Patents by Inventor Qingrong Zhao
Qingrong Zhao has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).
-
Patent number: 9836660Abstract: A method of determining a wet surface condition of a road. An image of a road surface is captured by an image capture device of the host vehicle. The image capture device is mounted on a side of the host vehicle and an image is captured in a downward direction. A region of interest is identified in the captured image by a processor. The region of interest is in a region rearward of a tire of a host vehicle. The region of interest is representative of where a tire track as generated by the tire rotating on the road when the road surface is wet. A determination is made whether water is present in the region of interest as a function of identifying the tire track. A wet road surface signal is generated in response to the identification of water in the region of interest.Type: GrantFiled: December 3, 2015Date of Patent: December 5, 2017Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLCInventors: Qingrong Zhao, Qi Zhang, Jinsong Wang, Bakhtiar B. Litkouhi
-
Publication number: 20170282869Abstract: A method of determining a surface condition of a path of travel. A plurality of images is captured of a surface of the path of travel by an image capture device. The image capture device captures images at varying scales. A feature extraction technique is applied by a feature extraction module to each of the scaled images. A fusion technique is applied, by the processor, to the extracted features for identifying the surface condition of the path of travel. A road surface condition signal provide to a control device. The control device applies the road surface condition signal to mitigate the wet road surface condition.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 30, 2016Publication date: October 5, 2017Inventors: WEI TONG, QINGRONG ZHAO, BAKHTIAR B. LITKOUHI, SHUQING ZENG
-
Publication number: 20170161572Abstract: A method of determining a wet surface condition of a road. An image of a road surface is captured by an image capture device of the host vehicle. The image capture device is mounted on a side of the host vehicle and an image is captured in a downward direction. A region of interest is identified in the captured image by a processor. The region of interest is in a region rearward of a tire of a host vehicle. The region of interest is representative of where a tire track as generated by the tire rotating on the road when the road surface is wet. A determination is made whether water is present in the region of interest as a function of identifying the tire track. A wet road surface signal is generated in response to the identification of water in the region of interest.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 3, 2015Publication date: June 8, 2017Inventors: QINGRONG ZHAO, QI ZHANG, JINSONG WANG, BAKHTIAR B. LITKOUHI
-
Publication number: 20170161571Abstract: A method for determining a snow covered surface condition of a path of travel. A beam of light is emitted at a surface of the path of travel by a light emitting source. An image of a path of travel surface is captured by an image capture device. The image capture device is mounted on the vehicle and captures an image in a downward direction. The captured image captures the beam of light emitted on the path of travel surface. Analyzing a subsurface scattering of the light generated on the path of travel surface by a processor. A determination is made whether snow is present on the path of travel. A snow covered path of travel surface signal is generated in response to the identification of snow on the path of travel.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 3, 2015Publication date: June 8, 2017Inventors: QINGRONG ZHAO, JINSONG WANG, QI ZHANG, BAKHTIAR B. LITKOUHI, WENDE ZHANG
-
Publication number: 20170161573Abstract: A method for determining a wet surface condition of a road. An image of a road surface is captured by an image capture device of the host vehicle. The image capture device is mounted on a side of the host vehicle and captures an image in a downward direction. Identifying in the captured image, by a processor, a region of interest. The region of interest is in a region sideways to a face of the wheel. The region of interest is representative of where sideways splash as generated by the wheel occurs. A determination is made whether water is present in the region of interest. A wet road surface signal is generated in response to the identification of water in the region of interest.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 3, 2015Publication date: June 8, 2017Inventors: QINGRONG ZHAO, QI ZHANG, JINSONG WANG, BAKHTIAR B. LITKOUHI
-
Publication number: 20170161570Abstract: A method for determining a wet surface condition of a road. An image of a road surface is captured by an image capture device of the host vehicle. The image capture device is mounted on a side of the host vehicle and captures an image in a downward direction. A region of interest rearward of the wheel of the host vehicle is identified in the captured image by a processor. The region of interest is representative of where rearward splash as generated by the wheel occurs. A determination is made whether precipitation is present in the region of interest by applying a filter to the image. A wet road surface signal is generated in response to the identification of precipitation in the region of interest.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 3, 2015Publication date: June 8, 2017Inventors: QINGRONG ZHAO, QI ZHANG, JINSONG WANG, BAKHTIAR B. LITKOUHI
-
Publication number: 20170162045Abstract: A method for determining a wet surface condition of a road. Capturing an image of a wheel of a remote vehicle traveling in an adjacent lane by an image capture device of a host vehicle. Identifying in the captured image, by processor of a host vehicle, a region of interest relative to the wheel where the region of interest is representative of where precipitation dispersion occurs. A determination is made whether precipitation is present in the region of interest. A wet road surface signal is generated in response to the identification of precipitation in the adjacent lane.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 3, 2015Publication date: June 8, 2017Inventors: Qingrong ZHAO, Jinsong WANG, Qi ZHANG, Bakhtiar B. LITKOUHI
-
Patent number: 9598087Abstract: Systems and methods use an image of a road surface that is generated by a camera. The image includes a pattern from a light source. A region of interest in the image is determined based on the pattern from the light source. A total area is determined that includes at least part of the region of interest and an area adjacent the region of interest. A feature vector is extracted based on the region of interest and the total area. A road condition is determined based on the feature vector and a classifier.Type: GrantFiled: December 12, 2014Date of Patent: March 21, 2017Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLCInventors: Qingrong Zhao, Qi Zhang, Jinsong Wang, Bakhtiar Litkouhi, Wende Zhang
-
Patent number: 9594964Abstract: A method for determining a wet road surface condition for a vehicle driving on a road. A first image exterior of the vehicle is captured by an image capture device. A second image exterior of the vehicle is captured by the image capture device. A section of the road is identified in the first and second captured images. A texture of the road in the first and second images captured by a processor are compared. A determination is made whether the texture of the road in the first image is different from the texture of the road in the second image. A wet driving surface indicating signal is generated in response to the determination that the texture of the road in the first image is different than the texture of the road in the second image.Type: GrantFiled: June 12, 2014Date of Patent: March 14, 2017Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLCInventors: Qingrong Zhao, Wende Zhang, Jinsong Wang, Bakhtiar Brian Litkouhi
-
Publication number: 20160167669Abstract: Systems and methods use an image of a road surface that is generated by a camera. The image includes a pattern from a light source. A region of interest in the image is determined based on the pattern from the light source. A total area is determined that includes at least part of the region of interest and an area adjacent the region of interest. A feature vector is extracted based on the region of interest and the total area. A road condition is determined based on the feature vector and a classifier.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 12, 2014Publication date: June 16, 2016Inventors: QINGRONG ZHAO, QI ZHANG, JINSONG WANG, BAKHTIAR LITKOUHI, WENDE ZHANG
-
Publication number: 20160101782Abstract: Methods and systems for determining road surface information in a vehicle. In one embodiment, the method includes: determining at least one condition assessment value based on steering data; determining a feature set to include at least one of self-aligning torque (SAT), slip angle, SAT variance, steering rate, and lateral acceleration based on the condition assessment value; processing steering data obtained during a steering maneuver and associated with the feature set using a pattern classification technique; and determining a surface type based on the processing.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 9, 2014Publication date: April 14, 2016Inventors: YOUSSEF A. GHONEIM, QINGRONG ZHAO, QI ZHANG, BAKHTIAR B. LITKOUHI, YINGMEI SI, DAVID M. SIDLOSKY, VALARIE V. BOATMAN, SAMI AHMED
-
Publication number: 20150363651Abstract: A method for determining a wet road surface condition for a vehicle driving on a road. A first image exterior of the vehicle is captured by an image capture device. A second image exterior of the vehicle is captured by the image capture device. A section of the road is identified in the first and second captured images. A texture of the road in the first and second images captured by a processor are compared. A determination is made whether the texture of the road in the first image is different from the texture of the road in the second image. A wet driving surface indicating signal is generated in response to the determination that the texture of the road in the first image is different than the texture of the road in the second image.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 12, 2014Publication date: December 17, 2015Inventors: QINGRONG ZHAO, WENDE ZHANG, JINSONG WANG, BAKHTIAR BRIAN LITKOUHI
-
Publication number: 20150363654Abstract: A method for determining a wet road surface condition on a road. An image exterior of the vehicle is captured by an image capture device. A real object and a virtual object are detected in the captured image. A feature point is identified on the real object and on the virtual object. A potential virtual object associated with the real object is identified on a ground surface of the road in the captured image. The feature point detected on the real object is compared with the feature point detected on the virtual object. A determination is made whether the ground surface includes a mirror effect reflective surface in response to the feature point detected on the real object matching the feature point detected on the virtual object. A wet driving surface indicating signal is generated in response to the determination that the ground surface includes a mirror effect reflective surface.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 12, 2014Publication date: December 17, 2015Inventors: QINGRONG ZHAO, WENDE ZHANG, JINSONG WANG, BAKHTIAR BRIAN LITKOUHI
-
Patent number: 9139204Abstract: A method of determining a road surface condition for a vehicle driving on a road. Probabilities associated with a plurality of road surface conditions based on an image of a capture scene are determined by a first probability module. Probabilities associated with the plurality of road surface conditions based on vehicle operating data are determined by a second probability module. The probabilities determined by the first and second probability modules are input to a data fusion unit for fusing the probabilities and determining a road surface condition. A refined probability is output from the data fusion unit that is a function of the fused first and second probabilities. The refined probability from the data fusion unit is provided to an adaptive learning unit. The adaptive learning unit generates output commands that refine tunable parameters of at least the first probability and second probability modules for determining the respective probabilities.Type: GrantFiled: June 12, 2014Date of Patent: September 22, 2015Assignee: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS LLCInventors: Qingrong Zhao, Jinsong Wang, Wende Zhang, Bakhtiar Brian Litkouhi
-
Patent number: 9090264Abstract: A method for determining a wet road surface condition for a vehicle driving on a road. An image exterior of the vehicle is captured by an image capture device at a first and second instance of time. Potential objects and feature objects are detected on a ground surface of the road of travel at the first instance of time and the second instance of time. A determination is made whether the ground surface includes a mirror effect reflective surface based on a triangulation technique utilizing the feature points in the captured images at the first instance of time and the second instance of time. A wet driving surface indicating signal is generated in response to the determination that the ground surface includes a mirror effect reflective surface.Type: GrantFiled: June 12, 2014Date of Patent: July 28, 2015Assignee: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS LLCInventors: Qingrong Zhao, Wende Zhang, Jinsong Wang, Bakhtiar Brian Litkouhi
-
Patent number: 8306712Abstract: A method is provided for determining an adhesive condition of a surface of a vehicle road using a statistical pattern recognition technique. A plurality of probability distribution functions is provided representing respective adhesive effects between the vehicle tire of a driven vehicle and the vehicle road. An index is calculated which represents a vehicle understeer characteristic. Probability analysis is applied for each of the road surface adhesive conditions as a function of the index. Each probability analysis is recursively updated. A likelihood factor is determined for each road surface adhesive condition as a function of each respective recursively updated probability analysis. Each respective road surface adhesive condition has a respective likelihood factor that identifies the likelihood of the road surface having the respective adhesive condition as a function of the index. The identified adhesive condition of the road surface is input into a vehicle control process.Type: GrantFiled: March 24, 2009Date of Patent: November 6, 2012Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLCInventors: Weiwen Deng, Qingrong Zhao
-
Publication number: 20100250086Abstract: A method is provided for determining an adhesive condition of a surface of a vehicle road using a statistical pattern recognition technique. A plurality of probability distribution functions is provided representing respective adhesive effects between the vehicle tire of a driven vehicle and the vehicle road. An index is calculated which represents a vehicle understeer characteristic. Probability analysis is applied for each of the road surface adhesive conditions as a function of the index. Each probability analysis is recursively updated. A likelihood factor is determined for each road surface adhesive condition as a function of each respective recursively updated probability analysis. Each respective road surface adhesive condition has a respective likelihood factor that identifies the likelihood of the road surface having the respective adhesive condition as a function of the index. The identified adhesive condition of the road surface is input into a vehicle control process.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 24, 2009Publication date: September 30, 2010Applicant: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS, INC.Inventors: Weiwen Deng, Qingrong Zhao
-
Publication number: 20100100360Abstract: A method is provided for determining a state of a road condition using a linear model-based estimation technique. Two vehicle reference models are defined to represent vehicles operating under non-slippery and slippery road surfaces respectively. An index that reflects the vehicle understeer characteristics is also defined. Indices are determined from the reference models under the non-slippery road surface, the slippery road surface, and from vehicle sensor measurement, respectively. A first root mean square deviation is calculated between the index of reference model under non-slippery road surface and the index calculated based on sensor measurement. A second root mean square deviation is calculated between the index of reference model under slippery road surface and the index calculated based on sensor measurement.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 16, 2008Publication date: April 22, 2010Applicant: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS, INC.Inventors: Weiwen Deng, Haicen Zhang, Qingrong Zhao