Patent ID: 7580549
Filing Date: 2009-08-25
Classification: A01B,G06K

Abstract:
1. A method of guiding a vehicle, the method comprising: collecting color image data to distinguish crop image data from background image data; wherein the collecting further comprises classifying image data as crop image data if a green-red difference associated with a pixel is greater than a first threshold value and if a green-blue difference associated with the pixel is greater than a second threshold value, and wherein the green-red difference (D defining a series of scan line segments generally perpendicular to a transverse axis of the vehicle or of an imaging system; determining, by a data processor, a scan-line-image-parameter level for each of the scan line segments, the scan-line-image-parameter level comprising a color-related parameter level; and identifying a preferential heading of the vehicle that is generally aligned with respect to a crop feature, associated with crop image data, based on the determined scan-line-image-parameter level meeting or exceeding a maximum value or minimum threshold value.