Vehicle surroundings monitoring apparatus
First Claim
1. A vehicle surroundings monitoring apparatus which monitors the surroundings of a vehicle by using an image captured by a camera mounted on the vehicle, comprising:
- an object extraction process unit which extracts an image area of an object from the image captured by the camera; and
an object type determination process unit which determines an object type according to whether the image area of the object extracted by the object extraction process unit includes a first object area in which the ratio of widths in different directions is within a predetermined range and a plurality of second object areas located below the first object area and smaller in area than the first object area.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A vehicle surroundings monitoring apparatus is provided herein which is capable of determining an object type, particularly capable of determining an animal other than a human being among objects. The vehicle surroundings monitoring apparatus which monitors the surroundings of a vehicle by using an image captured by a camera (2R, 2L) mounted on the vehicle, including an object extraction process unit which extracts an image area of the object from the captured image (steps 1 to 6) and an object type determination process unit which determines the object type according to whether the image area of the object extracted by the object extraction process unit includes a first object area in which the ratio of widths in different directions is within a predetermined range and a plurality of second object areas located below the first object area and smaller in area than the first object area (steps 31 to 37).
45 Citations
10 Claims
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1. A vehicle surroundings monitoring apparatus which monitors the surroundings of a vehicle by using an image captured by a camera mounted on the vehicle, comprising:
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an object extraction process unit which extracts an image area of an object from the image captured by the camera; and an object type determination process unit which determines an object type according to whether the image area of the object extracted by the object extraction process unit includes a first object area in which the ratio of widths in different directions is within a predetermined range and a plurality of second object areas located below the first object area and smaller in area than the first object area. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 8)
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7. A vehicle surroundings monitoring apparatus which monitors the surroundings of a vehicle by using a computer which is provided in the apparatus and includes an interface circuit for use in accessing an image captured by a camera mounted on the vehicle,
wherein the computer performs: -
an object extraction process for extracting an image area of an object from the image captured by the camera; and an object type determination process for determining an object type according to whether the image area of the object extracted in the object extraction process includes a first object area in which the ratio of widths in different directions is within a predetermined range and a plurality of second object areas located below the first object area and smaller in area than the first object area.
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9. A vehicle surroundings monitoring program which causes an in-vehicle computer including a processing unit which accesses data of an image captured by a camera mounted on a vehicle to perform a function of monitoring the surroundings of the vehicle, the program causing the computer to function as:
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an object extraction process unit which extracts an image area of an object from the image captured by the camera; and an object type determination process unit which determines an object type according to whether the image area of the object extracted by the object extraction process unit includes a first object area in which the ratio of widths in different directions is within a predetermined range and a plurality of second object areas located below the first object area and smaller in area than the first object area.
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10. A vehicle surroundings monitoring method of monitoring the surroundings of a vehicle by using an in-vehicle computer including a processing unit which accesses data of an image captured by a camera mounted on the vehicle, the method comprising:
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an object extraction step of causing the computer to extract the image area of an object from the image captured by the camera; and an object type determination step of causing the computer to determine an object type according to whether the image area of the object extracted in the object extraction step includes a first object area in which the ratio of widths in different directions is within a predetermined range and a plurality of second object areas located below the first object area and smaller in area than the first object area.
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Specification