Vehicle image processing device

• US 20050102070A1
• Filed: 11/05/2004
• Published: 05/12/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 11/11/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Takahama, Taku, Kimura, Takeshi
• Granted Patent: US 7,542,835 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/1
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/26 specially adapted for navigation in a road network
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/70 Determining position or orientation of objects or cameras camera calibration G06T7/80
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 10/255 Detecting or recognising potential candidate objects based on visual cues, e.g. shapes
• 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: G06V 2201/08 Detecting or categorising vehicles

Abstract

A vehicle image processing device is configured and arranged to capture an image of an area in front of a host vehicle in which the vehicle image processing device is installed and process only a small portion of the captured image to determine if an actual preceding vehicle is present in front of the host vehicle based on behavior information of the host vehicle. Based on the behavior information of the vehicle, the vehicle image processing device estimates a potential preceding vehicle position in front of the host vehicle. Then, based on the predicted potential preceding vehicle position, the vehicle image processing device sets an image processing region of the image captured. The vehicle image processing device then processes the image within only the image processing region top detect if an actual preceding vehicle is present in front of the host vehicle.

Claims

1. A vehicle image processing device comprising:

an image capturing section configured to capture an image of an area in front of a host vehicle in which the vehicle image processing device is installed;

a host vehicle behavior detecting section configured to obtain behavior information of the host vehicle;

a preceding vehicle position predicting section configured to predict a potential preceding vehicle position based on the behavior information of the host vehicle;

a processing region setting section configured to set an image processing region of the image based on the potential preceding vehicle position;

a preceding vehicle detecting section configured to detect if an actual preceding vehicle is present in front of the host vehicle based on processing of the image processing region of the image.

2. The vehicle image processing device as recited in claim 1, further comprising

a distinct profile sensing section configured and arranged to identify a distinct profile within the image processing region such that the preceding vehicle detecting section detects whether an actual preceding vehicle is present within the image processing region based on a detection of the distinct profile.

3. The vehicle image processing device as recited in claim 1, wherein

the processing region setting section is configured to set the image processing region using at least first and second image regions that are closely adjacent to each other in the image captured by the image capturing section.

4. The vehicle image processing device as recited in claim 3, wherein

the processing region setting section is configured to set the first and second image regions based on first and second potential preceding vehicle positions predicted by the preceding vehicle position predicting section.

5. The vehicle image processing device as recited in claim 4, wherein

the preceding vehicle position predicting section is configured and arranged to predict the first and second potential preceding vehicle positions by using first and second prescribed following distance times, respectively.

6. The vehicle image processing device as recited in claim 5, wherein

the processing region setting section is configured such that the first prescribed following distance time is set shorter than the second prescribed following distance time.

7. The vehicle image processing device as recited in claim 3, wherein

the processing region setting section is configured such that the first image region corresponds to a shorter following distance time than the second image region.

8. The vehicle image processing device as recited in claim 7, wherein

the processing region setting section is configured to set the first and second image regions such that the second image region has a smaller area than the first image region.

9. The vehicle image processing device as recited in claim 3, wherein

the processing region setting section is configured to set the first and second image regions such that the second image region has a smaller area than the first image region.

10. The vehicle image processing device as recited in claim 3, wherein

the processing region setting section is configured to connect the first and second image regions to obtain a final composite image as the image processing region.

11. The vehicle image processing device as recited in claim 1, wherein

the host vehicle behavior detecting section is configured to detect at least a speed of the host vehicle as the behavior information.

12. The vehicle image processing device as recited in claim 10, wherein

the processing region setting section is configured to move a center of the image processing region closer to a top portion of the image captured by the image capturing section as the speed of the host vehicle increases.

13. The vehicle image processing device as recited in claim 10, wherein

the processing region setting section is configured to move a center of the image processing region closer to a top of the image captured by the image capturing section as a product of a prescribed following distance time and the speed of the host vehicle increases.

14. The vehicle image processing device as recited in claim 10, wherein

the processing region setting section is configured to set the image processing region such that an area of the image processing region is reduced as a product of a prescribed following distance time and the speed of the host vehicle increases.

15. The vehicle image processing device as recited in claim 1, wherein

the host vehicle behavior detecting section is configured to detect at least a steering angle of the host vehicle as the behavior information.

16. The vehicle image processing device as recited in claim 15, wherein

the preceding vehicle position predicting section is configured to predict a potential horizontal preceding vehicle position based on the steering angle of the host vehicle detected by the host vehicle behavior detecting section;

and

the processing region setting section is configured to set the image processing region based on the potential horizontal preceding vehicle position predicted by the preceding vehicle position predicting section.

17. The vehicle image processing device as recited in claim 1, wherein

the host vehicle behavior detecting section is configured and arranged to detect at least a yaw rate of the host vehicle as the behavior information.

18. The vehicle image processing device as recited in claim 17, wherein

the preceding vehicle position predicting section is configured and arranged to predict a potential horizontal preceding vehicle position based on the yaw rate of the vehicle detected by the host vehicle behavior detecting section;

and

the processing region setting section is configured to set the image processing region based on the potential preceding vehicle horizontal position predicted by the preceding vehicle position predicting section.

19. The vehicle image processing device as recited in claim 1, wherein

the host vehicle behavior detecting section is configured and arranged to detect at least a pitch angle of the host vehicle as the behavior information.

20. The vehicle image processing device as recited in claim 19, wherein

the processing region setting section is configured to move the image processing region in a vertical direction within the image captured by the image capturing section in accordance with the pitch angle of the host vehicle detected by the host vehicle behavior detecting section.

21. The vehicle image processing device as recited in claim 2, wherein

distinct profile sensing section is configured to set a threshold value for identifying the distinct profile within the image processing region in accordance with a size of the image processing region.

22. A vehicle comprising the image processing device according to claim 1.

23. A vehicle image processing device comprising:

image capturing means for capturing an image of an area in front of a host vehicle in which the vehicle image processing device is installed;

behavior detecting means for obtaining behavior information of the host vehicle;

preceding vehicle position predicting means for predicting a potential preceding vehicle position based on the behavior information of the vehicle;

processing region setting means for setting an image processing region of the image based on the potential preceding vehicle position; and

preceding vehicle detecting means for detecting if an actual preceding vehicle is present within the image processing region.

24. A method of detecting a preceding vehicle comprising:

capturing an image of an area in front of a host vehicle;

obtaining behavior information of the host vehicle;

predicting a potential preceding vehicle position with respect to the host vehicle based on the behavior information of the host vehicle;

setting an image processing region in the image based on the potential preceding vehicle position that was predicted; and

detecting if an actual preceding vehicle is present in front of the host vehicle by processing the image processing region of the image.