Detection of obstacles at night by analysis of shadows

摘要

A driver assistance systems mountable in a host vehicle while the host vehicle is moving forward with headlights on for detection of obstacles based on shadows. The driver assistance system includes a camera operatively connectible to a processor. A first image frame and a second image frame are captured of a road. A first dark image patch and a second dark image patch include intensity values less than a threshold value. The first and the second dark image patches are tracked from the first image frame to the second image frame as corresponding images of the same portion of the road. Respective thicknesses in vertical image coordinates are measured of the first and second dark image patches responsive to the tracking.

主权项

1. A computerized method performable at night by a driver assistance system mountable in a host vehicle while the host vehicle is moving forward with headlights on, wherein the driver assistance system includes a camera operatively connectible to a processor, the method comprising:
capturing a first image frame and a second image frame of a road in the field of view of the camera; processing said first image frame and said second image frame to locate a first dark image patch of said first image frame and a second dark image patch of said second image frame; tracking said first and said second dark image patches from said first image frame to said second image frame as corresponding images of the same portion of the road; measuring respective thicknesses in vertical image coordinates of said first and second dark image patches responsive to said tracking from said first image frame to said second image frame; and determining that a change of said thicknesses between said first and second dark image patches is consistent with a shadow cast by an obstacle in the road illuminated by the headlights.