Apparatus and method for detecting vehicles by identifying light spots from captured images
First Claim
1. A vehicle detection apparatus for detecting vehicles traveling on a road with their lights turned on, comprising:
- an image capturing block that captures images of a roada light spot detecting block that detects a light spot from an image captured by the image capturing block;
a first coordinate detecting block that detects a first coordinate that indicates a vertical coordinate of the light spot in the captured image;
a distance calculating block that calculates a distance to the light spot based on a horizontal length of the light spot in the captured image;
a second coordinate detecting block that detects a second coordinate that indicates a vertical coordinate corresponding to the distance calculated by the distance calculating block, based on correlated data in which vertical coordinates and distances in a captured image are correlated to each other in advance;
a pitching amount calculating block that calculates a pitching amount that indicates a difference between the first coordinate and the second coordinate in the captured image; and
a vehicle light spot determining block that determines whether or not the light spot originates from a light spot of a vehicle, based on the pitching amount.
1 Assignment
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Accused Products
Abstract
A vehicle detection apparatus detects vehicles traveling on a road with their lights turned on. The apparatus captures images of a road, detects a light spot from captured images, and detects a first vertical coordinate of the light spot in the images. The apparatus further calculates a distance to the light spot based on a horizontal length of the light spot in the images and detects a second vertical coordinate corresponding to the calculated distance, based on correlated data in which vertical coordinates and distances in an image are correlated in advance. The apparatus further calculates a pitching amount that indicates a difference between the first and second coordinates and determines whether or not the light spot originates from a vehicle, based on the pitching amount.
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Citations
18 Claims
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1. A vehicle detection apparatus for detecting vehicles traveling on a road with their lights turned on, comprising:
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an image capturing block that captures images of a road a light spot detecting block that detects a light spot from an image captured by the image capturing block; a first coordinate detecting block that detects a first coordinate that indicates a vertical coordinate of the light spot in the captured image; a distance calculating block that calculates a distance to the light spot based on a horizontal length of the light spot in the captured image; a second coordinate detecting block that detects a second coordinate that indicates a vertical coordinate corresponding to the distance calculated by the distance calculating block, based on correlated data in which vertical coordinates and distances in a captured image are correlated to each other in advance; a pitching amount calculating block that calculates a pitching amount that indicates a difference between the first coordinate and the second coordinate in the captured image; and a vehicle light spot determining block that determines whether or not the light spot originates from a light spot of a vehicle, based on the pitching amount. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
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12. A vehicle detection apparatus for detecting vehicles traveling on a road with their lights turned on, comprising:
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an image capturing block that captures images on a road; a light spot detecting block that detects a light spot from an image captured by the image capturing block; a first distance calculating block that calculates a distance to the light spot based on a horizontal length of the light spot in the captured image; a second distance calculating block that detects a vertical coordinate of the light spot in the captured image and for calculating a distance to the light spot based on correlated data in which vertical coordinates and distances in a captured image are correlated to each other in advance; a pitching amount calculating block that calculates a pitching amount that indicates a difference between the distances calculated by the first and second distance calculating blocks; and a vehicle light spot determining block that determines whether or not the light spot originates from a vehicle, based on the pitching amount. - View Dependent Claims (13)
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14. A light control apparatus loaded on a vehicle, for switching headlamps of the vehicle between high and low beams, comprising:
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a vehicle detection apparatus for detecting vehicles traveling on a road with their lights turned on; and light controlling means for switching the headlamps to a low beam when a vehicle is detected by the vehicle detecting means and for switching the headlamps to a high beam when no vehicle is detected by the vehicle detecting means, wherein the vehicle detection apparatus comprising; an image capturing block that captures images of a road a light spot detecting block that detects a light spot from an image captured by the image capturing block; a first coordinate detecting block that detects a first coordinate that indicates a vertical coordinate of the light spot in the captured image; a distance calculating block that calculates a distance to the light spot based on a horizontal length of the light spot in the captured image; a second coordinate detecting block that detects a second coordinate that indicates a vertical coordinate corresponding to the distance calculated by the distance calculating block, based on correlated data in which vertical coordinates and distances in a captured image are correlated to each other in advance; a pitching amount calculating block that calculates a pitching amount that indicates a difference between the first coordinate and the second coordinate in the captured image; and a vehicle light spot determining block that determines whether or not the light spot originates from a light spot of a vehicle, based on the pitching amount. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 18)
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Specification