IMAGE PROCESSING APPARATUS, IMAGE-CAPTURING METHOD, AND VEHICLE

• US 20140321709A1
• Filed: 11/01/2012
• Published: 10/30/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 11/02/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ricoh Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Ricoh Company Limited
• Inventors: Kasahara, Ryosuke, Hirai, Hideaki
• Granted Patent: US 9,616,852 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 382/103
• CPC Class Codes: B60S 1/0844 including a camera
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 1/0007 Image acquisition
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 10/141 Control of illumination
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/56 exterior to a vehicle by using sensors mounted on the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/59 inside of a vehicle, e.g. relating to seat occupancy, driver state or inner lighting conditions
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/00 Cameras or camera modules comprising electronic image sensors; Control thereof
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/73 by influencing the exposure time
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 25/533 by using differing integration times for different sensor regions

Abstract

An image processing apparatus includes a light source configured to emit light onto a glass; an image-capturing unit configured to capture light from an image-capturing region including reflection light of the emitted light from the glass; an object detection filter used to detect an object attached to the glass, light from a portion of the image-capturing region entering the object detection filter; an exposure control unit configured to determine a first exposure amount used in image capturing for a first region where the object detection filter does not exist and a second exposure amount used in image capturing for a second region where the object detection filter exists; and an image analysis unit configured to analyze a captured image obtained by the image-capturing unit. The image-capturing unit switches an exposure amount used in an image-capturing process for the image-capturing region between the first exposure amount and the second exposure amount.

Claims

1. An image processing apparatus comprising:

a light source configured to emit light onto a glass;

an image-capturing unit configured to capture light from an image-capturing region including reflection light of the emitted light, the reflection light being reflected by the glass;

an object detection filter used to detect an object attached to the glass, light from a portion of the image-capturing region entering the object detection filter;

an exposure control unit configured to determine a first exposure amount with which an image is captured in a first region of the image-capturing region and a second exposure amount with which an image is captured in a second region of the image-capturing region, the second exposure amount being different from the first exposure amount, the first region being a region where the object detection filter does not exist, the second region being a region where the object detection filter exists; and

an image analysis unit configured to analyze a captured image obtained by the image-capturing unit,

wherein the image-capturing unit switches an exposure amount used in an image-capturing process for the image-capturing region between the first exposure amount and the second exposure amount.

2. The image processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the image-capturing unit continuously performs the image-capturing process with the first exposure amount a predetermined first number of times, and then continuously performs the image-capturing process with the second exposure amount a predetermined second number of times.

3. The image processing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein

the image analysis unit further detects an object on the glass by analyzing the captured image, and

the image-capturing unit increases a ratio of the second number of times with respect to the first number of times when the object is detected.

4. The image processing apparatus according to claim 3, wherein

the object is a raindrop, and

the image processing apparatus further comprises:

a wiper configured to remove the raindrop on the glass; and

a wiper control unit configured to control driving of the wiper,

wherein the image-capturing unit performs the image-capturing process with the second exposure amount in synchronization with the driving of the wiper.

5. The image processing apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the image-capturing unit determines whether weather is fine or not on the basis of an amount of light received by the image-capturing unit, and when the weather is fine, the image-capturing unit decreases the ratio of the second number of times with respect to the first number of times.

6. The image processing apparatus according to claim 3 further comprising a light source control unit configured to control emission of the light from the light source,

wherein the image-capturing unit switches the image-capturing process for the second region between a first image-capturing process in an off state in which the light source does not emit the light and a second image-capturing process in an on state in which the light source emits the light.

7. The image processing apparatus according to claim 6, wherein

the object is a raindrop, and

the image processing apparatus further comprises a rainfall detection unit configured to subtract a pixel value of a first captured image obtained from the first image-capturing process from a pixel value of a second captured image obtained from the second image-capturing process, and detect rainfall on the basis of a value obtained by the subtraction.

8. An image-capturing method executed by an image processing apparatus that includes a light source configured to emit light onto a glass and an object detection filter used to detect an object attached to the glass, light from a portion of the image-capturing region entering the object detection filter, the image-capturing method comprising:

capturing light from an image-capturing region including reflection light of the emitted light, the reflection light being reflected by the glass;

determining a first exposure amount with which an image is captured in a first region of the image-capturing region and a second exposure amount with which an image is captured in a second region of the image-capturing region, the second exposure amount being different from the first exposure amount, the first region being a region where the object detection filter does not exist, the second region being a region where the object detection filter exists; and

analyzing a captured image obtained at the capturing,

wherein the capturing includes switching an exposure amount used in an image-capturing process for the image-capturing region between the first exposure amount and the second exposure amount.

9. A vehicle comprising:

a light source configured to emit light onto a glass;

an image-capturing unit configured to capture light from an image-capturing region including reflection light of the emitted light, the reflection light being reflected by the glass;

an object detection filter used to detect an object attached to the glass, light from a portion of the image-capturing region entering the object detection filter;

an exposure control unit configured to determine a first exposure amount with which an image is captured in a first region of the image-capturing region and a second exposure amount with which an image is captured in a second region of the image-capturing region, the second exposure amount being different from the first exposure amount, the first region being a region where the object detection filter does not exist, the second region being a region where the object detection filter exists;

an image analysis unit configured to analyze a captured image obtained by the image-capturing unit; and

a control unit configured to control at least one of a cruise, a wiper, and a head lamp of the vehicle on the basis of an analysis result of the captured image,

wherein the image-capturing unit switches an exposure amount used in an image-capturing process for the image-capturing region between the first exposure amount and the second exposure amount.