Image processing apparatus

• US 10,380,435 B2
• Filed: 03/09/2016
• Issued: 08/13/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 04/02/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Original Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Inventors: Hattori, Yousuke
• Primary Examiner(s): Woldemariam, Aklilu K
• Application Number:
  US15/562,868
• Publication Number:
  US 20180114075A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,252 Days
• Field of Search: 701 1, 701 13, 701 37, 701 70, 701301, 235382, 235384, 340439, 340928
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 2201/022 Collision avoidance systems
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 7/12 for automatic initiation; for initiation not subject to will of driver or passenger limiting speed of vehicles other than rail vehicles B60K31/00
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 7/22 initiated by contact of vehicle, e.g. bumper, with an external object, e.g. another vehicle , or by means of contactless obstacle detectors mounted on the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 8/00 Arrangements for adjusting wheel-braking force to meet varying vehicular or ground-surface conditions, e.g. limiting or varying distribution of braking force by changing number of effective brake cylinders in power brake systems B60T17/10
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2420/403 Image sensing, e.g. optical camera
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2554/00 Input parameters relating to objects
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/09 Taking automatic action to avoid collision, e.g. braking and steering
• CPC Class Codes: G01B 11/00 Measuring arrangements characterised by the use of optical techniques
• CPC Class Codes: G01B 11/14 for measuring distance or clearance between spaced objects or spaced apertures G01B11/26 takes precedence; rangefinders G01C3/00
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/10016 Video; Image sequence
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/30252 Vehicle exterior; Vicinity of vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/246 using feature-based methods, e.g. the tracking of corners or segments
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/70 Determining position or orientation of objects or cameras camera calibration G06T7/80
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/167 Driving aids for lane monitoring, lane changing, e.g. blind spot detection

Abstract

An image processing apparatus includes an image acquisition unit that uses a camera installed in an own vehicle to acquire images of an environment outside the own vehicle at predetermined intervals, an object candidate recognition unit that recognizes an object candidate in the image, an object determination unit that determines that the object candidate is an object on condition that the same object candidate is recognized in N consecutive frame images (N is a natural number), a parameter X acquisition unit that acquires a parameter X correlated with an apparent moving speed of a stationary object in the images, and an N setting unit that sets N smaller as the moving speed correlated with a value of the parameter X increases.

Claims

1. An image processing apparatus comprising:

a processor comprising;

an image acquisition unit that uses a camera installed in an own vehicle to acquire images of an environment outside the own vehicle at predetermined intervals;

an object candidate recognition unit that recognizes an object candidate in the image;

an object determination unit that determines that the object candidate is an object based on the same object candidate being recognized in N consecutive frame images;

a parameter X acquisition unit that acquires a parameter X correlated with an apparent moving speed of a stationary object in the images; and

an N setting unit that decreases the N consecutive frame images as the parameter X increases such that the object candidate is determined to be an object using fewer consecutive frame images as the apparent moving speed of the stationary object increases, wherein

the parameter X is at least one selected from a group including a steering angle, a steering angular velocity, a yaw rate, a rate of change of the yaw rate, a pitch angle, a rate of change of the pitch angle, a vehicle speed of the own vehicle, and an acceleration in a longitudinal direction of the own vehicle.

2. The image processing apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that

the parameter X is a parameter correlated with an amplitude of yawing or of pitching of the own vehicle, and

the N setting unit sets N smaller as the yawing or pitching correlated with a value of the parameter X increases.

3. The image processing apparatus according to claim 1, characterized by comprising a parameter Y acquisition unit that acquires a parameter Y that is correlated with a distance from the own vehicle to an object;

wherein

the N setting unit sets N smaller as the distance corresponding to a value of the parameter Y is shorter.

4. The image processing apparatus according to claim 3, characterized in that

the parameter Y is at least one selected from a group including a size of the object candidate in the image, a position of the object candidate in a vertical direction of the image, and a position of the object in a horizontal direction of the image.

5. An image processing apparatus comprising:

a processor comprising;

an image acquisition unit that uses a camera installed in an own vehicle to acquire images of an environment outside the own vehicle at predetermined intervals;

an object determination unit that determines that the object candidate is an object based on the same object candidate being recognized in N consecutive frame images;

a parameter Y acquisition unit that acquires a parameter Y correlated with a distance from the own vehicle to an object; and

an N setting unit that decreases the N consecutive frame images as the parameter Y decreases such that the object candidate is determined to be an object using fewer consecutive frame images as the distance from the own vehicle to the object decreases.

6. The image processing apparatus according to claim 5, characterized in that

the parameter Y is at least one selected from a group including a size of the object candidate in the image, a position of the object candidate in a vertical direction of the image, and a position of the object in a horizontal direction of the image.