Image-based barrier detection and warning system and method thereof

An image-based barrier detection and warning method comprising steps:

• (a) capturing a road image;
• (b) detecting a horizon and defining ROI-H (Region Of Interest-Height) according to a vanishing point proximate the detected horizon to establish a horizontal line signal according to said road image;
• (c) determining whether said horizontal line signal exists in said ROI-H;
• (d) determining whether said horizontal line signal is interrupted by shading;
• if said horizontal line signal is shaded, proceeding to Step (e);
• if said horizontal line signal is not shaded, detecting a contour of an object and determining whether a height and a width of said object are greater than preset thresholds;
• if said height and said width of said object are not greater than said preset thresholds, returning to Step (a);
• if said height and said width of said object are greater than said preset thresholds, directly undertaking Step (h);
• (e) downwardly detecting a horizontal edge from a center of said horizontal line signal in said ROI-H;
• (f) determining an upper edge and a lower edge of an object shading said horizontal line signal in said ROI-H and designating said upper edge and said lower edge;
• (g) determining whether said object is a barrier according to a position and a height of said horizontal edge;
• if said object is not a barrier, returning to Step (a);
• if said object is a barrier, undertaking Step (h);
• (h) calculating a distance to said barrier;
• if said distance is outside a preset distance range in ROI-G (Region Of Interest-Ground), returning to Step (a);
• if said distance is within said preset distance range in said ROI-G, undertaking Step (i);
• and
• (i) emitting a warning signal and undertaking Step (a) responsive to detection thereby of horizon interruption by the barrier within an image region defined by said ROI-H and ROI-G.