KR20220111749A - Tracking system for self driving cars - Google Patents

Abstract

Provided is a tracking system of an autonomous vehicle which uses the autonomous vehicle to track a person or an object. Accordingly, the tracking system of the autonomous vehicle according to one aspect of the present invention comprises: a control server which collects videos and tracks a target object; and the autonomous vehicle which sets a location of the target object captured by the control server as a stopover.

Description

TRACKING SYSTEM FOR SELF DRIVING CARS

The present invention relates to a tracking system for an autonomous vehicle that tracks a target using the autonomous vehicle.

An automobile may be classified into an internal combustion engine automobile, an external combustion engine automobile, a gas turbine automobile, an electric vehicle, or the like, according to a type of a prime mover used.

An autonomous vehicle is a vehicle that can drive automatically without human driving. Autonomous vehicles drive autonomously by recognizing their surroundings with radar, light detection and ranging (LIDAR), GPS, and cameras and specifying a destination. Unmanned vehicles that have already been put into practical use include unmanned vehicles that patrol preset routes operated by the Israeli military, and unmanned operation systems such as dump trucks operated in overseas mines and construction sites.

The first core technologies of these autonomous vehicles are the driverless vehicle system and the actual system. It is a technology that not only simulates in the laboratory but also actually builds an unmanned car system. It implements the accelerator, reducer and steering device, which are driving devices, for unmanned operation, and enables control using the computer, software and hardware installed in the unmanned car. do.

The second core technology is to receive and process visual information using vision and sensors. As the basis of autonomous driving for unmanned driving, it is a technology that accepts image information and extracts necessary information from the image. It uses CCD (charge-coupled device) cameras as well as ultrasonic sensors and range filters to fuse information necessary for distance and driving, so that it can avoid obstacles and cope with unexpected situations through analysis and processing.

The third core technology is the integrated control system and operation monitoring fault diagnosis system technology. This technology establishes a driving monitoring system that monitors the operation of the vehicle and gives appropriate commands according to the changing conditions, and provides appropriate information to the operator by analyzing various situations occurring from individual processors and sensors to diagnose system failures. or to perform the function of notifying an alarm.

The fourth core technology is intelligent control and intelligent operation devices. This technology is an unmanned driving technique that generates control commands based on mathematical analysis using real vehicle models. Intelligent Forward Control is a system that maintains the distance from the vehicle in front or obstacles by adjusting the speed by itself without the driver operating the pedals based on radar guide technology. When the driver inputs the distance to the vehicle in front, the long-range radar attached to the front of the vehicle detects the position of the vehicle in front, maintains a constant speed, decelerates, accelerates, and stops completely if necessary, which is useful in weather where visibility is difficult.

The fifth applied technology is the lane departure prevention system. This is a technology that notifies the driver of an unintentional departure situation by detecting a lane with a camera installed inside.

The sixth application technology is the parking assist system. This is a system that helps the car park in reverse line by adjusting the steering system when the driver presses the brake pedal after searching for the assist button and inserts the reverse gear. Based on infrastructure as well as vehicle-mounted sensors, the vehicle is automatically guided from the departure point to the parking space, saving unnecessary time and energy when parking, thereby minimizing cost and environmental pollution.

The seventh application technology is the automatic parking system. This is a technology in which the driver stops the car in front of the parking lot, turns off the engine, gets off, and presses the remote control lock switch twice in succession. to be.

The eighth application technology is the blind spot information guidance system. It is used to change lanes by checking obstacles and vehicles on both sides in complex road conditions, as sensors mounted on both sides of the car determine whether there are other vehicles in the blind spot that cannot be seen through the side mirrors and warn the driver. .

The biggest advantage of autonomous driving is that it helps fuel efficiency by avoiding repeated stops by making the control device more even because the driving speed and traffic management data match. will be. In addition, it has the advantages of solving fatigue caused by long-term driving, greatly reducing the risk of traffic accidents, speeding up road traffic flow, and reducing traffic congestion.

In recent years, it is expected that many new uses will be created for these autonomous vehicles. That is, conventionally, the vehicle is only a tool concept for going to a destination, but since driving is omitted, it is observed that there will be a driving without a destination concept. There will also be a need for autonomous driving to find people in more detail or to find certain targets. However, only a method for tracking obstacles for autonomous driving itself has been disclosed as in the prior art literature.

Korean Patent No. 10-1371718 (2014. 3. 10.), method for tracking obstacles around the vehicle {TRACKING METHOD OF VEHICLE'S SURROUNDING OBSTACLES}

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention is to solve the problems of the prior art, and an object of the present invention is to provide a tracking system for an autonomous vehicle that uses the autonomous vehicle to track a person or a target.

A tracking system for an autonomous vehicle according to an aspect of the present invention includes a control server that tracks a target by collecting images, and an autonomous vehicle that sets the location of the target captured by the control server as a stopover.

In this case, the control server may include an image collection module for acquiring an image of a place where the target is expected to be located, and the image collection module may collect images by a stationary imaging device and a non-stationary imaging device.

In addition, the non-fixed image pickup device may collect images other than an imageable area of the fixed image pickup device.

In addition, the control server may determine a preliminary target by reading the collected image, and transmit information on the preliminary target to the autonomous vehicle.

Also, the autonomous vehicle may select at least one of the received preliminary targets and set the location of the selected preliminary target as a waypoint.

In addition, the radius of the waypoint from the expected center may increase as the tracking progress time elapses.

According to the present invention, since the control server acquires the image of the preliminary target through CCTV and the drone, and the autonomous vehicle quickly moves to the location where the preliminary target is located, it is possible to track the target remarkably quickly.

1 is a configuration diagram of a tracking system for an autonomous vehicle according to an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a configuration diagram illustrating the sensing unit of FIG. 1 in more detail.
FIG. 3 is a configuration diagram illustrating the control unit in FIG. 1 in more detail.
4 is a configuration diagram illustrating the control server in FIG. 1 in more detail.
5 is a diagram illustrating an operation of a tracking system for an autonomous vehicle according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Hereinafter, the embodiments disclosed in the present specification will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings, but the same or similar components are assigned the same reference numbers regardless of reference numerals, and redundant description thereof will be omitted.

The suffixes "module" and "part" for components used in the following description are given or mixed in consideration of only the ease of writing the specification, and do not have distinct meanings or roles by themselves.

In addition, in describing the embodiments disclosed in the present specification, if it is determined that detailed descriptions of related known technologies may obscure the gist of the embodiments disclosed in the present specification, the detailed description thereof will be omitted.

In addition, the accompanying drawings are only for easy understanding of the embodiments disclosed in the present specification, and the technical spirit disclosed herein is not limited by the accompanying drawings, and all changes included in the spirit and scope of the present invention , should be understood to include equivalents or substitutes.

Terms including ordinal numbers such as first, second, etc. may be used to describe various elements, but the elements are not limited by the terms. The above terms are used only for the purpose of distinguishing one component from another.

When a component is referred to as being “connected” or “connected” to another component, it may be directly connected or connected to the other component, but it is understood that other components may exist in between. it should be On the other hand, when it is said that a certain element is "directly connected" or "directly connected" to another element, it should be understood that the other element does not exist in the middle.

The singular expression includes the plural expression unless the context clearly dictates otherwise.

In the present application, terms such as “comprises” or “have” are intended to designate that a feature, number, step, operation, component, part, or combination thereof described in the specification exists, but one or more other features It should be understood that this does not preclude the possibility of addition or existence of numbers, steps, operations, components, parts, or combinations thereof.

Hereinafter, a system for tracking an autonomous vehicle according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described. 1 is a configuration diagram of a tracking system for an autonomous vehicle according to an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a configuration diagram illustrating the sensing unit in FIG. 1 in more detail, and FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating the control unit in FIG. 1 in more detail It is a configuration diagram shown, and FIG. 4 is a configuration diagram showing the control server in FIG. 1 in more detail.

Referring to the drawings, first, a tracking system 1000 for an autonomous vehicle according to an embodiment of the present invention largely includes an autonomous vehicle 100 and a control server 200 . At this time, the control server 200 performs preliminary exploration for the autonomous driving vehicle 10 to find a target, selects an expected target, and sets the stopover of the autonomous driving vehicle 10 as a target location.

In more detail, in the tracking system 1000 according to this embodiment, the control server collects images to track the target, and sets the location of the target captured by the control server 200 as a waypoint, and the autonomous vehicle 100 is driven. . To this end, the autonomous vehicle 100 includes an input unit 110 , a sensing unit 120 , an output unit 130 , a control unit 140 , a communication unit 150 , and a driving unit 160 .

The input unit 110 is a device for receiving a user input for driving. In the manual mode, the input unit 110 of the autonomous vehicle 100 may include a steering input device, an acceleration input device, and a brake input device. In addition, the input unit 110 serves to input the destination of the autonomous vehicle, and the controller 140 controls the driving according to the input destination or receives information from the server 200 to continuously set a route. However, in this embodiment, as described above, it is preferable that the location of the expected target tracked by the control server is automatically input after being received by the communication unit 150 .

The sensing unit 120 may include a radar 121 and a lidar 122 , and may further include a camera 123 . First, the radar 121 may generate information on an object outside the autonomous vehicle 100 using radio waves. The radar 121 may include at least one processor that is electrically connected to an electromagnetic wave transmitter, an electromagnetic wave receiver, and an electromagnetic wave transmitter and an electromagnetic wave receiver, processes a received signal, and generates data for an object based on the processed signal. have.

The radar 121 may be implemented in a pulse radar method or a continuous wave radar method in view of a radio wave emission principle. The radar 121 may be implemented in a frequency modulated continuous wave (FMCW) method or a frequency shift keyong (FSK) method according to a signal waveform among continuous wave radar methods. The radar 121 detects an object based on a time of flight (TOF) method or a phase-shift method using an electromagnetic wave as a medium, and calculates the position of the detected object, the distance to the detected object, and the relative speed. can be detected. In this case, the radar 121 may be disposed at an appropriate position outside the vehicle in order to detect an object located in the front, rear, or side of the vehicle.

The lidar 122 may generate information about an object outside the autonomous vehicle 100 by using laser light. The lidar 122 is electrically connected to the light transmitter (not shown), the light receiver (not shown), and the light transmitter and the light receiver, processes the received signal, and generates data for the object based on the processed signal. It may include at least one processor.

The lidar 122 may be implemented in a time of flight (TOF) method or a phase-shift method. The lidar 122 may be implemented as a driving type or a non-driven type. When the lidar 122 is implemented as a driving type, the lidar 122 is rotated by a motor and may detect an object around the autonomous vehicle 100 . When implemented as a non-driven type, the lidar 122 may detect an object located within a predetermined range with respect to the vehicle by light steering. The autonomous vehicle 100 may include a plurality of non-driven lidar. The lidar 122 detects an object based on a time of flight (TOF) method or a phase-shift method using a laser light medium, and calculates a position of the detected object, a distance from the detected object, and a relative speed. can be detected. In this case, the lidar 122 may be disposed at an appropriate position outside the vehicle in order to detect an object located in the front, rear or side of the vehicle.

Meanwhile, the camera 123 may generate information about an object outside the autonomous vehicle 100 by using the image. In this case, the camera 123 may image a target outside the vehicle.

The camera 123 may include at least one lens, at least one image sensor, and at least one processor that is electrically connected to the image sensor to process a received signal, and generate data about the object based on the processed signal. can

The camera 123 may be at least one of a mono camera, a stereo camera, and an Around View Monitoring (AVM) camera. The camera 123 may acquire position information of an object, information on a distance to an object, information on a relative speed with respect to an object, motion information of an object, and the like by using various image processing algorithms.

For example, the camera 123 may acquire distance information and relative velocity information from an object based on a change in the size of the object over time in the acquired image. Also, the camera 123 may acquire distance information and relative speed information with respect to an object through a pinhole model, road surface profiling, or the like.

In addition, the camera 123 may acquire basic information about motion, such as distance information, relative speed information, and other people's hand gestures or gestures, based on disparity information in the stereo image obtained from the stereo camera. have.

The camera 123 may be mounted at a position where a field of view (FOV) can be secured in the vehicle to photograph the outside of the vehicle. The camera 123 may be disposed adjacent to the front windshield in the interior of the vehicle to acquire an image of the front of the vehicle. Furthermore, the camera 123 may be disposed around the front bumper or radiator grill. The camera 123 may be disposed adjacent to the rear glass in the interior of the vehicle to acquire an image of the rear of the vehicle. In this case, the camera 123 may be disposed around the rear bumper, the trunk, or the tailgate. In order for the camera 123 to acquire an image of the side of the vehicle, it may be disposed adjacent to at least one of the side windows in the interior of the vehicle. Alternatively, the camera 123 may be disposed around a side mirror, a fender, or a door.

Meanwhile, in this embodiment, the radar 121, lidar 122, and camera 123 include a specific object at the corresponding position in the image of the target transmitted by the control server. It can be used to determine whether or not it has been correctly reached.

In addition, since the sensing unit 120 needs to utilize location information of the autonomous vehicle, it essentially further includes a GPS 124 . In this embodiment, when the control center tracks the target, GPS coordinates of the target are generated, and the autonomous vehicle operates by setting the GPS coordinates as a waypoint.

The GPS 124 may include at least one of a general global positioning system (GPS) and a differential global positioning system (DGPS) to generate location data of the autonomous vehicle 100 . Location data of the autonomous vehicle 100 may be generated based on a signal generated from at least one of the GPS and DGPS.

In this case, the GPS 124 may correct the location data based on at least one of an Inertial Measurement Unit (IMU) and the camera 123 of the sensing unit 120 . Also, the GPS 124 may be referred to as a Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS).

On the other hand, the sensing unit 120 may further include a microphone 125 in order for the passenger to intervene in the autonomous driving in addition to the guardian by voice or the like even if the passenger does not perform the steering operation. In addition, the microphone 125 according to the present embodiment acquires information about the voice of another person outside the vehicle. This is to collect commands made up of other people's voices.

Furthermore, the biometric information sensor 126 not only senses the passenger's heartbeat, pinch pressure, brain waves, etc. to prepare for an emergency, but additionally senses fingerprint and iris information when entering and exiting the vehicle to prevent erroneous boarding. can By utilizing the biometric information sensor 126 , the autonomous vehicle 100 may detect that a passenger has boarded or alighted.

The output unit 130 is disposed inside or outside the autonomous driving vehicle 100 to display a driving-related situation and further to display any one of a shape, a shape, and a color on the outside of the vehicle to provide information to the owner of the vehicle and others around the vehicle. It can provide predictability.

In more detail, when tracking a person, the output unit 130 according to this embodiment may receive an image of the person from the control server and output the image to the outside of the vehicle to request help from other people around. .

Meanwhile, the control unit 140 includes a drive control module 141 , an input/output control module 142 , and a path determination module 143 .

First, the driving control module 141 may be configured as a main ECU, and controls the driving unit 160 of the autonomous vehicle 100 . In this case, the drive control module 141 may include a power train drive control device, a chassis drive control device, a door/window drive control device, a safety device drive control device, a lamp drive control device, and an air conditioning drive control device. The power train drive control device may include a power source drive control device and a transmission drive control device. The chassis drive control device may include a steering drive control device, a brake drive control device, and a suspension drive control device. Meanwhile, the safety device drive control device may include a safety belt drive control device for seat belt control.

In addition, the driving control module 141 includes at least one electronic control device (eg, a control ECU (Electronic Control Unit)). In particular, on the basis of the received signal, it is possible to control the vehicle drive unit. For example, the driving control module 141 may control a power train, a steering device, and a brake device based on a signal received from the sensing unit 120 .

The input/output control module 142 controls the above-described output unit 130 to output an image of a target and information about the target, and control the communication unit 150 to transmit it in another autonomous vehicle, so that it can be used in other nearby vehicles as well. The image of the target is transmitted so that it can be viewed internally or output in the same way externally, so that the target can be found more easily.

The path determination module 143 determines the path of the vehicle so that the place where the preliminary target is located is a destination or a waypoint, when a selection is made from among the preliminary targets transmitted by the control server 200 that is actually determined to be similar to the target. play a role In this case, when a plurality of preliminary targets are selected, the route is determined by sequentially calculating the first waypoint, the second waypoint, etc. according to the separated distance.

On the other hand, in this case, when tracking a moving person like a lost child, the tracking radius increases as time passes by reflecting the movement. Therefore, it is preferable that the route determination module 143 sets the waypoint so that the radius to the waypoint gradually expands by taking the place where the first lost child occurs as the expected center.

The communication unit 150 may exchange signals with at least one of the control server 200 located outside the autonomous vehicle 100 , another vehicle, and a terminal. The communication unit 150 may include at least one of a transmit antenna, a receive antenna, a radio frequency (RF) circuit capable of implementing various communication protocols, and an RF element to perform communication.

For example, the communication apparatus may exchange a signal with an external device based on C-V2X (Cellular V2X) technology. In addition, the communication unit 150 is based on the IEEE 802.11p PHY / MAC layer technology and the IEEE 1609 Network / Transport layer technology based on DSRC (Dedicated Short Range Communications) technology or WAVE (Wireless Access in Vehicular Environment) standard based on the external device and signal can be exchanged for

Meanwhile, the control server 200 includes an image collection module 210 and an image reading module 220 . The image collection module 210 collects images by a stationary imaging device such as a closed circuit camera and a non-stationary imaging device such as a drone equipped with a camera. To this end, the image collection module 210 sets a tracking area so that the image is collected by generating a driving signal of the drone for an area other than the area where the fixed image pickup device can image.

The image reading module 220 compares the collected target information with the captured image or image to determine in advance whether the target is a target. The image reading module 220 defines this as a preliminary target and transmits it to the autonomous vehicle 100 . In this case, since a plurality of preliminary targets may be generated, the plurality of positions becomes a stopover of the autonomous vehicle and a driving route is generated.

Hereinafter, the operation of the present invention will be exemplified. 5 is a view for explaining an operation of a tracking system for an autonomous vehicle according to an embodiment of the present invention.

In this embodiment, the occurrence of a missing child and tracking it was exemplified as an action. When a missing child occurs, the information is sent to the control server, the control server sends the drone to the expected center, and the image of the missing child, a preliminary target, is transmitted to the autonomous vehicle, and the autonomous vehicle is driven using the location of the missing child as a stopover. will be controlled Accordingly, it is possible to quickly and accurately track a target according to the primary tracking by the drone and the secondary tracking by the person concerned.

As such, those skilled in the art to which the present invention pertains will understand that the present invention may be embodied in other specific forms without changing the technical spirit or essential characteristics thereof.

In addition, the present specification and drawings have been disclosed with respect to preferred embodiments of the present invention, and although specific terms are used, these are only used in a general sense to easily explain the technical content of the present invention and help the understanding of the present invention, It is not intended to limit the scope of the invention. It will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art to which the present invention pertains that other modifications based on the technical spirit of the present invention can be implemented in addition to the embodiments disclosed herein.

1000: tracking system of autonomous vehicle
100: autonomous vehicle
110: input unit
120: detection unit
130: output unit
140: control unit
150: communication department
160: driving unit
200: control server

Claims (6)

In the tracking system of an autonomous vehicle,
a control server that tracks a target by collecting images;
an autonomous vehicle that sets the location of the target captured by the control server as a waypoint;
A tracking system for an autonomous vehicle comprising a.
According to claim 1,
The control server includes an image collection module that acquires an image of a place where the target is expected to be located, wherein the image collection module collects images using a fixed image pickup device and a non-stationary image pickup device. 's tracking system.
3. The method of claim 2,
The non-stationary imaging device is a tracking system for an autonomous vehicle, characterized in that the stationary imaging device collects images other than an imageable area.
According to claim 1,
and the control server reads the collected image to determine a preliminary target, and transmits information on the preliminary target to the autonomous vehicle.
5. The method of claim 4,
The autonomous vehicle tracking system, characterized in that the autonomous vehicle selects at least one of the received preliminary targets and sets the location of the selected preliminary target as a waypoint.
According to claim 1,
The tracking system of the autonomous vehicle, characterized in that the radius from the expected center increases as the tracking progress time elapses.

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