A vehicle-mounted front-view camera control method

Abstract

The application discloses a kind of vehicle-mounted front-view camera control methods, it is related to, including obtaining vehicle driving environment information and the current imaging mode of vehicle-mounted front-view camera, vehicle driving environment information at least includes vehicle speed, vehicle steering lamp state and image sequence;Analysis image sequence identifies potential key driving event and determines event attribute, event attribute includes event type, event urgency level and event duration state;Based on the event type and event urgency level of key driving event, select target imaging mode from multiple pre-stored imaging mode configurations;The working state of vehicle-mounted front-view camera is switched to target imaging mode, and after the event duration state of key driving event ends, vehicle driving environment information is reacquired.The application can realize the linkage of imaging mode and driving risk degree, preferentially guarantee imaging timeliness in high-risk scenario, improve the adaptability and stability of vehicle-mounted front-view camera in complex traffic scenario.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of imaging control technology, and in particular to a control method for a vehicle-mounted forward-looking camera. Background Technology

[0002] With the continuous development of intelligent driving assistance systems and autonomous driving technologies, vehicle-mounted visual perception, as one of the core means for vehicles to acquire information about the external environment, has been widely used in functions such as lane keeping, forward collision warning, and pedestrian detection. Vehicle-mounted forward-facing cameras continuously collect images of the road ahead, providing basic data for the perception and decision-making modules. Their imaging quality and temporal stability directly affect the accuracy of environmental perception and the system's responsiveness. Existing technologies have seen extensive research on improving camera hardware performance, optimizing image processing algorithms, and multi-sensor fusion. Among these, adaptive imaging technology, which adjusts imaging parameters such as exposure and frame rate to adapt to different lighting and driving scenarios, is gradually becoming an important development direction for improving the robustness of visual perception.

[0003] However, existing vehicle-mounted forward-facing camera control technologies mostly focus on passive adaptation to lighting conditions or single environmental factors. Imaging mode switching is usually triggered by changes in brightness or preset operating conditions, lacking a comprehensive consideration of driving behavior risks and the urgency of the scenario. In complex traffic scenarios, the camera's imaging mode fails to effectively link with critical driving events, easily leading to insufficient imaging response or unreasonable allocation of imaging resources during high-risk periods, thus affecting the timeliness and continuity of event recognition. In addition, some solutions lack constraints on the continuous state of events during imaging mode switching, and the imaging mode recovery mechanism is imperfect, making it difficult to achieve a balance between safety and imaging stability. These problems are particularly prominent in high-dynamic scenarios such as close-range target entry and pedestrian crossing. Summary of the Invention

[0004] In view of the problems existing in a current method for controlling a vehicle-mounted forward-looking camera, this invention is proposed. Therefore, the problem to be solved by this invention is how to provide a method for controlling a vehicle-mounted forward-looking camera.

[0005] To solve the above-mentioned technical problems, the present invention provides the following technical solution: In a first aspect, the present invention provides a method for controlling a vehicle-mounted forward-looking camera, which includes: acquiring vehicle driving environment information and the current imaging mode of the vehicle-mounted forward-looking camera, wherein the vehicle driving environment information includes at least the vehicle speed, the vehicle turn signal status and the image sequence captured by the camera. Analyze image sequences to identify potential critical driving events and determine event attributes, including event type, event urgency level, and event duration. Based on the event type and urgency level of critical driving events, the target imaging mode is selected from multiple pre-stored imaging mode configurations according to predefined dynamic priority rules. Switch the vehicle's forward-facing camera to target imaging mode and reacquire vehicle driving environment information after the event duration of a critical driving event ends.

[0006] As a preferred embodiment of the vehicle-mounted forward-looking camera control method of the present invention, the step of analyzing the image sequence to identify potential key driving events includes: Target detection and tracking are performed on consecutive frames in an image sequence to form a set of target trajectories; Based on target trajectory analysis, the position and scale changes of the target in continuous images are analyzed, and the longitudinal distance change rate and lateral displacement change rate of the target relative to the vehicle are calculated, respectively expressed as: ; ; in, This represents the rate of change of the longitudinal distance of the target relative to the vehicle. This represents the rate of change of the target's lateral displacement relative to the vehicle. This represents the longitudinal distance between the target and the vehicle at the current moment. This represents the longitudinal distance between the target and the vehicle at the previous moment. This indicates the lateral position of the target in the lane coordinate system at the current moment. This indicates the lateral position of the target in the lane coordinate system at the previous moment. Indicates the time interval between adjacent image frames; The target behavior is determined based on the changing trends of the longitudinal distance change rate and the lateral displacement change rate.

[0007] As a preferred embodiment of the vehicle-mounted forward-looking camera control method of the present invention, the event types include: sudden braking of the vehicle in front, pedestrian crossing, lane departure, and close-range target entry. The urgency levels of the events include: Based on the minimum distance between the target and the vehicle, the predicted collision time, and the percentage of the target's intrusion into the vehicle's driving area, the urgency level is divided into three levels: high, medium, and low. When the minimum distance is less than the first preset distance threshold, the predicted collision time is less than the first preset time threshold, and the proportion exceeds the first preset proportion threshold, the urgency level is determined to be high. When the minimum distance is between the first and second preset distance thresholds, the predicted collision time is between the first and second preset time thresholds, or the proportion is within the corresponding proportion threshold range, the urgency level is determined to be medium. When the minimum distance is greater than the second preset distance threshold, the predicted collision time is greater than the second preset time threshold, and the proportion does not exceed the corresponding proportion threshold, the urgency level is determined to be low.

[0008] In a preferred embodiment of the vehicle-mounted forward-looking camera control method of the present invention, the event duration includes: The identified key driving events are continuously tracked in subsequent image sequences; If the target trajectory remains and its behavioral characteristics continue to meet the event determination conditions, the event is determined to be in a continuous state; if the target trajectory is interrupted or its behavioral characteristics no longer meet the event determination conditions, the continuous state of the event is updated to end.

[0009] As a preferred embodiment of the vehicle-mounted forward-looking camera control method of the present invention, the selection of the target imaging mode includes: The combination of event type and event urgency level is used as the input for judgment, and the real-time and stability requirements of the imaging task are used as constraints to filter and sort multiple pre-stored imaging mode configurations. The imaging pattern set is initially constrained based on the event type, and a set of candidate imaging patterns associated with the current event type is selected; the priority of the candidate imaging patterns is adjusted according to the urgency level of the event.

[0010] As a preferred embodiment of the vehicle-mounted forward-looking camera control method of the present invention, the step of switching the working state of the vehicle-mounted forward-looking camera to the target imaging mode includes: Simultaneously retrieve a fixed exposure parameter combination that matches the imaging mode, and send the exposure parameter combination to the camera control interface to switch the imaging mode strategy; Before sending the switching command, the current working status of the camera is checked to confirm that there is no control conflict with the target imaging mode; After the verification is successful, an imaging mode switching command is sent to the camera to transition the original imaging mode to the target imaging mode. After the switch is completed, the camera continues to acquire images in target imaging mode and updates the status of key driving events based on the new image sequence.

[0011] In a second aspect, the present invention provides a computer device, including a memory and a processor, wherein the memory stores a computer program, and the processor executes the computer program to implement the steps of a vehicle-mounted forward-looking camera control method.

[0012] Thirdly, the present invention provides a computer-readable storage medium having a computer program stored thereon, wherein: when the computer program is executed by a processor, it implements the steps of a vehicle-mounted forward-looking camera control method.

[0013] The beneficial effects of this invention are as follows: By fusing vehicle speed, turn signal status, and forward-view image sequences, this invention achieves synchronous perception of the vehicle's driving environment and the camera's working status, enabling imaging control to have a scene perception foundation; through temporal analysis of image sequences, it identifies key driving events and quantifies the event type, urgency level, and duration, providing a clear basis for risk assessment; by introducing dynamic priority rules, it achieves linkage between imaging modes and driving risk levels, thereby prioritizing imaging timeliness in high-risk scenarios; and by automatically restoring the perception process after the event ends, it improves the adaptability, stability, and safety support capabilities of the vehicle-mounted forward-view camera in complex traffic scenarios. Attached Figure Description

[0014] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention, the accompanying drawings used in the description of the embodiments will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the accompanying drawings described below are only some embodiments of the present invention. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.

[0015] Figure 1 This is a flowchart of a method for controlling a vehicle-mounted forward-looking camera. Detailed Implementation

[0016] To make the above-mentioned objects, features, and advantages of the present invention more readily understood, specific embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only a part of the embodiments of the present invention, and not all of them. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort should fall within the protection scope of the present invention.

[0017] Many specific details are set forth in the following description in order to provide a full understanding of the invention. However, the invention may also be practiced in other ways different from those described herein, and those skilled in the art can make similar extensions without departing from the spirit of the invention. Therefore, the invention is not limited to the specific embodiments disclosed below.

[0018] Secondly, the term "an embodiment" or "embodiment" as used herein refers to a specific feature, structure, or characteristic that may be included in at least one implementation of the present invention. The phrase "in one embodiment" appearing in different places in this specification does not necessarily refer to the same embodiment, nor is it a single embodiment or an embodiment selectively excluded from other embodiments.

[0019] Reference Figure 1 This is the first embodiment of the present invention, which provides a method for controlling a vehicle-mounted forward-looking camera, including: S1: Obtain vehicle driving environment information and the current imaging mode of the vehicle-mounted forward-facing camera. The vehicle driving environment information includes at least the vehicle speed, the vehicle turn signal status, and the image sequence captured by the camera. S2: Analyze the image sequence to identify potential critical driving events and determine the event attributes, including event type, event urgency level, and event duration. S3: Based on the event type and urgency level of critical driving events, select the target imaging mode from multiple pre-stored imaging mode configurations according to predefined dynamic priority rules; S4: Switch the working status of the vehicle's forward-facing camera to target imaging mode, and reacquire vehicle driving environment information after the event duration of the critical driving event ends.

[0020] Specifically, after the vehicle is powered on and enters the driving state, the on-board system continuously accesses the vehicle's operating status information through the vehicle communication network, reads the vehicle speed signal from the vehicle control unit, and records the vehicle speed as the basic environmental information representing the vehicle's current motion state. The system simultaneously acquires the working status information of the turn signals to determine whether the vehicle is turning, changing lanes, or maintaining a straight driving position.

[0021] The vehicle-mounted forward-facing camera continuously images the road ahead, and the continuous images output by the camera form an image sequence in chronological order, reflecting the real-time driving environment in front of the vehicle.

[0022] While acquiring image sequences, the vehicle system reads the current imaging mode information. The imaging mode is used to characterize the imaging working state adopted by the camera at the current moment and establishes a correlation with the image sequences acquired within the corresponding time period.

[0023] The vehicle's speed, turn signal status, and image sequence together constitute the vehicle's driving environment information.

[0024] A unified spatial coordinate mapping is performed on the road boundaries, lane lines, forward targets, and other traffic participants in each frame of the received image sequence, and target association relationships are established between adjacent images to form a set of target trajectories.

[0025] After the target trajectory is formed, the changes in the target's position, scale, and relative motion direction in continuous images are analyzed. The rate of change of the target's longitudinal distance and the rate of change of its lateral displacement relative to the vehicle are calculated and expressed as: ; ; in, This represents the rate of change of the longitudinal distance of the target relative to the vehicle. This represents the rate of change of the target's lateral displacement relative to the vehicle. This represents the longitudinal distance between the target and the vehicle at the current moment. This represents the longitudinal distance between the target and the vehicle at the previous moment. This indicates the lateral position of the target in the lane coordinate system at the current moment. This indicates the lateral position of the target in the lane coordinate system at the previous moment. This indicates the time interval between adjacent image frames.

[0026] Based on the changing trends of the longitudinal distance change rate and the lateral displacement change rate, it is determined whether the target is rapidly approaching or laterally intruding into the vehicle's driving path.

[0027] If the longitudinal distance change rate and lateral displacement change rate of the target are both negative in continuous images, the target behavior is identified as a critical driving event, and the first occurrence time is recorded. The event type is further subdivided and determined based on the target behavior characteristics. The angle change rate of the target entering the vehicle's driving path, the intrusion position and duration are analyzed to determine the specific type of the event. Key driving events include: Sudden braking by the vehicle ahead, where the longitudinal relative distance between the same forward-facing vehicle target decreases continuously within a unit of time in consecutive images, and the target's brake lights change from off to on, remaining on for a preset number of consecutive frames; Pedestrian crossing events, where a pedestrian target enters the predicted driving lane area of ​​the vehicle from the road edge or non-motorized vehicle lane, with its lateral displacement pointing towards the centerline of the vehicle's driving path, remaining on in consecutive images; Lane departure events, where the relative position of the lane lines identified by the vehicle changes in the image, the lateral offset between the vehicle's centerline and the current lane centerline accumulates unidirectionally in consecutive frames, exceeding the preset lane boundary judgment condition; and Close-range target intrusion events, where a vehicle target in an adjacent lane undergoes significant lateral displacement in consecutive images, with its target boundary entering the effective driving area of ​​the vehicle's lane.

[0028] After identifying any event type, the event urgency level is divided into three levels: high, medium, and low. The classification criteria include the minimum distance between the target and the vehicle, the predicted collision time, and the percentage of the target's intrusion into the vehicle's driving area. If the minimum distance between the target and the vehicle in the current frame is less than a first preset distance threshold, the predicted collision time is less than a first preset time threshold, and the proportion of the target intruding into the vehicle's driving area exceeds a first preset proportion threshold, the urgency level of the event will be determined as high. If the minimum distance between the target and the vehicle in the current frame is between the first and second preset distance thresholds, and the predicted collision time is between the first and second preset time thresholds, or the proportion of the target intruding into the vehicle's driving area is within the corresponding proportion threshold range, the event urgency level will be determined as medium. If the minimum distance between the target and the vehicle in the current frame is greater than the second preset distance threshold, and the predicted collision time is greater than the second preset time threshold, while the proportion of the target intruding into the vehicle's driving area does not exceed the corresponding proportion threshold, the urgency level of the event will be determined as low.

[0029] Simultaneously, the continuity of the identified key driving events in subsequent image sequences is tracked. When the target trajectory remains in continuous images and the behavioral features do not disappear, the event is determined to be in a continuous state. When the target trajectory is interrupted or the behavioral features no longer meet the event determination conditions, the event continuity state is updated to end.

[0030] After obtaining the event type and urgency level of the critical driving event, the event attributes are associated and matched with a pre-built dynamic priority rule system.

[0031] The dynamic priority rule system uses the combination of event type and event urgency level as the core judgment input, and takes the comprehensive requirements of imaging tasks for real-time performance and stability as the constraint condition to filter and sort multiple pre-stored imaging mode configurations.

[0032] An imaging mode configuration set is pre-established, and each imaging mode corresponds to a set of imaging control strategies. During the imaging mode selection process, the imaging mode set is initially constrained according to the event type, and imaging modes that are related to the current event type are entered into the candidate imaging mode set. Based on the urgency level of the event, the priority of acquiring candidate imaging modes is determined. When the dynamic priority rule determines that the key driving event type is close-range target intrusion and the event urgency level reaches a high level, the forced control branch is entered. The imaging mode bound to the event is immediately locked as the target imaging mode, and the participation permissions of other imaging modes are frozen to avoid delays in switching imaging strategies.

[0033] After the target imaging mode is locked, the exposure parameter combination corresponding to the imaging mode is retrieved simultaneously, and the exposure parameter combination is sent to the camera control interface as a whole to switch the imaging mode strategy.

[0034] After determining the target imaging mode and issuing the exposure parameter combination, the current working status of the vehicle-mounted forward-looking camera is verified to confirm that there is no conflict between the camera control status and the target imaging mode. After the verification is passed, an imaging mode switching command is sent to the camera to transition the camera from the original imaging mode to the target imaging mode. After the imaging mode switching is completed, the camera continues to perform image acquisition in the target imaging mode. Based on the newly acquired image sequence, the status of the identified key driving events is updated. When the event no longer meets the event judgment conditions in the continuous images, and the target gradually moves away from the vehicle's predicted driving area or disappears from the field of vision, the event persistence state of the key driving event is determined to end.

[0035] After the event is confirmed to have ended, the control over the target imaging mode is released, the imaging mode is stopped from being locked, and the process rollback mechanism is triggered to return to the vehicle driving environment information and the current imaging mode acquisition, so as to realize the automatic recovery of the imaging mode of the vehicle-mounted forward-looking camera.

[0036] This embodiment also provides a computer device applicable to a vehicle-mounted forward-looking camera control method, comprising: a memory and a processor; the memory is used to store computer-executable instructions, and the processor is used to execute the computer-executable instructions to implement all or part of the steps of the method described in the above embodiments of the present invention.

[0037] This embodiment also provides a storage medium storing a computer program thereon. When the computer program is executed by a processor, it performs the method in any optional implementation of the above embodiments. The storage medium can be implemented by any type of volatile or non-volatile storage device or a combination thereof, such as Static Random Access Memory (SRAM), Electrically Erasable Programmable Read-Only Memory (EEPROM), Erasable Programmable Read-Only Memory (EPROM), Programmable Red-Only Memory (PROM), Read-Only Memory (ROM), magnetic storage, flash memory, magnetic disk, or optical disk.

[0038] The storage medium proposed in this embodiment and the data storage method proposed in the above embodiments belong to the same inventive concept. Technical details not described in detail in this embodiment can be found in the above embodiments, and this embodiment has the same beneficial effects as the above embodiments.

[0039] In summary, this invention achieves synchronous perception of the vehicle's driving environment and the camera's operating status by fusing vehicle speed, turn signal status, and forward-view image sequences, thus providing a foundation for scene perception in imaging control. Through temporal analysis of the image sequences, it identifies key driving events and quantifies their type, urgency level, and duration, providing a clear basis for risk assessment. The introduction of dynamic priority rules links imaging modes with the degree of driving risk, prioritizing imaging timeliness in high-risk scenarios. Furthermore, it automatically resumes the perception process after the event ends, enhancing the adaptability, stability, and safety support capabilities of the vehicle-mounted forward-view camera in complex traffic scenarios.

[0040] It should be noted that the above embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of the present invention and are not intended to limit it. Although the present invention has been described in detail with reference to preferred embodiments, those skilled in the art should understand that modifications or equivalent substitutions can be made to the technical solutions of the present invention without departing from the spirit and scope of the technical solutions of the present invention, and all such modifications or substitutions should be covered within the scope of the claims of the present invention.

Claims

1. A method for controlling a vehicle-mounted forward-looking camera, characterized in that: include, Acquire vehicle driving environment information and the current imaging mode of the vehicle-mounted forward-facing camera. The vehicle driving environment information includes at least the vehicle speed, the vehicle's turn signal status, and the image sequence captured by the camera. Analyze image sequences to identify potential critical driving events and determine event attributes, including event type, event urgency level, and event duration. Based on the event type and urgency level of critical driving events, the target imaging mode is selected from multiple pre-stored imaging mode configurations according to predefined dynamic priority rules. Switch the vehicle's forward-facing camera to target imaging mode and reacquire vehicle driving environment information after the event duration of a critical driving event ends.

2. The vehicle-mounted forward-looking camera control method as described in claim 1, characterized in that: The analysis of the image sequence identifies potential key driving events, including: Target detection and tracking are performed on consecutive frames in an image sequence to form a set of target trajectories; Based on target trajectory analysis, the position and scale changes of the target in continuous images are analyzed, and the longitudinal distance change rate and lateral displacement change rate of the target relative to the vehicle are calculated, respectively expressed as: in, This represents the rate of change of the longitudinal distance of the target relative to the vehicle. This represents the rate of change of the target's lateral displacement relative to the vehicle. This represents the longitudinal distance between the target and the vehicle at the current moment. This represents the longitudinal distance between the target and the vehicle at the previous moment. This indicates the lateral position of the target in the lane coordinate system at the current moment. This indicates the lateral position of the target in the lane coordinate system at the previous moment. Indicates the time interval between adjacent image frames; The target behavior is determined based on the changing trends of the longitudinal distance change rate and the lateral displacement change rate.

3. The vehicle-mounted forward-looking camera control method as described in claim 1, characterized in that: The event types include sudden braking by the vehicle in front, pedestrian crossing, lane departure, and close-range target intrusion. The urgency levels of the events include: Based on the minimum distance between the target and the vehicle, the predicted collision time, and the percentage of the target's intrusion into the vehicle's driving area, the urgency level is divided into three levels: high, medium, and low. When the minimum distance is less than the first preset distance threshold, the predicted collision time is less than the first preset time threshold, and the proportion exceeds the first preset proportion threshold, the urgency level is determined to be high. When the minimum distance is between the first and second preset distance thresholds, the predicted collision time is between the first and second preset time thresholds, or the proportion is within the corresponding proportion threshold range, the urgency level is determined to be medium. When the minimum distance is greater than the second preset distance threshold, the predicted collision time is greater than the second preset time threshold, and the proportion does not exceed the corresponding proportion threshold, the urgency level is determined to be low.

4. The vehicle-mounted forward-looking camera control method as described in claim 1, characterized in that: The event persistence state includes: The identified key driving events are continuously tracked in subsequent image sequences; If the target trajectory remains and its behavioral characteristics continue to meet the event determination conditions, the event is determined to be in a continuous state; if the target trajectory is interrupted or its behavioral characteristics no longer meet the event determination conditions, the continuous state of the event is updated to end.

5. The vehicle-mounted forward-looking camera control method as described in claim 4, characterized in that: The selected target imaging mode includes: The combination of event type and event urgency level is used as the input for judgment, and the real-time and stability requirements of the imaging task are used as constraints to filter and sort multiple pre-stored imaging mode configurations. The imaging pattern set is initially constrained based on the event type, and a set of candidate imaging patterns associated with the current event type is selected; the priority of the candidate imaging patterns is adjusted according to the urgency level of the event.

6. The vehicle-mounted forward-looking camera control method as described in claim 1, characterized in that: Switching the working state of the vehicle-mounted forward-view camera to the target imaging mode includes: Simultaneously retrieve a fixed exposure parameter combination that matches the imaging mode, and send the exposure parameter combination to the camera control interface to switch the imaging mode strategy; Before sending the switching command, the current working status of the camera is checked to confirm that there is no control conflict with the target imaging mode; After the verification is successful, an imaging mode switching command is sent to the camera to transition the original imaging mode to the target imaging mode. After the switch is completed, the camera continues to acquire images in target imaging mode and updates the status of key driving events based on the new image sequence.

7. A computer device comprising a memory and a processor, wherein the memory stores a computer program, characterized in that: When the processor executes the computer program, it implements the steps of the vehicle-mounted forward-looking camera control method according to any one of claims 1 to 6.

8. A computer-readable storage medium having a computer program stored thereon, characterized in that: When the computer program is executed by the processor, it implements the steps of the vehicle-mounted forward-looking camera control method according to any one of claims 1 to 6.

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