Vehicle Narrow Road Driving Control Using Depth and Height Maps
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional narrow road recognition systems, such as those using lidar or ultrasonic sensors, are limited in their ability to accurately recognize objects and determine safe passage through narrow roads, particularly for inexperienced drivers.
Innovation Solution
An apparatus and method that generates depth and height maps from front images using depth information, allowing for the recognition of driving allowable areas and determining whether a vehicle can safely pass through a narrow road, incorporating image transform, map analysis, and signal processing units to control vehicle driving.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If conventional lidar or ultrasonic sensors are used for narrow road recognition, then the system structure is simple, but the object recognition precision deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple sensing technologies (stereo vision, lidar, ultrasonic sensors) into an integrated narrow road recognition system. The controller synthesizes data from these multiple sources to achieve accurate object recognition and driving allowable area determination, overcoming the limitations of individual sensors while maintaining system manageability through unified control.
Solution Approach 2:
The recognition system is designed to perform multiple functions: detecting objects, calculating driving allowable areas, determining narrow road conditions, and providing guidance signals. This multi-functional approach replaces the need for separate systems for each function, improving overall precision without proportionally increasing complexity.
2Measurement precision
If 4-layer lidar is used for object recognition, then the device complexity is reduced, but the measurement precision deteriorates due to limited mounting position
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges lidar with stereo cameras and ultrasonic sensors to create a complementary sensing system. The lidar provides depth information while stereo vision offers wide-field object detection, and ultrasonic sensors supplement close-range detection. This combination compensates for the mounting position limitations of individual sensors and achieves comprehensive object recognition precision.
3Measurement precision
If ultrasonic sensors are used for narrow road detection, then the device complexity is low, but the measurement precision deteriorates due to short detection distance
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines ultrasonic sensors with lidar and stereo vision systems to create a multi-range detection network. Ultrasonic sensors handle close-range detection, lidar covers mid-range with depth information, and stereo cameras provide far-range object identification. This merged system achieves comprehensive detection distance range while maintaining manageable complexity through integrated control.
Data Source
AI summary
An apparatus for controlling narrow road driving of a vehicle includes: an image transform unit generating a depth map using depth information of an object in a front image of a road on which the vehicle travels and generating a height map of the front image by transforming the generated depth map; a map analysis unit recognizing the object and calculating a driving allowable area of the road based on the generated height map; a determination unit determining whether the road is a narrow road based on the calculated driving allowable area and, when the road is determined to be the narrow road, determining whether the vehicle is able to pass through the narrow road; and a signal processing unit controlling driving of the vehicle on the narrow road based on the determination of whether the vehicle is able to pass through the narrow road.