INTERSECTION DRIVING CONTROL SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR VEHICLES

Abstract

Disclosed are an intersection driving control system and method for vehicles, the intersection driving control system for vehicles including a monitoring array configured to recognize and monitor peripheral vehicles driving proximate to a host vehicle, a pattern detector configured to detect reduction patterns of the peripheral vehicles in a longitudinal direction, and an intersection entry confirmer configured to confirm whether the host vehicle enters an intersection based on whether the longitudinal reduction patterns of the peripheral vehicles are similar to an intersection entry pattern.

Claims

1. An intersection driving control system comprising: a monitoring array configured to recognize and monitor peripheral vehicles driving proximate to a host vehicle; a pattern detector configured to detect reduction patterns of the peripheral vehicles in a longitudinal direction; and an intersection entry confirmer configured to confirm whether the host vehicle enters an intersection based on whether the longitudinal reduction patterns of the peripheral vehicles are determined similar to an intersection entry pattern.

2. The intersection driving control system of claim 1, wherein the monitoring array is further configured to monitor speeds of the respective peripheral vehicles driving in front of the host vehicle in a lane in which the host vehicle drives and other lanes adjacent to the lane of the host vehicle.

3. The intersection driving control system of claim 1, further comprising a navigation system configured to confirm a current position of the host vehicle on a map, wherein the navigation system determines whether the host vehicle enters the intersection, and the intersection entry confirmer verifies whether the host vehicle enters the intersection.

4. The intersection driving control system of claim 3, wherein: the monitoring array comprises a camera configured to capture images surroundings the host vehicle; and the monitoring array is further configured to confirm that the host vehicle enters the intersection using images of intersection identifiers acquired through the camera.

5. The intersection driving control system of claim 1, wherein the pattern detector and the intersection entry confirmer comprise a deep learning module configured to determine whether the host vehicle enters the intersection based on movement of the peripheral vehicles observed through the monitoring array.

6. The intersection driving control system of claim 1, further comprising an erroneous control preventer configured to reduce reliability of signals with respect to lanes acquired by a camera of the host vehicle, in response to the intersection entry confirmer confirming that the host vehicle enters the intersection.

7. The intersection driving control system of claim 1, further comprising: an intersecting point information calculator configured to calculate positions of intersecting points and a number of the intersecting points based on lane continuity characteristics and lane intersection characteristics in an intersection area; a driving path calculator configured to calculate at least one vehicle driving path in the intersection area based on the positions and the number of the intersecting points; and a vehicle driving controller configured to control the host vehicle to track the at least one vehicle driving path.

8. A processor-implemented intersection driving control method for a vehicle comprising: monitoring movement of peripheral vehicles driving proximate to a host vehicle; detecting reduction patterns of the peripheral vehicles in a longitudinal direction; and determining whether the host vehicle enters an intersection based on whether the longitudinal reduction patterns of the peripheral vehicles are similar to an intersection entry pattern.

9. The intersection driving control method of claim 8, wherein the monitoring of the movement of the peripheral vehicles comprises monitoring speeds of the respective peripheral vehicles driving in front of the host vehicle in a lane in which the host vehicle drives and other lanes adjacent to the lane of the host vehicle.

10. The intersection driving control method of claim 8, further comprising: detecting, using a navigation system, whether host vehicle enters the intersection based on a current position of the host vehicle on a map.

11. The intersection driving control method of claim 10, further comprising: confirming, using a camera of the host vehicle to capture images surroundings the host vehicle, whether the host vehicle enters the intersection based on images of intersection identifiers from among the captured images.

12. The intersection driving control method of claim 8, wherein the determining of whether the host vehicle enters the intersection comprises determining, using deep learning based, whether the host vehicle enters the intersection based on the movement of the peripheral vehicles.

13. The intersection driving control method of claim 8, further comprising reducing a reliability of signals with respect to lanes acquired by the camera of the host vehicle, in response to the host vehicle entering the intersection.

14. The intersection driving control method of claim 8, further comprising: calculating positions of intersecting points and a number of the intersecting points based on lane continuity characteristics and lane intersection characteristics in an intersection area; calculating at least one vehicle driving path in the intersection area based on the positions and the number of the intersecting points; and controlling the host vehicle to track the at least one calculated vehicle driving path.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0022] FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating the configuration of an intersection driving control system for vehicles according to the present invention.

[0023] FIG. 2 is a view illustrating an intersection driving control method for vehicles according to the present invention.

[0024] FIG. 3 is a view exemplarily illustrating a process for calculating a vehicle driving path along which a vehicle will turn left at an intersection.

[0025] FIG. 4 is a flowchart illustrating an intersection driving control method for vehicles according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0026] Throughout the drawings and the detailed description, unless otherwise described or provided, the same drawing reference numerals will be understood to refer to the same or like elements, features, and structures. The drawings may not be to scale, and the relative size, proportions, and depiction of elements in the drawings may be exaggerated for clarity, illustration, and convenience.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0027] The following detailed description is provided to assist the reader in gaining a comprehensive understanding of the methods, apparatuses, and/or systems described herein. However, various changes, modifications, and equivalents of the methods, apparatuses, and/or systems described herein will be apparent after an understanding of the disclosure of this application. For example, the sequences of operations described herein are merely examples, and are not limited to those set forth herein, but may be changed as will be apparent after an understanding of the disclosure of this application, with the exception of operations necessarily occurring in a certain order. Also, descriptions of features that are known may be omitted for increased clarity and conciseness.

[0028] The features described herein may be embodied in different forms, and are not to be construed as being limited to the examples described herein. Rather, the examples described herein have been provided merely to illustrate some of the many possible ways of implementing the methods, apparatuses, and/or systems described herein that will be apparent after an understanding of the disclosure of this application.

[0029] The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular examples only and is not to be limiting of the examples. The singular forms “a”, “an”, and “the” are intended to include the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. It will be further understood that the terms “comprises/comprising” and/or “includes/including” when used herein, specify the presence of stated features, integers, steps, operations, elements, and/or components, but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, operations, elements, components and/or groups thereof.

[0030] Also, in the description of the components, terms such as first, second, A, B, (a), (b) or the like may be used herein when describing components of the present disclosure. These terms are used only for the purpose of discriminating one constituent element from another constituent element, and the nature, the sequences, or the orders of the constituent elements are not limited by the terms. When one constituent element is described as being “connected”, “coupled”, or “attached” to another constituent element, it should be understood that one constituent element can be connected or attached directly to another constituent element, and an intervening constituent element can also be “connected”, “coupled”, or “attached” to the constituent elements. Other words used to describe relationships between elements should be interpreted in a like fashion, e.g., “between” versus “directly between,” “adjacent” versus “directly adjacent,” etc.

[0031] Hereinafter, reference will be made in detail to the preferred embodiments of the present invention, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. Some parts in one embodiment, which may be substantially the same or like those in other embodiments, are denoted by the same reference numerals even though they are depicted in different drawings.

[0032] Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, an intersection driving control system for vehicles according to the present invention includes a monitoring unit 1 (may also be referred to as a monitoring array 1) configured to recognize and monitor a plurality of peripheral vehicles V1, V2, V3, V4, V5 and V6 driving around a host vehicle V0, a pattern detector 3 configured to detect reduction patterns of the monitored peripheral vehicles V1, V2, V3, V4, V5 and V6 in the longitudinal direction, and an intersection entry confirmer 5 configured to confirm whether or not the host vehicle V0 is in a situation in which the host vehicle V0 enters an intersection by determining whether or not the longitudinal reduction patterns of the peripheral vehicles V1, V2, V3, V4, V5 and V6 detected by the pattern detector 3 are similar to an intersection entry pattern.

[0033] That is, in the present invention, the host vehicle V0 may monitor the peripheral vehicles V1, V2, V3, V4, V5 and V6 around the host vehicle V0 during driving, may detect the reduction patterns of the peripheral vehicles V1, V2, V3, V4, V5 and V6 in the longitudinal direction, and may confirm whether or not the host vehicle V0 is in the situation in which the hots vehicle V0 enters the intersection together with the peripheral vehicles V1, V2, V3, V4, V5 and V6 by determining whether or not the longitudinal reduction patterns of the peripheral vehicles V1, V2, V3, V4, V5 and V6 are similar to the predetermined intersection entry pattern.

[0034] The monitoring unit 1 is configured to monitor the speeds of the respective peripheral vehicles V1, V2, V3, V4, V5 and V6 driving in front of the host vehicle V0 in a lane in which the host vehicle V0 drives and other lanes adjacent to the lane.

[0035] That is, as shown in FIG. 2, there are seven vehicles V1 to V7 driving other than the host vehicle V0, to which the present invention is applied, and thereamong, the speeds of only the vehicles V1 to V6 driving in front of the host vehicle V0 other than the vehicle V7 driving behind the host vehicle V0 are monitored.

[0036] The reason for this is that there is a high probability that the vehicle V7 driving behind the host vehicle V0, to which the present invention is applied, arrives at the intersection later than the host vehicle V0, and thus, it is difficult to proactively confirm whether or not the host vehicle V0, to which the present invention is applied, enters the intersection using the longitudinal reduction pattern of the vehicle V7.

[0037] The intersection driving control system for vehicles according to the present invention may further include a navigation system 110 configured to confirm the current position of the host vehicle V0 on a map, and an intersection confirmer 210 may detect a situation in which the host vehicle V0 enters the intersection through the navigation system 110, and may additionally confirm the situation in which the host vehicle V0 enters the intersection using the results of the intersection entry confirmer 5.

[0038] That is, it is not determined whether or not the host vehicle V0 enters the intersection only by the intersection entry confirmer 5 or only through the navigation system 110, and the intersection confirmer 210 may first detect a situation in which the host vehicle V0 enters the neighborhood of the intersection through the navigation system 110, and then, in this state, the intersection entry confirmer 5 may additionally confirm the situation in which the host vehicle V0 enters the intersection.

[0039] Therefore, the navigation system 110 may be configured to confirm that the host vehicle V0 is moving towards the intersection on the map by mounting a global positioning system (GPS) system in the navigation system 110 or interworking with the GPS system.

[0040] Further, the monitoring unit 1 includes a camera configured to image the surroundings of the host vehicle V0, and may be configured to additionally confirm that the host vehicle enters the intersection using images of intersection identifiers acquired through the camera.

[0041] Here, the intersection identifiers may be traffic equipment, such as traffic lights or traffic guide sign boards.

[0042] That is, when the camera additionally captures the images of the intersection identifiers in the state in which the navigation system 100 and the intersection entry confirmer 5 confirms the situation in which the host vehicle V0 enters the intersection, the situation in which the host vehicle V0 enters the intersection may be more firmly determined, and further, information, such as an actual distance from the host vehicle V0 to an entry position of the intersection, may be more firmly confirmed.

[0043] Here, the pattern detector 3 and the intersection entry confirmer 5 may include a deep learning module configured to determine whether or not the host vehicle V0 is in the situation in which the host vehicle V0 enters the intersection based on to movement of other peripheral vehicles input through the monitoring unit 1.

[0044] That is, the deep learning module may store an intersection entry pattern acquired by learning big data, about various situations in which vehicles enter the intersection, in advance, and may confirm whether or not a current situation coincides with any one of the situations in which vehicles enter the intersection by receiving movement of the peripheral vehicles input through the monitoring unit 1.

[0045] The intersection entry pattern may be set to a pattern in which peripheral vehicles perform almost the same reduction in the longitudinal direction at almost the same position or in almost the same section, when the pattern detector 3 and the intersection entry confirmer 5 do not include the deep learning module.

[0046] That is, when the peripheral vehicles perform almost the same reduction in the longitudinal direction at almost the same position or in almost the same section on a road, the vehicles often enter the intersection, and thus, the intersection entry pattern is used to determine such a situation.

[0047] The intersection driving control system for vehicles according to the present invention may further include an erroneous control preventer 7 configured to reduce reliability of signals with respect to lanes acquired by the camera of the host vehicle V0 so as to prevent erroneous control, when the intersection entry confirmer 5 confirms that the host vehicle V0 enters the intersection.

[0048] Since lanes may disappear or overlap each other at intersections and thus it may be difficult recognize the display states of the lanes at the intersection, when lane information acquired through the camera is excessively trusted, there is a high possibility that autonomous driving of the host vehicle V0 is erroneously controlled, and thus, the erroneous control preventer 7 serves to prevent such erroneous control.

[0049] The intersection driving control system for vehicles according to the present invention may further include the following elements so as to prevent erroneous control, as described above.

[0050] That is, the intersection driving control system for vehicles according to the present invention may further include an intersecting point information calculator 220 configured to calculate the positions of a plurality of intersecting points and the number of the intersecting points based on lane continuity characteristics and lane intersection characteristics in an intersection area, a driving path calculator 230 configured to calculate at least one vehicle driving path in the intersection area based on the positions and the number of the intersecting points, and a vehicle driving controller 300 configured to control the host vehicle V0 so as to track the at least one vehicle driving path calculated by the driving path calculator 230.

[0051] The above-described additional elements are disclosed in Korean Patent Registration No. 10-2132899 (Unexamined Publication No. KR 1020200044193 A), and are configured such that the intersecting point information calculator 220 calculates a plurality of intersecting points in an intersection, the driving path calculator 230 calculates a vehicle driving path along which the host vehicle V0 may pass through the intersection based on the calculated intersecting points, and the vehicle driving controller 300 controls the host vehicle V0 so as to track the vehicle driving path.

[0052] FIG. 3 illustrates a process for calculating the vehicle driving path along which the host vehicle V0 will turn left at an intersection through the above-described additional elements, and in this case, the vehicle driving path may be determined as a curved path between lines C1 and C2, and the lines C1 and C2 may be determined by radiuses R1 and R2 using intersecting points P.sub.1C, P.sub.2C, P.sub.1R and P.sub.2R calculated at the intersection.

[0053] For reference, although FIG. 1 shows that the vehicle driving controller 300 drives an engine controller 310, a brake controller 320 and a steering controller 330 of the host vehicle V0, when the host vehicle V0 is an electric vehicle, a motor controller or the like may be substituted for the engine controller 310.

[0054] Further, FIG. 1 shows that the intersection confirmer 210 may additionally receive inputs from a camera 120, a radar 130 and a vehicle dynamics sensor 140, and in this case, the camera 120 may be the same as the camera of the monitoring unit 1 or be provided separately from the camera of the monitoring unit 1.

[0055] Referring to FIG. 4, an intersection driving control method for vehicles according to the present invention includes monitoring movement of a plurality of peripheral vehicles driving around a host vehicle (S10), detecting reduction patterns of the monitored peripheral vehicles in the longitudinal direction (S20), and confirming whether or not the host vehicle is in a situation in which the host vehicle enters an intersection by determining whether or not the longitudinal reduction patterns of the peripheral vehicles are similar to an intersection entry pattern (S30).

[0056] In monitoring of movement of the peripheral vehicles driving around the host vehicle (S10), the speeds of the respective peripheral vehicles driving in front of the host vehicle V0 in a lane in which the host vehicle V0 drives and other lanes adjacent to the lane may be monitored.

[0057] A navigation system 110 configured to confirm the current position of the host vehicle V0 on a map may detect the situation in which the host vehicle V0 enters the intersection and, in confirmation as to whether or not the host vehicle is in the situation in which the host vehicle enters the intersection (S30), the situation in which the host vehicle V0 enters the intersection may be additionally confirmed.

[0058] Here, the situation in which the host vehicle V0 enters the intersection may be additionally confirmed by allowing a camera of the host vehicle configured to image the surroundings in front of the host vehicle to capture the images of intersection identifiers.

[0059] Whether or not the host vehicle is in the situation in which the host vehicle enters the intersection may be determined using deep learning based on movement of the peripheral vehicles input in monitoring of movement of the peripheral vehicles driving around the host vehicle (S10).

[0060] When it is confirmed that the vehicle enters the intersection, reliability of signals with respect to lanes acquired by the camera of the host vehicle may be reduced so as to prevent erroneous control of the host vehicle (S40).

[0061] Further, the intersection driving control method for vehicles according to the present invention may further include calculating the positions of a plurality of intersecting points and the number of the intersecting points based on lane continuity characteristics and lane intersection characteristics in an intersection area (S50), calculating at least one vehicle driving path in the intersection area based on the positions and the number of the intersecting points (S60), and controlling the host vehicle so as to track the at least one calculated vehicle driving path (S70).

[0062] As is apparent from the above description, an intersection driving control system and method for vehicles according to the present invention, when a vehicle approaches an intersection, may enable the vehicle to more accurately recognize and confirm in advance that the vehicle enters the intersection, may improve accuracy on a path along which the vehicle is movable in an intersection area based on results of confirmation so as to improve safety and reliability of the vehicle through safer and more accurate driving at the intersection, and may thus ultimately improve the commercial value of the vehicle.

[0063] As described above, provided are intersection driving control system and method for vehicles which, when a vehicle approaches an intersection, may enable the vehicle to more accurately recognize and confirm in advance that the vehicle enters the intersection, may improve accuracy on a path along which the vehicle is movable in an intersection area based on results of confirmation so as to improve safety and reliability of the vehicle through safer and more accurate driving at the intersection, and may thus ultimately improve the commercial value of the vehicle.

[0064] The monitoring array, pattern detector, intersection entry confirmer, erroneous control preventer, intersecting point information calculator, driving path calculator, vehicle driving controller, and other apparatuses, devices, units, modules, and components described herein are implemented by hardware components. Examples of hardware components that may be used to perform the operations described in this application where appropriate include controllers, sensors, generators, drivers, memories, comparators, arithmetic logic units, adders, subtractors, multipliers, dividers, integrators, and any other electronic components configured to perform the operations described in this application. In other examples, one or more of the hardware components that perform the operations described in this application are implemented by computing hardware, for example, by one or more processors or computers. A processor or computer may be implemented by one or more processing elements, such as an array of logic gates, a controller and an arithmetic logic unit, a digital signal processor, a microcomputer, a programmable logic controller, a field-programmable gate array, a programmable logic array, a microprocessor, or any other device or combination of devices that is configured to respond to and execute instructions in a defined manner to achieve a desired result. In one example, a processor or computer includes, or is connected to, one or more memories storing instructions or software that are executed by the processor or computer. Hardware components implemented by a processor or computer may execute instructions or software, such as an operating system (OS) and one or more software applications that run on the OS, to perform the operations described in this application. The hardware components may also access, manipulate, process, create, and store data in response to execution of the instructions or software. For simplicity, the singular term “processor” or “computer” may be used in the description of the examples described in this application, but in other examples multiple processors or computers may be used, or a processor or computer may include multiple processing elements, or multiple types of processing elements, or both. For example, a single hardware component or two or more hardware components may be implemented by a single processor, or two or more processors, or a processor and a controller. One or more hardware components may be implemented by one or more processors, or a processor and a controller, and one or more other hardware components may be implemented by one or more other processors, or another processor and another controller. One or more processors, or a processor and a controller, may implement a single hardware component, or two or more hardware components. A hardware component may have any one or more of different processing configurations, examples of which include a single processor, independent processors, parallel processors, single-instruction single-data (SISD) multiprocessing, single-instruction multiple-data (SIMD) multiprocessing, multiple-instruction single-data (MISD) multiprocessing, multiple-instruction multiple-data (MIMD) multiprocessing, a controller and an arithmetic logic unit (ALU), a DSP, a microcomputer, an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a field programmable gate array (FPGA), a programmable logic unit (PLU), a central processing unit (CPU), a graphics processing unit (GPU), a neural processing unit (NPU), or any other device capable of responding to and executing instructions in a defined manner.

[0065] The methods that perform the operations described in this application are performed by computing hardware, for example, by one or more processors or computers, implemented as described above executing instructions or software to perform the operations described in this application that are performed by the methods. For example, a single operation or two or more operations may be performed by a single processor, or two or more processors, or a processor and a controller. One or more operations may be performed by one or more processors, or a processor and a controller, and one or more other operations may be performed by one or more other processors, or another processor and another controller. One or more processors, or a processor and a controller, may perform a single operation, or two or more operations.

[0066] Instructions or software to control a processor or computer to implement the hardware components and perform the methods as described above are written as computer programs, code segments, instructions or any combination thereof, for individually or collectively instructing or configuring the processor or computer to operate as a machine or special-purpose computer to perform the operations performed by the hardware components and the methods as described above. In one example, the instructions or software include machine code that is directly executed by the processor or computer, such as machine code produced by a compiler. In another example, the instructions or software include higher-level code that is executed by the processor or computer using an interpreter. Programmers of ordinary skill in the art can readily write the instructions or software based on the block diagrams and the flow charts illustrated in the drawings and the corresponding descriptions in the specification, which disclose algorithms for performing the operations performed by the hardware components and the methods as described above.

[0067] The instructions or software to control a processor or computer to implement the hardware components and perform the methods as described above, and any associated data, data files, and data structures, are recorded, stored, or fixed in or on one or more non-transitory computer-readable storage media. Examples of a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium include read-only memory (ROM), random-access programmable read only memory (PROM), electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), random-access memory (RAM), magnetic RAM (MRAM), spin-transfer torque (STT)-MRAM, static random-access memory (SRAM), thyristor RAM (T-RAM), zero capacitor RAM (Z-RAM), twin transistor RAM (TTRAM), conductive bridging RAM (CBRAM), ferroelectric RAM (FeRAM), phase change RAM (PRAM), resistive RAM (RRAM), nanotube RRAM, polymer RAM (PoRAM), nano floating gate Memory (NFGM), holographic memory, molecular electronic memory device), insulator resistance change memory, dynamic random access memory (DRAM), static random access memory (SRAM), flash memory, non-volatile memory, CD-ROMs, CD-Rs, CD+Rs, CD-RWs, CD+RWs, DVD-ROMs, DVD-Rs, DVD+Rs, DVD-RWs, DVD+RWs, DVD-RAMs, BD-ROMs, BD-Rs, BD-R LTHs, BD-REs, blue-ray or optical disk storage, hard disk drive (HDD), solid state drive (SSD), flash memory, a card type memory such as multimedia card micro or a card (for example, secure digital (SD) or extreme digital (XD)), magnetic tapes, floppy disks, magneto-optical data storage devices, optical data storage devices, hard disks, solid-state disks, and any other device that is configured to store the instructions or software and any associated data, data files, and data structures in a non-transitory manner and providing the instructions or software and any associated data, data files, and data structures to a processor or computer so that the processor or computer can execute the instructions. In an example, the instructions or software and any associated data, data files, and data structures are distributed over network-coupled computer systems so that the instructions and software and any associated data, data files, and data structures are stored, accessed, and executed in a distributed fashion by the one or more processors or computers.

[0068] While this disclosure includes specific examples, it will be apparent after an understanding of the disclosure of this application that various changes in form and details may be made in these examples without departing from the spirit and scope of the claims and their equivalents. The examples described herein are to be considered in a descriptive sense only, and not for purposes of limitation. Descriptions of features or aspects in each example are to be considered as being applicable to similar features or aspects in other examples. Suitable results may be achieved if the described techniques are performed in a different order, and/or if components in a described system, architecture, device, or circuit are combined in a different manner, and/or replaced or supplemented by other components or their equivalents. Therefore, the scope of the disclosure is defined not by the detailed description, but by the claims and their equivalents, and all variations within the scope of the claims and their equivalents are to be construed as being included in the disclosure.