Vehicle Exterior Environment Recognition Apparatus Bicycle Detection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing vehicle exterior environment recognition systems face challenges in accurately detecting bicycles in a traveling direction due to similar shapes and surface coloring of other three-dimensional objects, leading to potential erroneous detection and delayed collision avoidance.
Innovation Solution
A vehicle exterior environment recognition apparatus that includes a three-dimensional object region identifier, a wheel region identifier, and a wheel determiner, utilizing Hough transform to identify wheel regions and determine their likelihood based on area ratios and distance information, enabling early and accurate detection of bicycles.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If general three-dimensional object detection is used to detect bicycles, then detection coverage is improved, but detection accuracy deteriorates due to similar shapes and surface coloring of other objects
Solution Approach 1:
The detection process is segmented into multiple stages: first detecting three-dimensional object regions, then identifying wheel regions within those regions, and finally determining bicycle presence based on wheel characteristics. This segmentation allows the system to maintain broad detection coverage while improving accuracy through progressive filtering.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies different detection criteria to different parts of the detected object. Specifically, it focuses on wheel regions with particular shape characteristics (circular shape with specific area ratios) to identify bicycles, while other regions are processed with general three-dimensional object detection methods.
2Measurement precision
If wheel region identification with area ratio analysis is implemented, then bicycle detection accuracy is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system segments the detection task into distinct modules: a three-dimensional object region identifier, a wheel region identifier, and a wheel determiner. Each module performs a specific function, making the overall complex system manageable and maintainable while achieving high detection accuracy.
Solution Approach 2:
The wheel region identifier acts as an intermediary between the general three-dimensional object detection and the final bicycle determination. It extracts specific wheel characteristics from detected objects and provides this refined information to the wheel determiner, which then makes the final bicycle identification.
3Loss of time
If early bicycle detection is achieved through wheel region analysis, then collision avoidance time is improved, but false detection risk increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies specific shape criteria (circular shape with area ratio within predetermined range) to wheel regions to distinguish bicycle wheels from other objects. This localized quality check reduces false detections while enabling early identification of bicycles.
Solution Approach 2:
The wheel determiner uses feedback from the wheel region identifier's analysis of shape characteristics and area ratios to confirm or reject potential bicycle detections. This feedback mechanism helps filter out false positives while maintaining early detection capability.
Data Source
AI summary
A vehicle exterior environment recognition apparatus includes a three-dimensional object region identifier, a wheel region identifier, and a wheel determiner. The three-dimensional object region identifier is configured to identify a three-dimensional object region out of a screen. The three-dimensional object region includes a three-dimensional object. The wheel region identifier is configured to identify a wheel region out of the three-dimensional object region. The wheel region includes a presumed wheel that seems to correspond to a wheel of a bicycle. The wheel determiner is configured to determine whether or not an area ratio is smaller than a predetermined value. The area ratio is a ratio of area of a segment of the wheel region to area of the wheel region, with a relative distance from the segment to an own vehicle falling within a predetermined range.