Vehicle mounted image processor and method of use
First Claim
1. An image processor mounted to a vehicle for determining a distance between the vehicle and an object located outside the vehicle, the image processor comprising:
- an imaging means for capturing images from in front of the vehicle;
a velocity information calculation means for calculating velocity information from images photographed by the imaging means;
an observation point group specification means operable for specifying, from the velocity information calculated by the velocity information calculation means, a set of observation points at which the relative positions of velocity information does not change;
a pitching detection means configured to detect pitching of the vehicle based on the velocity information set specified by the observation point group specification means; and
a vanishing line calculation means configured to extract any two points of differing height of an object present in an image as feature points and eliminates the pitching detected by the pitching detection means from the feature points, then calculates the position of a vanishing line based on the velocity ratio of the feature points after the length between the two feature points and pitching are eliminated.
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Abstract
A vehicle-mounted detecting device and corresponding method for detecting a distance between the vehicle and an object outside the vehicle. The detecting device extracts edge intersection points from images of individual frames photographed by a camera. A set of edge intersection points for which the relative position in images does not change between frames is then specified as an observation point group; the movement of the specified observation point group in images is observed; and pitching by the vehicle is detected. Any two points with differing heights on an object present in an image are extracted as feature points, and after the effect of pitching is eliminated from the feature points, the position of a vanishing line in the image is calculated based on the ratio of the velocities of the feature points in images after the length between the two feature points and the effects of pitching are eliminated.
33 Citations
13 Claims
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1. An image processor mounted to a vehicle for determining a distance between the vehicle and an object located outside the vehicle, the image processor comprising:
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an imaging means for capturing images from in front of the vehicle;
a velocity information calculation means for calculating velocity information from images photographed by the imaging means;
an observation point group specification means operable for specifying, from the velocity information calculated by the velocity information calculation means, a set of observation points at which the relative positions of velocity information does not change;
a pitching detection means configured to detect pitching of the vehicle based on the velocity information set specified by the observation point group specification means; and
a vanishing line calculation means configured to extract any two points of differing height of an object present in an image as feature points and eliminates the pitching detected by the pitching detection means from the feature points, then calculates the position of a vanishing line based on the velocity ratio of the feature points after the length between the two feature points and pitching are eliminated. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. A method for determining a position of a vanishing line within an image captured by an image processor in a vehicle having an imaging means, the method comprising:
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calculating velocity information for images captured by the imaging means;
selecting a set in which the relative positions of velocity information do not change from the calculated velocity information;
detecting pitching by the vehicle based on the specified velocity information set;
extracting as feature points, any two points of differing height on an object present in the image;
eliminating from the feature points the pitching detected by the pitching detection means; and
calculating the position of a vanishing line based on the velocity ratio of the feature points after the length between the two feature points and pitching are eliminated.
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11. A vehicle comprising:
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an imaging device for capturing an image;
a memory device operably connected to the imaging device for receiving and storing the image; and
a controller operably connected to the memory device, the controller adapted to calculate velocity information for images stored in the memory;
generate, from the velocity information a set of observation points in which the relative positions of velocity information do not change; and
detect pitching by the vehicle based on the velocity information corresponding to the observation points.
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12. The vehicle of claim 14, wherein the controller is further configured to extract two points of differing height of an object present in the image as feature points and eliminate the detected pitching from the feature points;
- and calculate the position of a vanishing line based on the velocity ratio of the feature points.
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13. The vehicle of claim 15, wherein the controller is further configured to eliminate the effect of pitching by subtracting the velocity of the detected pitching from the vertically oriented velocity of the feature points.
Specification