SYSTEM FOR FLOOR NUMBER DETERMINATION IN BUILDINGS

• US 20120224770A1
• Filed: 02/28/2012
• Published: 09/06/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 03/02/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Harman Becker Automotive Systems GmbH (Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Harman Becker Automotive Systems GmbH (Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.)
• Inventors: Strassenburg-Kleciak, Marek
• Granted Patent: US 8,666,158 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 382/165
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 10/56 relating to colour
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/00 Scenes; Scene-specific elements control of digital cameras H04N23/60

Abstract

A system may determine a number of floors of a building based on image data of the building. The system may determine a background color of a façade of the building shown in the image data. Using this background color, predefined deviations may then be detected that form the background color in the façade of the building. A mean number of predefined deviations in the vertical direction of the façade of the building may be determined, and the number of floors of the building based on the determined mean number of predefined deviations can be then be deduced.

Claims

1. A method for determining a number of floors of a building based on image data of the building, the method comprising the steps of:

determining by a processing unit a background color of a faç

ade of the building shown in the image data;

detecting by the processing unit predefined deviations from the background color in the faç

ade of the building;

determining by the processing unit a mean number of predefined deviations in a vertical direction of the faç

ade of the building based on the detected predefined deviations; and

deducing by the processing unit the number of floors of the building based on the determined mean number of predefined deviations, wherein the number of floors corresponds to the determined mean number.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the predefined deviations are determined by dividing the faç

ade of the building in a plurality of vertical sections, wherein the predefined deviations from the background color are determined for each vertical section, wherein a mean number of predefined deviations may be determined based on the predefined deviations determined for the vertical sections.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein the step of determining the mean number of predefined deviations further comprises:

determining by the processing unit second vertical sections within the plurality of vertical sections, in which a number of predefined deviations differs from the number of predefined deviations determined in third vertical sections by more than a threshold; and

excluding by the processing unit said second vertical sections from the determination of the mean number of predefined deviations.

4. The method according to claim 2, wherein the step of determining the mean number of predefined deviations further comprises:

determining by the processing unit first vertical sections without predefined deviations within the plurality of vertical sections where no predefined deviations are detected; and

excluding by the processing unit said first vertical sections without predefined deviations from the determination of the mean number of predefined deviations.

5. The method according to claim 4, wherein the step of determining the mean number of predefined deviations further comprises:

determining by the processing unit second vertical sections within the plurality of vertical sections, in which a third number of predefined deviations differs from the number of predefined deviations determined in other vertical sections by more than a threshold; and

excluding by the processing unit said second vertical sections from the determination of the mean number of predefined deviations.

6. The method according claim 1, wherein a deviation in the faç

ade is a predefined deviation when the deviation is substantially rectangular having a ratio of width to height that is within a predefined range.

7. The method according claim 1, wherein the number of floors is linked to other information of the building allowing a graphical representation of the building to be generated.

8. The method according to claim 7, wherein the number of floors is linked to a floor plan of the building.

9. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of generating by the processing unit a display image of the building using a floor plan of the building and the determined number of floors.

10. The method according claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

determining by the processing unit different floors on the faç

ade of the building based on a vertical distance between vertically neighbouring predefined deviations and based on the deduced number of floors; and

generating by the processing unit a display image of the building with different textures for the respective different floors of the building.

11. The method according to claim 10, wherein a boundary between two floors is determined by determining a distance between two vertically neighbouring predefined deviations, wherein the boundary is determined to be at half the distance between two vertically neighbouring deviations.

12. A system for determining a number of floors of a building based on image data of the building, the system comprising a processing unit, the processing unit configured to:

determine a background color of a faç

ade of the building shown in the image data;

detect predefined deviations from the background color in the faç

ade of the building;

determine a mean number of predefined deviations in a vertical direction of the faç

ade of the building;

deduce the number of floors of the building based on the determined mean number of predefined deviations, wherein the number of floors corresponds to the determined mean number.

13. The system according to claim 12, where the processing unit is further configured to determine the predefined deviations by dividing the faç

ade of the building in a plurality of vertical sections, where the predefined deviations from the background color are determined for each vertical section, where the mean number of predefined deviations is determined based on the predefined deviations determined for the vertical sections.

14. The system according to claim 13, where the processing unit is further configured to:

determine second vertical sections within the plurality of vertical sections, in which a number of predefined deviations differs from the number of predefined deviations determined in third vertical sections by more than a threshold; and

exclude said second vertical sections from the determination of the mean number of predefined deviations.

15. The system according to claim 13, where the processing unit is further configured to:

determine first vertical sections without predefined deviations within the plurality of vertical sections where no predefined deviations are detected; and

exclude said first vertical sections without predefined deviations from the determination of the mean number of predefined deviations.

16. The system according to claim 15, where the processing unit is further configured to:

determine second vertical sections within the plurality of vertical sections, in which a number of predefined deviations differs from the number of predefined deviations determined in third vertical sections by more than a threshold; and

exclude said second vertical sections from the determination of the mean number of predefined deviations.

17. The system according claim 12, where a deviation in the faç

ade is a predefined deviation when the deviation is substantially rectangular having a ratio of width to height that is within a predefined range.

18. The system according claim 12, where the number of floors is linked to other information of the building allowing a graphical representation of the building to be generated.

19. The method according to claim 18, where the number of floors is linked to a floor plan of the building.

20. The system according to claim 12, where the processing unit is further configured to generate a display image of the building using a floor plan of the building and the determined number of floors.

21. The system according claim 12, where the processing unit is further configured to:

determine different floors on the faç

ade of the building based on a vertical distance between vertically neighbouring predefined deviations and based on the deduced number of floors; and

generate a display image of the building with different textures for the respective different floors of the building.

22. The system according to claim 21, where a boundary between two floors is determined by determination of a distance between two vertically neighbouring predefined deviations by the processing unit, where the boundary is determined to be at half the distance between two vertically neighbouring deviations.