OPERATING DEVICE, OPERATING SYSTEM, OPERATING METHOD, AND PROGRAM THEREFOR

• US 20160070981A1
• Filed: 09/02/2015
• Published: 03/10/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 09/08/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Topcon
• Original Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Topcon
• Inventors: SASAKI, You, Ito, Tadayuki
• Granted Patent: US 10,509,983 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 1/24 in front of the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 15/002 Active optical surveying means optical plumbing G01C15/105
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 17/42 Simultaneous measurement of distance and other co-ordinates indirect measurement G01S17/46
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 17/86 Combinations of lidar systems with systems other than lidar, radar or sonar, e.g. with direction finders
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 17/89 for mapping or imaging
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/4808 Evaluating distance, position or velocity data
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/4972 Alignment of sensor
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2200/04 involving 3D image data
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/10016 Video; Image sequence
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/10028 Range image; Depth image; 3D point clouds
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/30252 Vehicle exterior; Vicinity of vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/60 Analysis of geometric attributes
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/80 Analysis of captured images to determine intrinsic or extrinsic camera parameters, i.e. camera calibration
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/56 exterior to a vehicle by using sensors mounted on the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 17/002 for television cameras

Abstract

A technique for efficiently calibrating a camera is provided. Reference laser scan data is obtained by scanning a building 131 by a laser scanner 115, which is fixed on a vehicle 100 and has known exterior orientation parameters, while the vehicle 100 travels. An image of the building 131 is photographed at a predetermined timing by an onboard camera 113. Reference point cloud position data, in which the reference laser scan data is described in a coordinate system defined on the vehicle 100 at the predetermined timing, is calculated based on the trajectory the vehicle 100 has traveled. Matching points are selected between feature points in the reference point cloud position data and in the image. Exterior orientation parameters of the camera 113 are calculated based on relative relationships between the reference point cloud position data and image coordinate values in the image of the matching points.

Claims

1. An operating device comprising:

a reference laser scan data obtaining circuit having a structure that obtains laser scan data, which is obtained by scanning an object to be measured with laser light by a laser scanner while a vehicle travels, as reference laser scan data, the laser scanner fixed on the vehicle and having exterior orientation parameters with respect to the vehicle, which are determined;

an image data obtaining circuit having a structure that obtains data of an image of the object, which is photographed at a predetermined timing by a camera that is fixed on the vehicle while the vehicle travels;

a reference point cloud position data calculator that calculates reference point cloud position data, in which the reference laser scan data is described in a coordinate system defined on the vehicle at the predetermined timing, based on a trajectory the vehicle has travelled;

a matching point selecting circuit having a structure that selects matching points between the reference point cloud position data and the image; and

an exterior orientation parameter calculator that calculates exterior orientation parameters of the camera with respect to the vehicle based on the reference point cloud position data of the matching points and image coordinate values of the matching points in the image.

2. The operating device according to claim 1, wherein the image is photographed at plural timings, the reference point cloud position data calculator calculates plural reference point cloud position data, in which each reference point cloud position data is described in a coordinate system defined on the vehicle at each of the plural timings, the matching point selecting circuit selects matching points between the image and the reference point cloud position data, which are obtained at the same timing, and the exterior orientation parameter calculator calculates exterior orientation parameters of the camera with respect to the vehicle based on the reference point cloud position data of the matching points at the plural timings, which are superposed, and based on image coordinate values of the matching points in the images at the plural timings, which are superposed.

3. An operating method comprising:

obtaining laser scan data, which is obtained by scanning an object to be measured with laser light by a laser scanner while a vehicle travels, as reference laser scan data, the laser scanner fixed on the vehicle and having exterior orientation parameters with respect to the vehicle, which are determined;

obtaining data of an image of the object, which is photographed at a predetermined timing by a camera that is fixed on the vehicle while the vehicle travels;

calculating reference point cloud position data, in which the reference laser scan data is described in a coordinate system defined on the vehicle at the predetermined timing, based on a trajectory the vehicle has traveled;

selecting matching points between the reference point cloud position data and the image; and

calculating exterior orientation parameters of the camera with respect to the vehicle based on the reference point cloud position data of the matching points and image coordinate values of the matching points in the image.

4. A storage medium storing a program to be read and executed by a computer, the program allowing the computer to:

obtain laser scan data, which is obtained by scanning an object to be measured with laser light by a laser scanner while a vehicle travels, as reference laser scan data, the laser scanner fixed on the vehicle and having exterior orientation parameters with respect to the vehicle, which are determined,

obtain data of an image of the object, which is photographed at a predetermined timing by a camera that is fixed on the vehicle while the vehicle travels,

calculate reference point cloud position data, in which the reference laser scan data is described in a coordinate system defined on the vehicle at the predetermined timing,

select matching points between the reference point cloud position data and the image, and

calculate exterior orientation parameters of the camera with respect to the vehicle based on the reference point cloud position data of the matching points and image coordinate values of the matching points in the image.