Image correction apparatus for stereo camera

• US 6,373,518 B1
• Filed: 05/13/1999
• Issued: 04/16/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 05/14/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Subaru Corp.
• Original Assignee: Fuji Heavy Industries Limited (Subaru Corp.)
• Inventors: Sogawa, Yoshiyuki
• Primary Examiner(s): DIEP, NHON THANH
• Application Number:
  US09/310,930
• Time in Patent Office: 1,069 Days
• Field of Search: H04/N.5225, H04/N.5262, H04/N 1.300, 348/42, 348/47, 348/43, 348/218, 348/335, 348/358, 348/44, 348/46, 348/48, 348/36, 348/38, 348/39
• US Class Current: 348/43
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 5/80 Geometric correction
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 10/24 Aligning, centring, orientation detection or correction of the image
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 10/98 Detection or correction of errors, e.g. by rescanning the pattern or by human intervention; Evaluation of the quality of the acquired patterns
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/111 Transformation of image signals corresponding to virtual viewpoints, e.g. spatial image interpolation
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/122 Improving the 3D impression of stereoscopic images by modifying image signal contents, e.g. by filtering or adding monoscopic depth cues H04N13/128 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/189 Recording image signals; Reproducing recorded image signals
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/194 Transmission of image signals
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/239 using two 2D image sensors having a relative position equal to or related to the interocular distance H04N13/243 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/246 Calibration of cameras
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/25 using two or more image sensors with different characteristics other than in their location or field of view, e.g. having different resolutions or colour pickup characteristics; using image signals from one sensor to control the characteristics of another sensor
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/296 Synchronisation thereof; Control thereof
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2013/0081 Depth or disparity estimation from stereoscopic image signals

Abstract

An image correction apparatus for a stereo camera which corrects optical positional deviations in images taken by the stereo camera, comprising:

means for performing interpolation on mutual referencing positions in stereo matching of a pair of images taken by the stereo camera by using pixel-by-pixel positional deviations that have been determined in advance and coordinate data around the referencing positions.

Claims

1. An image correction apparatus, comprising:

a stereo camera;

a table storing in advance a coordinate correction value for each pixel of the stereo camera in accordance with positional deviations of a plurality of referencing positions around the pixel; and

means for correcting coordinates of a certain pixel in images taken by the stereo camera by performing an interpolation calculation according to the coordinate correction value stored in the table corresponding to said certain pixel.

2. The image correction apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the table is generated in advance by imaging a particular imaging pattern.

3. An image correction apparatus for a stereo camera, comprising:

means for determining a coordinate correction value for positional deviation of each pixel in image taken by the stereo camera;

means for calculating coordinate data around a certain pixel in at least one of horizontal direction and vertical direction; and

means for interpolating a coordinate of the certain pixel by performing interpolation accordance with the coordinate correction value and the coordinate data.

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

the means for determining coordinate correction value includes pixel-by-pixel coordinate correction value calculated by positional deviation data of a plurality of points located around the certain pixel, the positional deviation data being calculated by comparing imaging pattern including each point on an image taken by the stereo cameras with reference imaging pattern.

5. The image correction apparatus according to claim 3, wherein:

the means for calculating coordinate data around the certain pixel calculates coordinate data of two pixels located above and below of the certain pixel.

6. The image correction apparatus according to claim 3, wherein:

the means for calculating coordinate data around the certain pixel calculates coordinate data located around the certain pixel in a direction where correction is performed with less than one pixel.