Vehicle Lane Marker Detection Using Transition Charts
Solution Overview
Problem
Current driver assistance systems lack effective mechanisms for identifying and tracking lane markings, which is crucial for determining vehicle position within a lane and providing warnings for lane departure.
Innovation Solution
A vehicle lane marker detection system utilizing a forward-facing camera and an imaging electronic control unit (ECU) with image processing capabilities to continuously capture and analyze lane markings, creating transition charts and action matrices to predict vehicle responses and maintain accurate geolocation and lane position.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If lane marking detection is implemented using image processing, then lane position tracking accuracy is improved, but system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The lane detection system is segmented into distinct functional modules: image capture device for acquiring road images, image processing unit for analyzing lane markings, and control unit for generating warnings. This modular segmentation allows each component to specialize in specific tasks, improving overall detection accuracy while managing system complexity through organized functional divisions.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an intermediary image processing unit that acts as a mediator between the image capture device and the control unit. This intermediary layer processes and extracts lane marking information from raw images, transforming complex visual data into structured position information that the control unit can use for accurate lane tracking and warning generation.
2Reliability
If continuous image processing is performed to track lane markings, then lane departure warning reliability is improved, but computational energy consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs image processing at periodic intervals rather than continuously, capturing images at specific time points and processing them to determine lane position. This periodic action maintains reliable lane tracking by sampling the road environment at regular intervals while significantly reducing computational energy consumption compared to continuous processing.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs preliminary actions by pre-processing images and pre-identifying lane markings before actual lane departure detection is needed. The control unit stores lane position information and uses it for subsequent warning decisions, reducing the computational burden during critical detection moments while maintaining high reliability.
Data Source
AI summary
A system of one or more computers can be configured to perform particular operations or actions by virtue of having software, firmware, hardware, or a combination of them installed on the system that in operation causes or cause the system to perform the actions. One general aspect includes a system, including a computer having a processor and a memory, the memory storing instructions executable by the processor such that the computer is programmed to receive an image of at least one lane marker from an image capture device mounted to a vehicle. The system also identifies a lane transition according to the image. The system can also control at least one of steering, braking, and acceleration of the vehicle according to a history of data concerning the lane transition locations.