KR20120071750A - Electronic apparatus, method and recording medium for providing lane-changing information - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to an electronic device, a method and a recording medium for providing lane change information. More specifically, the present invention relates to a navigation system that obtains a driving lane through image analysis and provides information on lane change based on the acquired driving lane.
According to the present invention, the navigation system obtains a driving lane currently driving and lane progress information on the driving lane, and provides lane change information based on the driving lane.

Description

ELECTRONIC APPARATUS, METHOD AND RECORDING MEDIUM FOR PROVIDING LANE-CHANGING INFORMATION}

The present invention relates to an electronic device, a method and a recording medium for providing lane change information. More specifically, the present invention relates to a navigation system that obtains a driving lane through image analysis and provides information on lane change based on the acquired driving lane.

With the opening of the Internet network and the revision of laws relating to location data, the industry based on location based services (LBS) is being activated. Representative devices using such a location-based service may include a vehicle navigation device that provides a route guidance service for locating a current location of a vehicle or guiding a moving route to a destination.

In addition, there is an increasing number of cases where objective data are needed to determine the error rate according to the responsibility for accidents that occur during the stopping or driving of a vehicle. Accordingly, a vehicle black box designed to acquire and store an image while driving to provide objective data is used.

Many methods for providing useful information by linking the image data acquired by the vehicle black box with the vehicle navigation have been studied.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to provide an electronic device capable of providing accurate information about a driving road currently being driven to a driver, an operation method thereof, and a recording medium recording a program for performing the method.

In order to solve the above technical problem, according to an embodiment of the present invention, the image acquisition unit; An output unit; And identifying at least one predetermined object from an image acquired through the image obtaining unit, obtaining lane progress information allocated to a driving lane currently driving based on the identified object, and obtaining information about the lane progress information. Based on, an electronic device including a control unit for outputting lane change information through the output unit is provided.

In order to solve the above technical problem, according to another embodiment of the present invention, the image acquisition unit; A location information acquisition unit for obtaining information about the current location; An output unit; And identifying at least one predetermined object from an image acquired through the image acquisition unit, and obtaining lanes allocated to a road currently being driven and lane progress information assigned to each lane, based on the obtained current position. An electronic device including a controller configured to acquire a driving lane currently driving based on the identified object and to output lane change information through the output unit based on the driving lane and lane progression information.

In order to solve the above technical problem, according to another embodiment of the present invention, the input and output unit for communicating with another module; Obtaining a current position and image data, identifying at least one predetermined object from the obtained image, and based on at least one of the obtained current position and the identified predetermined object, The electronic device includes a control unit configured to obtain lane progress information allocated to the driving lane and output lane change information based on the driving lane and lane progress information.

In order to solve the above technical problem, according to another embodiment of the present invention, to obtain the current position and the image data, to identify at least one predetermined object from the obtained image, the obtained current position and the A navigation system that obtains driving lanes currently being driven and lane progression information allocated to the driving lanes based on at least one of the identified predetermined objects, and outputs lane change information based on the driving lanes and lane progression information. A method of operation of is provided.

According to the present invention, the following effects are obtained.

First, accurate lane information on a driving lane currently driving may be obtained.

Second, by acquiring accurate lane information about the driving lane, the driver can operate using the correct lane, and thus can drive the vehicle more safely.

Third, the driver can drive the vehicle more safely by informing the user of the driving lane to be driven by linking accurate lane information about the driving lane with the route information to the destination.

1 is a diagram illustrating an example of a system for implementing a method for providing lane information according to embodiments of the present invention.
2 is a diagram illustrating another example of a system for implementing a method for providing lane information according to embodiments of the present invention.
3 is a structural diagram of a vehicle navigation system according to embodiments of the present invention.
4 is a structural diagram of a vehicle black box according to embodiments of the present invention.
5 is a configuration diagram of a communication network including a navigation system according to embodiments of the present invention.
6 is a flowchart illustrating a lane information providing method according to an embodiment of the present invention.
7 is a diagram illustrating image data acquired while driving on a road to which a central variable lane is applied.
FIG. 8 is a diagram illustrating image data acquired while driving a variable shoulder driving section provided on a highway or the like.
FIG. 9 is a diagram illustrating image data acquired while driving a dedicated bus lane section.
FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of a screen on which lane change information is output, according to an exemplary embodiment.
11 is a flowchart illustrating a lane change information providing method according to another exemplary embodiment of the present invention.
12 is a diagram illustrating that a reference pattern corresponds to each section according to another embodiment of the present invention.
13 is a flowchart illustrating a lane change information providing method according to another embodiment of the present invention.
14 is a diagram for describing a method of obtaining driving lane information according to another exemplary embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 15 is a diagram for describing a method of acquiring driving lane information according to another exemplary embodiment.
16 is a diagram illustrating a screen for outputting lane change information according to another embodiment of the present invention.

The above objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. It is to be understood, however, that the invention is not limited to the disclosed embodiments, but, on the contrary, is intended to cover various modifications and similarities. Like reference numerals designate like elements throughout the specification. In addition, when it is determined that the detailed description of the known function or configuration related to the present invention may unnecessarily obscure the subject matter of the present invention, the detailed description thereof will be omitted. In addition, numbers (eg, days, days, etc.) used in the description of the present specification are merely identification symbols for distinguishing one component from another component.

It is to be understood that when an element is referred to as being "connected" or "connected" to another element, it may be directly connected or connected to the other element, . On the other hand, when an element is referred to as being "directly connected" or "directly connected" to another element, it should be understood that there are no other elements in between.

In addition, the suffix "module" and " part "for constituent elements used in the following description are given or mixed in consideration of ease of specification, and do not have their own meaning or role.

Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

1 is a diagram illustrating an example of a system for implementing a method for providing lane information according to embodiments of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 1, the system 10 may include a first electronic device 100 that informs drivers and passengers of various types of information related to driving and maintenance of a vehicle, and a second electronic device that records data related to driving of the vehicle. 200 may be included.

In the following, when the system 10 for implementing the vehicle guide method is a 'navigation system' and the first electronic device 100 and the second electronic device 200 are 'vehicle navigation' and 'vehicle black box', respectively. An example will be described. However, the present invention is not limited thereto, and in the present invention, other types of electronic devices may be used to implement the lane guidance method. For example, the first electronic device 100 or the second electronic device 200 may be implemented as a mobile communication terminal, a digital broadcasting terminal, a personal digital assistant (PDA), a portable multimedia player (PMP), or the like. In addition, in the embodiments of the present invention, a case in which the vehicle navigation apparatus 100 and the vehicle black box 200 are provided separately from each other will be described as an example, but the present invention is not limited thereto. According to the present invention, it is also possible that the vehicle navigation apparatus 100 and the vehicle black box 200 are integrated.

The vehicle navigation apparatus 100 may include a display unit 145 provided on the front surface of the navigation housing 191, a navigation operation key 193, and a navigation microphone 195.

The navigation housing 191 forms the exterior of the vehicle navigation apparatus 100. The vehicle navigation apparatus 100 may be exposed to an environment of various conditions such as being exposed to high or low temperatures due to seasonal factors or being subjected to direct / indirect external shock. The navigation housing 191 may have a purpose to protect various electronic components inside the vehicle navigation apparatus 100 from changes in the external environment and to enhance the appearance of the vehicle navigation apparatus 100. In order to achieve this purpose, the navigation housing 191 may be processed by injection molding a material such as ABS, PC or strength-enhanced engineering plastics.

The display unit 145 is a part that visually displays various data. The various data displayed on the display unit 145 may be map data in which route data and the like are combined, various broadcast screens including DMB broadcasting, or images stored in a memory. The display unit 145 may be divided into several physically or logically. The physically divided display unit 145 refers to a case in which two or more display units 145 are adjacent to each other. The logically divided display unit 145 refers to a case in which a plurality of independent screens are physically displayed on one display unit 145. For example, when the DMB broadcast is received and displayed, the route data is displayed on a part of the display unit 145 or the DMB broadcast and the map screen are displayed on a part of the display unit 145 and another area, respectively. Can be. In accordance with the tendency for various functions to converge on the vehicle navigation apparatus 100, the display 145 is logically divided to display various data. Furthermore, in order to display various data, the display unit 145 is gradually becoming larger.

The entire surface or part of the display unit 145 may be a touch screen that may receive a user's touch input. For example, the function may be activated by touching the function selection button displayed on the display unit 145. That is, it means that the display unit 145 may be an output unit (140 of FIG. 3) and an input unit (120 of FIG. 3) of an image.

The navigation operation key 193 may be provided for executing various functions of the vehicle navigation apparatus 100 or for allowing a user to directly input necessary data. The convenience of use can be improved by mapping a frequently used specific function to the navigation operation key 193.

The navigation microphone 195 may be provided to receive a sound including voice and sound. For example, the specific function of the vehicle navigation apparatus 100 may be executed based on the voice signal received by the navigation microphone 195. In addition, the current state of the vehicle, such as the occurrence of an accident, may be detected based on the acoustic signal received by the navigation microphone 195.

The vehicle black box 200 may exchange data with the vehicle navigation apparatus 100 to store data necessary for an accident handling process of the vehicle. For example, when an accident occurs while driving a vehicle, the image obtained and stored in the vehicle black box 200 may be analyzed and used to determine the extent of the accident and the degree of error. In addition, the vehicle black box 200 connected to the vehicle navigation apparatus 100 may utilize various data stored in the vehicle navigation apparatus 100. For example, the image obtained by the vehicle black box 200 may be mapped to map data stored in the vehicle navigation apparatus 100 to increase the utility of the vehicle black box 200.

The vehicle black box 200 may acquire data of the vehicle while driving and stopping. That is, not only can the image be taken while the vehicle is running, but also the image can be taken even when the vehicle is stopped. The image quality of the image acquired through the vehicle black box 200 may be constant or change. For example, before and after the occurrence of an accident, the image quality of the image is increased, and in general, the image quality can be saved by minimizing the required storage space by storing the image quality. That is, when a predetermined event occurs, the vehicle black box 200 may change an image acquisition and / or image storage method based on a factor corresponding to the predetermined event.

The vehicle black box 200 may include a black box camera 222, a black box microphone 224, and an attachment part 281.

The black box camera 222 may photograph the outside or the interior of the vehicle. In addition, the black box camera 222 may be provided in singular or plural. When there are a plurality of black box cameras 222, one may be integrated with the vehicle black box 200 and the other may transmit an image photographed while being attached to each part of the vehicle to the vehicle black box 200. . In the case where the black box camera 222 is singular, the black box camera 222 may be installed to photograph the front of the vehicle. The image photographed by the black box camera 222 may be stored in the vehicle black box 200 or the vehicle navigation apparatus 100.

The black box microphone 224 may acquire sound generated inside and outside the vehicle. The black box microphone 224 may perform a function similar to the navigation microphone 195 described above.

The attachment part 281 may fix the vehicle black box 200 to the vehicle. The attachment part 281 may be a suction plate that may attach the vehicle black box 200 to the windshield of the vehicle, or may be a fixing device that may be coupled to a room mirror of the vehicle.

2 is a diagram illustrating another example of a system for implementing a method for providing lane information according to embodiments of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 2, the vehicle navigation apparatus 100 and the vehicle black box 200 constituting the navigation system 10 may be wirelessly connected to each other. That is, the vehicle navigation apparatus 100 and the vehicle black box 200 are separate devices, and there may be no physical connection device therebetween. The vehicle navigation apparatus 100 and the vehicle black box 200 may be a communication scheme such as Bluetooth, Radio Frequency Idntification (RFID), Infraed Data Association (IrDA), Ultra WidBand (UWB), ZigBee, etc. Can be communicated using.

3 is a structural diagram of a vehicle navigation system according to embodiments of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 3, the vehicle navigation apparatus 100 may include a first communication unit 110, a first input unit 120, a first sensing unit 130, an output unit 140, a first storage unit 150, and a first storage unit 150. The power supply unit 160 and the first control unit 170 may be included. Since the components shown in FIG. 3 are not essential, the vehicle navigation may be implemented to have more or fewer components.

Hereinafter, the components will be described in order.

The first communication unit 110 may communicate between the vehicle navigation apparatus 100 and the communication system or between a network in which the vehicle navigation apparatus 100 and the vehicle navigation apparatus 100 are located, or between the vehicle navigation apparatus 100 and another electronic device, or between the vehicle navigation apparatus 100 and the vehicle navigation apparatus 100. It may include one or more modules that enable communication with the vehicle black box 200. For example, the first communication unit 100 may include a first location data module 111, a first wireless internet module 113, a broadcast transmission / reception module 115, a first local area communication module 117, and a first wired communication. Module 119 and the like.

The first position data module 111 is a module for checking or obtaining position data of the vehicle navigation apparatus 100. As a method of obtaining location data by the first location data module 111, a method of obtaining location data through a global navigation satellite system (GNSS) may be used. GNSS refers to a navigation system that can calculate the position of the receiving terminal using the radio signal received from the satellite (20 of FIG. 5). Specific examples of GNSS include Global Positioning System (GPS), Galileo, Global Orbiting Navigational Satellite System (GLONASS), COMPASS, Indian Regional Navigational Satellite System (IRNS), and Quasi-Zenith Satellite System (QZSS), depending on the operating entity. Can be. The location data module 111 of the vehicle navigation apparatus 100 according to embodiments of the present invention may receive location data by receiving a GNSS signal serving in an area where the vehicle navigation apparatus 100 is used. The first position data module 111 may continuously calculate the current position of the vehicle navigation apparatus 100 in real time, and speed information may be calculated using the position information. In particular, the first position data module 111 may be obtained by the first position data module 111. The location data may include longitude and latitude.

The first wireless internet module 113 is an apparatus that accesses the wireless Internet and acquires or transmits data. The wireless Internet accessible through the wireless internet module 113 may be a wireless LAN (WLAN), a wireless broadband (WBRO), a world interoperability for microwave access (Wimax), a high speed downlink packet access (HSDPA), or the like.

The broadcast transmission / reception module 115 is an apparatus for receiving broadcast signals through various broadcast systems. The broadcast system that can be received through the broadcast transmission / reception module 115 includes: Digital Multimedia Broadcasting Terrestrial (DMBT), Digital Multimedia Broadcasting Satellite (DMBS), Media Foeward Link Only (MediaFLO), Digital Video Broadcast Handheld (DVBH), and ISDBT ( Integrated Services Digital Broadcast Tereestrial). The broadcast signal received through the broadcast transmission / reception module 115 may include traffic data, living data, and the like.

The first short range communication module 117 refers to a module for short range communication. Bluetooth, radio frequency identification (RFID), infrared data association (IrDA), ultra wideband (UWB), ZigBee, and the like can be used as the short distance communication technology.

The first wired communication module 119 serves to provide an interface with another electronic device connected to the vehicle navigation apparatus 100. For example, the first wired communication module 119 may be a USB module capable of communicating through a USB port.

The first input unit 120 is a module for generating input data for controlling the operation of the vehicle navigation apparatus 100. The first input unit 120 may generate input data by converting a physical input from the outside into a specific electrical signal. The first input unit 120 may include a first user input module 121, a first microphone 123, and the like.

The first user input module 121 receives a control input for controlling the operation of the vehicle navigation apparatus 100 from the user. The first user input module may include a key pad dome switch, a touch pad (constant voltage / capacitance), a jog wheel, a jog switch, and the like. For example, the first user input module 121 may be implemented as a navigation operation key (193 of FIG. 1) provided outside the housing (191 of FIG. 1) of the vehicle navigation apparatus 100.

The first microphone 123 is a device that receives a user's voice and sound generated in and out of the vehicle. The first microphone 123 may be implemented as a navigation microphone 195 provided outside the housing (191 of FIG. 1) of the vehicle navigation apparatus 100.

The first sensing unit 130 detects the current state of the vehicle navigation apparatus 100 and generates a sensing signal for controlling the operation of the vehicle navigation apparatus 100. The first sensing unit 130 may include a first motion sensing module 131, an optical sensing module 133, and the like.

The first motion sensing module 131 may detect a motion in a three-dimensional space of the vehicle navigation apparatus 100. The first motion sensing module 131 may include a three-axis geomagnetic sensor and a three-axis acceleration sensor. The motion data obtained through the first motion sensing module 131 may be combined with the position data obtained through the position data module 111 to calculate a more accurate trajectory of the vehicle to which the vehicle navigation apparatus 100 is attached.

The light sensing module 133 is a device for measuring the ambient illuminance of the vehicle navigation apparatus 100. The brightness of the display unit 145 may be changed to correspond to the ambient brightness by using the illumination data acquired through the light sensing module 133.

The output unit 140 is a device in which the vehicle navigation apparatus 100 outputs data. The output unit 140 may include a display module 141, an audio output module 143, and the like.

The display module 141 is a device that outputs data that can be visually recognized by the vehicle navigation apparatus 100. The display module 141 may be implemented as a display unit 145 of FIG. 1 provided on the front surface of the housing (191 of FIG. 1) of the vehicle navigation apparatus 100. Meanwhile, as described above, when the display module 141 is a touch screen, the display module 141 may serve as the output unit 140 and the first input unit 120 at the same time.

The audio output module 143 outputs audio data that can be recognized acoustically. The audio output module 143 outputs an audio signal related to a function (eg, a route guidance function) performed in the vehicle navigation apparatus 100. The audio output module 143 may include a receiver, a speaker, a buzzer, and the like.

The first storage unit 150 may store a program for the operation of the vehicle navigation apparatus 100, and may temporarily store data (path data and image data) input / output in relation to the vehicle navigation apparatus 100. In addition, the first storage unit 150 may store map data used for the route guidance service. The first storage unit 150 may be embedded in or detachable from the vehicle navigation apparatus 100, and may be a flash memory type, a hard disk type, or a multimedia card micro type. type), card type memory (e.g. SD or XD memory), random access memory (RAM), static random access memory (SRAM), read only memory (ROM), electrically erasable programmable read only memory ), A PROM (Programmable ReadOnly Memory), a magnetic memory, a magnetic disk, and an optical disk may include at least one type of storage medium. The vehicle navigation apparatus 100 may operate in association with a web storage that performs a storage function of the first storage unit 150 on the Internet.

The first power supply unit 160 receives external power and internal power to supply power required for the operation of each component of the vehicle navigation apparatus 100 or another device connected to the vehicle navigation apparatus 100.

The first controller 170 typically controls the overall operation of the vehicle navigation apparatus 100. In addition, the first controller 170 may output a control signal for controlling another device connected to the vehicle navigation apparatus 100. The first controller 170 is another module described above (ie, the first communication unit 110, the first input unit 120, the first sensing unit 130, the output unit 140, and the first storage unit 150). And an input / output unit (ie, an interface unit) for exchanging information and / or control signals with the first power supply unit 160, etc.).

4 is a structural diagram of a vehicle black box according to embodiments of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 4, the vehicle black box 200 may include a second communication unit 210, a second input unit 220, a second sensing unit 230, a second storage unit 250, a second power supply unit 260, The second control unit 270 may be included. Since the components shown in FIG. 4 are not essential, the vehicle black box may be implemented to have more components or fewer components.

Hereinafter, the components will be described in order.

The second communication unit 210 may communicate between the vehicle black box 200 and the communication system or between the vehicle black box 200 and the network in which the vehicle black box 200 is located or the vehicle black box 200 and other electronic devices (for example, It may include one or more modules that enable communication with the vehicle navigation (100). For example, the second communication unit 210 may include a second location data module 211, a second wireless internet module 213, a second short range communication module 217, a second wired communication module 219, and the like. Can be. The second location data module 211, the second wireless internet module 213, the second short range communication module 217, and the second wired communication module 219 are respectively a first location data module 111 and a first wireless internet. Since the module 113, the first local area communication module 117, and the first wired communication module 119 perform similar operations, detailed descriptions thereof will be omitted below.

The second input unit 220 may generate input data by converting an input from the outside of the vehicle black box 200 into a specific electric signal. The second input unit 220 may include a second user input module 221, a second microphone 223, a camera 225, and the like.

The second user input module 221 may receive a control input for controlling the operation of the vehicle black box 200 from the user. The second user input module 221 may include a key pad dome switch, a touch pad (static pressure / capacitance), a jog wheel, a jog switch, a push button, and the like. Since the second user input module 221 is not an essential component and the vehicle black box 200 is controlled by the vehicle navigation apparatus 100, the second user input module 221 may be excluded from the component of the vehicle black box 200.

The second microphone 223 converts an audio signal received from the outside into a specific electric signal to generate audio data. For example, the second microphone may acquire audio data related to driving of the vehicle. The second microphone 223 may correspond to the microphone 224 of the vehicle black box 200 shown in FIG. 1.

The camera 225 generates image data by converting an image signal (for example, light) received from the outside into a specific electric signal. For example, the camera 225 may acquire image data of the inside and outside of the vehicle related to the driving of the vehicle. The camera 225 may correspond to the camera 222 of the vehicle black box 200 shown in FIG. 1.

The second sensing unit 230 detects a current state of the vehicle black box 200 and generates a sensing signal for controlling the operation of the vehicle black box 200. The second sensing unit 230 may include a second motion sensing module 231, and the second motion sensing module 231 performs an operation similar to the aforementioned first motion sensing module 131 of FIG. 3. do.

The second storage unit 250 may store a program for operating the vehicle black box 200, and may store data (image data, audio data, etc.) input / output in relation to the vehicle black box 200. . For example, the second storage unit 250 may store audio data obtained through the second microphone 223 or image data obtained through the camera 225. The second storage unit 250 may be embedded in or detachable from the vehicle black box 200, and may be a flash memory type, a hard disk type, a multimedia card micro type, or a card type memory (for example, SD or XD memory). And the like, RAM, ROM, PROM, magnetic memory, magnetic disk, optical disk, and the like. The vehicle black box 200 may operate in association with a web storage that performs a storage function of the second storage unit 250 on the Internet.

The second power supply unit 260 receives external power and internal power to supply power necessary for the operation of each component of the vehicle black box 200 or another device connected to the vehicle black box 200.

The second control unit 270 typically controls the overall operation of the vehicle black box 200. The second control unit 270 may be affected by the control signal of the first control unit 170 of FIG. 3 of the vehicle navigation apparatus 100 of FIG. 3. That is, the second control unit 270 may be dependent on the first control unit 170 of FIG. 3. On the other hand, the second control unit 270 is another module described above (that is, the second communication unit 210, the second input unit 220, the second sensing unit 230, the second storage unit 250, the second power supply unit) And an input / output unit (ie, an interface unit) for exchanging information and / or control signals with each other.

5 is a configuration diagram of a communication network including a navigation system according to embodiments of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 5, the navigation system 10 may be connected to various communication networks and other electronic devices 61 to 64.

The navigation system 10 can calculate the current position using the radio wave signal received from the satellite 20. Each satellite 20 may transmit L band frequencies having different frequency bands. The navigation system 10 may calculate the current position based on the time it takes for the L-band frequency transmitted from each satellite 20 to reach the navigation system 10.

The navigation system 10 can wirelessly connect to the network 30 via the control station 40 (ACR), the base station 50, RAS, or the like. When the navigation system 10 is connected to the network 30, data can be exchanged by indirectly connecting to the electronic devices 61 and 62 connected to the network 30. That is, the navigation system 10 may wirelessly communicate with a device such as a notebook (or desktop) 61 through the network 30, and may wirelessly communicate with a device such as the server 62. have. The navigation system 10 may receive various information necessary for operation from the notebook 61 and / or the server 62.

The navigation system 10 may connect to the network 30 indirectly through another device 63 having a communication function. For example, when no device capable of connecting to the network 30 is provided in the navigation system 10, it means that the device can communicate with another device 63 having a communication function using short-range communication.

Hereinafter, a lane information providing method according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described. The lane information providing method according to the present invention is described as being implemented in the above-described navigation system 10 for convenience of description. However, the lane information providing method according to the present invention is not limited to that implemented by the above-described navigation system 10.

Meanwhile, hereinafter, "lane" refers to a portion of a roadway divided by lanes so that a vehicle or the like passes through a predetermined portion of the road in one line, and "lane marking line" refers to a lane to distinguish a lane from a lane. It means the line marked the safety mark by the safety mark.

6 is a flowchart illustrating a lane information providing method according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 6, the navigation system 10 obtains image data (S100). For example, the image data may be obtained by the black box camera 222. In particular, when the navigation system 10 is mounted and used in a vehicle, the obtained image data may include image data of a forward direction of the vehicle. Accordingly, the acquired image data may include an image of a road on which the vehicle is traveling, a road peripheral sign, a signal signal, a lane display line (lane separation line), and a surrounding vehicle.

Subsequently, the navigation system 10 may analyze the acquired image data (S110). The obtained image may be analyzed by the vehicle black box 200 or transmitted to the vehicle navigation apparatus 100 and analyzed by the vehicle navigation apparatus 100. Meanwhile, the obtained image may be transmitted to the server 62 and analyzed in the server 62.

At this time, the navigation system 10 identifies a predetermined object from the analyzed image data (S120). The predetermined object refers to a specific object capable of acquiring information related to a lane (particularly, lane progress information allocated to a currently driving lane) in the acquired image. For example, a variable lane installed in a variable lane section It may include a signal, a bus-only lane guide sign and a shoulder driving signal installed in a dedicated bus lane.

The predetermined object may be stored in the first storage unit 150, the second storage unit 250, and / or the server 62 in advance.

Where a predetermined object is to be stored may be determined by where the acquired image is analyzed. For example, when the image data is analyzed by the vehicle navigation apparatus 100, the information about the predetermined object may be stored in the vehicle navigation apparatus 100, and the image data may be analyzed by the server 62. In this case, information about the predetermined object may be stored in the server 62.

However, the subject of analysis of the image data and the subject of storing the information about the predetermined object are not necessarily the same. For example, when the image data is analyzed by the vehicle navigation apparatus 100, the information about the predetermined object is stored in the server 62, and when the analysis on the predetermined object is necessary Information about a predetermined object may be transmitted from the server 62 to the vehicle navigation apparatus 100.

After navigating the predetermined object from the image data, the navigation system 10 obtains lane progression information of the currently traveling lane based on the predetermined object (S130).

Here, the driving lane means a lane on which a vehicle or the like on which the navigation system 10 is mounted travels. For example, when the vehicle is traveling in one lane, the driving lane becomes one lane.

Here, the lane progression information means progress direction information and / or progress availability information specified in each lane. In other words, some lanes may be designated as left turn lanes, and some other lanes may be designated as straight lanes or right turn lanes. At this time, the lane progression information of the lane designated as the left turn lane is left turn, and the lane progression information of the lane designated as the straight lane is straight ahead. Or, depending on the situation, a particular lane may be selectively allowed to travel. In this case, when driving in a specific lane is allowed, the lane progress information may be 'allowed', and when driving in a specific lane is not allowed, the lane progress information may be 'disallowed'. In the present specification, lane progress information may be expressed as lane information.

That is, in step S130, the navigation system 10 may obtain information about whether the driving lane currently driving is a left turning lane, a straight lane, a right turning lane, or whether driving is allowed or not allowed. .

Subsequently, the navigation system 10 may output lane change information (S140). For example, a warning may be output when driving in the current driving lane is not allowed (that is, a warning to change lanes), and the driving may be performed when driving in the current driving lane is allowed. You can output a notification (that is, notification that you do not need to change lanes). The lane change information may be output through the display module 141 and / or the audio output module 143 of the navigation device. That is, the lane change information may be output visually or acoustically, or may be visually output and acoustically output.

When the steps S110 to S130 are performed in the vehicle black box 200 or the server 62, the results analyzed in steps S100 to S130 may be transmitted to the vehicle navigation apparatus 100, based on the navigation. 100 may output the lane change information.

In some road sections, a variable lane may be operated in which a driving direction may be changed according to traffic volume, and accurate lane progress information in the variable lane may be directly connected to a driver's safe driving. Therefore, accurate lane progression information needs to be provided to the user.

According to the present invention, when the vehicle is driving in the variable lane section, it is possible to induce a safer vehicle operation by providing the user with information on the driving permission in the variable lane accurately.

Hereinafter, a method of obtaining lane progress information of a driving lane from image data according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described in more detail with reference to FIGS. 7 to 10.

7 is a diagram illustrating image data acquired while driving on a road to which a central variable lane is applied. The navigation system 10 acquires and analyzes image data while driving (S100 and S110), and when the variable lane signals SL1 and OB1 are identified (S120), the navigation system 10 determines whether the driving lane is currently running. It may be (S130).

If the currently driving lane is the (1) lane, the navigation system 10 may identify the variable lane signal signal OB1 for the current driving lane as a predetermined object. Subsequently, it may be determined whether driving in the current driving lane is possible. In this case, an image pattern analysis technique for a predetermined object may be performed. In addition, by comparing the predetermined object with a pre-stored reference pattern (that is, the reference object), it may be determined whether driving in a driving lane is possible.

Therefore, if the vehicle is traveling in the lane (1), since the variable signal signal OB1 is marked with 'X', the navigation system 10 determines that the driving in the current driving lane is not permitted, and FIG. 10. As shown in FIG. 6, a notification window W1 for guiding lane change may be output through the display module 141. Of course, this content may be output through the audio output module 143.

On the other hand, when the driving lane is the (2) lane, the navigation system 10 determines that the variable lane signal for the current driving lane is 'O' and indicates that the display module 141 can continue driving in the current lane. Can be printed with Of course, this content may be output through the audio output module 143. On the other hand, when driving in the current driving lane is possible, such an output may be omitted since it is not necessary to change the lane.

In the present invention, a specific method of recognizing a lane in which the vehicle is currently driving through image analysis, for example, a specific method of determining whether the current driving lane is (1) lane or (2) lane will be described. It will be omitted. By analyzing image data (eg, moving images) continuously acquired while driving, a method of determining a driving lane currently driving may vary.

FIG. 8 is a diagram illustrating image data acquired while driving a variable shoulder driving section provided on a highway or the like. The navigation system 10 acquires and analyzes image data while driving (S100 and S110), and when the variable lane signals SL2 and OB2 are identified (S120), the navigation system 10 determines whether the driving lane is currently running. It may be (S130).

As shown in FIG. 8, when the vehicle is currently driving through the lane (3), it is determined that the lit pattern in the variable lane signal signal SL2 is '↓', and the vehicle may continue to travel in the current lane. The display module 141 may output the display module 141. Although not shown in the drawing, if the lane signal signal SL2 is turned on with 'X', the display module 141 may output that it cannot continue driving in the current lane. Since the lane change information output method is the same as or similar to the output method described with reference to FIG.

FIG. 9 is a diagram illustrating image data acquired while driving a dedicated bus lane section. The navigation system 10 acquires and analyzes image data while driving (S100 and S110) and identifies a traffic sign OB3 indicating that the bus is a dedicated lane section (S120). Can be determined (S130).

That is, by analyzing the image of the traffic sign (OB3), it is determined that the bus-only lane section, it can also obtain information about the time operated by the bus-only lane. For example, it may be determined that the section is operated by a bus lane from 7 am to 10 am and from 5 pm to 9 pm. From this, information on the current time can be obtained, and it can be determined whether the vehicle can be driven through the lane 4 at the current time. On the other hand, for a more accurate determination, the navigation system 10 may further obtain information about the target vehicle on which the navigation system 10 is mounted. For example, it is possible to further determine whether the target vehicle is a van, etc., capable of driving the bus-only lane, and based on this, it is possible to determine whether driving through the lane is possible. Information on the target vehicle may be stored in advance.

Hereinafter, a method of providing lane change information according to another exemplary embodiment of the present invention will be described.

11 is a flowchart illustrating a lane change information providing method according to another exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

The navigation system 10 obtains image data (S200). Since the method of acquiring the image data is the same as or similar to that of the exemplary embodiment of the present invention, a detailed description thereof will be omitted.

The navigation system 10 obtains current location information (S210). Current location information may be obtained by the first location data module 111 and / or the second location data module 211. Step S210 may be performed simultaneously with step S200.

The navigation system 10 determines whether the user enters a predetermined section based on the obtained current location information (S220). For example, the navigation system 10 may determine whether a vehicle equipped with the navigation system 10 enters a variable lane section or a dedicated bus lane section. Information about a variable lane section or a variable bus section may be stored in advance in the navigation system 10. Alternatively, information about the variable lane section or the variable bus section may be received from devices such as the server 62. Alternatively, the obtained current location information may be transmitted to the server 62, and step S220 may be performed by the server 62.

If it is determined in step S220 that the predetermined section has not been entered, the navigation system 10 may return to step S200 to continuously acquire image data and current location information (S200, S210).

On the other hand, if it is determined in step S220 that the predetermined section has been entered, the navigation system 10 may analyze the obtained image data (S230). That is, when it is determined that the vehicle enters the variable lane section or the variable bus section, the image data may be analyzed to obtain lane progress information on the current driving lane.

In addition, the navigation system 10 may acquire a reference pattern corresponding to the current section (S240).

As illustrated through FIGS. 7 to 9, the shape of the objects OB1, OB2, and OB3 to be analyzed in each section may vary depending on the type of the variable lane. That is, when the currently located section is a central variable lane, lane progress information may be obtained by analyzing a variable signal. However, in the case of a variable bus lane, lane progress information may be obtained by analyzing a bus exclusive lane guide sign. On the other hand, in the case of the central variable lane, the symbol representing the driving deterioration may be represented as 'O' or 'X', but in the case of a shoulder variable driving section provided in the highway, the symbol representing the driving detention is '↓' or 'X' It can be represented by '. In addition, nationwide, a target object capable of analyzing driving faults of the variable lane may vary by region, and a symbol corresponding to the driving permit may also vary by region. Therefore, in order to identify the correct object for acquiring the information from the acquired image, the reference pattern corresponding to each section needs to be well defined in advance. Accordingly, in another embodiment of the present invention, by performing step S240, by obtaining a reference pattern corresponding to each section, the navigation system 10 can provide a more accurate analysis results.

The navigation system 10 may identify and analyze a predetermined object from the image data based on the obtained reference pattern (S250).

Subsequently, based on the analysis result of step S250, it is determined whether driving is permitted or not based on lane driving information of the currently traveling road (S260).

As a result of the determination of step 250, when the driving is not allowed, a notification window for warning that driving is not allowed may be output as shown in FIG. 10. Of course, such contents may be output through the audio output module 143.

12 is a diagram illustrating that a reference pattern corresponds to each section according to another embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 12, it can be seen that the types of the variable lanes are classified into a central variable lane, a dedicated bus lane, a shoulder lane, and a section corresponding to each type of variable lane is matched. . Further, it can be seen that the reference patterns P1, P2, P3, P4, and P5 corresponding to each type are matched.

As can be seen from FIG. 12, when the symbols indicating the allowability of the variable lanes are different from each other, reference patterns for each symbol may correspond to each other. That is, the central variable lane type may be matched with a pattern corresponding to driving allowance, and P2 may be matched with a pattern corresponding to impossibility of driving.

On the other hand, in the case of the dedicated bus lane, the symbol for the allowance of the variable lane is not separately present and is determined based on the analysis of the target object, taking into consideration other information (for example, the current time). In this case, only one reference pattern P3 may be correspondingly stored.

12 exemplarily shows a correspondence relationship, so there may be other correspondences other than this classification and correspondence. For example, even when classified as a central variable lane, since reference patterns may vary for each region, such a correspondence may be established for each region.

Such a correspondence relationship is previously stored in the navigation system 10, and thus may be used in steps S220, S240, and S250. On the other hand, after acquiring the current position information, and transmitted to an external device such as the server 62, step S220 to step 250 may be performed in an external device such as the server 62, in this case, The information may be stored in an external device such as the server 62.

Alternatively, after acquiring the current position information, transmitting it to the server 62 or the like, and receiving information on the correspondence from the server 62 or the like, steps S220 to S250 may be performed by the navigation system 10 itself. It may be. In this case, the entire correspondence may be transmitted from the server 62 to the navigation system 10, but only information about a reference pattern corresponding to the currently located section may be transmitted.

According to another embodiment of the present invention, by analyzing the image only when the vehicle equipped with the navigation system 10 enters the variable lane section, it is possible to reduce the analysis of unnecessary image data.

Furthermore, according to another embodiment of the present invention, by analyzing and storing the object to be analyzed for each section type, the analysis accuracy of the image data can be further increased.

Hereinafter, a lane change information providing method according to another embodiment of the present invention will be described.

13 is a flowchart illustrating a lane change information providing method according to another embodiment of the present invention.

The navigation system 10 may obtain route information (S300). The route information refers to information about a driving route to a destination based on a destination set up and set.

The navigation system 10 obtains image data (S310). Since the method of acquiring the image data is the same as or similar to that described in step S100 of the exemplary embodiment of the present invention, a detailed description thereof will be omitted.

Subsequently, the navigation system 10 may identify a predetermined object from the obtained image data (S320). For example, the predetermined object may include all of the objects capable of determining the driving lane of the vehicle currently driving. That is, if the current vehicle is traveling in two lanes on the eight-lane and four-way roads, the driving lane becomes two lanes, and the reference object for determining the driving lane may be the predetermined object. have. This will be described later in more detail.

Step S320 need not always be performed and may be performed when the current position is located within a predetermined distance from the intersection line after acquiring the current position. For example, if it is determined that the distance is within 300M to the current intersection line, step 320 may be performed. In this case, the predetermined distance may be a preset value, which may be set by the manufacturer of the navigation system 10 or may be set by a user of the navigation system 10.

The navigation system 10 identifies a driving lane currently driving based on the identified object (S330). That is, the navigation system 10 may identify whether the currently driving lane is one lane or two lanes. A specific identification method will be described later.

Subsequently, the navigation system 10 may acquire lane progress information allocated to the driving lane currently being driven (S340). For example, information about whether the current driving lane is a straight lane, a left turning lane, or a right turning lane may be obtained.

The lane progress information may be obtained from map data based on the obtained current position. For example, the map data may include width information of the road (for example, lane number information), and may include information about which lane is a straight lane or a left turn lane at a place such as an intersection. There may be, from this, the lane progress information may be obtained.

In this case, the navigation system 100 obtains and outputs lane change information based on the path information obtained in step S300 and the lane progress information obtained in step S340 (S350). For example, when the vehicle is close to the intersection line, according to the obtained route information, the vehicle must go straight on the intersection line, and when the current driving lane is identified as the left turning lane, the navigation system 10 moves to the straight lane. Information indicating that the lane is to be changed may be obtained and output. 16 is a diagram illustrating a screen for outputting lane change information according to another embodiment of the present invention.

As a result, the user may be provided with accurate lane information at the intersection, thereby driving in the correct lane, and safely driving the vehicle.

Hereinafter, steps 320 and 330 will be described in more detail.

FIG. 14 is a diagram for describing a method of acquiring driving lane information according to another exemplary embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 14 illustrates image data acquired when driving on a three-way road. Referring to FIG. 14, an image of a vehicle driving in an opposite direction in a reciprocating lane (particularly, a vehicle driving in one lane in the opposite direction) is illustrated, and blocks and roadside trees located at a boundary between a sidewalk and a roadway, And it can be seen that the image of the pedestrian walking the sidewalk is shown.

In this case, the navigation system 10 may set a vehicle driving in the opposite direction to a predetermined object (0B4, hereinafter referred to as the first object), and also set a block located at the boundary between the sidewalk and the roadway to the predetermined object (OB5). 2nd object below).

At this time, the navigation system 10 is a ratio of the distance to the vehicle on which the first object OB4 and the navigation system 10 are mounted and the distance to the vehicle on which the second object OB5 and the navigation system are mounted. Can be calculated. For example, the second object OB5 located on the reference line L perpendicular to the traveling direction of the vehicle is identified based on the first object OB4, and the first object OB4 is identified. When the length up to is a and the length up to the second object OB5 is b (at this time, it is assumed that C illustrated in the drawing is the center of the image data shown in FIG. 14). The ratio of the distance from OB4) to the vehicle and the distance from the second object OB5 to the vehicle is equal to a: b.

On the other hand, the distance ratio (hereinafter, referred to as distance ratio) from the foot of the repair to the reference line L to the first object OB4 and the second object OB5 from C to d: e is known. If so, it is possible to obtain how many lanes are currently driving. d: e can be obtained by various methods. For example, after acquiring a and b values, d: e may be obtained using the obtained a and b values.

The navigation system 10 may acquire information on a currently driving lane based on the distance ratio. The navigation system 10 may obtain, from the map data, information on the width of the currently struggling road (that is, how many lane roads), by considering the distance ratio and the width of the driving road (lane information) together. In this case, it is possible to calculate the number of lanes currently being driven. For example, when the distance ratio is about 1: 1 and the road currently being driven is one-way three lanes, the navigation system 10 may determine that the vehicle is currently driving in two lanes. Alternatively, when the distance ratio is close to about 1: 5 and the road currently being driven is one-way three lanes, the navigation system 10 may determine that the vehicle is currently driving in one lane. These correspondences are summarized in Table 1 below.

Total lane Distance ratio (d: e) Driving lane One way two lane
(Round trip 4 lanes) 1: 3 1 lane 3: 1 2 lane 3 lanes one way
(6 round trips) 1: 5 1 lane 1: 1 2 lane 5: 1 Three lanes Four lanes one way
(8 round trips) 1: 7 1 lane 3: 5 2 lane 5: 3 Three lanes 7: 1 4 lane

Accordingly, the navigation system 10 may obtain information on how many lanes the current driving lane is based on the distance ratio and the lane information of the currently driving road.

On the other hand, FIG. 14 has been described assuming that the predetermined object is a block located at the boundary between the vehicle and the sidewalk and the roadway driving in the opposite direction, but the predetermined object is not limited thereto. For example, the object may be set as a predetermined object if it is an appropriate object for determining the lane of the current driving lane. For example, in the case of a highway, the central separator and the guardrail may be set to predetermined objects, respectively. Alternatively, even in a general road, the center line and the roadside tree may be set to predetermined objects, respectively.

In addition, the preceding table is a result calculated on the assumption that the black box is installed in the middle of the vehicle, and the image data acquired through the black box camera does not cause screen distortion in the process of collecting the image data. The distance ratio is a value that can vary.

FIG. 15 is a diagram illustrating a method of obtaining driving lane information according to another exemplary embodiment of the present invention, wherein a signal for a bus-only lane, a signal for a left turn lane, and a signal for a straight lane are separately installed. The image data obtained when driving on a road is illustrated.

As illustrated in FIG. 15, when a road in which traffic signals are separately provided for each lane is operated, the navigation system 10 identifies the traffic signals provided in each lane as a predetermined object OB6. From OB6, lane progress information allocated to the driving lane currently being driven may be obtained. That is, when "left turn" is written on a signal provided on a currently running lane, it may be determined that the current lane is a left turning lane. For this analysis, a character recognition algorithm may be applied to the acquired image data to identify the corresponding character.

Embodiments of the present invention include a computer readable medium containing program instructions for performing various computer-implemented operations. This medium records a program for executing the lane departure warning method of vehicle navigation described above. The medium may include program instructions, data files, data structures, etc., alone or in combination. Examples of such media include magnetic media such as hard disks, floppy disks and magnetic tapes, optical recording media such as CDs and DVDs, and ROMs. Hardware devices configured to store and execute program instructions, such as ROM, RAM, flash memory, and the like. Examples of program instructions include machine code, such as produced by a compiler, as well as high-level language code that can be executed by a computer using an interpreter or the like.

It is apparent to those skilled in the art that the present invention is not limited to the described embodiments, and that various modifications and changes can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. Accordingly, such modifications or variations are intended to fall within the scope of the appended claims.

Claims (12)

An image acquisition unit;
An output unit; And
Identify at least one predetermined object from an image acquired through the image acquisition unit,
Based on the identified object, obtaining lane information of a road,
And a controller configured to output lane change information through the output unit based on the lane information of the road.
Electronics. The apparatus of claim 1,
The lane information of the road includes lane information previously allocated to each driving lane. The method of claim 1, wherein the control unit,
The driving lane may be acquired by further considering information about a width of a currently driving road acquired from map data.
Electronics. The method of claim 1,
The predetermined object includes a variable lane signal.
Electronics. The method of claim 1,
Further comprising a location information acquisition unit for obtaining information about the current location,
The control unit,
Acquiring the lane information when entering the variable lane section based on the obtained current position;
Electronics. The method of claim 1,
Further comprising a location information acquisition unit for obtaining information about the current location,
The control unit,
Comparing the identified object with a reference object corresponding to the current position based on the obtained current position;
Electronics. The method of claim 1,
And obtaining a driving lane of the vehicle based on the identified object. The method of claim 7, wherein
A location information acquisition unit for obtaining information about the current location;
More,
The control unit,
Based on the obtained current position, obtains information on a road width currently running and lane progress information allocated to each lane,
And a controller configured to output lane change information through the output unit based on the driving lane and lane progress information.
Electronics. The apparatus of claim 1,
Get route information to the destination,
In consideration of the route information, and outputting the lane change information
Electronics. Communication unit; And
Obtaining a current position and image data from the communication unit,
Identify at least one predetermined object from the obtained image,
Obtaining lane information of a road based on at least one of the obtained current location and the identified predetermined object,
And a controller configured to output lane change information based on the lane information of the road.
Electronics. Acquire current location and image data,
Identify at least one predetermined object from the obtained image,
Obtaining lane information of a road based on at least one of the obtained current location and the identified predetermined object,
Outputting lane change information based on lane information of the road;
How navigation systems work. A computer-readable recording medium having recorded thereon a program for performing the method of claim 11.

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