Object recognizing apparatus and stain detecting method

• US 10,045,002 B2
• Filed: 08/22/2016
• Issued: 08/07/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 09/16/2015
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Nishijima, Masakazu
• Primary Examiner(s): Mistry, Oneal R
• Application Number:
  US15/242,716
• Publication Number:
  US 20170076463A1
• Time in Patent Office: 715 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60S 1/04 Wipers or the like, e.g. scrapers
• CPC Class Codes: B60S 1/0844 including a camera
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/10012 Stereo images
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/10028 Range image; Depth image; 3D point clouds
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/30168 Image quality inspection
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/30252 Vehicle exterior; Vicinity of vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/0002 Inspection of images, e.g. flaw detection
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/593 from stereo images
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/56 exterior to a vehicle by using sensors mounted on the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/584 of vehicle lights or traffic lights
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/111 Transformation of image signals corresponding to virtual viewpoints, e.g. spatial image interpolation
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/139 Format conversion, e.g. of frame-rate or size
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/239 using two 2D image sensors having a relative position equal to or related to the interocular distance H04N13/243 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/254 in combination with electromagnetic radiation sources for illuminating objects
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2013/0092 Image segmentation from stereoscopic image signals

Abstract

An object recognizing apparatus is mounted in a vehicle and uses photographed images of a stereo camera which photographs an exterior of a vehicle from a vehicle interior of the vehicle through an area of a window glass wiped by a wiper. The object recognizing apparatus is provided with: a light source detector configured to detect a light source on a photographed image; an edge detector configured to detect an edge extending in a direction crossing a wiping direction of the wiper, on the photographed image; and a determinator configured to determine that the window glass is stained, if the edge extending in the crossing direction from the light source is detected continuously for a predetermined time, on the basis of a detection result of the light source detector and a detection result of the edge detector.

Claims

1. An object recognizing apparatus, which is mounted in a vehicle, comprising:

a stereo camera, the stereo camera including two cameras, each of which photographs an exterior of a vehicle from a vehicle interior of the vehicle through an area of a window glass wiped by a wiper;

a light source detector configured to detect a light source on a photographed image photographed by at least one of the two cameras;

an edge detector configured to detect an edge extending in a direction crossing a wiping direction of the wiper, on the photographed image photographed by at least one of the two cameras;

a determinator configured to determine that the window glass is stained, if the edge extending in the crossing direction from the light source is detected continuously for a predetermined time, based on the light source detected by the light source detector and the edge detected by the edge detector; and

a display configured to display a notification that the window glass is stained, based on a detection result of the determinator.

2. The object recognizing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said determinator is configured to determine that the window glass is stained, if:

the edge extending in the direction crossing the wiping direction of the wiper on a first image, which is the photographed image photographed by at least one of the two cameras, from the light source on the first image is detected continuously for the predetermined time, and

the edge extending in the direction crossing the wiping direction of the wiper on a second image, which is a photographed image photographed by the other camera of the two cameras at the same time as the first image, from the light source on the second image is detected continuously for the predetermined time, based on the light source detected b the light source detector and the edge detected by the edge detector.

3. A stain detecting method implemented with an object recognizing apparatus, which is mounted in a vehicle, comprising:

capturing photographed images with a stereo camera, the stereo camera including two cameras, each of which photographs an exterior of a vehicle from a vehicle interior of the vehicle through an area of a window glass wiped by a wiper;

detecting a light source on a photographed image photographed by at least one of the two cameras;

detecting an edge extending in a direction crossing a wiping direction of the wiper, on the photographed image photographed by at least one of the two cameras;

determining that the window glass is stained, as a result of the edge extending in the crossing direction from the light source being detected continuously for a predetermined time, based on the light source detected in the detecting a light source step and the edge detected in the detecting an edge step; and

displaying a notification, on a display, that the window glass is stained, based on a detection result of the determining that the window glass is stained step.

4. An object recognizing apparatus, which is mounted in a vehicle, comprising:

a stereo camera, the stereo camera including two cameras, each of which photographs an exterior of a vehicle from a vehicle interior of the vehicle through an area of a window glass wiped by a wiper;

a light source detector configured to detect a light source on a photographed image photographed by at least one of the two cameras;

an edge detector configured to detect an edge extending in a direction crossing a wiping direction of the wiper, on the photographed image photographed by at least one of the two cameras;

a determinator configured to determine that the window glass is stained, if the edge extending in the crossing direction from the light source is detected continuously for a predetermined time, based on the light source detected by the light source detector and the edge detected by the edge detector,

wherein the object recognizing apparatus is configured to operate a window glass wiper when the determinator determines that the window glass is stained.

5. The object recognizing apparatus according to claim 4, wherein said determinator is configured to determine that the window glass is stained, if:

the edge extending in the direction crossing the wiping direction of the wiper on a first image, which is the photographed image photographed by at least one of the two cameras, from the light source on the first image is detected continuously for the predetermined time, and

the edge extending in the direction crossing the wiping direction of the wiper on a second image, which is a photographed image photographed by the other camera of the two cameras at the same time as the first image, from the light source on the second image is detected continuously for the predetermined time, based on the light source detected by the light source detector and the edge detected by the edge detector.