CN115790517A - Method and system for measuring distance by means of a vehicle headlight - Google Patents

Method and system for measuring distance by means of a vehicle headlight Download PDF

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Publication number
CN115790517A
CN115790517A CN202211533470.5A CN202211533470A CN115790517A CN 115790517 A CN115790517 A CN 115790517A CN 202211533470 A CN202211533470 A CN 202211533470A CN 115790517 A CN115790517 A CN 115790517A
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CN
China
Prior art keywords
vehicle
distance
pulsed light
headlight
projected
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Pending
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CN202211533470.5A
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Chinese (zh)
Inventor
李和安
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Mercedes Benz Group AG
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Mercedes Benz Group AG
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Application filed by Mercedes Benz Group AG filed Critical Mercedes Benz Group AG
Priority to CN202211533470.5A priority Critical patent/CN115790517A/en
Publication of CN115790517A publication Critical patent/CN115790517A/en
Priority to PCT/EP2023/025455 priority patent/WO2024114940A1/en
Pending legal-status Critical Current

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    • G—PHYSICS
    • G01—MEASURING; TESTING
    • G01S—RADIO DIRECTION-FINDING; RADIO NAVIGATION; DETERMINING DISTANCE OR VELOCITY BY USE OF RADIO WAVES; LOCATING OR PRESENCE-DETECTING BY USE OF THE REFLECTION OR RERADIATION OF RADIO WAVES; ANALOGOUS ARRANGEMENTS USING OTHER WAVES
    • G01S17/00—Systems using the reflection or reradiation of electromagnetic waves other than radio waves, e.g. lidar systems
    • G01S17/02—Systems using the reflection of electromagnetic waves other than radio waves
    • G01S17/06—Systems determining position data of a target
    • G01S17/08—Systems determining position data of a target for measuring distance only
    • G01S17/10—Systems determining position data of a target for measuring distance only using transmission of interrupted, pulse-modulated waves
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B60—VEHICLES IN GENERAL
    • B60Q—ARRANGEMENT OF SIGNALLING OR LIGHTING DEVICES, THE MOUNTING OR SUPPORTING THEREOF OR CIRCUITS THEREFOR, FOR VEHICLES IN GENERAL
    • B60Q1/00—Arrangement of optical signalling or lighting devices, the mounting or supporting thereof or circuits therefor
    • B60Q1/02—Arrangement of optical signalling or lighting devices, the mounting or supporting thereof or circuits therefor the devices being primarily intended to illuminate the way ahead or to illuminate other areas of way or environments
    • B60Q1/24—Arrangement of optical signalling or lighting devices, the mounting or supporting thereof or circuits therefor the devices being primarily intended to illuminate the way ahead or to illuminate other areas of way or environments for lighting other areas than only the way ahead
    • B60Q1/249—Arrangement of optical signalling or lighting devices, the mounting or supporting thereof or circuits therefor the devices being primarily intended to illuminate the way ahead or to illuminate other areas of way or environments for lighting other areas than only the way ahead for illuminating the field of view of a sensor or camera
    • G—PHYSICS
    • G01—MEASURING; TESTING
    • G01S—RADIO DIRECTION-FINDING; RADIO NAVIGATION; DETERMINING DISTANCE OR VELOCITY BY USE OF RADIO WAVES; LOCATING OR PRESENCE-DETECTING BY USE OF THE REFLECTION OR RERADIATION OF RADIO WAVES; ANALOGOUS ARRANGEMENTS USING OTHER WAVES
    • G01S11/00—Systems for determining distance or velocity not using reflection or reradiation
    • G01S11/12—Systems for determining distance or velocity not using reflection or reradiation using electromagnetic waves other than radio waves
    • G—PHYSICS
    • G01—MEASURING; TESTING
    • G01S—RADIO DIRECTION-FINDING; RADIO NAVIGATION; DETERMINING DISTANCE OR VELOCITY BY USE OF RADIO WAVES; LOCATING OR PRESENCE-DETECTING BY USE OF THE REFLECTION OR RERADIATION OF RADIO WAVES; ANALOGOUS ARRANGEMENTS USING OTHER WAVES
    • G01S17/00—Systems using the reflection or reradiation of electromagnetic waves other than radio waves, e.g. lidar systems
    • G01S17/02—Systems using the reflection of electromagnetic waves other than radio waves
    • G01S17/06—Systems determining position data of a target
    • G01S17/46—Indirect determination of position data
    • G—PHYSICS
    • G01—MEASURING; TESTING
    • G01S—RADIO DIRECTION-FINDING; RADIO NAVIGATION; DETERMINING DISTANCE OR VELOCITY BY USE OF RADIO WAVES; LOCATING OR PRESENCE-DETECTING BY USE OF THE REFLECTION OR RERADIATION OF RADIO WAVES; ANALOGOUS ARRANGEMENTS USING OTHER WAVES
    • G01S17/00—Systems using the reflection or reradiation of electromagnetic waves other than radio waves, e.g. lidar systems
    • G01S17/86—Combinations of lidar systems with systems other than lidar, radar or sonar, e.g. with direction finders
    • G—PHYSICS
    • G01—MEASURING; TESTING
    • G01S—RADIO DIRECTION-FINDING; RADIO NAVIGATION; DETERMINING DISTANCE OR VELOCITY BY USE OF RADIO WAVES; LOCATING OR PRESENCE-DETECTING BY USE OF THE REFLECTION OR RERADIATION OF RADIO WAVES; ANALOGOUS ARRANGEMENTS USING OTHER WAVES
    • G01S17/00—Systems using the reflection or reradiation of electromagnetic waves other than radio waves, e.g. lidar systems
    • G01S17/88—Lidar systems specially adapted for specific applications
    • G01S17/89—Lidar systems specially adapted for specific applications for mapping or imaging
    • G—PHYSICS
    • G06—COMPUTING; CALCULATING OR COUNTING
    • G06V—IMAGE OR VIDEO RECOGNITION OR UNDERSTANDING
    • G06V10/00—Arrangements for image or video recognition or understanding
    • G06V10/10—Image acquisition
    • G06V10/12—Details of acquisition arrangements; Constructional details thereof
    • G06V10/14—Optical characteristics of the device performing the acquisition or on the illumination arrangements
    • G06V10/141—Control of illumination
    • G—PHYSICS
    • G06—COMPUTING; CALCULATING OR COUNTING
    • G06V—IMAGE OR VIDEO RECOGNITION OR UNDERSTANDING
    • G06V10/00—Arrangements for image or video recognition or understanding
    • G06V10/10—Image acquisition
    • G06V10/12—Details of acquisition arrangements; Constructional details thereof
    • G06V10/14—Optical characteristics of the device performing the acquisition or on the illumination arrangements
    • G06V10/143—Sensing or illuminating at different wavelengths
    • G—PHYSICS
    • G06—COMPUTING; CALCULATING OR COUNTING
    • G06V—IMAGE OR VIDEO RECOGNITION OR UNDERSTANDING
    • G06V10/00—Arrangements for image or video recognition or understanding
    • G06V10/40—Extraction of image or video features
    • G06V10/60—Extraction of image or video features relating to illumination properties, e.g. using a reflectance or lighting model
    • G—PHYSICS
    • G06—COMPUTING; CALCULATING OR COUNTING
    • G06V—IMAGE OR VIDEO RECOGNITION OR UNDERSTANDING
    • G06V20/00—Scenes; Scene-specific elements
    • G06V20/50—Context or environment of the image
    • G06V20/56—Context or environment of the image exterior to a vehicle by using sensors mounted on the vehicle
    • G06V20/58—Recognition of moving objects or obstacles, e.g. vehicles or pedestrians; Recognition of traffic objects, e.g. traffic signs, traffic lights or roads
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B60—VEHICLES IN GENERAL
    • B60Q—ARRANGEMENT OF SIGNALLING OR LIGHTING DEVICES, THE MOUNTING OR SUPPORTING THEREOF OR CIRCUITS THEREFOR, FOR VEHICLES IN GENERAL
    • B60Q2400/00—Special features or arrangements of exterior signal lamps for vehicles
    • B60Q2400/50—Projected symbol or information, e.g. onto the road or car body
    • G—PHYSICS
    • G01—MEASURING; TESTING
    • G01S—RADIO DIRECTION-FINDING; RADIO NAVIGATION; DETERMINING DISTANCE OR VELOCITY BY USE OF RADIO WAVES; LOCATING OR PRESENCE-DETECTING BY USE OF THE REFLECTION OR RERADIATION OF RADIO WAVES; ANALOGOUS ARRANGEMENTS USING OTHER WAVES
    • G01S17/00—Systems using the reflection or reradiation of electromagnetic waves other than radio waves, e.g. lidar systems
    • G01S17/02—Systems using the reflection of electromagnetic waves other than radio waves
    • G01S17/04—Systems determining the presence of a target
    • G—PHYSICS
    • G01—MEASURING; TESTING
    • G01S—RADIO DIRECTION-FINDING; RADIO NAVIGATION; DETERMINING DISTANCE OR VELOCITY BY USE OF RADIO WAVES; LOCATING OR PRESENCE-DETECTING BY USE OF THE REFLECTION OR RERADIATION OF RADIO WAVES; ANALOGOUS ARRANGEMENTS USING OTHER WAVES
    • G01S17/00—Systems using the reflection or reradiation of electromagnetic waves other than radio waves, e.g. lidar systems
    • G01S17/88—Lidar systems specially adapted for specific applications
    • G01S17/93—Lidar systems specially adapted for specific applications for anti-collision purposes
    • G01S17/931—Lidar systems specially adapted for specific applications for anti-collision purposes of land vehicles
    • G—PHYSICS
    • G01—MEASURING; TESTING
    • G01S—RADIO DIRECTION-FINDING; RADIO NAVIGATION; DETERMINING DISTANCE OR VELOCITY BY USE OF RADIO WAVES; LOCATING OR PRESENCE-DETECTING BY USE OF THE REFLECTION OR RERADIATION OF RADIO WAVES; ANALOGOUS ARRANGEMENTS USING OTHER WAVES
    • G01S2205/00—Position-fixing by co-ordinating two or more direction or position line determinations; Position-fixing by co-ordinating two or more distance determinations
    • G01S2205/01—Position-fixing by co-ordinating two or more direction or position line determinations; Position-fixing by co-ordinating two or more distance determinations specially adapted for specific applications
    • G—PHYSICS
    • G01—MEASURING; TESTING
    • G01S—RADIO DIRECTION-FINDING; RADIO NAVIGATION; DETERMINING DISTANCE OR VELOCITY BY USE OF RADIO WAVES; LOCATING OR PRESENCE-DETECTING BY USE OF THE REFLECTION OR RERADIATION OF RADIO WAVES; ANALOGOUS ARRANGEMENTS USING OTHER WAVES
    • G01S7/00—Details of systems according to groups G01S13/00, G01S15/00, G01S17/00
    • G01S7/48—Details of systems according to groups G01S13/00, G01S15/00, G01S17/00 of systems according to group G01S17/00
    • G01S7/483—Details of pulse systems

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  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • General Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • Electromagnetism (AREA)
  • Radar, Positioning & Navigation (AREA)
  • Remote Sensing (AREA)
  • Computer Networks & Wireless Communication (AREA)
  • Multimedia (AREA)
  • Theoretical Computer Science (AREA)
  • Software Systems (AREA)
  • Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
  • Lighting Device Outwards From Vehicle And Optical Signal (AREA)

Abstract

The invention relates to a method for measuring distance by means of a vehicle headlight, comprising: transmitting a first pulse light with a first pulse frequency to the front of a vehicle by means of a headlight of the vehicle, generating a projected stripe (S1) in front of the vehicle by means of the first pulse light; detecting whether an object is present within a preset distance in front of the vehicle (S2); if an object is detected within a preset distance in front of the vehicle, a distance of the detected object to the vehicle is calculated based on the projected stripes (S3). The invention also relates to a system for measuring distance by means of a vehicle headlight and to a computer program product for carrying out the steps of the method. According to the invention, the distance to the object in front of the vehicle can be accurately measured with low technical expenditure by means of the image captured by the monocular camera, so that more reliable data support can be provided for the automatic driving function and/or the auxiliary driving function, and the driving safety of the vehicle can be improved.

Description

Method and system for measuring distance by means of a vehicle headlight
Technical Field
The present invention relates to the field of vehicles, in particular to a method for distance measurement by means of a vehicle headlight, a system for distance measurement by means of a vehicle headlight, and a computer program product for carrying out the steps of the method.
Background
Currently, more and more vehicles are equipped with high-level autonomous driving systems and/or assisted driving systems. In the use process of the automatic driving system and/or the auxiliary driving system, the vehicle-mounted camera is required to accurately measure the distance of an object in front of the vehicle, and the measured distance is used as an important basis for setting control parameters of each vehicle.
In the prior art, most vehicles measure the pose of a moving object based on structured light by means of a multi-view camera, so that the distance measurement of the object in front of the vehicle is completed. The distance measurement method increases equipment, increases measurement time, greatly improves the complexity of a measurement system, and increases error sources.
Furthermore, the prior art also proposes methods for measuring distances by means of pulsed light. In the above method, the pulsed light is transmitted to the object in front of the vehicle via the pulse light source unit and the pulsed light reflected from the object is received, and the time of flight of the pulsed light between the vehicle and the object can be calculated from the transmission timing and the reception timing of the pulsed light, thereby calculating the distance information of the object. However, the time of flight is usually very short (because the speed of light is very fast) and it is therefore difficult to measure the time of flight accurately, which results in a low accuracy of this ranging method.
Therefore, how to measure the distance of the object in front of the vehicle efficiently and accurately becomes a technical problem to be solved at present.
Disclosure of Invention
It is an object of the present invention to provide a method for measuring distance by means of a vehicle headlight, a system for measuring distance by means of a vehicle headlight, and a computer program product for carrying out the steps of the method, which at least partially solve the problems of the prior art.
According to a first aspect of the invention, a method for distance measurement by means of a vehicle headlight is provided, the method comprising:
step S1: transmitting first pulse light with a first pulse frequency f1 to the front of a vehicle by a headlight of the vehicle, and generating a projection stripe in the front of the vehicle by the first pulse light;
step S2: detecting whether an object exists within a preset distance in front of the vehicle; and
and step S3: if an object is detected within a preset distance in front of the vehicle, calculating a distance of the detected object to the vehicle based on the projected stripes.
The core concept of the invention is that: generating a projection stripe in front of the vehicle by means of a first pulse light emitted by a vehicle headlight, wherein the projection stripe is invisible to human eyes due to an extremely high pulse frequency and can be detected by a vehicle-mounted camera, especially a monocular camera; calculating a distance of the detected object to the vehicle based on the projected fringes. According to the invention, the distance to the object in front of the vehicle can be accurately measured with low technical expenditure by means of the image captured by the monocular camera, so that more reliable data support can be provided for the automatic driving function and/or the auxiliary driving function, and the driving safety of the vehicle can be improved.
In an alternative exemplary embodiment of the invention, a second pulsed light having a second pulse frequency f2 can be emitted by means of a headlight of the vehicle in front of the vehicle in order to generate an illumination region in front of the vehicle, the first pulsed light and the second pulsed light being emitted offset in time from one another. Optionally, the first pulse frequency f1 and the second pulse frequency f2 are equal or in integer multiple relation to each other.
In an alternative embodiment of the invention, the first pulse frequency f1 of the first pulsed light is controlled such that the first pulsed light is invisible to the human eye and can be detected by a vehicle-mounted camera, in particular a monocular camera, of the vehicle.
In an alternative embodiment of the present invention, a driving environment image in front of a vehicle may be acquired by an in-vehicle camera, and it is determined whether an object exists within a preset distance in front of the vehicle based on the acquired driving environment image, and a distance D from the object to the vehicle is calculated based on projected stripes in the driving environment image in the case where the object exists.
In an alternative embodiment of the present invention, projected stripes between the object and the vehicle are counted based on the driving environment image, and a first distance D1 from a first projected stripe closest to the vehicle and a second distance D2 from a second projected stripe closest to the object are detected, whereby a distance D from the object 2 to the vehicle 1 is calculated based on the number N of the counted projected stripes, a stripe width Ds of the projected stripes, the first distance D1, and the second distance D2.
In an alternative embodiment of the present invention, an average boundary line of the projection stripes may be calculated based on image pixels of different gradations of the projection stripes in the driving environment image, and the first distance D1 and/or the second distance D2 may be detected based on the average boundary line of the projection stripes, whereby the accuracy of distance calculation may be improved.
In an alternative embodiment of the invention, the estimated distance D3 of the object to the vehicle may be evaluated by a motion recovery structure algorithm based on the driving environment image, and the calculated distance D may be checked for plausibility based on the estimated distance D3.
According to a second aspect of the invention, a system for measuring distances by means of a vehicle headlight is provided, which is used to carry out the method according to the invention. The system may include the following components: a headlight configured to transmit first pulsed light having a first pulse frequency f1 to the front of the vehicle, a projected fringe being generated in the front of the vehicle by the first pulsed light; the vehicle-mounted camera is configured to acquire a driving environment image in front of a vehicle, wherein the driving environment image comprises the projection stripes; and an in-vehicle control unit configured to control transmission of pulsed light of the headlight, determine whether an object is present within a preset distance in front of the vehicle based on the running environment image, and calculate a distance D of the object to the vehicle based on projected stripes in the running environment image.
In an alternative embodiment of the invention, the headlight is also configured to emit a second pulsed light having a second pulse frequency f2 to the front of the vehicle, wherein the first pulsed light and the second pulsed light are emitted offset in time from one another.
According to a third aspect of the invention, a computer program product, such as a computer-readable program carrier, is provided, containing computer program instructions which, when executed by a processor, implement the steps of the method according to the invention.
Drawings
The principles, features and advantages of the present invention may be better understood by describing the invention in more detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. The figures show:
fig. 1 shows a workflow diagram of a method for measuring distance by means of a vehicle headlight according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention;
FIG. 2 illustrates a driving scenario diagram according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention;
FIG. 3 shows a pulsed light timing diagram according to an exemplary embodiment of the invention;
FIG. 4 illustrates an enlarged view of an image pixel projecting a border line segment of a fringe according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention; and
fig. 5 shows a block diagram of a system for measuring distance by means of a vehicle headlight according to an exemplary embodiment of the invention.
Detailed Description
In order to make the technical problems, technical solutions and advantageous effects of the present invention more apparent, the present invention will be described in further detail with reference to the accompanying drawings and exemplary embodiments. It should be understood that the specific embodiments described herein are merely illustrative of the invention and do not limit the scope of the invention.
Fig. 1 shows a workflow diagram of a method for distance measurement by means of a vehicle headlight according to an exemplary embodiment of the invention. The following exemplary examples describe the method according to the invention in more detail.
The method may comprise steps S1 to S3. In step S1, a first pulsed light P1 having a first pulse frequency f1 is emitted by a headlight 11 of a vehicle 1 to the front of the vehicle 1, and a projected fringe is generated by the first pulsed light P1 in front of the vehicle 1. In the present exemplary embodiment of the invention, the first pulse frequency f1 of the first pulsed light P1 is controlled by the headlight control unit of the vehicle 1 such that the first pulsed light P1 is invisible to the human eye, so that a line of sight disturbance to road users (which, for example, include drivers, riders and/or pedestrians of other vehicles on the road, etc.) is avoided during driving, and the transmitted pulsed light complies with the regulations of the relevant laws or regulations with respect to the vehicle light, while the first pulsed light P1 can be detected by the on-board camera 12, in particular a monocular camera, of the vehicle 1. Fig. 2 shows a driving scene diagram according to an exemplary embodiment of the invention, in which three projection areas are generated in front of the vehicle 1 by means of the headlights 11 of the vehicle 1, wherein a first projection area B1 is generated by the first pulsed light P1 emitted by the left headlight, a third projection area B3 is generated by the first pulsed light P1 emitted by the right headlight, and a second projection area B2 is generated by superimposing the first pulsed light P1 emitted by the left headlight and the right headlight.
In particular, in the case of weak light (for example, at night or in rainy weather), a second pulsed light P2 having a second pulse frequency f2 can also be emitted by means of the headlight 11 of the vehicle 1 to the front of the vehicle 1, with the second pulsed light P2 generating an illumination region in front of the vehicle 1. As shown in the pulse light timing chart of fig. 3, a first pulse light P1 having a first pulse height H1 is transmitted at a first pulse frequency f1 for generating a projection fringe, and a second pulse light P2 having a second pulse height H2 is transmitted at a second pulse frequency f2 for generating an illumination area, the first pulse light P1 and the second pulse light P2 being transmitted with a temporal offset from each other. As exemplarily shown in fig. 3, one pulse of the first pulsed light P1 may be transmitted in a time period between an end time t1 of one pulse of the second pulsed light P2 and a start time t2 of another pulse of the second pulsed light P2. Alternatively, the first pulse frequency f1 and the second pulse frequency f2 may be equal to each other or may be in a multiple relationship of an integer, as long as it is ensured that the respective pulses of the first pulse light P1 and the respective pulses of the second pulse light P2 are transmitted temporally offset from each other. The first pulse height H1 of the first pulse light P1 and/or the second pulse height H2 of the second pulse light P2 may be adjusted according to a required illumination brightness, and may be equal to or different from each other.
In step S2, it is detected whether an object 2 is present within a preset distance in front of the vehicle 1. Here, a running environment image in front of the vehicle may be acquired by the in-vehicle camera 12, and it is determined whether the object 2 is present within a preset distance in front of the vehicle 1 based on the acquired running environment image. Alternatively, the object 2 within a predetermined distance in front of the vehicle 1 may also be detected by other on-board sensors, which for example comprise radar and/or lidar or the like. The object 2 may comprise a road user moving head on or in front of the vehicle 1, such as a vehicle, a pedestrian and/or a rider, or may comprise an obstacle on or beside the road, such as a barricade and/or a rock fall. Fig. 2 shows an exemplary oncoming vehicle as object 2.
If an object 2 is detected within a preset distance in front of the vehicle 1, a distance D of the detected object 2 to the vehicle 1 is calculated based on the projected stripes in step S3. Here, based on the driving environment image, the number of projected stripes between the object 2 and the vehicle 1 may be counted, and the number N of the counted projected stripes in the driving scene graph shown in fig. 2 is 3; based on the driving environment image, it is also possible to detect a first distance D1 from a first projected stripe closest to the vehicle 1 and a second distance D2 from a second projected stripe closest to the object 2, thereby calculating a distance D from the object 2 to the vehicle 1 based on the counted number N of projected stripes, a stripe width Ds of the projected stripes, the first distance D1, and the second distance D2, for example, by the following formula: d = D1+ Ds (2*N-1) + D2.
Here, the first distance D1 is determined by detecting a distance from a boundary line of the first projection stripe to the vehicle 1, for example, and the second distance D2 is determined by detecting a distance from a boundary line of the second projection stripe to the object 2, for example, but the boundary line of each projection stripe is more or less unclear during the actual projection of the vehicle headlight, and particularly, a projection stripe having a blurred boundary line may be generated in the projection area B2 generated by superimposing the respective first pulsed lights P1 of the left headlight and the right headlight of the vehicle 1. Fig. 4 shows an enlarged view of the image pixels of the border line section of the second projection stripe, which is shown by way of example as being closest to the object 2 and on whose border image pixels with different gray levels are arranged offset from one another, comprising dark, bright and/or gray pixels. In this case, the average boundary line L2 of the second projected strip can be calculated on the basis of the image pixels of the different shades of gray of the projected strip in the driving environment image, for example, by means of a predetermined optimization algorithm, which includes, for example, a least mean square calculation method. The second distance D2 may be calculated as a distance from the average boundary line L2 of the second projected streak to the object 2. It is also possible to calculate the average boundary line L1 of the first projected stripes and to calculate the corresponding first distance D1 in the same way. In this way, the accuracy of the distance calculation is improved.
In an alternative embodiment of the invention, it is also possible to evaluate the estimated distance D3 of the object 2 to the vehicle 1 by means of a motion recovery structure algorithm on the basis of the driving environment image and to carry out a plausibility check on the calculated distance D on the basis of the estimated distance D3. In this case, the driving environment image must be acquired by a binocular camera, which greatly increases the cost of distance detection.
According to the invention, the distance to the object in front of the vehicle can be accurately measured with low technical expenditure by means of the image captured by the monocular camera, so that more reliable data support is provided for the automatic driving function and/or the driving assistance function, and the driving safety of the vehicle is improved.
In addition, it should be noted that the sequence numbers of the steps described herein do not necessarily represent a sequential order, but merely one kind of reference numeral, and the order may be changed according to circumstances as long as the technical object of the present invention can be achieved.
Fig. 5 shows a block diagram of a system for measuring distance by means of a vehicle headlight according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.
As shown in fig. 5, the system 10 for measuring distance by means of a vehicle headlight may comprise the following components: a headlight 11, the headlight 11 being configured to transmit a first pulsed light P1 having a first pulse frequency f1 to the front of the vehicle 1, a projected fringe being generated in front of the vehicle 1 by the first pulsed light; an in-vehicle camera 12, the in-vehicle camera 12 being configured to acquire a driving environment image in front of the vehicle 1, wherein the driving environment image includes the projected stripes; and an in-vehicle control unit 13, the in-vehicle control unit 13 being configured to control transmission of pulsed light of the headlight 11, determine whether there is an object 2 within a preset distance in front of the vehicle 1 based on the running environment image, and calculate a distance D from the object 2 to the vehicle 1 based on the running environment image.
In an alternative embodiment of the invention, the headlight 11 may also be configured to transmit a second pulsed light with a second pulse frequency f2 to the front of the vehicle 1 for generating an illumination region in front of the vehicle 1, wherein the first pulsed light and the second pulsed light are transmitted offset in time from one another.
The vehicle-mounted camera 12, in particular a monocular camera, optionally also may comprise a binocular camera, on the basis of which driving environment images captured by the binocular camera an estimated distance D3 of the object 2 to the vehicle 1 may be estimated by means of a motion restoration structure algorithm, and on the basis of the estimated distance D3 a plausibility check of the calculated distance D may be carried out.
Although specific embodiments of the invention have been described herein in detail, they have been presented for purposes of illustration only and are not to be construed as limiting the scope of the invention. Various alternatives and modifications can be devised without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention.

Claims (11)

1. A method for measuring distance by means of a vehicle headlight, the method comprising:
step S1: transmitting a first pulsed light (P1) with a first pulse frequency (f 1) to the front of a vehicle (1) by means of a headlight (11) of the vehicle (1), a projected stripe being generated by the first pulsed light (P1) in front of the vehicle (1);
step S2: detecting the presence of an object (2) within a preset distance in front of the vehicle (1); and
and step S3: if an object (2) is detected within a preset distance in front of the vehicle (1), a distance (D) of the detected object (2) to the vehicle (1) is calculated based on the projected stripes.
2. The method according to claim 1, wherein a second pulsed light with a second pulse frequency (f 2) is emitted by means of a headlight (11) of the vehicle (1) to the front of the vehicle (1) for generating an illumination region in front of the vehicle (1), wherein the first pulsed light and the second pulsed light are emitted offset in time from one another.
3. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein a first pulse frequency (f 1) of the first pulsed light is controlled such that the first pulsed light is invisible to the human eye and detectable by an onboard camera (12), in particular a monocular camera, of the vehicle (1).
4. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein a driving environment image in front of a vehicle is acquired by means of an on-board camera (12), and based on the acquired driving environment image it is determined whether an object (2) is present within a preset distance in front of the vehicle (1), and if an object (2) is present, the distance (D) of the object (2) to the vehicle (1) is calculated based on projected stripes in the driving environment image.
5. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein projected stripes between the object (2) and the vehicle (1) are counted based on the driving environment image, and a first distance (D1) from a first projected stripe closest to the vehicle (1) and a second distance (D2) from a second projected stripe closest to the object (2) are detected, whereby a distance (D) of the object (2) to the vehicle (1) is calculated based on the counted number (N) of projected stripes, a stripe width (Ds) of the projected stripes, the first distance (D1) and the second distance (D2).
6. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein an estimated distance (D3) of the object (2) to the vehicle (1) is evaluated by means of a motion recovery structure algorithm on the basis of the driving environment image and the calculated distance (D) is checked for plausibility on the basis of the estimated distance (D3).
7. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein an average boundary line (L1, L2) of the projected stripes is calculated based on image pixels of different grey levels of the projected stripes in the driving environment image, and the first distance (D1) and/or the second distance (D2) is detected based on the average boundary line (L1, L2) of the projected stripes.
8. The method according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the first pulse frequency (f 1) and the second pulse frequency (f 2) are equal or in integer multiple relation to each other.
9. A system (10) for ranging by means of a vehicle headlight, the system (10) being adapted to perform the method according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the system (10) comprises the following components:
a headlight (11), the headlight (11) being configured to transmit a first pulsed light (P1) having a first pulse frequency (f 1) to the front of the vehicle (1), a projected stripe being generated by the first pulsed light (P1) in front of the vehicle (1);
an in-vehicle camera (12), the in-vehicle camera (12) being configured to acquire a driving environment image in front of a vehicle (1), wherein the driving environment image comprises the projected stripes; and
an onboard control unit (13), the onboard control unit (13) being configured to control the transmission of pulsed light of the headlight (11), to determine whether an object (2) is present within a preset distance in front of the vehicle (1) based on the driving environment image, and to calculate a distance (D) of the object (2) to the vehicle (1) based on projected stripes in the driving environment image.
10. The system (10) according to claim 9, wherein the headlight (11) is further configured for transmitting a second pulsed light (P2) with a second pulse frequency (f 2) to the front of the vehicle (1), wherein the first pulsed light (P1) and the second pulsed light (P2) are transmitted temporally displaced from each other.
11. A computer program product, such as a computer-readable program carrier, containing computer program instructions which, when executed by a processor, at least auxiliarily implement the steps of the method according to any one of claims 1 to 8.
CN202211533470.5A 2022-12-01 2022-12-01 Method and system for measuring distance by means of a vehicle headlight Pending CN115790517A (en)

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PCT/EP2023/025455 WO2024114940A1 (en) 2022-12-01 2023-11-01 Ranging method and system employing vehicle headlights

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DE102010039092B4 (en) * 2009-09-02 2020-10-22 Robert Bosch Gmbh Method and control device for determining a distance between an object and a vehicle
DE102015008774B4 (en) * 2015-07-07 2018-01-04 Daimler Ag Method and device for detecting a vehicle environment
DE102016006390A1 (en) * 2016-05-24 2017-11-30 Audi Ag Lighting device for a motor vehicle to increase the visibility of an obstacle

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