Pixel-based texture-rich clear path detection

Method for detecting a clear path of travel for a vehicle utilizing analysis of a plurality of images generated by a camera device located upon the vehicle, the method comprising:

• monitoring the images, each image comprising a plurality of pixels;
• utilizing a texture rich processing scheme to analyze the images comprising
• identifying a set of interest points from the plurality of pixels in each of two images, the two images comprising a current image and a preceding image,
• matching pairs of interest points from the set of interest points from the current image and the set of interest points from the preceding image, wherein each of the matched pairs is estimated to correspond to a single viewed feature,
• filtering the matched pairs of interest points to select a high quality set of matched pairs, and
• generating a three dimensional map of features in the view based upon the high quality set of matched pairs;
• and
• utilizing a texture-less processing scheme to analyze the images comprising
• in each image, filtering the image to separate portions of the image indicating a clear surface upon which a potential road surface can be estimated from other portions of the image that do not indicate a potential road surface,
• determining a clear path based upon the texture rich processing scheme and the texture-less processing scheme, and
• utilizing the clear path to operate the vehicle.

Apparatus for detecting a clear path of travel for a vehicle utilizing analysis of a plurality of images generated by a camera device located upon the vehicle, the apparatus comprising:

• the camera device;
• and
• a control module monitoring the images from the camera device and identifying a set of interest points from a plurality of pixels in each of two images from the camera device, the two images comprising a current image and a preceding image,
• matching pairs of interest points from the set of interest points from the current image and the set of interest points from the preceding image, wherein each of the matched pairs is estimated to correspond to a single viewed feature
• filtering the matched pairs of interest points to select a preferential set of matched pairs,
• generating a three dimensional map of features in the view based upon the preferential set of matched pairs, and
• determining the clear path based upon the mapped features.