the difference between the second slope and the third slope, a widening degree of the lane line in the second area is estimated.

18. The vehicle control device according to claim 10, wherein: The at least one or more processors are further configured to: The vehicle is controlled by correcting a geometric error regarding an image from the first camera or the second camera based on the road surface information.

Images