Off road route selection and presentation in a drive assistance system equipped vehicle
The present application relates to a method and apparatus for determining a preferred off-road vehicle path including a lidar operative to generate a depth map of an off road surface, a camera for capturing an image of the off road surface, a processor operative to receive the depth map, determine a vehicle path in response to the depth map and a host vehicle characteristic, combine a graphical representation of the vehicle path with the image to generate an augmented image, and a display to display the augmented image to a host vehicle operator.
1. An apparatus comprising:
a lidar operative to generate a depth map of an off road surface;
a camera for capturing an image of the off road surface;
a processor operative to receive the depth map, determine a vehicle path in response to the depth map and a host vehicle characteristic, combine a graphical representation of the vehicle path with the image to generate an augmented image; and
a display operative to display the augmented image to a host vehicle operator.
2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the processor is operative to determine the vehicle path in response to a maximum vertical height of a portion of the off-road surface.
3. The apparatus of claim 1 further including a vehicle controller and wherein the vehicle path is used to control a host vehicle according to an assisted driving algorithm.
4. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the host vehicle characteristic includes ground clearance.
5. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the processor is operative to determine the vehicle path in response to a path width and the vehicle characteristic includes a vehicle width.
6. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the processor is operative to couple the augmented image to the display.
7. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the processor is further operative to determine an unpassable area in response to the depth map and the host vehicle characteristic and wherein the augmented image further includes a graphical representation of the unpassable area.
8. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the processor is operative to generate the vehicle path in response to a user request received via a user interface.
9. A method performed by a processor comprising:
generating, with a lidar, a point cloud of a field of view of an off-road surface;
determining, with the processor, a vehicle path in response to the point cloud;
generating, with the processor, a graphical representation of the vehicle path;
capturing, with a camera, an image of the field of view of the off-road surface;
generating an augmented image, with the processor, including overlaying the graphical representation of the vehicle path onto the image; and
displaying, with a vehicle cabin display, the augmented image to a host vehicle operator.
10. The method of claim 9 wherein determining the vehicle path includes determining a slope of the off-road surface.
11. The method of claim 9 wherein determining the vehicle path includes detecting an obstruction on the off-road surface.
12. The method of claim 9 further including controlling a steering of a host vehicle in response to the vehicle path.
13. The method of claim 9 wherein the vehicle path is used by a vehicle controller to perform an assisted driving algorithm.
14. The method of claim 9 wherein the vehicle path is determined in response to a host vehicle physical characteristic.
15. The method of claim 9 wherein the vehicle path is determined in response to a host vehicle ground clearance.
16. The method of claim 9 further including generating a three-dimensional depth map in response to the point cloud and wherein the vehicle path is determined in response to the three dimensional depth map.
17. The method of claim 9 further including determining an unpassable area in response to the point cloud, generating a graphical representation of the unpassable area and wherein the augmented image includes the graphical representation of the unpassable area.
18. The method of claim 9 wherein the vehicle path is determined in response to a user request received via a user interface.
19. A method for performing an assisted driving operation comprising:
receiving a request, via a user interface, to calculate an off-road vehicle route over an off-road surface;
capturing a depth map, using a lidar, of the off-road surface;
capturing an image, using a camera, of the off-road surface;
calculating the off-road vehicle route in response to the request and the depth map;
generating a graphical representation of the off-road vehicle route;
generating an augmented image in response to the image and graphical representation of the off-road vehicle route; and
displaying the augmented image to a vehicle operator.
20. The method for performing an assisted driving operation of claim 19 wherein the off-road vehicle route is calculated in response to a slope of the off-road surface as determined in response to the depth map.