US 12,249,153 B2
Method and device for recognizing and evaluating roadway conditions and weather-related environmental influences
Bernd Hartmann, Bad Homburg (DE); Manuel Amthor, Jena (DE); and Joachim Denzler, Jena (DE)
Assigned to Continental Autonomous Mobility Germany GmbH, Ingolstadt (DE)
Filed by Continental Teves AG & Co. oHG, Frankfurt (DE)
Filed on Sep. 14, 2020, as Appl. No. 17/019,824.
Application 17/019,824 is a continuation of application No. PCT/DE2019/200016, filed on Feb. 26, 2019.
Claims priority of application No. 10 2018 203 807.4 (DE), filed on Mar. 13, 2018.
Prior Publication US 2020/0406897 A1, Dec. 31, 2020
Int. Cl. B60W 40/02 (2006.01); B60W 40/06 (2012.01); G06N 20/00 (2019.01); G06V 10/60 (2022.01); G06V 10/80 (2022.01); G06V 20/56 (2022.01)
CPC G06V 20/56 (2022.01) [B60W 40/06 (2013.01); G06N 20/00 (2019.01); G06V 10/60 (2022.01); G06V 10/811 (2022.01); B60W 2420/403 (2013.01); B60W 2552/05 (2020.02); B60W 2555/20 (2020.02)] 23 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method for recognizing and evaluating roadway conditions and weather-related environmental influences, comprising:
providing image data utilizing a vehicle camera system which is configured to image at least one portion of surroundings of a vehicle, wherein at least part of the one portion includes the roadway on which the vehicle is driving;
distinguishing, by controller circuitry, diffuse reflection and specular reflection of the roadway by evaluating differences in appearance of at least one point of the roadway in at least two images from the camera system, the at least two images having been recorded from different recording perspectives;
determining, by the controller circuitry, whether, in at least one image from the camera system, there are disturbances that have been caused by at least one vehicle wheel whirling up a substance covering a roadway as the at least one vehicle wheel travels thereover,
classifying, by the controller circuitry, the roadway conditions into one of the following five roadway condition classes, taking account of results with regard to reflection type and disturbance intensity:
a) dry roadway: diffuse reflection type without disturbance,
b) normally wet roadway: specular reflection type with disturbance,
c) very wet roadway with risk of aquaplaning: specular reflection type with much disturbance,
d) snowy roadway: diffuse reflection type with disturbance,
e) icy roadway (black ice): specular reflection type without disturbance, and
at least one of alerting a driver of the roadway condition classification by controlling a display of the vehicle to visually present an alert based upon the roadway condition classification, or controlling a vehicle actuator to intervene in driving dynamics of the vehicle based upon the roadway condition classification.