Apparatus and method for recognizing lane-changing vehicle through recognition of adjacent lane

1. An apparatus for recognizing a lane-changing vehicle through recognition of an adjacent lane, the apparatus comprising:

an image acquisition unit photographing front and surrounding images of an ego-vehicle which is traveling;

a travel lane recognition unit recognizing a travel lane of the ego-vehicle from the images photographed by the image acquisition unit;

an adjacent lane recognition unit recognizing an adjacent lane outside the travel lane from the images photographed by the image acquisition unit;

a vehicle information database configured to classify and store vehicle data and non-vehicle data for distinguishing a vehicle from the images photographed by the image acquisition unit;

a vehicle recognition unit extracting a lane candidate group by recognizing a vertical edge and a horizontal edge from the images photographed by the image acquisition unit, to train vehicle data and non-vehicle data of the vehicle information database, and then to recognize whether the extracted lane candidate group corresponds to a vehicle or a non-vehicle; and

a control unit warning a collision danger when a counterpart vehicle recognized by the vehicle recognition unit approaches a lane to which the ego-vehicle is to make a change while the travel lane of the ego-vehicle is being changed,

wherein the control unit determines that a collision danger exists and to inform the ego-vehicle so as to stop a lane change or warn the counterpart vehicle so as to stop a lane change when an avoidance distance using braking of the ego-vehicle or an avoidance distance using steering of the ego-vehicle enters a preset range of values according to the avoidance distance.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the control unit warns the counterpart vehicle when it is determined that a collision danger exists between the ego-vehicle and the counterpart vehicle.

3. The apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein the control unit warns the ego-vehicle when it is determined that a collision danger exists between the ego-vehicle and the counterpart vehicle.

4. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the control unit determines that the travel lane is to be changed when a lateral speed with respect to the travel lane increases while an offset between the ego-vehicle and the travel lane enters a predetermined range, or when a turn signal lamp of the ego-vehicle is switched on.

5. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the control unit determines that a lane change is to be made when a lateral speed of the counterpart vehicle traveling on the adjacent lane with respect to the travel lane increases while an offset between the counterpart vehicle and the adjacent lane enters a predetermined range, or when a turn signal lamp of the counterpart vehicle is switched on.

6. The apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising a warning alarm unit informing the ego-vehicle so as to stop a lane change or to warn the counterpart vehicle so as to stop a lane change.

7. A method for recognizing a lane-changing vehicle through recognition of an adjacent lane by a lane-changing vehicle recognition apparatus, which comprises a vehicle information database configured to classify and store vehicle data and non-vehicle data for distinguishing a vehicle from an image, the method comprising:

acquiring a front image and a surrounding image of an ego-vehicle which is traveling;

recognizing a travel lane of the ego-vehicle and an adjacent lane outside the travel lane from the front image and surrounding image of the ego-vehicle;

recognizing a vertical edge and a horizontal edge from the front image and surrounding image of the ego-vehicle, and extracting a lane candidate group;

training the vehicle data and the non-vehicle data stored in the vehicle information database, and then recognizing whether the extracted lane candidate group corresponds to a vehicle;

determining whether the ego-vehicle is to make a lane change or whether a counterpart vehicle traveling on the adjacent lane is to make a lane change; and

warning the counterpart vehicle of a danger when the counterpart vehicle approaches or enters a travel lane to which the ego-vehicle is to make a change and thus when it is determined that a collision danger exists,

wherein, in the warning of the counterpart vehicle of a danger, the determining of the collision danger comprises informing the ego-vehicle so as to stop a lane change or warning the counterpart vehicle so as to stop a lane change when an avoidance distance using braking of the ego-vehicle or an avoidance distance using steering of the ego-vehicle enters a preset range of values according to the avoidance distance.

8. The method according to claim 7 , wherein the warning of the counterpart vehicle of a danger comprises warning the ego-vehicle when it is determined that a collision danger exists between the ego-vehicle and the counterpart vehicle.

9. The method according to claim 7 , wherein, in the determining of whether a lane change is to be made, the determining of whether a lane change of the ego-vehicle is to be made comprises determining that a lane change is be made when a lateral speed with respect to the travel lane increases while an offset between the ego-vehicle and the travel lane enters a predetermined range, or when a turn signal lamp of the ego-vehicle is switched on.

10. The method according to claim 7 , wherein, in the determining of whether a lane change is to be made, the determining of whether a lane change of a counterpart vehicle traveling on the adjacent lane is to be made comprises determining that a lane change is be made when a lateral speed with respect to the travel lane increases while an offset between the adjacent lane and the counterpart vehicle traveling on the adjacent lane enters a predetermined range, or when a turn signal lamp of the counterpart vehicle is switched on.