Vehicle state determining device, display processing device, and vehicle state determining method

• US 10,325,161 B2
• Filed: 09/07/2016
• Issued: 06/18/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 10/26/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Fujitsu Ten Limited (DENSO Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Fujitsu Ten Limited (DENSO Corporation)
• Inventors: Matsumoto, Yuuki, Mino, Atsushi, Kakita, Naoshi
• Primary Examiner(s): Kelley, Christopher S
• Assistant Examiner(s): Nirjhar, Nasim N
• Application Number:
  US15/258,536
• Publication Number:
  US 20170116486A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,014 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/10016 Video; Image sequence
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/30264 Parking
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/246 using feature-based methods, e.g. the tracking of corners or segments
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/56 exterior to a vehicle by using sensors mounted on the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/586 of parking space

Abstract

There is provided a vehicle state determining device. An extracting unit is configured to extract feature points from images acquired by an imaging device mounted on a vehicle. An estimating unit is configured to estimate the movement amount of the vehicle at each time set at intervals of a predetermined time, on the basis of the feature points extracted by the extracting unit. A determining unit is configured to perform determination on movement of the vehicle on the basis of the movement amount estimated by the estimating unit, and the change amount of the movement amount.

Claims

1. A vehicle state determining device comprising a memory installed in the vehicle state determining device and a processor configured to execute the following steps:

extracting, with the processor, feature points from images acquired by an imaging device mounted on a vehicle, the imaging device including an image sensor;

storing the feature points in the memory;

estimating, with the processor, a movement amount of the vehicle at intervals of a predetermined time, by calculating, with the processor, a movement vector of the feature points;

detecting, with the processor, a change amount of the movement amount by calculating, with the processor, a difference between a first interval of the predetermined time and a second subsequent interval of the predetermined time;

determining, with the processor, a movement of the vehicle based on the movement amount and the change amount of the movement amount, the movement of the vehicle is determined when the movement amount is equal to or greater than a first threshold and the change amount is less than a second threshold;

adding a first value to a counter value when the movement amount of the vehicle is equal to or greater than the first threshold and the change amount is less than the second threshold; and

determining that the vehicle is in a movement state, when the counter value is equal to or greater than a third threshold, and determining that the vehicle is in a stop state, when the counter value is less than the third threshold.

2. The vehicle state determining device according to claim 1, wherein in a case when the movement amount of the vehicle is less than the first threshold or the change amount is equal to or less than the second threshold, the processor subtracts a second value from the counter value.

3. The vehicle state determining device according to claim 2, wherein in a case when the movement amount of the vehicle is less than the first threshold or the change amount is equal to or less than the second threshold, the processor subtracts the second value, which is larger than the first value, from the counter value.

4. The vehicle state determining device according to claim 2, wherein the processor further executes the step of initializing the counter value, when the counter value has been maintained at a value equal to or greater than a fourth threshold by consecutive subtracting.

5. A display processing device comprising:

the vehicle state determining device according to claim 1, the processor being configured to further execute the following steps;

predicting a movement path of the vehicle; and

controlling a display device such that the display device displays an estimated-path image representing the movement path on the acquired images, when determining that the vehicle is in the movement state.

6. The display processing device according to claim 5, the processor configured to further execute the following step:

generating the estimated-path image representing the movement path in a mode according to a time which elapses after determining that the vehicle is in the stop state, when determining that the vehicle is in the stop state.

7. A method, performed by a vehicle state determining device including a memory installed in the vehicle state determining device and a processor, the method performing the following steps:

extracting, with the processor, feature points from images acquired by an imaging device mounted on a vehicle, the image device including an image sensor;

storing the feature points in the memory;

estimating, with the processor, a movement amount of the vehicle at intervals of a predetermined time, by calculating, with the processor, a movement vector of the feature points;

detecting, with the processor, a change amount of the movement amount by calculating, with the processor, a difference between a first interval of the predetermined time and a second subsequent interval of the predetermined time; and

determining, with the processor, a movement of the vehicle based on the movement amount and the change amount of the movement amount, the movement of the vehicle is determined when the movement amount is equal to or greater than a first threshold and the change amount is less than a second threshold;

adding a first value to a counter value when the movement amount of the vehicle is equal to or greater than the first threshold and the change amount is less than the second threshold; and

determining that the vehicle is in a movement state, when the counter value is equal to or greater than a third threshold, and determining that the vehicle is in a stop state, when the counter value is less than the third threshold.