Use of a reference image to detect a road obstacle

A non-transitory computer readable medium having stored thereon instructions executable by a computing device to cause the computing device to perform functions comprising:

• obtaining a plurality of source images associated with a road on which a vehicle is traveling;
• comparing respective source images of the plurality of source images;
• extracting one or more features common to the plurality of source images;
• identifying, based on the one or more common features, one or more background objects associated with the road;
• combining the plurality of source images to generate a reference image depicting the one or more background objects;
• assigning an accuracy level to the reference image, wherein the accuracy level is indicative of a degree of accuracy of the reference image in depicting the one or more background objects associated with the road;
• receiving, from a camera coupled to the vehicle, an image of the road;
• comparing the image to the reference image to identify a difference between the image and the reference image;
• identifying, based on the difference, a foreground object in the image;
• and
• controlling the vehicle based on (i) the accuracy level assigned to the reference image and (ii) the identified foreground object.

A control system for a vehicle, comprising:

• an image-capture device;
• and
• a computing device in communication with the image-capture device and configured to:
• obtain a plurality of source images associated with a road on which a vehicle is traveling;
• compare respective source images of the plurality of source images;
• extract one or more features common to the plurality of source images;
• identify, based on the one or more common features, one or more background objects associated with the road;
• combine the plurality of source images to generate a reference image depicting the one or more background objects;
• assign an accuracy level to the reference image, wherein the accuracy level is indicative of a degree of accuracy of the reference image in depicting the one or more background objects associated with the road;
• receive, from a camera coupled to the vehicle, an image of the road;
• compare the image to the reference image to identify a difference between the image and the reference image;
• identify, based on the difference, a foreground object in the image;
• and
• control the vehicle based on (i) the accuracy level assigned to the reference image and (ii) the identified foreground object.