US 11,721,110 B2
Method, system and computer program product for providing driving assistance
Chieh-Wen Lu, Taoyuan (TW)
Assigned to MiTAC Digital Technology Corporation, Taoyuan (TW)
Filed by MiTAC Digital Technology Corporation, Taoyuan (TW)
Filed on Sep. 22, 2020, as Appl. No. 17/28,457.
Claims priority of application No. 108134211 (TW), filed on Sep. 23, 2019.
Prior Publication US 2021/0089796 A1, Mar. 25, 2021
Int. Cl. G06V 20/58 (2022.01); B60W 50/14 (2020.01)
CPC G06V 20/582 (2022.01) [B60W 50/14 (2013.01); B60W 2050/143 (2013.01)] 9 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method for providing driving assistance, the method being implemented using a driving assistance system that includes a processor and an image capturing unit, and comprising steps of:
a) controlling, by the processor, the image capturing unit to continuously capture images of surrounding environment of the vehicle;
b) performing, by the processor, an image processing procedure on at least one of the images captured by the image capturing unit:
c) determining, by the processor, whether a traffic sign indicating that a message is detected in the at least one of the images:
d) when the determination in step c) is affirmative, determining, by the processor, whether additional information indicating a condition associated with the message is detected with respect to the traffic sign;
e) determining, by the processor, whether an alert action is to be executed based on at least the message indicated by the traffic sign and a current condition associated with the vehicle, the current condition including one of a current time, a current weather, a movement of the vehicle, and any combination thereof; and
f) when the determination in step e) is affirmative, executing, by the processor, the alert action;
wherein step e) includes determining whether at least part of the current condition fits at least part of the condition, and when it is determined that at least part of the current condition fits at least part of the condition, determining whether at least part of the current condition violates at least part of the message, and determining an alert action is to be executed when at least part of the current condition violates at least part of the message; and wherein step f) includes controlling an output unit of the driving assistance system to output an alert associated with the message, further comprising, between steps d) and e):
g) when a plurality of traffic signs are detected in the at least one of the images in step c) and additional information associated with one of the traffic signs is detected with respect to the one of the traffic signs in step d), selecting one of the traffic signs as a to-be-dealt-with traffic sign;
wherein step e) is performed with respect to the to-be-dealt-with traffic sign wherein step g) includes:
when it is determined that one of the traffic signs is enclosed together with the additional information within a visible border and other one of the traffic signs is not enclosed within the visible border, performing step e) with respect to the one of the traffic signs serving as the to-be-dealt-with traffic sign.