Camera System and Method of Correcting Camera Fitting Errors

• US 20090010630A1
• Filed: 07/02/2008
• Published: 01/08/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 07/04/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd., Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd., Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Sakai, Kazuhiko, Kanaoka, Akihiro, Higashibara, Kiyoshi, Sugawara, Daisuke
• Granted Patent: US 8,346,071 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 396/50
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 1/00 Optical viewing arrangements; Real-time viewing arrangements for drivers or passengers using optical image capturing systems, e.g. cameras or video systems specially adapted for use in or on vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 1/23 with a predetermined field of view
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2300/402 Image calibration
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 17/00 Details of cameras or camera bodies; Accessories therefor lens hoods or caps G03B11/04
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/30252 Vehicle exterior; Vicinity of vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/80 Analysis of captured images to determine intrinsic or extrinsic camera parameters, i.e. camera calibration
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/698 for achieving an enlarged field of view, e.g. panoramic image capture
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 25/61 the noise originating only from the lens unit, e.g. flare, shading, vignetting or "cos4"

Abstract

A camera system includes a detection unit that detects fitting errors of a camera as displacement quantities in a first direction, a second direction and an optical axis rotating direction of an image picked up by the camera, a selection unit that selects a rotation correcting quantity corresponding to the displacement quantity in the optical axis rotating direction from plural rotation correction maps prepared in advance, a computation unit that computes the correcting quantities in the first direction and the second direction respectively based on the detected displacement quantities in the first direction and the second direction by means of linear expressions; and a correction unit that corrects the displacements in the first direction, the second direction and the optical axis rotating direction of the picked up image based on the selected rotation correcting quantity and the computed correcting quantities in the first direction and the second direction.

Claims

1. A camera system comprising:

detection means for detecting fitting errors of a camera as a displacement quantity in a first direction, the displacement quantity in a second direction and the displacement quantity in an optical axis rotating direction of an image picked up by the camera;

selection means for selecting a rotation correcting quantity corresponding to the displacement quantity in the optical axis rotating direction detected by the detection means from a plurality of rotation correction maps prepared in advance;

computation means for computing the correcting quantity in the first direction and the correcting quantity in the second direction respectively on the basis of the displacement quantity in the first direction and the displacement quantity in the second direction detected by the detection means by means of linear expressions; and

correction means for correcting the displacement in the first direction, the displacement in the second direction and the displacement in the optical axis rotating direction of the image picked up by the camera on the basis of the rotation correcting quantity selected by the selection means and the correcting quantity in the first direction and the correcting quantity in the second direction computed by the computation means.

2. The camera system according to claim 1, wherein

the detection means detects the errors of the fitting position of the camera relative to a prescribed fitting position of a vehicle.

3. A method of correcting camera fitting errors comprising:

detecting fitting errors of a camera as a displacement quantity in a first direction, the displacement quantity in a second direction and the displacement quantity in an optical axis rotating direction of an image picked up by the camera;

selecting a rotation correcting quantity corresponding to the detected displacement quantity in the optical axis rotating direction from a plurality of rotation correction maps prepared in advance and computing the correcting quantity in the first direction and the correcting quantity in the second direction respectively on the basis of the detected displacement quantity in the first direction and the detected displacement quantity in the second direction by means of linear expressions; and

correcting the displacement in the first direction, the displacement in the second direction and the displacement in the optical axis rotating direction on the basis of the selected rotation correcting quantity, the computed correcting quantity in the first direction and the computed correcting quantity in the second direction.

4. A camera system comprising:

a detection unit that detects fitting errors of a camera as a displacement quantity in a first direction, the displacement quantity in a second direction and the displacement quantity in an optical axis rotating direction of an image picked up by the camera;

a selection unit that selects a rotation correcting quantity corresponding to the displacement quantity in the optical axis rotating direction detected by the detection unit from a plurality of rotation correction maps prepared in advance;

a computation unit that computes the correcting quantity in the first direction and the correcting quantity in the second direction respectively on the basis of the displacement quantity in the first direction and the displacement quantity in the second direction detected by the detection unit by means of linear expressions; and

a correction unit that corrects the displacement in the first direction, the displacement in the second direction and the displacement in the optical axis rotating direction on the basis of the rotation correcting quantity selected by the selection unit and the correcting quantity in the first direction and the correcting quantity in the second direction computed by the computation unit.