Method and apparatus for detecting a presence prior to collision

• US 20050232463A1
• Filed: 03/02/2005
• Published: 10/20/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 03/02/2004
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Ford Motor Company, Sarnoff Corporation (SRI International, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Ford Motor Company, Sarnoff Corporation (SRI International, Inc.)
• Inventors: Hirvonen, David, Camus, Theodore Armand, Mandelbaum, Robert, Southall, John Benjamin
• Application Number:
  US11/070,356
• Publication Number:
  US 20050232463A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 382/103
• 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

Abstract

A method and apparatus for detecting a target in an image is disclosed. A plurality of depth images is provided. A plurality of target templates is compared to at least one of the plurality of depth images. A scores image is generated based on the plurality of target templates and the at least one depth image.

Claims

1. A method of detecting a target in an image, comprising:

providing a plurality of depth images;

comparing a plurality of target templates to at least one of the plurality of depth images; and

generating a scores image based on said plurality of target templates and said at least one depth image.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein target templates are rendered at hypothesized target locations within a two-dimensional multiple lane grid in front of a host.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the two-dimensional multiple lane grid is tessellated at ¼

meter by ¼

meter resolution.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the target templates comprise vehicle templates.

5. The method of claim 2, wherein the target templates comprise human templates.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein providing said plurality of depth images comprises generating a separate depth image for each of a plurality of multiple resolution disparity images.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein said at least one depth image is selected according to a distance of a target template from a host.

8. An apparatus for detecting a target in an image, comprising:

means for providing a plurality of depth images;

means for comparing a plurality of target templates to at least one of the plurality of depth images; and

means for generating a scores image based on said plurality of target templates and said at least one depth image.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein target templates are rendered at hypothesized target locations within a two-dimensional multiple lane grid in front of a host.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the two-dimensional multiple lane grid is tessellated at ¼

meter by ¼

meter resolution.

11. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the target templates comprise vehicle templates.

12. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the target templates comprise human templates.

13. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein providing said plurality of depth images comprises generating a separate depth image for each of a plurality of multiple resolution disparity images.

14. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein said at least one depth image is selected according to a distance of a target template from a host.

15. A computer-readable medium having stored thereon a plurality of instructions, the plurality of instructions including instructions which, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform the steps of a method of detecting a target in an image, comprising:

providing a plurality of depth images;

comparing a plurality of target templates to at least one of the plurality of depth images; and

generating a scores image based on said plurality of target templates and said at least one depth image.

16. The computer readable medium of claim 15, wherein target templates are rendered at hypothesized target locations within a two-dimensional multiple lane grid in front of a host.

17. The computer readable medium of claim 16, wherein the two-dimensional multiple lane grid is tessellated at ¼

meter by ¼

meter resolution.

18. The computer readable medium of claim 16, wherein the target templates comprise vehicle templates.

19. The computer readable medium of claim 15, wherein providing said plurality of depth images comprises generating a separate depth image for each of a plurality of multiple resolution disparity images.

20. The computer readable medium of claim 15, wherein said at least one depth image is selected according to a distance of a target template from a host.