Patent ID: 8189870

Claim:
A process for the automatic calculation of the coefficient of a slope about to be ascended by a motor vehicle fitted with a camera capable of capturing at least one image of a road scene extending in front of said motor vehicle, the process comprising the different steps comprising: detecting, on an image captured by the camera, a first reference mark, belonging to a reference mark type considered having a generally elongated shape and being repeated along the road, said first reference mark being present at a first position and comprising at least one first element and a second element situated on both sides of the road and in the vicinity of the motor vehicle; detecting, at a distance from the motor vehicle, of a second reference mark of the reference mark type considered, said second reference mark being present at a second position on both sides of the road; determining, through the use of an image processing system, a change of direction between the direction of the first reference mark and the direction of the second reference mark; where applicable, deducing from said change of direction the presence of a slope and calculating the coefficient of said slope, by using the characteristics of said change of direction.