Method and system for creating virtual lanes for vehicles

Abstract

The present disclosure provides a method and system for creating a virtual lane for a vehicle (102). The method includes receiving real-time values ​​of vehicle dynamics parameters and positions of one or more objects, and transforming the received information into a world coordinate system. The method further includes generating an overhead view (204) of the vehicle (102) and creating and rendering a virtual lane (206) corresponding to the vehicle (102) on the overhead view (204). Thereafter, the method includes detecting whether at least one of the one or more objects is in the virtual lane (206) of the vehicle (102) and generating a warning if at least one of the one or more objects is in the virtual lane (206). Thus, the present disclosure helps the vehicle (102) avoid collisions with other objects / vehicles by dynamically changing its path when other objects / vehicles are detected in the virtual lane (206) of the vehicle (102).

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates generally to autonomous vehicles, and more particularly to a method and system for creating virtual lanes for a vehicle. [Background technology]

[0002] Generally, a lane is a portion of a road designated for use by a single convoy of vehicles to control and guide drivers through a dedicated route and reduce traffic conflicts on the road. Lanes play a vital role in automated and / or autonomous vehicles. Information about the exact location of the lane is used by the autonomous vehicle for maneuvering and to avoid the risk of crossing into another vehicle's lane or going off the road.

[0003] Some existing techniques for automatic lane detection propose detecting lanes by analyzing images captured by a vehicle's front-view camera. Other existing methods propose detecting lanes using images from a vehicle's rear-view camera. However, these methods use similar sets of algorithms and techniques to analyze images obtained from both the vehicle's front-view camera and rear-view camera. This creates various problems in lane detection. First, lane detection accuracy is poor when rear-view camera images are used at night or in poor weather conditions. This is because the rear-view camera cannot detect lanes in low-light conditions due to the lack of headlights on the rear side of the vehicle. Therefore, unless there is good lighting around the road or there is another vehicle approaching the vehicle from behind and its headlights are illuminating the road, the rear-view camera cannot accurately detect lanes.

[0004] Additionally, rearview cameras, unlike frontview cameras, are generally less expensive and may not offer mechanisms to accommodate obstructions to the rearview camera image, which are necessary for accurate lane prediction in conditions such as direct sunlight or rain.

[0005] The problem becomes more acute when there is an emergency vehicle approaching the vehicle from behind and the vehicle needs to change lanes to yield to the emergency vehicle. If the vehicle cannot make accurate predictions about the current lane it is traveling in and the lane the emergency vehicle is approaching, it may not be able to change lanes or yield.

[0006] The information disclosed in the Background section of this disclosure is intended only to enhance understanding of the general background of the present invention and should not be construed as an admission or any form of suggestion that this information constitutes prior art already known to those skilled in the art. Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0007] Aspects of the present disclosure provide methods and systems for creating a virtual lane for a vehicle and then detecting whether one or more other vehicles or objects are within the vehicle's virtual lane. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] One aspect of the present disclosure provides a method for creating a virtual lane for a vehicle, the method including transforming real-time values ​​of vehicle dynamics parameters associated with the vehicle and positions of one or more objects into a world coordinate system. The method further includes generating an overhead view of the vehicle and a predetermined area surrounding the vehicle based on the world coordinate system. After generating the overhead view of the vehicle, the method includes creating a virtual lane corresponding to the vehicle on the overhead view of the vehicle.

[0009] Another aspect of the present disclosure provides a lane creation system for creating a virtual lane for a vehicle. The lane creation system includes a processor and at least one memory coupled to the processor. The memory stores instructions executable by the processor that cause the processor to perform operations including transforming real-time values ​​of vehicle dynamics parameters associated with the vehicle and positions of one or more objects into a world coordinate system. After obtaining the world coordinate system, the processor generates an overhead view of the vehicle and a predetermined area surrounding the vehicle based on the world coordinate system. The processor then creates a virtual lane corresponding to the vehicle on the overhead view of the vehicle.

[0010] Implementation of the present disclosure through the above-described methods and systems may provide several advantages. First, the methods and systems of the present disclosure address various issues associated with lane detection using a rearview camera associated with a vehicle. Specifically, the present disclosure overcomes limitations of rearview cameras that arise due to low light, no light, or adverse weather conditions. Additionally, the present disclosure reduces the computational burden compared to existing lane detection methods using rearview cameras.

[0011] In one implementation, the present disclosure addresses the limitations of existing lane detection mechanisms by generating an overhead view of the vehicle and plotting the vehicle's virtual lane on the overhead view using vehicle dynamics parameters, including odometry information. Additionally, the present disclosure proposes using the overhead view and the vehicle's virtual lane to determine whether another object or vehicle (e.g., an emergency vehicle) is in the vehicle's virtual lane. Based on the determination, a warning can be generated to alter the vehicle's route, for example, to avoid a collision with the other object or vehicle and / or to yield to an emergency vehicle approaching the vehicle from behind.

[0012] The foregoing summary is merely illustrative and is not intended to be in any way limiting. The details of one or more implementations of the disclosure are set forth in the accompanying drawings and the detailed description below. Other aspects, features, and advantages will become apparent from the detailed description and drawings, and from the claims.

[0013] The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute a part of this disclosure, illustrate exemplary embodiments and, together with the description, explain the disclosed principles. In the drawings, the leftmost digit(s) of a reference number identifies the figure in which the reference number first appears. The same numbers are used throughout the drawings to reference like features and components. Some embodiments of systems and / or methods according to embodiments of the present subject matter will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0014] [Figure 1] 1 is an exemplary schematic diagram illustrating the movement of a vehicle according to one implementation of the present disclosure. [Figure 2A] 1 illustrates a method for generating an overhead view of a vehicle according to one implementation of the present disclosure. [Figure 2B] 1 illustrates a method for generating an overhead view of a vehicle according to one implementation of the present disclosure. [Figure 3A] 1 illustrates a method for detecting the lanes of one or more other vehicles (e.g., emergency vehicles) according to one implementation of the present disclosure. [Figure 3B] 1 illustrates a method for detecting the lanes of one or more other vehicles (e.g., emergency vehicles) according to one implementation of the present disclosure. [Figure 4] 1 shows a detailed block diagram of a lane creation system according to one implementation of the present disclosure. [Figure 5] FIG. 1 is a flow diagram illustrating an exemplary method for creating virtual lanes for a vehicle, according to one implementation of the present disclosure. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0015] Those skilled in the art should recognize that any block diagrams herein represent conceptual views of illustrative systems embodying the principles of the present subject matter. Similarly, it should be recognized that any flowcharts, flow diagrams, state diagrams, pseudocode, etc., may be substantially represented on a computer-readable medium and represent various processes that may be performed by such a computer or processor, whether or not a computer or processor is explicitly depicted.

[0016] In the following disclosure, the word "exemplary" is used herein to mean "serving as an example, instance, or illustration." Any embodiment or implementation of the present subject matter described herein as "exemplary" is not necessarily to be construed as preferred or advantageous over other embodiments.

[0017] While the present disclosure is susceptible to various modifications and alternative forms, specific embodiments thereof have been shown by way of example in the drawings and are described in detail below. It should be understood, however, that it is not intended to limit the disclosure to the particular forms disclosed, but on the contrary, the disclosure is intended to cover all modifications, equivalents, and alternatives falling within the spirit and scope of the disclosure.

[0018] The terms "comprises," "comprising," "includes," or any other variations thereof, are intended to cover a non-exclusive inclusion, such that a setup, device, or method that includes a list of components or steps does not include only those components or steps, but may also include other components or steps that are not expressly listed or inherent to such setup, or device, or method. In other words, one or more elements in a system or apparatus proceeded by "comprises... a" does not, without more constraints, exclude the presence of other or additional elements in the system or method.

[0019] In the following detailed description of embodiments of the present disclosure, reference is made to the accompanying drawings which form a part hereof, and which show, by way of illustration, specific embodiments in which the disclosure may be practiced. These embodiments are described in sufficient detail to enable those skilled in the art to practice the disclosure, it being understood that other embodiments may be utilized and changes may be made without departing from the scope of the disclosure. The following description, therefore, is not to be construed in a limiting sense.

[0020] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram 100 illustrating an exemplary setup according to one implementation of the present disclosure.

[0021] In one embodiment, the vehicle 102 may be a conventional vehicle and / or a human-driven vehicle, a self-driving vehicle, an autonomous vehicle, or a vehicle integrated with an advanced driver assistance system (ADAS). In one embodiment, the vehicle 102 is assumed to be traveling on a multi-lane road 104. In one embodiment, the vehicle 102 may be integrated and / or associated with a lane creation system proposed in this disclosure that creates a virtual lane for the vehicle 102. In one embodiment, the vehicle 102 may be configured with at least one rearview camera 106 for capturing a scene behind the vehicle 102 along the road 104. In one embodiment, the rearview camera 106 may have a predetermined field of view 108 (shown in dotted line in FIG. 1 ).

[0022] In existing scenarios (i.e., without using the proposed lane creation system), various limitations in rearview cameras can make it difficult for the vehicle 102 to predict the lane in which one or more other vehicles are approaching the vehicle 102. As a result, due to a lack of accurate lane information, the vehicle 102 may end up traveling in the same lane as one or more other vehicles. As a result, the vehicle 102 may block the movement of one or more other vehicles. This can be a significant concern if at least one of the one or more other vehicles is an emergency vehicle or ambulance. The proposed lane creation system addresses the above challenges by using an overhead view of the vehicle 102 and a predetermined area surrounding the vehicle 102 to accurately create a virtual lane for the vehicle 102 and detect whether one or more other vehicles are traveling in the same lane, as shown in FIGS. 2A and 2B .

[0023] In one embodiment, the lane creation system proposed in this disclosure may be useful even when the vehicle 102 is not an autonomous vehicle (i.e., a human-driven vehicle). In particular, the proposed lane creation system may be used to assist drivers at night, when the driver may not be able to distinguish whether a vehicle approaching from behind is in the same lane as the driver's vehicle 102.

[0024] 2A and 2B illustrate a method for generating an overhead view 204 of a vehicle 102 according to some implementations of the present disclosure.

[0025] 2A, assume there are two other vehicles 202 traveling on the same road 104 as the vehicle 102 and approaching the vehicle 102 from behind. Assume that a rearview camera 106 integrated into the vehicle 102 captures real-time images of the scene behind the vehicle 102 within a field of view 108. In one embodiment, the real-time images captured by the rearview camera 106, along with real-time values ​​of vehicle dynamics (VDY) parameters, may be shared with the lane creation system 200 using a wireless communication network connecting the lane creation system 200 and the vehicles 102.

[0026] In one embodiment, the vehicle dynamics parameters may include, but are not limited to, odometry information associated with the vehicle 102. By way of example, the odometry information may include, but is not limited to, location information for the vehicle 102, specifically, the relative location of the vehicle 102 from the point where the vehicle 102 began its movement. Additionally, the vehicle dynamics parameters may include speed information for the vehicle 102. In one embodiment, the vehicle dynamics parameters are collected and stored in a buffer memory associated with the vehicle 102 or the lane creation system 200.

[0027] In one embodiment, upon receiving the real-time values ​​of the vehicle dynamics parameters and the images captured by the rearview camera 106, the lane creation system 200 may process the received information to derive position and velocity information for the vehicle 102 and the positions of other vehicles 202 within the field of view 108. In one embodiment, the positions of the other vehicles 202 may be relative to the position of the vehicle 102. The lane creation system 200 may then transform the derived vehicle dynamics parameters and position information into a world coordinate system. The world coordinate system, also referred to as a model coordinate system, may be used to indicate the relative positions of the vehicle 102 and the other vehicles 202 on two-dimensional Cartesian coordinate axes "X" and "Y." Here, the vehicle 102 may be represented at the origin of the coordinate system, and the axes "X" and "Y" may indicate numerical values ​​of the relative distance between the vehicle 102 and the other vehicles 202. In one embodiment, the vehicle dynamics parameters and the detection results from the rearview camera 106 may be transformed into the world coordinate system using translation and rotation matrices.

[0028] In one embodiment, after converting the real-time values ​​to a world coordinate system, lane creation system 200 may generate an overhead view 204 of vehicle 102 and a predetermined area surrounding vehicle 102 by changing the field of view and / or viewpoint of the information in the world coordinate system, as shown in FIG. 2A . In one embodiment, overhead view 204 is an elevated view of vehicle 102 and the area surrounding vehicle 102 from an elevated position relative to vehicle 102, which shows vehicle 102 and the area surrounding vehicle 102 as seen from above, such that vehicle 102 and the area surrounding vehicle 102 appear as if an observer were looking at vehicle 102 from a distance above vehicle 102. After generating overhead view 204, lane creation system 200 may draw and / or render vehicle dynamics parameters as a virtual lane 206 for vehicle 102 while vehicle 102 moves forward. In other words, the virtual lane 206 may be an imaginary lane plotted on the overhead view 204 of the vehicle 102, where the virtual lane 206 indicates a path traversed by the vehicle 102. The virtual lane 206 corresponding to the vehicle 102, generated from vehicle dynamics parameters of the vehicle 102 and rendered on the overhead view 204 of the vehicle 102, is shown in FIG.

[0029] In one embodiment, once the overhead view 204 is generated, any objects and / or other vehicles 202 detected in the field of view 108 may be dynamically rendered on the overhead view 204 of the vehicle 102. Thus, the overhead view 204 of the vehicle 102 may be used to check whether any of the detected objects or other vehicles 202 are in the virtual lane 206 of the vehicle 102. Furthermore, if it is determined that at least one of the objects or other vehicles 202 is in the virtual lane 206 of the vehicle 102, the lane creation system 200 verifies whether the detected object / vehicle is an emergency vehicle. In one embodiment, the presence of an emergency vehicle may be verified using a predetermined technique, such as based on blue light detection techniques.

[0030] In one embodiment, after determining that an emergency vehicle is in the virtual lane 206 of the vehicle 102, the vehicle 102 may automatically reroute and / or change course to yield to the approaching emergency vehicle in the same lane as the vehicle 102, as shown in Figures 3A and 3B.

[0031] 3A illustrates a scenario in which an emergency vehicle 300 is detected in the same lane as vehicle 102, shown in virtual lane 206. As a result, vehicle 102 may move out of its current lane and yield to emergency vehicle 300. Furthermore, once emergency vehicle 300 passes vehicle 102, vehicle 102 may readjust its route to enter the original lane previously used by vehicle 102, as shown in FIG.

[0032] In one embodiment, the above process may be repeated each time an emergency vehicle 300 is detected in the field of view 108 of the rearview camera 106 of the vehicle 102. In one embodiment, the above process is not limited to the case of an emergency vehicle 300, but may also be used for any other object or vehicle approaching from behind the vehicle 102. Thus, the proposed method may be used to avoid collisions and other traffic hazards that may occur from the rear of the vehicle 102. For example, the proposed method may be used to avoid a collision with a speeding object approaching from behind the vehicle 102.

[0033] In one embodiment, the virtual lane 206 of the vehicle 102 may be recreated and / or reset each time the vehicle 102 takes a curved path, and the vehicle dynamics parameters stored in the buffer may be refreshed to create a fresh virtual lane 206 for the vehicle 102.

[0034] Thus, in addition to creating virtual lanes for the vehicle 102, the method and lane creation system 200 proposed in this disclosure also aids in accurately predicting the lanes of other objects and vehicles, such as the lane of the emergency vehicle 300, without the use of complex and computationally intensive lane detection algorithms or a front-view camera on the vehicle 102. The proposed disclosure can also be used in scenarios where the road does not have actual road lanes marked on it.

[0035] FIG. 4 shows a block diagram of a lane creation system 200 that creates virtual lanes for a vehicle 102 according to one implementation of the present disclosure.

[0036] In one implementation, lane creation system 200 may be configured within vehicle 102 to create virtual lanes. Alternatively, lane creation system 200 may be operated from a remote location and communicatively connected to vehicle 102 via a wireless communication network. In one embodiment, lane creation system 200 may include, but is not limited to, a processor 402, a memory 404, and an I / O interface 406.

[0037] In one implementation, the processor 402 may be, for example, a microcontroller or a graphics processing unit (GPU) capable of accessing the memory 404 to store information and execute stored instructions. Alternatively, the processor 402 may be an engine control unit (ECU) that is part of the vehicle 102. In one implementation, the processor 402 and the memory 404 may be integrated into a single integrated circuit. In one implementation, the memory 404 may store information accessible by the processor 402, such as instructions executable by the processor 402, and data that may be stored, retrieved, or otherwise used by the processor 402. For example, the processor 402 may execute a method for creating a virtual lane for the vehicle 102 based on instructions stored in the memory 404, according to some implementations of the present disclosure. By way of example, the data stored in the memory 404 may include, but is not limited to, real-time values ​​of vehicle dynamics parameters associated with the vehicle 102, position information of the vehicle 102, one or more images captured by the rearview camera 106 of the vehicle 102, etc. In one implementation, the I / O interface 406 of the lane creation system 200 may be used to interface the lane creation system 200 with one or more other components of the vehicle 102 .

[0038] In one implementation, the lane creation system 200 may include one or more functional modules, including, but not limited to, an image sensor module 408, a receiving module 410, a conversion module 412, a view generation module 414, a lane creation module 416, an object detection module 418, a warning module 420, and a user interface 422. In one implementation, each of the above modules may be communicatively coupled to each of the other modules via a controller area network (CAN) bus within the vehicle 102. Furthermore, each of these modules may be controlled and supervised by the processor 402 based on instructions and data stored in the memory 404 to create virtual lanes for the vehicle 102.

[0039] In one implementation, the image sensor module 408 may include at least one rearview camera 106 along with other image sensors. In one embodiment, the rearview camera 106 may be mounted externally on the rear side of the vehicle 102. As an example, the rearview camera 106 may be a vision image sensor, such as a mono camera or a wide-angle fisheye camera, mounted on the rear bumper of the vehicle 102. In one embodiment, the rearview camera 106 may be configured to continuously capture one or more real-time images of a field of view (FOV) 108 while the vehicle 102 is moving to record one or more objects present in the rear field of view of the vehicle 102. Alternatively, the rearview camera 106 may be configured to capture real-time images only when an object / vehicle 202 is detected within the FOV 108. In one implementation, the image sensor module 408 may include any other type and number of cameras and image sensors other than those described above, depending on the requirements of the vehicle 102 or the manufacturer of the vehicle 102.

[0040] In one embodiment, the receiving module 410 may be configured to receive images captured by the image sensor module 408. Additionally, the receiving module 410 may be configured to receive real-time values ​​of vehicle dynamics parameters associated with the vehicle 102 from one or more sensors associated with the vehicle 102.

[0041] In one embodiment, the transformation module 412 may be configured to transform the real-time values ​​of the vehicle dynamics parameters and the positions of one or more objects detected from the images captured by the image sensor module 408 into a world coordinate system.

[0042] In one embodiment, the view generation module 414 may be configured to generate the bird's-eye view 204 of the vehicle 102 and a predetermined region surrounding the vehicle 102 based on information from the world coordinate system. As an example, the predetermined region may be an area defined within a 10 meter radius from the current location of the vehicle 102. Thus, the predetermined region may continue to change as the vehicle 102 moves forward.

[0043] In one embodiment, the lane creation module 416 may be configured to create a virtual lane 206 corresponding to the vehicle 102 and render the created virtual lane 206 on the overhead view 204 of the vehicle 102. In one embodiment, the lane creation module 416 may be associated with buffer storage that stores real-time values ​​of the vehicle dynamics parameters.

[0044] In one embodiment, the object detection module 418 may be configured to detect one or more objects and / or other vehicles 202 in the virtual lane 206 of the vehicle 102. Additionally, the object detection module 418 may be configured to verify whether at least one of the detected objects and / or other vehicles 202 is an emergency vehicle 300.

[0045] In one embodiment, the warning module 420 may be used to warn the vehicle 102, or the driver and / or passengers of the vehicle 102, when detected objects and / or other vehicles 202 are on the virtual lane 206 of the vehicle 102. The warning may be provided in various forms, including, but not limited to, an audio warning, a visual warning, or by other physical indications such as vibration.

[0046] In one implementation, the user interface 422 may be used to display and / or communicate information to the driver or passengers of the vehicle 102, including, but not limited to, the bird's-eye view 204 of the vehicle 102, the virtual lane 206 of the vehicle 102, a display of the emergency vehicle 300 or other object in the virtual lane 206 of the vehicle 102, etc. Additionally, the user interface 422 may be used to communicate audio and / or visual messages and warnings to the driver or passengers of the vehicle 102.

[0047] In one embodiment, user interface 422 may include components such as an instrument panel, electronic displays, and an audio system. The instrument panel may be, for example, a dashboard or center display that displays a speedometer, tachometer, and warning light indicators. User interface 422 may also include electronic displays, such as an infotainment system or head-up display, for communicating visual messages to the driver or passengers, and an audio system for playing audio messages, warnings, or music.

[0048] FIG. 5 is a flow diagram illustrating an example method 500 for creating virtual lanes for a vehicle 300, according to one embodiment of the disclosure.

[0049] In one implementation, the method 500 may be performed sequentially or in parallel with other implementations of the present disclosure for creating virtual lanes for the vehicle 102. For example, multiple rearview cameras, or a rearview camera with a wider field of view 108, may be used based on factors such as the number of lanes on the road 104 and the intensity of traffic movement. As such, two or more processes for detecting the lane of the emergency vehicle 300 using input from each of the above rearview cameras may be performed simultaneously or sequentially.

[0050] The operation of method 500 will be described with reference to lane creation system 200 of Figure 4, although it should be understood that other similar systems may also be suitable. Method 500 begins at step 502 and may be initiated upon ignition of a vehicle 102 associated with lane creation system 200. Other events for initiating initiation of method 500 may also be suitable, and method 500 may also be initiated in response to a request from the driver, a passenger, or an active program running on vehicle 102.

[0051] At step 502, the method 500 causes the processor 402 of the lane creation system 200 to transform real-time values ​​of vehicle dynamics parameters and positions of one or more objects associated with the vehicle 102 into a world coordinate system, in which a representative image of the vehicle 102 and one or more objects may be displayed within a finite region of the coordinate system. In one embodiment, the vehicle dynamics parameters may be received from various gauges and sensors configured on the vehicle 102. Additionally, the positions of the one or more objects detected by the rearview camera 106 may be determined with the aid of a global positioning system (GPS) or navigation system associated with the vehicle 102.

[0052] In step 504, the method 500 causes the processor 402 of the lane creation system 200 to generate, based on a world coordinate system, an overhead view 204 of the vehicle 102 and a predetermined area surrounding the vehicle 102. As an example, the predetermined area may be an area defined within a 10 meter radius of the vehicle 102.

[0053] In step 506, the method 500 causes the processor 402 of the lane creation system 200 to create a virtual lane 206 corresponding to the vehicle 102 on the bird's-eye view 204 of the vehicle 102. In one embodiment, the virtual lane 206 may represent a path traveled by the vehicle 102 within a predetermined time period, which may be, for example, 30 seconds. In one embodiment, the virtual lane 206 may be re-created if the direction of the virtual lane 206 changes by more than a predetermined deviation angle. As an example, the predetermined deviation angle may be 60 degrees.

[0054] In one embodiment, the method 500 may include detecting whether at least one of the one or more objects is in the virtual lane 206 of the vehicle 102. Further, the method may include alerting the vehicle 102 and / or a driver or passenger of the vehicle 102 when the at least one object is detected in the virtual lane 206 of the vehicle 102. Based on the alert notification, the vehicle 102 may move to another lane to allow the one or more other objects and / or vehicles (e.g., emergency vehicle 300) to pass alongside the current lane of the vehicle 102 without impeding the movement of the one or more other objects. Further, the vehicle 102 may return to its original lane once the one or more other objects / vehicles have passed the vehicle 102.

[0055] The terms "an embodiment," "embodiment," "embodiments," "the embodiment," "the embodiment," "the embodiment," "one or more embodiments," "some embodiments," and "one embodiment" mean "one or more (but not all) embodiments of the present invention," unless explicitly specified otherwise.

[0056] The terms "including," "comprising," "having," and variations thereof mean "including but not limited to," unless expressly stated otherwise. An enumerated list of items does not imply that any or all of the items are mutually exclusive, unless expressly stated otherwise.

[0057] The terms "a," "an," and "the" mean "one or more" unless expressly specified otherwise. A description of an embodiment having several components in communication with each other does not imply that all such components are required. On the contrary, various optional components are described to illustrate the wide variety of possible embodiments of the present invention.

[0058] Where a single device or article is described herein, it will be apparent that two or more devices / articles (whether or not they cooperate) may be used in place of the single device / article. Similarly, where two or more devices or articles are described herein (whether or not they cooperate), it will be apparent that a single device / article may be used in place of two or more devices or articles, or that a different number of devices / articles may be used in place of the number of devices or programs shown. The functionality and / or features of a device may alternatively be embodied by one or more other devices not explicitly described as having such functionality / features. Thus, other embodiments of the present invention need not include the device itself.

[0059] Finally, the language used herein has been chosen primarily for readability and teaching purposes, and not to delineate or limit the subject matter of the present invention. Accordingly, it is intended that the scope of the invention be limited not by this detailed description, but by any claims that issue on an application based thereon. Accordingly, the embodiments of the present invention are intended to illustrate, but not limit, the scope of the invention, which is set forth in the following claims.

[0060] While various aspects and embodiments have been disclosed herein, other aspects and embodiments will become apparent to those skilled in the art. The various aspects and embodiments disclosed herein are for purposes of illustration and are not intended to be limiting, with the true scope and spirit being indicated by the following claims. The present application relates to the invention described in the claims, but also includes the following as other aspects. 1. 1. A method for creating a virtual lane (206) for a vehicle (102), the method comprising: transforming, by a processor (402), real-time values ​​of vehicle dynamics parameters associated with the vehicle (102) and positions of one or more objects surrounding the vehicle (102) into a world coordinate system; generating, by the processor (402), an overhead view (204) of the vehicle (102) and a predetermined area surrounding the vehicle (102) based on the world coordinate system; creating, by the processor (402), a virtual lane (206) corresponding to the vehicle (102) on the overhead view (204) of the vehicle (102); A method comprising: 2. 2. The method of claim 1, wherein the vehicle (102) is at least one of an autonomous vehicle, a human-driven vehicle, or a driver-assisted vehicle. 3. 10. The method of claim 1, wherein transforming the vehicle dynamics parameters includes transforming odometry information associated with the vehicle (102). 4. 10. The method of claim 1, comprising detecting the location of the one or more objects using a rearview camera of the vehicle (102) while the vehicle (102) is moving. 5. 2. The method of claim 1, further comprising using the processor to recreate the virtual lane when the direction of the virtual lane changes by more than a predetermined deviation angle. 6. 2. The method of claim 1, further comprising using the processor (402) to detect whether at least one of the one or more objects is in the virtual lane (206) of the vehicle (102). 7. 7. The method of claim 6, further comprising alerting the vehicle (102) when the at least one object is detected in the virtual lane (206) of the vehicle (102). 8. A lane creation system (200) for creating a virtual lane (206) for a vehicle (102), the lane creation system (200) comprising: a processor (402); At least one memory (404) coupled to the processor (402) for transforming real-time values ​​of vehicle dynamics parameters associated with the vehicle (102) and positions of one or more objects surrounding the vehicle (102) into a world coordinate system; generating an overhead view (204) of the vehicle (102) and a predetermined area surrounding the vehicle (102) based on the world coordinate system; creating a virtual lane (206) corresponding to the vehicle (102) on the overhead view (204) of the vehicle (102); at least one memory (404) storing instructions executable by the processor (402) to cause the processor (402) to perform the A lane creation system (200) comprising: 9. 9. The lane creation system (200) according to claim 8, wherein the vehicle (102) is at least one of an autonomous vehicle, a human-driven vehicle, or a driver-assisted vehicle. 10. 9. The lane creation system (200) of claim 8, wherein the vehicle dynamics parameters include odometry information associated with the vehicle (102). 11. The lane creation system (200) described in claim 8, wherein the lane creation system (200) detects the position of the one or more objects using a rearview camera of the vehicle (102) while the vehicle (102) is moving. 12. 9. The lane creation system (200) described in claim 8, wherein the lane creation system (200) recreates the virtual lane (206) when the direction of the virtual lane (206) changes by more than a predetermined deviation angle. 13. 9. The lane creation system (200) of claim 8, wherein the lane creation system (200) is further configured to detect whether at least one of the one or more objects is in the virtual lane (206) of the vehicle (102). 14. 14. The lane creation system (200) of claim 13, wherein the lane creation system (200) warns the vehicle (102) when the at least one object is detected in the virtual lane (206) of the vehicle (102). 15. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium containing computer-readable instructions for carrying out the method according to any one of 1 to 7 above. 16. A vehicle (102) comprising a lane creation system (200) for creating a virtual lane for the vehicle (102) according to any one of 8 to 14 above. [Explanation of symbols]

[0061] 100 Illustrative diagram 102 vehicles 104 Road 106 Rearview camera 108 Field of view 200 Lane Creation System 202 Other vehicles 204 Bird's-eye view 206 Virtual Lane 300 Emergency Vehicles 402 processor 404 Memory 406 I / O interface 408 Image Sensor Module 410 Receiver Module 412 Conversion Module 414 View Generation Module 416 Lane Creation Module 418 Object Detection Module 420 Warning Module 422 User Interface

Claims

1. A method for creating a virtual lane (206) for a vehicle (102) traveling on a multi-lane road (104) when the vehicle (102) needs to change lanes to give way to an emergency vehicle (303) approaching the vehicle (102) from behind, the method comprising: transforming, by a processor (402), real-time values ​​of vehicle dynamics parameters associated with the vehicle (102) and positions of one or more objects surrounding the vehicle (102) into a world coordinate system; generating, by the processor (402), an overhead view (204) of the vehicle (102) and a predetermined area surrounding the vehicle (102) based on the world coordinate system; creating, by the processor (402), a virtual lane (206) corresponding to the vehicle (102) on the overhead view (204) of the vehicle (102); Including, using the processor (402) to detect whether at least one of the one or more objects is in the virtual lane (206) of the vehicle (102); and alerting the vehicle when the at least one object is detected in the virtual lane of the vehicle. method.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the vehicle (102) is at least one of an autonomous vehicle, a human-driven vehicle, or a driver-assisted vehicle.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein transforming the vehicle dynamics parameters comprises transforming odometry information associated with the vehicle (102).

4. The method of claim 1 , comprising detecting the location of the one or more objects while the vehicle is moving using a rearview camera of the vehicle.

5. 2. The method of claim 1, further comprising using the processor to recreate the virtual lane when the direction of the virtual lane changes by more than a predetermined deviation angle.

6. A lane creation system (200) for creating a virtual lane (206) for a vehicle (102) traveling on a multi-lane road (104) when the vehicle (102) needs to change lanes to give way to an emergency vehicle (303) approaching the vehicle (102) from behind, the lane creation system (200) comprising: a processor (402); At least one memory (404) coupled to the processor (402) for transforming real-time values ​​of vehicle dynamics parameters associated with the vehicle (102) and positions of one or more objects surrounding the vehicle (102) into a world coordinate system; generating an overhead view (204) of the vehicle (102) and a predetermined area surrounding the vehicle (102) based on the world coordinate system; creating a virtual lane (206) corresponding to the vehicle (102) on the overhead view (204) of the vehicle (102); at least one memory (404) storing instructions executable by the processor (402) to cause the processor (402) to perform Equipped with the lane creation system (200) is further configured to detect whether at least one of the one or more objects is in the virtual lane (206) of the vehicle (102); the lane creation system (200) alerts the vehicle (102) when the at least one object is detected in the virtual lane (206) of the vehicle (102); Lane Creation System (200).

7. The lane creation system (200) of claim 6, wherein the vehicle (102) is at least one of an autonomous vehicle, a human-driven vehicle, or a driver-assisted vehicle.

8. The lane creation system (200) of claim 6, wherein the vehicle dynamics parameters include odometry information associated with the vehicle (102).

9. 7. The lane creation system (200) of claim 6, wherein the lane creation system (200) detects the location of the one or more objects using a rearview camera of the vehicle (102) while the vehicle (102) is moving.

10. 7. The lane creation system of claim 6, wherein the lane creation system recreates the virtual lane when the direction of the virtual lane changes by more than a predetermined deviation angle.

11. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium comprising computer-readable instructions for implementing the method of any one of claims 1 to 5.

12. A vehicle (102) comprising a lane creation system (200) for creating a virtual lane for the vehicle (102) according to any one of claims 6 to 10.

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