Shadow removal method and system for a mobile robot control using indoor surveillance cameras

• US 10,325,157 B2
• Filed: 02/24/2017
• Issued: 06/18/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 02/25/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Gachon University of Industry-Academic Cooperation Foundation
• Original Assignee: Gachon University of Industry-Academic Cooperation Foundation
• Inventors: Cho, Young-Im
• Primary Examiner(s): Senfi, Behrooz M
• Application Number:
  US15/442,284
• Publication Number:
  US 20170249517A1
• Time in Patent Office: 844 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/20032 Median filtering
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/30232 Surveillance
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/30236 Traffic on road, railway or crossing
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 5/20 using local operators
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 5/70 Denoising; Smoothing
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 5/77 Retouching; Inpainting; Scratch removal
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 5/94 based on local image properties, e.g. for local contrast enhancement
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/52 Surveillance or monitoring of activities, e.g. for recognising suspicious objects recognising microscopic objects G06V20/69
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/58 Recognition of moving objects or obstacles, e.g. vehicles or pedestrians; Recognition of traffic objects, e.g. traffic signs, traffic lights or roads

Abstract

A mobile robot to which a shadow removal method and system for surveillance camera-based mobile robot control according to the present invention is applied acquires images from two closely installed surveillance cameras indoors and performs shadow removal at an improved speed compared to the conventional speed, to recognize the obstacle in the image to avoid it and travel.

It is anticipated that through the mobile robot using the surveillance camera-based shadow removal method and system of the present invention, the practical use of an intelligent image surveillance system that can automatically analyze images and recognize a dangerous situation to take quick action may be accelerated.

Claims

1. A shadow removal system for surveillance camera-based mobile robot control comprising,

a control unit for recognizing objects and obstacles in a surveillance camera image transmitted through a shadow removal technique, generating movement paths for traveling so the objects and obstacles are avoided, and generating control signals according to the movement paths to control components other than itself;

a sensor unit for detecting a steering angle and a rotation of a driving motor to transmit to the control unit;

a traveling unit for generating a driving force by the control signal;

a steering unit operated to move along the movement paths by the control signal;

a communication unit for transmitting the image acquired from the surveillance camera to the control unit; and

a power supply unit for supplying electric power to components other than itself;

wherein the sensor unit comprises;

an encoder provided in the traveling unit for counting the rotation of the driving motor; and

a turret encoder provided in the steering unit for measuring the steering angle, and

wherein the steering unit comprises a turret pulley, the turret encoder, and a turret motor which is directly coupled to the turret pulley to transmit a rotating force from the turret pulley to the turret encoder.

2. The system of claim 1, further comprising a proximity sensor or a distance sensor for detecting the proximity of the obstacle or for measuring the distance to the obstacle.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the traveling unit is provided with a BLDC motor and the steering unit is provided with a stepping motor.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein a communication protocol applied to the communication unit is a Zigbee wireless communication protocol.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the communication unit is characterized in that a plurality of wireless communication protocols are used simultaneously.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the traveling unit is provided with a wheel or a caterpillar or a leg for walking as a moving means.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the sensor unit further comprises a camera or a visual sensor.

8. The system of claim 2, wherein the sensor unit further comprises a camera or a visual sensor.

9. The system of claim 3, wherein the sensor unit further comprises a camera or a visual sensor.

10. The system of claim 4, wherein the sensor unit further comprises a camera or a visual sensor.

11. The system of claim 5, wherein the sensor unit further comprises a camera or a visual sensor.

12. The system of claim 6, wherein the sensor unit further comprises a camera or a visual sensor.