US 10,706,563 B2 · State and position prediction of observed vehicles using optical tracking of wheel rotation

Abstract

Various embodiments may include methods of using image data to estimate motion of a vehicle observed within camera images, such as images captured by a vehicle navigation system of a host vehicle. Various embodiments may include a camera capturing a sequence of images including the observed vehicle, and a processor performing image processing to identify a wheel of the observed vehicle, and determining a rate of rotation of the wheel based on changes in orientation of the wheel between at least two images within the sequence of images. The processor may further determine a speed of the observed vehicle based on the wheel's rate of rotation and diameter. The processor may further determine a direction of travel and/or turning rate of the observed vehicle by determining relative angles of wheels of the observed vehicle in at least one image.

Claims26

Dependent claims

A method of using image data to estimate motion of an observed vehicle, comprising:

capturing, by a camera, a sequence of images including the observed vehicle;
performing, by a processor, image processing to identify a wheel of the observed vehicle within the sequence of images;
and
determining, by the processor, a rate of rotation of the wheel based on changes in orientation of the wheel between at least two images within the sequence of images, comprising:
performing image processing to identify a feature of the wheel present in a first image of the wheel and a second image of the wheel;
performing image processing to identify a center of the wheel in each of the first and second images of the wheel;
determining an amount of positional change of the identified feature of the wheel between the first and second images of the wheel;
determining an angle of rotation of the identified feature of the wheel between the first and second images of the wheel based on the amount of positional change of the identified feature of the wheel between the first and second images of the wheel and the center of the wheel in each of the first and second images of the wheel;
determining an amount of time elapsed between the first image and the second image;
and
determining the rate of rotation of the wheel based on the determining the angle of rotation of the identified feature and the amount of time elapsed between the first and second images of the wheel.

8 more elements

A vehicle navigation system, comprising:

a camera configured to capture images external to a vehicle;
and
a processor configured to receive a sequence of images from the camera and configured with processor-executable instructions to:
perform image processing to identify a wheel of an observed vehicle within the sequence of images;
and
determine a rate of rotation of the wheel based on changes in orientation of the wheel between at least two images within the sequence of images, comprising:
identifying a feature of the wheel present in a first image of the wheel and a second image of the wheel;
performing image processing to identify a center of the wheel in each of the first and second images of the wheel;
determining an amount of positional change of the identified feature of the wheel between the first and second images of the wheel;
determining an angle of rotation of the identified feature of the wheel between the first and second images of the wheel based on the amount of positional change of the identified feature of the wheel between the first and second images of the wheel and the center of the wheel in each of the first and second images of the wheel;
determining an amount of time elapsed between the first image and the second image;
and
determining the rate of rotation of the wheel based on the determining the angle of rotation of the identified feature and the amount of time elapsed between the first and second images of the wheel.

10 more elements

A processing device for use in a vehicle, the processing device configured to:

receive a sequence of images from a camera on the vehicle configured to obtain images external to the vehicle;
perform image processing to identify a wheel of an observed vehicle within the sequence of images;
and
determine a rate of rotation of the wheel based on changes in orientation of the wheel between at least two images within the sequence of images, comprising:
identifying a feature of the wheel present in a first image of the wheel and a second image of the wheel;
performing image processing to identify a center of the wheel in each of the first and second images of the wheel;
determining an amount of positional change of the identified feature of the wheel between the first and second images of the wheel;
determining an angle of rotation of the identified feature of the wheel between the first and second images of the wheel based on the amount of positional change of the identified feature of the wheel between the first and second images of the wheel and the center of the wheel in each of the first and second images of the wheel;
determining an amount of time elapsed between the first image and the second image;
and
determining the rate of rotation of the wheel based on the determining the angle of rotation of the identified feature and the amount of time elapsed between the first and second images of the wheel.

8 more elements

A non-transitory, processor-readable medium having stored thereon processor-executable instructions configured to cause a processor of a vehicle navigation system to perform operations comprising:

capturing, by a camera, a sequence of images including an observed vehicle;
performing, by a processor, image processing to identify a wheel of the observed vehicle within the sequence of images;
and
determining, by the processor, a rate of rotation of the wheel based on changes in orientation of the wheel between at least two images within the sequence of images, comprising:
performing image processing to identify a feature of the wheel present in a first image of the wheel and a second image of the wheel;
performing image processing to identify a center of the wheel in each of the first and second images of the wheel;
determining an amount of positional change of the identified feature of the wheel between the first and second images of the wheel;
determining an angle of rotation of the identified feature of the wheel between the first and second images of the wheel based on the amount of positional change of the identified feature of the wheel between the first and second images of the wheel and the center of the wheel in each of the first and second images of the wheel;
determining an amount of time elapsed between the first image and the second image;
and
determining the rate of rotation of the wheel based on the determining the angle of rotation of the identified feature and the amount of time elapsed between the first and second images of the wheel.

8 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

State and position prediction of observed vehicles using optical tracking of wheel rotation

Life of this patent

State and position prediction of observed vehicles using optical tracking of wheel rotation

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims26