Method and system to determine distance to an object in an image
First Claim
1. A method, comprising:
- receiving with a computer device first image data representing a first image of a scene captured with a camera;
processing, with a processor of the computer device, the first image data to determine one or more objects in the scene captured by the camera;
determining from the first image data one or more object features associated with a first object of the one or more objects;
retrieving object-defining information associated with the first object from a data store based on the one or more first object features associated with the first object;
calculating the distance from the camera that captured the scene to the first object in the scene based on the first object-defining information;
analyzing clue information and clue objects proximate the first object in the image to provide clues that a second object is proximate the first object; and
wherein the clue information includes current sun angle information and current orientation of the camera relative to the second object, and wherein an angle of a shadow captured in the image cast by the first object onto the second object is a clue object.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A controller/application analyzes image data from a camera to determine the distance to an object in an image based on the size of the object in the image and based on a known focal length of a camera that captured the image and based on a known dimension of the actual object. The known dimension of the object may be retrieved from a database that is indexed according to outline shape, color, markings, contour, or other similar features or characteristics. The distance determined from analysis of the image and objects therein may be used to calibrate, or to verify the calibration of, complex distance determining systems that may include LIDAR. Object distance determinations in different image frames, whether to the same or different object, taken a known time apart may be used to determine speed of the camera that took the images, or speed of a vehicle associated with camera.
8 Citations
20 Claims
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1. A method, comprising:
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receiving with a computer device first image data representing a first image of a scene captured with a camera; processing, with a processor of the computer device, the first image data to determine one or more objects in the scene captured by the camera; determining from the first image data one or more object features associated with a first object of the one or more objects; retrieving object-defining information associated with the first object from a data store based on the one or more first object features associated with the first object; calculating the distance from the camera that captured the scene to the first object in the scene based on the first object-defining information; analyzing clue information and clue objects proximate the first object in the image to provide clues that a second object is proximate the first object; and wherein the clue information includes current sun angle information and current orientation of the camera relative to the second object, and wherein an angle of a shadow captured in the image cast by the first object onto the second object is a clue object. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. A computer device comprising:
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a processor to; receive first image data representing a first image of a scene captured with a camera; process the first image data to determine one or more objects in the scene captured by the camera; determine from the first image data one or more object features associated with a first object of the one or more objects; retrieve object-defining information associated with the first object, from a data store in communication with the processor, based on the one or more object features associated with the first object; calculate the distance from the camera that captured the scene to the first object in the scene based on the object-defining information; analyze clue information and clue objects proximate the first object in the image to provide clues that a second object is proximate the first object; and wherein the clue information includes current sun angle information and current orientation of the camera relative to the second object, and wherein an angle of a shadow captured in the image cast by the first object onto the second object is a clue object. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17)
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18. A method, comprising:
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receiving with a computer device image data representing an image of a scene captured with a camera; processing, with a processor of the computer device, the image data to determine one or more objects in the scene captured by the camera; determining from the image data one or more object features associated with a first object of the one or more objects; retrieving object-defining information associated with the first object from a data store based on the one or more object features associated with the first object; calculating the distance from the camera that captured the scene to the first object in the scene based on the object-defining information; analyzing clue information and clue objects proximate the first object in the image to provide clues that a second object is proximate the first object, wherein object-defining information is not associated with the second object in the data store; and wherein the clue information includes current sun angle information and current orientation of the camera relative to the second object, and wherein an angle of a shadow captured in the image cast by the first object onto the second object is a clue object. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20)
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Specification