CPC G06V 20/588 (2022.01) [B60R 1/00 (2013.01); G08G 1/0962 (2013.01); G08G 1/165 (2013.01); G08G 1/166 (2013.01); G08G 1/167 (2013.01); B60R 2300/302 (2013.01); B60R 2300/607 (2013.01); B60R 2300/804 (2013.01); B60R 2300/8093 (2013.01)] | 16 Claims |
1. A vehicular lane keeping system, said vehicular lane keeping system comprising:
a forward-viewing camera disposed at a windshield of a vehicle equipped with said vehicular lane keeping system, said forward-viewing camera viewing through the windshield forward of the equipped vehicle;
wherein said forward-viewing camera comprises a lens and an imaging array;
wherein said imaging array comprises at least one million photosensor elements arranged in rows and columns;
an electronic control unit (ECU) comprising an image processor that is operable to process image data captured by said forward-viewing camera;
wherein said ECU is operable to process map data relating to a current geographic location of the equipped vehicle;
wherein said ECU is operable to process vehicle information relating to current operation of the equipped vehicle in a traffic lane of a road that the equipped vehicle is travelling along;
wherein the vehicle information relating to the current operation of the equipped vehicle is provided to said ECU via a vehicle communication bus of the equipped vehicle;
wherein image data captured by said forward-viewing camera is processed at said ECU by said image processor for a plurality of driver assistance systems of the equipped vehicle;
wherein said plurality of driver assistance systems of the equipped vehicle comprises at least two selected from the group consisting of (i) a traffic sign recognition system of the equipped vehicle, (ii) a headlamp control system of the equipped vehicle, (iii) a pedestrian detection system of the equipped vehicle, (iv) a collision avoidance system of the equipped vehicle and (v) a lane centering system of the equipped vehicle;
wherein, responsive to processing at said ECU of image data captured by said forward-viewing camera and responsive to processing at said ECU of map data relating to the current geographic location of the equipped vehicle and responsive to processing at said ECU of vehicle information relating to the current operation of the equipped vehicle, said vehicular lane keeping system determines a path of travel for the equipped vehicle that keeps the equipped vehicle in the traffic lane in which the equipped vehicle is traveling along during situations where lane markings demarcating the traffic lane in which the equipped vehicle is traveling along are not readily determinable;
wherein said vehicular lane keeping system determines the path of travel of the equipped vehicle even when no lane markings are present on the road ahead of the equipped vehicle; and
wherein said vehicular lane keeping system maintains the equipped vehicle along the determined path of travel that keeps the equipped vehicle in the traffic lane in which the equipped vehicle is traveling along.
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