Patent Document ID: 8611585
Application ID: 12581766
Patent Status: 1

Claim One:
1. Method for detecting a clear path of travel for a vehicle utilizing an image of a road scene ahead of the vehicle generated by a camera device located upon the vehicle, the method comprising: monitoring the image of the road scene ahead of the vehicle; generating a plurality of ground patches, the plurality of ground patches generated by determining an estimated road shape based on the monitored image, generating a desired analysis grid upon three-dimensional world coordinates lying on the ground based upon the estimated road shape, and dividing the desired analysis grid upon the three-dimensional world coordinates into the plurality of ground patches lying on the ground; generating a plurality of perspective patches onto two-dimensional image coordinates of the image based on the plurality of ground images, wherein the perspective patches are collectively arranged to substantially include the clear path of travel, each perspective patch generated by inversely projecting respective ones of the ground patches lying on the ground upon the three-dimensional world coordinates to the two-dimensional image coordinates; utilizing feature extraction to analyze the perspective patches comprising convolving each of the perspective patches with a feature detection filter generating a feature-based filter response, extracting features based upon the feature-based filter response, and determining each of the perspective patches to represent the clear path of travel or to not represent the clear path of travel based upon the extracted features; determining the clear path of travel based upon the plurality of perspective patches; and utilizing the clear path of travel to navigate the vehicle.