Driving way judging device and method

A machine implemented process for analyzing a contour of a driving way by processing data of an image taken of the driving way, the process comprising the steps of:

• dividing the image taken of the driving way into at least two regions including a first region in which characteristic point distributions on the image comprise substantially only data points representative of the driving way and a second region which is adjacent to the first region in the direction of continuation of the characteristic point distributions;
• deriving straight line groups comprising a plurality of straight lines corresponding to the characteristic point distributions on the image;
• extracting a first straight line out of the straight line groups, said first straight line being approximate to the one of the characteristic point distributions appearing corresponding to one of the edges of the driving way in the first region;
• extracting a second straight line approximate to the one of the characteristic point distributions appearing corresponding to said one of the edges of the driving way in the second region out of those of the straight line groups passing near an intersection of a boundary between the first and second regions, and the first straight line;
• and
• analyzing the contour of the driving way, based on the first and the second straight lines.

A machine implemented process for analyzing a contour of a driving way by processing data of an image taken of the driving way, the process comprising the steps of:

• dividing the image taken of the driving way into at least two regions including a first region in which characteristic point distributions comprise substantially only data points representative of the driving way and a second region which is adjacent to the first region in the direction of continuation of the characteristic point distributions;
• deriving straight line groups comprising a plurality of straight lines corresponding to the characteristic point distributions on the image;
• extracting a first pair of straight lines approximate to the ones of the characteristic point distributions appearing corresponding to one and the other of the edges of the driving way in the first region;
• extracting a second pair of straight lines approximate to those of the characteristic point distributions appearing corresponding to said one and the other of the edges of the driving way in the second region out of those of the straight line groups passing near an intersection of a boundary of the first and the second regions and the first pair of straight lines;
• and
• analyzing the contour of the driving way, based on the first and the second pair of straight lines.

A machine implemented process for analyzing a contour of a driving way by processing data of an image taken of the driving way, the process comprising the steps of:

• dividing the data into at least two regions including a lower region and an upper region of the image taken of the driving way;
• extracting a pair of straight lines approximate to characteristic point distributions appearing corresponding to one and the other of the edges of the driving way in the lower region;
• extracting a pair of straight lines approximate to those of the characteristic point distributions appearing corresponding to one and the other of the edges of the driving way in the upper region;
• and
• analyzing the contour of the driving way, based on a positional relationship between an intersection between the lower pair of straight lines, and an intersection between the upper pair of straight lines.

In a visual image processing system, a method for performing an analysis of a contour of a road in three dimensions, the road being bounded by a pair of edges, the analysis being based on data contained in a two-dimensional image of the road, and the method comprising the steps of:

• dividing the image of the road into two regions, a first and a second region;
• deriving a first pair of lines indicative of the edges of the road in the first region;
• deriving a second pair of lines indicative of the edges of the road in the second region;
• determining a first point of intersection between the first pair of lines indicative of the edges of the road in the first region and a second point of intersection between the second pair of lines indicative of the edges of the road in the second region;
• and
• determining the contour of the road based on a spacial relationship between the first and second points of intersection.

A visual image processing system for performing an analysis of a contour of a road bounded by a pair of edges, the system comprising:

• means for dividing an image of the road into two regions, a first and a second region;
• first line selecting means for deriving a first pair of lines indicative of the edges of the road in the first region;
• second line selecting means for deriving a second pair of lines indicative of the edges of the road in the second region;
• means for determining a first point of intersection between the first pair of lines indicative of the edges of the road in the first region and a second point of intersection between the second pair of lines indicative of the edges of the road in the second region;
• and
• means for determining the contour of the road based on a spacial relationship between the first and second points of intersection.