Patent ID: 7379815
Filing Date: 2008-05-27
Classification: G05D,G06K,G06T

Abstract:
1. A lane detection apparatus comprising: a capture means for capturing an image around a subject vehicle; a vehicle detection means for detecting an object vehicle around the subject vehicle; a subject lane detection means for detecting a subject lane where the subject vehicle is traveling based on the image captured by the capture means; and an additional lane detection means for detecting an additional lane different from the subject lane based on a positional relationship between the object vehicle detected by the vehicle detection means and the subject lane detected by the subject lane detection means, wherein the vehicle detection means detects a distance to the object vehicle, a velocity of the subject vehicle and a relative velocity of the object vehicle relative to the subject vehicle, wherein the additional lane detection means detects a traveling direction of the additional lane based on at least one of a change in distance to the object vehicle and the relative velocity of the object vehicle, wherein the additional lane detection means determines that the traveling direction of the object vehicle in the additional lane is the same as the traveling direction of the subject vehicle when the distance to the object vehicle is decreasing and the relative velocity of the object vehicle is smaller than the velocity of the subject vehicle, wherein the additional lane detection means determines that the traveling direction of the object vehicle in the additional lane is opposite to traveling direction of the subject vehicle when the distance to the object vehicle is decreasing and the relative velocity of the object vehicle is greater than the velocity of the subject vehicle, and wherein the additional lane detection means determines that the traveling direction of the object vehicle in the additional lane is the same as the traveling direction of the subject vehicle when the distance to the object vehicle is increasing.