Apparatus for controlling a vehicle and method thereof

1 . An apparatus comprising:

a light detection and ranging (LiDAR) sensor; and

a processor,

wherein the processor is configured to:

generate, based on sensing information obtained by the LiDAR sensor and a plurality of first points detected within a first reference height from a ground, a first virtual box, wherein the plurality of first points correspond to an external vehicle and an object protruding from the external vehicle;

generate, based on a plurality of second points, a second virtual box, wherein the plurality of second points detected within a second reference height smaller than the first reference height from the ground are obtained by excluding a portion corresponding to the object, from among the plurality of first points, wherein the second reference height is set to be smaller than a height at which the object is placed;

determine validity of the second virtual box based on at least one of:

a location of the second virtual box,

an angle between a first heading direction of the first virtual box and a second heading direction of the second virtual box,

the second heading direction, or

a distance between the first virtual box and the second virtual box;

map, based on the second virtual box being valid, the second virtual box onto the external vehicle;

generate a signal indicating the second virtual box mapped onto the external vehicle;

determine a heading direction of the external vehicle based on the signal; and

output the determined heading direction of the external vehicle.

2 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the processor is configured to:

map, based on the second virtual box being invalid, the first virtual box onto the external vehicle.

3 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the processor is configured to:

determine, based on the second virtual box being detected in front of a vehicle including the apparatus, that the second virtual box is valid.

4 . The apparatus of claim 3 , wherein the processor is configured to:

determine the second virtual box in front of the vehicle on a plane formed by a first axis and a second axis that is perpendicular to the first axis;

determine a first vertex of the first virtual box and a second vertex located in a diagonal direction of the first vertex;

determine a lateral direction center point of the first virtual box on the plane based on a coordinate value of the first vertex in a direction of the second axis and a coordinate value of the second vertex in the direction of the second axis; and

determine, based on an absolute value of the lateral direction center point being greater than or equal to a reference value, that the second virtual box is valid.

5 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the processor is configured to:

determine the first heading direction of the first virtual box and the second heading direction of the second virtual box on a plane formed by a first axis and a second axis, wherein the first axis is parallel to a driving direction of the external vehicle and perpendicular to the second axis;

determine a first angle between the first heading direction and the second heading direction;

determine a second angle between a straight line parallel to the first axis and the second heading direction; and

determine, based on the first angle and the second angle being smaller than or equal to a reference angle, that the second virtual box is valid.

6 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the processor is configured to:

determine a first line segment corresponding to a rear surface of the external vehicle in the first virtual box;

determine a second line segment corresponding to the rear surface of the external vehicle in the second virtual box;

determine a first distance between a first end of the first line segment and a second end of the second line segment corresponding to the first end;

determine a second distance between a third end of the first line segment and a fourth end of the second line segment corresponding to the third end; and

determine, based on at least one of the first distance or the second distance being smaller than or equal to a reference distance, that the second virtual box is valid.

7 . The apparatus of claim 6 , wherein the processor is configured to:

determine the first line segment and the second line segment on a plane formed by a first axis and a second axis, wherein the first axis is parallel to a driving direction of the external vehicle and perpendicular to the second axis;

determine first coordinates corresponding to the first end, second coordinates corresponding to the second end, third coordinates corresponding to the third end, and fourth coordinates corresponding to the fourth end;

determine the first distance based on the first coordinates and the second coordinates; and

determine the second distance based on the third coordinates and the fourth coordinates.

8 . The apparatus of claim 1 ,

wherein the processor is configured to store, in a memory:

first information for assigning a first identifier indicating that the first virtual box includes the object, and

second information for assigning a second identifier indicating that the object is excluded from the second virtual box.

9 . The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the processor is configured to:

determine a type of the external vehicle by using the first information stored in the memory based on mapping the second virtual box onto the external vehicle.

10 . A method performed by a processor, the method comprising:

generating, based on sensing information obtained by a light detection and ranging (LiDAR) sensor and a plurality of first points, a first virtual box, wherein the plurality of first points correspond to an external vehicle and an object protruding from the external vehicle;

generating, based on a plurality of second points, a second virtual box, wherein the plurality of second points are obtained by excluding a portion corresponding to the object, from among the plurality of first points;

determining validity of the second virtual box based on at least one of:

a location of the second virtual box,

an angle between a first heading direction of the first virtual box and a second heading direction of the second virtual box,

the second heading direction, or

a distance between the first virtual box and the second virtual box;

mapping, based on the second virtual box being valid, the second virtual box onto the external vehicle;

generating a signal indicating the second virtual box mapped onto the external vehicle;

determining a heading direction of the external vehicle based on the signal; and

outputting the determined heading direction of the external vehicle.

11 . The method of claim 10 , further comprising:

mapping, based on the second virtual box being invalid, the first virtual box onto the external vehicle.

12 . The method of claim 10 , further comprising:

determining, based on the second virtual box being detected in front of a vehicle including the processor, that the second virtual box is valid.

13 . The method of claim 12 , further comprising:

determining the second virtual box in front of the vehicle on a plane formed by a first axis and a second axis that is perpendicular to the first axis;

determining a first vertex of the first virtual box and a second vertex located in a diagonal direction of the first vertex;

determining a lateral direction center point of the first virtual box on the plane based on a coordinate value of the first vertex in a direction of the second axis and a coordinate value of the second vertex in the direction of the second axis; and

determining, based on an absolute value of the lateral direction center point being greater than or equal to a reference value, that the second virtual box is valid.

14 . The method of claim 10 , further comprising:

determining the first heading direction of the first virtual box and the second heading direction of the second virtual box on a plane formed by a first axis and a second axis, wherein the first axis is parallel to a driving direction of the external vehicle and perpendicular to the second axis;

determining a first angle between the first heading direction and the second heading direction;

determining a second angle between a straight line parallel to the first axis and the second heading direction; and

determining, based on the first angle and the second angle being smaller than or equal to a reference angle, that the second virtual box is valid.

15 . The method of claim 10 , further comprising:

determining a first line segment corresponding to a rear surface of the external vehicle in the first virtual box;

determining a second line segment corresponding to the rear surface of the external vehicle in the second virtual box;

determining a first distance between a first end of the first line segment and a second end of the second line segment corresponding to the first end;

determining a second distance between a third end of the first line segment and a fourth end of the second line segment corresponding to the third end; and

determining, based on at least one of the first distance or the second distance being smaller than or equal to a reference distance, that the second virtual box is valid.

16 . The method of claim 15 , further comprising:

determining the first line segment and the second line segment on a plane formed by a first axis and a second axis, wherein the first axis is parallel to a driving direction of the external vehicle and perpendicular to the second axis;

determining first coordinates corresponding to the first end, second coordinates corresponding to the second end, third coordinates corresponding to the third end, and fourth coordinates corresponding to the fourth end;

determining the first distance based on the first coordinates and the second coordinates; and

determining the second distance based on the third coordinates and the fourth coordinates.

17 . The method of claim 10 , further comprising:

generating the first virtual box by using the plurality of first points detected within a first reference height from a ground; and

generating the second virtual box by using the plurality of second points detected within a second reference height smaller than the first reference height from the ground, and

wherein the second reference height is set to be smaller than a height at which the object is placed.

18 . The method of claim 10 , further comprising:

storing, in a memory:

first information for assigning a first identifier indicating that the first virtual box includes the object, and

second information for assigning a second identifier indicating that the object is excluded from the second virtual box.

19 . The method of claim 18 , further comprising:

determining a type of the external vehicle by using the first information stored in the memory based on mapping the second virtual box onto the external vehicle.

20 . A vehicle comprising:

a light detection and ranging (LiDAR) sensor; and

a processor,

wherein the processor is configured to:

generate, based on a plurality of first points obtained via the LiDAR sensor, a first virtual box, wherein the plurality of first points correspond to an external vehicle and an object protruding from the external vehicle;

generate, based on a plurality of second points, a second virtual box, wherein the plurality of second points are obtained by excluding a portion corresponding to the object, from among the plurality of first points;

determine validity of the second virtual box based on at least one of:

a location of the second virtual box,

an angle between a first heading direction of the first virtual box and a second heading direction of the second virtual box,

the second heading direction, or

a distance between the first virtual box and the second virtual box;

map, based on the second virtual box being valid, the second virtual box onto the external vehicle;

determine, based on the second virtual box mapped onto the external vehicle, a heading direction of the external vehicle in real time; and

control, based on the determined heading direction of the external vehicle, a driving operation of the vehicle.