# US 2014/0156178 A1 · Road marker recognition device and method

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- Number: US 2014/0156178 A1
- Document ID: US20140156178A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 13/858,341
- Filed: 2013-04-08
- Published: 2014-06-05
- Earliest claimed: 2012-12-04
- Assignees: Hyundai Motor Company
- Applicants: Hyundai Motor Company
- Inventors: Kyung Ho Yoo
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20140156178A1

## CPC

- G01C 21/3822: {Road feature data, e.g. slope data}
- G01C 21/3837: {Data obtained from a single source}
- G01C 21/3848: {Data obtained from both position sensors and additional sensors}
- G01C: MEASURING DISTANCES, LEVELS OR BEARINGS; SURVEYING; NAVIGATION; GYROSCOPIC INSTRUMENTS; PHOTOGRAMMETRY OR VIDEOGRAMMETRY (measuring liquid level G01F; radio navigation, determining distance or velocity by use of propagation effects, e.g. Doppler effects, propagation time, of radio waves, analogous arrangements using other waves G01S)

## Abstract

Disclosed is a road surface marker recognition device and method. The device includes an infrared transceiver that is configured to irradiate an infrared beam on a road surface and receive the reflected beam to detect a distance from a road surface and a strength of the reflected beam. The device further includes a controller that is configured to create a road map of the road using distance information, signal strength information, and speed information of a vehicle to define a marker shape of the road. Furthermore, the controller is configured to compare the defined marker shape with stored marker information to determine a definition of the marker shape and output the marker shape definition.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A road surface marker recognition device comprising:
an infrared transceiver configured to:
irradiate an infrared beam on a road surface;
receive the reflected beam to detect a distance from a road surface and a strength of the reflected beam; and
a controller configured to:
create a road map of the road using distance information, signal strength information, and speed information of a vehicle;
define a marker shape on the road;
compare the defined marker shape with stored marker information to determine a definition of the marker shape; and
output the definition of the marker shape.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The road marker recognition device of claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to:
obtain first position information based on a sensor coordinate system using the distance information;
obtain an angle at which the infrared beam is irradiated;
obtain an angular resolution; and
perform a coordinate conversion of the first position information into second position information based on a moving object coordinate system.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The road marker recognition device of claim 2, wherein the controller is configured to perform the coordinate conversion of the first position information into the second position information using a moving vector between a center coordinate of the vehicle and a center coordinate of the infrared transceiver.

### Claim 4 (depends on 2)

The road marker recognition device of claim 2, wherein the controller is further configured to:
obtain map information with a predetermined time interval using the second position information and the signal strength information; and
continuously arrange generated map information in a time sequence to create the road map and define the marker shape on the road map.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The road marker recognition device of claim 1, wherein the infrared transceiver is configured to irradiate the infrared beam to a predetermined width of the road with a predetermined period by using a scanning scheme.

### Claim 6

A road marker recognition method in a vehicle, the method comprising:
irradiating, by an infrared transceiver, an infrared beam on a road surface;
receiving, at the infrared transceiver, the beam reflected from the road to obtain distance information from the road and signal strength information of the reflected beam;
creating, by a controller, a road map for the road surface using the distance information, the signal strength information, and speed information of the vehicle;
defining, by the controller, a marker shape of the road surface;
comparing, by the controller, the marker shape with stored marker information to determine a definition of the marker shape; and
outputting, by the controller, the definition of the marker.

### Claim 7 (depends on 6)

The method of claim 6, wherein creating a road map for the road surface further comprises:
obtaining, by the controller, first position information based on a sensor coordinate system using the distance information, an angle at which the infrared beam is irradiated, and an angular resolution;
performing, by the controller, a coordinate conversion of the first position information into the second position information based on a moving object coordinate system using a moving vector between a center coordinate of the vehicle and a center coordinate of an infrared transceiver;
obtaining, by the controller, map information with a predetermined time interval using the second position information and the signal strength information; and
continuously arranging, by the controller, the map information in a time sequence.

### Claim 8

A non-transitory computer readable medium containing program instructions executed by a processor or controller, the computer readable medium comprising:
program instructions that control an infrared transceiver to irradiate an infrared beam on a road surface;
program instructions that control the infrared transceiver to receive the beam reflected from the road to obtain distance information from the road and signal strength information of the reflected beam;
program instructions that create a road map for the road surface using the distance information, the signal strength information, and speed information of the vehicle;
program instructions that define a marker shape of the road surface;
program instructions that compare the marker shape with stored marker information to determine a definition of the marker shape; and
program instructions that output the definition of the marker.

### Claim 9 (depends on 8)

The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 8, further comprising:
program instructions that obtain first position information based on a sensor coordinate system using the distance information, an angle at which the infrared beam is irradiated, and an angular resolution;
program instructions that perform a coordinate conversion of the first position information into the second position information based on a moving object coordinate system using a moving vector between a center coordinate of the vehicle and a center coordinate of an infrared transceiver;
program instructions that obtain map information with a predetermined time interval using the second position information and the signal strength information; and
program instructions that continuously arrange the map information in a time sequence.