1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a vehicle drive assist system and more particularly to a vehicle drive assist system capable of detecting an oncoming vehicle which is difficult to be recognized at intersections based on frontal information obtained from a stereoscopic camera and the like.
2. Discussion About Prior Arts
When a vehicle make a right turn at intersections in the “keep to the left” traffic system, in case where there are oncoming vehicles waiting for turning right on oncoming lanes, it is difficult for a driver to confirm oncoming vehicles traveling straight. Under such situations, the driver must put miscellaneous information such as oncoming vehicles, pedestrians walking across a road ahead and the like in order and therefore he or she is forced to bear lots of burdens.
In order to reduce such burdens of the driver, Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. Toku-Kai-Hei 9-282592 discloses a technique in which a collision of a vehicle turning right with an oncoming vehicle traveling straight in intersections is prevented by detecting the oncoming vehicle with an obstacle sensor installed in intersections and warning a driver.
However, the obstacle sensor and the warning system must be installed in every intersection and a huge amount of money is needed.
Further, Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. Toku-Kai 2001-101592 discloses a technique wherein a vehicle itself has an ability to detect oncoming vehicles at an early stage using a fish-eye lens installed in a bumper of the vehicle.
However, this technique has such problems that stains, raindrops and the like sticking to the lens hinder accurate imaging and also images taken through the fish-eye lens require complicated correction processing.