Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for navigating an autonomous vehicle. In one implementation, a navigational system for a host vehicle may include at least one processor programmed to: receive a stream of images captured by a camera onboard the host vehicle, wherein the captured images are representative of an environment surrounding the host vehicle; and receive an output of a LIDAR onboard the host vehicle, wherein the output of the LIDAR is representative of a plurality of laser reflections from at least a portion of the environment surrounding the host vehicle.

Abstract: Computerized methods are performable by a driver assistance system while the host vehicle is moving. The driver assistance system includes a camera connectible to a processor. First and second image frames are captured from the field of view of the camera. Corresponding image points of the road are tracked from the first image frame to the second image frame. Image motion between the corresponding image points of the road is processed to detect a hazard in the road. The corresponding image points are determined to be of a moving shadow cast on the road to avoid a false positive detection of a hazard in the road or the corresponding image points are determined not to be of a moving shadow cast on the road to verify detection of a hazard in the road.

Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for vehicle navigation. In one implementation, a navigation system for a vehicle may comprise at least one processor. The at least one processor may be programmed to obtain a route from a location of the vehicle to a destination; receive signal information indicative of a quality characteristic of a signal associated with at least one location along the route; determine a quality parameter for at least one operational characteristic associated with a communication system; and determine at least one modification to the route for the vehicle based on the signal information and the quality parameter.

Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for augmenting upright object detection. In one implementation, a system for augmenting detection of objects in an environment of a vehicle may include at least one processing device. The at least one processing device may be programmed to: receive, from an image capture device, a first image frame, the first image frame including an attention area associated with a suspected upright object indication; warp, using a level road plane model, an area in a second earlier image frame that corresponds to the attention area; track a plurality of image patches across the warped area and the attention area; compute a road plane model fit to the tracked image patches; and determine whether to suppress the upright object indication based on the tracked image patches being more consistent with a road plane model than with an upright object model.

Abstract: A navigation system for a host vehicle may include a processor programmed to: receive, from an entity remotely located relative to the host vehicle, a sparse map associated with at least one road segment to be traversed by the host vehicle; receive point cloud information from a LIDAR system onboard the host vehicle, the point cloud information being representative of distances to various objects in an environment of the host vehicle; compare the received point cloud information with at least one of the plurality of mapped navigational landmarks in the sparse map to provide a LIDAR-based localization of the host vehicle relative to at least one target trajectory; determine an navigational action for the host vehicle based on the LIDAR-based localization of the host vehicle relative to the at least one target trajectory; and cause the at least one navigational action to be taken by the host vehicle.

Abstract: A navigation system for a host vehicle may include a processor programmed to: receive, from an entity remotely located relative to the host vehicle, a sparse map associated with at least one road segment to be traversed by the host vehicle; receive point cloud information from a LIDAR system onboard the host vehicle, the point cloud information being representative of distances to various objects in an environment of the host vehicle; compare the received point cloud information with at least one of the plurality of mapped navigational landmarks in the sparse map to provide a LIDAR-based localization of the host vehicle relative to at least one target trajectory; determine an navigational action for the host vehicle based on the LIDAR-based localization of the host vehicle relative to the at least one target trajectory; and cause the at least one navigational action to be taken by the host vehicle.

Abstract: A navigation system for a host vehicle may include a processor programmed to determine at least one indicator of ego motion of the host vehicle. A processor may be also programmed to receive, from a LIDAR system, a first point cloud including a first representation of at least a portion of an object and a second point cloud including a second representation of the at least a portion of the object. The processor may further be programmed to determine a velocity of the object based on the at least one indicator of ego motion of the host vehicle, and based on a comparison of the first point cloud, including the first representation of the at least a portion of the object, and the second point cloud, including the second representation of the at least a portion of the object.

Abstract: A navigation system for a host vehicle may include a processor programmed to: receive from a camera onboard the host vehicle at least one captured image representative of an environment of the host vehicle, wherein the camera is positioned at a first location relative to the host vehicle; receive point cloud information from a LIDAR system onboard the host vehicle, wherein the LIDAR system is positioned at a second location relative to the host vehicle; analyze the at least one captured image and the received point cloud information to detect one or more objects in the shared field of view region; determine whether a vantage point difference between the first location of the camera and the second location of the LIDAR system accounts for the one or more detected objects being represented in only one of the at least one captured image or the received point cloud information.

Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for detecting an object in front of a vehicle. In one implementation, an object detecting system includes an image capture device configured to acquire a plurality of images of an area, a data interface, and a processing device programmed to compare a first image to a second image to determine displacement vectors between pixels, to search for a region of coherent expansion that is a set of pixels in at least one of the first image and the second image, for which there exists a common focus of expansion and a common scale magnitude such that the set of pixels satisfy a relationship between pixel positions, displacement vectors, the common focus of expansion, and the common scale magnitude, and to identify presence of a substantially upright object based on the set of pixels.

Abstract: Computerized methods are performable by a driver assistance system while the host vehicle is moving. The driver assistance system includes a camera connectible to a processor. First and second image frames are captured from the field of view of the camera. Corresponding image points of the road are tracked from the first image frame to the second image frame. Image motion between the corresponding image points of the road is processed to detect a hazard in the road. The corresponding image points are determined to be of a moving shadow cast on the road to avoid a false positive detection of a hazard in the road or the corresponding image points are determined not to be of a moving shadow cast on the road to verify detection of a hazard in the road.

Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for detecting an object and causing a vehicle to brake based on the detection. In one implementation, an object detecting and braking system for a vehicle includes at least one image capture device configured to acquire a plurality of images of an area including an object in front of the vehicle. The system includes at least one processing device programmed to perform a first image analysis to determine a first estimated time-to-collision of the vehicle with the object, and to perform a second image analysis to determine a second estimated time-to-collision of the vehicle with the object. The processing device is also programmed to calculate a difference between the first estimated time-to-collision and the second estimated time-to-collision, to determine that the difference does not exceed a predetermined threshold, and to cause the vehicle to brake based on the determination that the difference does not exceed the predetermined threshold.

Abstract: Computerized methods are performable by a driver assistance system while the host vehicle is moving. The driver assistance system includes a camera connectible to a processor. First and second image frames are captured from the field of view of the camera. Corresponding image points of the road are tracked from the first image frame to the second image frame. Image motion between the corresponding image points of the road is processed to detect a hazard in the road. The corresponding image points are determined to be of a moving shadow cast on the road to avoid a false positive detection of a hazard in the road or the corresponding image points are determined not to be of a moving shadow cast on the road to verify detection of a hazard in the road.

Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for augmenting upright object detection. In one implementation, a system for augmenting detection of objects in an environment of a vehicle may include at least one processing device. The at least one processing device may be programmed to: receive, from an image capture device, a first image frame, the first image frame including an attention area associated with a suspected upright object indication; warp, using a level road plane model, an area in a second earlier image frame that corresponds to the attention area; track a plurality of image patches across the warped area and the attention area; compute a road plane model fit to the tracked image patches; and determine whether to suppress the upright object indication based on the tracked image patches being more consistent with a road plane model than with an upright object model.

Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for vehicle navigation. In one implementation, a navigation system for a vehicle may comprise at least one processor. The at least one processor may be programmed to obtain a route from a location of the vehicle to a destination; receive signal information indicative of a quality characteristic of a signal associated with at least one location along the route; determine a quality parameter for at least one operational characteristic associated with a communication system; and determine at least one modification to the route for the vehicle based on the signal information and the quality parameter.

Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for detecting an object in front of a vehicle. In one implementation, an object detecting system includes an image capture device configured to acquire a plurality of images of an area, a data interface, and a processing device programmed to compare a first image to a second image to determine displacement vectors between pixels, to search for a region of coherent expansion that is a set of pixels in at least one of the first image and the second image, for which there exists a common focus of expansion and a common scale magnitude such that the set of pixels satisfy a relationship between pixel positions, displacement vectors, the common focus of expansion, and the common scale magnitude, and to identify presence of a substantially upright object based on the set of pixels.

Abstract: Computing a time-to-contact (TTC) of a vehicle with an object. The object includes a light source. The system mountable in the vehicle includes a camera and a processor configured to capture images of the object. The processor is operable to track a spot between the images to produce a tracked spot. The spot includes an image of the light source. The processor is operable to compute time-to-contact (TTC) responsive to changes in brightness of the tracked spot.

Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for augmenting upright object detection. In one implementation, a system for augmenting detection of objects in an environment of a vehicle may include at least one processing device. The at least one processing device may be programmed to: receive, from an image capture device, a first image frame, the first image frame including an attention area associated with a suspected upright object indication; warp, using a level road plane model, an area in a second earlier image frame that corresponds to the attention area; track a plurality of image patches across the warped area and the attention area; compute a road plane model fit to the tracked image patches; and determine whether to suppress the upright object indication based on the tracked image patches being more consistent with a road plane model than with an upright object model.

Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for detecting an object in front of a vehicle. In one implementation, an object detecting system includes an image capture device configured to acquire a plurality of images of an area, a data interface, and a processing device programmed to compare a first image to a second image to determine displacement vectors between pixels, to search for a region of coherent expansion that is a set of pixels in at least one of the first image and the second image, for which there exists a common focus of expansion and a common scale magnitude such that the set of pixels satisfy a relationship between pixel positions, displacement vectors, the common focus of expansion, and the common scale magnitude, and to identify presence of a substantially upright object based on the set of pixels.

Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for detecting an object in front of a vehicle. In one implementation, an object detecting system includes an image capture device configured to acquire a plurality of images of an area, a data interface, and a processing device programmed to compare a first image to a second image to determine displacement vectors between pixels, to search for a region of coherent expansion that is a set of pixels in at least one of the first image and the second image, for which there exists a common focus of expansion and a common scale magnitude such that the set of pixels satisfy a relationship between pixel positions, displacement vectors, the common focus of expansion, and the common scale magnitude, and to identify presence of a substantially upright object based on the set of pixels.

Abstract: A navigation system for a vehicle may include at least one image capture device configured to acquire a plurality of images of an environment of a vehicle and a radar sensor to detect an object in the environment of the vehicle and to provide and output including range information indicative of at least one of a range or range rate between the vehicle and the object.