Patent Application
20170025014
The subject matter herein generally relates to transportation safety.
A vehicle may be rear-ended if the following vehicle is too close. Therefore, there is a need for a vehicle to safely monitor a distance of following vehicles.
Implementations of the present technology will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the attached figures.
It will be appreciated that for simplicity and clarity of illustration, where appropriate, reference numerals have been repeated among the different figures to indicate corresponding or analogous elements. In addition, numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the embodiments described herein. However, it will be understood by those of ordinary skill in the art that the embodiments described herein can be practiced without these specific details. In other instances, methods, procedures, and components have not been described in detail so as not to obscure the related relevant feature being described. The drawings are not necessarily to scale and the proportions of certain parts may be exaggerated to better illustrate details and features. The description is not to be considered as limiting the scope of the embodiments described herein.
Several definitions that apply throughout this disclosure will now be presented.
The term “module” refers to logic embodied in computing or firmware, or to a collection of software instructions, written in a programming language, such as, Java, C, or assembly. One or more software instructions in the modules may be embedded in firmware, such as in an erasable programmable read only memory (EPROM). The modules described herein may be implemented as either software and/or computing modules and may be stored in any type of non-transitory computer-readable medium or other storage device. Some non-limiting examples of non-transitory computer-readable media include CDs, DVDs, BLU-RAY, flash memory, and hard disk drives. The term “comprising” means “including, but not necessarily limited to”; it specifically indicates open-ended inclusion or membership in a so-described combination, group, series and the like.
The camera 11 captures at least one image behind the vehicle 1. In this embodiment, the camera 11 can be a depth-sensing camera, such as a time of flight (TOF) camera. The image captured by the camera 11 includes distance information indicating a distance between a lens of the camera 11 and each point on an object presented in the image. The object can be another vehicle, for example.
The driving assistant system 10 can include a plurality of function modules (shown in
The storage device 12 can include some type(s) of non-transitory computer-readable storage medium such as, for example, a hard disk drive, a compact disc, a digital video disc, or a tape drive. The storage device 12 stores images captured by the camera 12. The storage device 12 further stores the computerized codes of the function modules of the driving assistant system 10.
The control device 13 can be a processor, a microprocessor, an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), or a field programmable gate array (FPGA), for example. The control device 13 can execute computerized codes of the function modules of the driving assistant system 10 to realize the functions of the vehicle 1.
The capturing module 100 is configured to control the camera 11 to capture at least one image behind the vehicle 1. The capturing module 100 can determine whether the vehicle 1 is moving forward. If the vehicle 1 is moving forward, the capturing module 100 controls the camera 11 to capture the image behind the vehicle 1. In this embodiment, the image includes distance information between the lens of the camera 11 and each point on an object in the image.
The analysis module 101 is configured to analyze a distance between the vehicle 1 and the object according to the image, and determine whether the distance is less than a predefined safe distance (e.g., 4 meters). The analysis module 101 can calculate distances from the lens of the camera 11 to points on the object in the image according to the distance information, and determine a shortest distance from the lens of the camera 11 to the points on the object. The shortest distance is regarded as the distance between the vehicle 1 and the object. The safe distance can be preset according to a speed of the vehicle 1. For example, the higher the speed of the vehicle 1, the longer the safe distance that is set.
The first alarm module 102 is configured to generate a first alarm via the first alarm device 14 to alert the object to keep the safe distance from the vehicle 1. In at least one embodiment, when the distance is less than the safe distance, the first warning module 102 controls the first warning lamp to flash or controls the first audio device to generate a first alarm sound, to alert the object to keep the safe distance from the vehicle 1.
The second alarm module 103 is configured to generate a second alarm via the second alarm device 15 to alert a driver of the vehicle 1 that the object is within the predefined safe distance. In at least one embodiment, when the distance is less than the safe distance, the second warning module 103 controls the second warning lamp installed on the dashboard of the vehicle 1 to flash or controls the second audio device inside the vehicle 1 to generate a second alarm sound, to alert the driver that the object is within the predefined safe distance.
Referring to
At block 301, a capturing module controls the camera to capture at least one image behind the vehicle. The capturing module can determine whether the vehicle is moving forward. If the vehicle is moving forward, the capturing module controls the camera to capture the image behind the vehicle. In at least one embodiment, the camera is a depth-sensing camera. Each image captured by the camera includes distance information between a lens of the camera and objects presented in the image.
At block 302, an analysis module analyzes a distance between the vehicle and an object presented in the image according to the image. The object can be another vehicle, for example. The analysis module can calculate distances from the lens of the camera to points on the object in the image according to the distance information, and determine a shortest distance from the lens of the camera to points on the object. The shortest distance is regarded as the distance between the vehicle and the object.
At block 303, the analysis module determines whether the distance is less than a predefined safe distance (e.g., 4 meters). If the distance is not less than the predefined safe distance, the process returns to block 301. The safe distance can be preset according to a speed of the vehicle. For example, the higher the speed of the vehicle, the longer the safe distance that is set.
If the distance is less than the predefined safe distance, at block 304, a first alarm module generates a first alarm via the first alarm device to alert the object to keep the safe distance from the vehicle. In at least one embodiment, when the distance is less than the safe distance, the first warning module controls the first warning lamp to flash or controls the first audio device to generate a first alarm sound, to alert the object to keep the safe distance from the vehicle.
At block 305, a second alarm module generates a second alarm via the second alarm device to alert a driver of the vehicle that the object is within the predefined safe distance. In at least one embodiment, when the distance is less than the safe distance, the second warning module controls the second warning lamp on the dashboard of the vehicle to flash or controls the second audio device inside the vehicle to generate a second alarm sound, to alert the driver that the object is within the predefined safe distance.
The embodiments shown and described above are only examples. Even though numerous characteristics and advantages of the present technology have been set forth in the foregoing description, together with details of the structure and function of the present disclosure, the disclosure is illustrative only, and changes may be made in the detail, including in particular the matters of shape, size and arrangement of parts within the principles of the present disclosure, up to and including the full extent established by the broad general meaning of the terms used in the claims.
