Camera-Based Vehicle Positioning Using Road Guide Signs
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing driver assistance systems face challenges in accurately identifying vehicle position when Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) signals are not smoothly received, leading to potential inaccuracies in navigation.
Innovation Solution
A driver assistance apparatus and method utilizing a camera to capture image data of road guide signs, employing a convolutional neural network (CNN) to identify features and determine vehicle position, even when GNSS signal reception is weak or absent.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If the driver assistance system relies on GNSS signals to identify vehicle position, then the positioning system is simple and cost-effective, but the positioning accuracy deteriorates when GNSS signals are not smoothly received
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces road guide signs as an intermediary object to bridge the gap between the vehicle and the positioning system. Instead of directly relying on GNSS signals, the system captures images of road guide signs and uses their known positions as reference points to calculate vehicle position through image processing and coordinate transformation, thus mediating the positioning process when GNSS signals are weak or unavailable
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the GNSS signal-based positioning mechanism with a vision-based positioning mechanism. By substituting the radio wave reception system with a camera-based image capture and processing system, the system can determine vehicle position through visual recognition of road guide signs, effectively replacing the mechanical/electromagnetic signal dependency with an optical processing approach
2Reliability
If the driver assistance system uses road guide signs for positioning, then the positioning reliability improves when GNSS signals are weak, but the device complexity increases due to camera and image processing requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The patent makes the camera serve multiple functions: it is used for both general driver assistance visual monitoring and specific road guide sign recognition for positioning. By making the camera multi-functional, the system avoids adding dedicated positioning hardware, thus improving positioning reliability without proportionally increasing device complexity
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses existing road guide signs that are already present in the environment as positioning references, rather than requiring the vehicle to carry or install additional positioning infrastructure. The road guide signs serve themselves as positioning beacons, eliminating the need for the vehicle to generate or maintain dedicated positioning markers, thus reducing system complexity
Data Source
AI summary
Disclosed herein is a driver assistance apparatus including a camera installed on a vehicle, having a forward field of view of the vehicle, and configured to acquire image data and a processor configured to process the image data. The processor may acquire image data of road guide signs from the image data and identify a position of the vehicle based on the image data of the road guide signs.