HUMAN DETECTION SYSTEM FOR CONSTRUCTION MACHINE

• US 20170073934A1
• Filed: 11/29/2016
• Published: 03/16/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 06/03/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sumitomo Heavy Industries Limited
• Original Assignee: Sumitomo Heavy Industries Limited
• Inventors: KIYOTA, Yoshihisa, AIZAWA, Susumu
• Granted Patent: US 10,465,362 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 1/23 with a predetermined field of view
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2300/30 characterised by the type of image processing
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2300/8033 for pedestrian protection
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 3/32 working downwardly and towards the machine, e.g. with backhoes
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 9/24 Safety devices , e.g. for preventing overload E02F9/226 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 9/26 Indicating devices E02F5/145 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 9/261 Surveying the work-site to be treated
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 9/262 with follow-up actions to control the work tool, e.g. controller
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 18/22 Matching criteria, e.g. proximity measures
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 10/761 Proximity, similarity or dissimilarity measures
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/58 Recognition of moving objects or obstacles, e.g. vehicles or pedestrians; Recognition of traffic objects, e.g. traffic signs, traffic lights or roads
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/10 Human or animal bodies, e.g. vehicle occupants or pedestrians; Body parts, e.g. hands
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/18 Closed-circuit television [CCTV] systems, i.e. systems in which the video signal is not broadcast
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/183 for receiving images from a single remote source

Abstract

A human detection system may detect the presence of a human around a shovel by using an image captured by an imaging device attached to the shovel. Also, the human detection system may have an extracting part that extracts a part of the captured image as an identification process target image, and an identifying part that identifies whether an image included in the identification process target image is an image of a human. A region of the identification process target image is preliminarily associated with one of head image positions in the captured image. The extracting part finds out a helmet image in the captured image, and extracts the identification process target image by associating a representative position of the helmet image with one of the head image positions.

Claims

1. A human detection system for a construction machine that is configured to detect the presence of a human around the construction machine by using an image captured by an imaging device attached to the construction machine, the system comprising:

an extracting part configured to extract a part of the captured image as a target image; and

an identifying part configured to identify whether an image included in the target image is an image of a human;

wherein the extracting part finds out a feature image representing a characteristic portion of a human in the captured image, and extracts the target image including the feature image.

2. The human detection system for the construction machine as claimed in claim 1,

wherein the extracting part extracts the target image at a predetermined position corresponding to a position of the feature image.

3. The human detection system for the construction machine as claimed in claim 1,

wherein the extracting part extracts as the target image an image including a predetermined region in the captured image when the feature image exists in the predetermined region.

4. The human detection system for the construction machine as claimed in claim 1,

wherein the feature image includes an image of a helmet, an image of a shoulder, an image of a head, or an image of a reflector or a marker attached to a human.

5. The human detection system for the construction machine as claimed in claim 1,

further comprising a light device configured to illuminate an imaging range of the imaging device,

wherein the extracting part finds out as the feature image an image of a helmet that a human in the captured image wears and that is illuminated by the light device, and extracts the target image including the feature image.

6. The human detection system for the construction machine as claimed in claim 1,

wherein the extracting part extracts the target image via the position of the feature image in the captured image by utilizing a predetermined geometric relationship,

wherein the predetermined geometric relationship indicates a geometric relationship of a region of the target image in the captured image, a virtual plane region in a real space corresponding to the region of the target image, an assumed standing position of a human in the real space corresponding to the virtual plane region, a virtual feature position as a position of a characteristic portion of a human in the real space corresponding to the assumed standing position, and a predetermined image position in the captured image corresponding to the virtual feature position.

7. The human detection system for the construction machine as claimed in claim 1,

wherein a region of the target image in the captured image is associated with a grid point of a virtual grid placed on a horizontal surface in a real space.

8. The human detection system for the construction machine as claimed in claim 6,

wherein the extracting part normalizes the target image, and

wherein a head image portion, a trunk image portion, and a leg image portion are allocated at almost identical rate in the normalized target images, independently of a distance between the virtual plane region and the imaging device.

9. The human detection system for the construction machine as claimed in claim 8,

wherein sizes of the head image portions in the normalized target images are almost identical when the distance is equal to or greater than a predetermined value.

10. The human detection system for the construction machine as claimed in claim 7,

wherein the position of the feature image is associated with a grid point of the virtual grid.

11. The human detection system for the construction machine as claimed in claim 1,

wherein the extracting part finds out a helmet image as the feature image, and determines the target image from a position of the helmet image.

12. The human detection system for the construction machine as claimed in claim 1,

wherein the extracting part extracts the target image by using a reference table.

13. A shovel that is configured to detect the presence of a human around the shovel by using an image captured by an imaging device, the shovel comprising:

an extracting part configured to extract a part of the captured image as a target image; and

an identifying part configured to identify whether an image included in the target image is an image of a human;

wherein the extracting part finds out a feature image representing a characteristic portion of a human in the captured image, and extracts the target image including the feature image.