Electronic device and method for measuring distance using image thereof

• US 10,605,597 B1
• Filed: 03/27/2019
• Issued: 03/31/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 12/24/2018
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Wistron Corporation
• Original Assignee: Wistron Corporation
• Inventors: Lin, Chia-Ching
• Primary Examiner(s): Harold, Jefferey F
• Assistant Examiner(s): Rahman, Mustafizur
• Application Number:
  US16/367,190
• Time in Patent Office: 370 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: G01B 11/026 by measuring distance between sensor and object G01B11/0608 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 3/08 Use of electric radiation detectors
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 3/32 by focusing the object, e.g. on a ground glass screen
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 7/36 using image sharpness techniques , e.g. image processing techniques for generating autofocus signals image data processing per se G06T; in cameras having a solid state image sensor H04N23/67
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 13/36 Autofocus systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/70 Determining position or orientation of objects or cameras camera calibration G06T7/80
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/671 in combination with active ranging signals, e.g. using light or sound signals emitted toward objects
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/673 based on contrast or high frequency components of image signals, e.g. hill climbing method

Abstract

An electronic device is provided. The electronic device includes: an inertial measurement unit, a camera device, and a processor. The inertial-measurement unit is configured to detect a pitch angle of the electronic device. The camera device is configured to focus on a target object to capture an object image. The processor is configured to execute an image-distance-measuring program to perform the following steps: obtaining a lens-focal-length parameter corresponding to the object image from an operating system performed by the electronic device; calculating a plurality of terminal parameters corresponding to the pitch angle according to the lens-focal-length parameter and the pitch angle; converting the terminal parameters to a plurality of linear parameters; and calculating an object distance between the target object and the camera device according to a linear equation of the linear parameters, and the upper focusing distance, and the lower focusing distance.

Claims

1. An electronic device, comprising:

an inertial-measurement unit, configured to detect a pitch angle of the electronic device;

a camera device, configured to focus on a target object to capture an object image, wherein the camera device has a focusing-distance range, the focusing-distance range comprising an upper focusing distance and a lower focusing distance;

a storage device, configured to store an operating system and an image-distance-measuring program; and

a processor, configured to perform the image-distance-measuring program to perform the steps of;

obtaining a lens-focal-length parameter corresponding to the object image from the operating system performed by the processor;

calculating a plurality of terminal parameters corresponding to the pitch angle according to the lens-focal-length parameter and the pitch angle of the electronic device;

converting the terminal parameters corresponding to the pitch angle to a plurality of linear parameters corresponding to the pitch angle; and

calculating an object distance between the target object and the camera device according to a linear equation of the linear parameters, the upper focusing distance, and the lower focusing distance.

2. The electronic device as claimed in claim 1, wherein during the step of calculating a plurality of terminal parameters corresponding to the pitch angle according to the lens-focal-length parameter and the pitch angle of the electronic device, the processor further obtains, from the operating system, a first lens-focal-length parameter and a second lens-focal-length parameter corresponding to the lower focusing distance with the pitch angle of 0 degrees and 90 degrees, and obtains, from the operating system, a third lens-focal-length parameter and a fourth lens-focal-length parameter corresponding to the upper focusing distance with the pitch angle of 0 degrees and 90 degrees,

wherein the terminal parameters comprise a first terminal parameter corresponding to the lower focusing distance, and a second terminal parameter corresponding to the upper focusing distance, and the processor further calculates the first terminal parameter according to the first lens-focal-length parameter, the second lens-focal-length parameter, and the pitch angle, and calculates the second terminal parameter according to the third lens-focal-length parameter, the fourth lens-focal-length parameter, and the pitch angle.

3. The electronic device as claimed in claim 2, wherein the linear parameters comprise a first linear parameter corresponding to the first terminal parameter, a second linear parameter corresponding to the second terminal parameter, and a third linear parameter, and the processor calculates the first linear parameter according to the first terminal parameter and the pitch angle, calculates the second linear parameter according to the second terminal parameter and the pitch angle, and calculates the third linear parameter according to the lens-focal-length parameter and the pitch angle.

4. The electronic device as claimed in claim 3, wherein the linear equation is expressed as:

5. The electronic device as claimed in claim 1, wherein in response to the processor calculating the object distance, the processor further calculates a first actual width and a first actual height corresponding to the object image according to the calculated object distance and a field of view of the camera device.

6. The electronic device as claimed in claim 5, wherein the processor further displays a rectangular frame on a display panel of the electronic device according to a touch-control signal performed on the display panel, and calculates a second actual width and a second actual height corresponding to the rectangular frame according to a first ratio and a second ratio of the rectangular frame relative to an image width and an image height of the object image,

wherein the processor further displays values of the second actual width and the second actual height corresponding to the rectangular frame on the display panel.

7. A method for measuring a distance using an image, for use in an electronic device, wherein the electronic device comprises an inertial-measurement unit and a camera device, the method comprising:

utilizing the inertial-measurement unit to detect a pitch angle of the electronic device;

utilizing the camera device to focus on a target object to shoot an object image, wherein the camera device has a focusing-distance range which comprises an upper focusing distance and a lower focusing distance;

obtaining a lens-focal-length parameter corresponding to the object image from an operating system performed by the electronic device;

calculating a plurality of terminal parameters corresponding to the pitch angle according to the lens-focal-length parameter and the pitch angle of the electronic device;

converting the terminal parameters corresponding to the pitch angle to a plurality of linear parameters corresponding to the pitch angle; and

calculating an object distance between the target object and the camera device according to a linear equation of the linear parameters, the upper focusing distance, and the lower focusing distance.

8. The method as claimed in claim 7, wherein the terminal parameters comprise a first terminal parameter corresponding to the lower focusing distance, and a second terminal parameter corresponding to the upper focusing distance, and the step of calculating a plurality of terminal parameters corresponding to the pitch angle according to the lens-focal-length parameter and the pitch angle of the electronic device comprises:

obtaining, from the operating system, a first lens-focal-length parameter and a second lens-focal-length parameter corresponding to the lower focusing distance with the pitch angle of 0 degrees and 90 degree;

obtaining, from the operating system, a third lens-focal-length parameter and a fourth lens-focal-length parameter corresponding to the upper focusing distance with the pitch angle of 0 degrees and 90 degree;

calculating the first terminal parameter according to the first lens-focal-length parameter, the second lens-focal-length parameter, and the pitch angle; and

calculating the second terminal parameter according to the third lens-focal-length parameter, the fourth lens-focal-length parameter, and the pitch angle.

9. The method as claimed in claim 8, wherein the linear parameters comprise a first linear parameter corresponding to the first terminal parameter, a second linear parameter corresponding to the second terminal parameter, and a third linear parameter, and the step of calculating an object distance between the target object and the camera device according to a linear equation of the linear parameters, the upper focusing distance, and the lower focusing distance comprises:

calculating the first linear parameter according to the first terminal parameter and the pitch angle;

calculating the second linear parameter according to the second terminal parameter and the pitch angle; and

calculating the third linear parameter according to the lens-focal-length parameter and the pitch angle.

10. The method as claimed in claim 9, wherein the linear equation is expressed as:

11. The method as claimed in claim 7, further comprising:

in response to the object distance being calculated, calculating a first actual width and a first actual height corresponding to the object image according to the calculated object distance and a field of view of the camera device.

12. The method as claimed in claim 11, further comprising:

displaying a rectangular frame on a display panel of the electronic device according to a touch-control signal performed on the display panel;

calculating a second actual width and a second actual height corresponding to the rectangular frame according to a first ratio and a second ratio of the rectangular frame relative to an image width and an image height of the object image; and

displaying values of the second actual width and the second actual height corresponding to the rectangular frame on the display panel.