Vehicle area detecting apparatus and vehicle area determining method

• US 6,570,998 B1
• Filed: 07/20/1999
• Issued: 05/27/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 07/22/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Honda Elesys Co., Ltd. (Nidec Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Honda Elesys Co., Ltd. (Nidec Corporation)
• Inventors: Ohtsuka, Kazuyoshi, Kyo, Sholin
• Primary Examiner(s): Patel, Jayanti K.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Choobin, Barry
• Application Number:
  US09/357,554
• Time in Patent Office: 1,407 Days
• Field of Search: 382/104, 340/907, 340/930, 348/113
• US Class Current: 382/104
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 16/0231 Circuits relating to the driving or the functioning of the vehicle monitoring tyres B60C23/00; indicating overspeed B60K31/00; for dash boards B60K37/00, B60Q3/10; for indicating emergencies B60Q1/52; brake control systems B60T; registering or indicating the working of vehicles G07C5/00; measuring distance G01C, e.g. combinations of speed and distance G01C23/00; engine indicators G01L; measuring speed or acceleration G01P
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 10/255 Detecting or recognising potential candidate objects based on visual cues, e.g. shapes
• 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 2201/08 Detecting or categorising vehicles

Abstract

A vehicle area detector correctly detects a vehicle area. The vehicle area detector detects a vehicle area in a vehicle candidate area having a high probability of existence of a vehicle in an image produced by imaging means mounted on a vehicle. For the correct detection of the vehicle area, the detector includes a horizontal symmetry evaluator to evaluate a degree of horizontal symmetry with respect to a degree of gradation in the image of the area, a variance evaluator to evaluate a degree of variance in the degree of gradation in the image of the area, a lower-area mean gradation evaluator to evaluate a difference in the degree of gradation of an image between a lower area of a vehicle candidate area and an area in the proximity of a lower edge of the candidate area exceeds a predetermined threshold value, and an area determining unit to determine a vehicle candidate area as the vehicle area in accordance with results of evaluation from the symmetry evaluator, the variance evaluator, and the lower-are mean gradation evaluator.

Claims

1. A vehicle area detecting apparatus, comprising:

imaging means mounted on a vehicle for producing an image of an object; and

vehicle area detecting means mounted on the vehicle for detecting a vehicle area including a vehicle in the image produced by the imaging means, wherein the vehicle area detecting means detects the vehicle area when the vehicle area includes an image for which either one of the conditions of

a degree of horizontal symmetry with respect to a degree of gradation in the image of the area,

a degree of variance in the degree of gradation in the image of the area, and

a difference in the degree of gradation of an image between a lower area of a vehicle candidate area and an area in the proximity of a lower edge of the candidate area exceeds a predetermined threshold value.

2. A vehicle area detecting apparatus, comprising:

imaging means mounted on a vehicle for producing an image of an object; and

vehicle area detecting means mounted on the vehicle for detecting a vehicle area including a vehicle in the image produced by the imaging means, wherein the vehicle area detecting means detects the vehicle area when the vehicle area includes an image for which two of the conditions of

a degree of horizontal symmetry with respect to a degree of gradation in the image of the area,

a degree of variance in the degree of gradation in the image of the area, and

a difference in the degree of gradation of an image between a lower area of a vehicle candidate area and an area in the proximity of a lower edge of the candidate area exceed respective predetermined threshold values.

3. A vehicle area detecting apparatus, comprising:

imaging means mounted on a vehicle for producing an image of an object; and

vehicle area detecting means mounted on the vehicle for detecting a vehicle area including a vehicle in the image produced by the imaging means, wherein the vehicle area detecting means detects the vehicle area when the vehicle area includes an image for which

a degree of horizontal symmetry with respect to a degree of gradation in the image of the area is larger than a predetermined threshold value,

a degree of variance in the degree of gradation in the image of the area is larger than a predetermined threshold value, and

a difference in the degree of gradation of an image between a lower area of a vehicle candidate area and an area in the proximity of a lower edge of the candidate area is larger than a predetermined threshold value.

4. A vehicle area detecting apparatus, comprising:

imaging means mounted on a vehicle for producing an image of an object; and

vehicle area detecting means mounted on the vehicle for detecting a vehicle area including a vehicle in the image produced by the imaging means, wherein the vehicle area detecting means detects the vehicle area as an area at a position substantially equal to that of the vehicle area when the area satisfies up to this point a predetermined number of times either one of

a condition for a degree of horizontal symmetry with respect to a degree of gradation in the image of the area,

a condition for a degree of variance in the degree of gradation in the image of the area, and

a condition for a difference in the degree of gradation of an image between a lower area of a vehicle candidate area and an area in the proximity of a lower edge of the candidate area.

5. A vehicle area detecting apparatus, comprising:

imaging means mounted on a vehicle for producing an image of an object; and

vehicle area detecting means mounted on the vehicle for detecting a vehicle area including a vehicle in the image produced by the imaging means, wherein the vehicle area detecting means detects the vehicle area as an area at a position substantially equal to that of the vehicle area when the area satisfies up to this point a predetermined number of times two of the conditions for

a degree of horizontal symmetry with respect to a degree of gradation in the image of the area,

a degree of variance in the degree of gradation in the image of the area, and

a difference in the degree of gradation of an image between a lower area of a vehicle candidate area and an area in the proximity of a lower edge of the candidate area.

6. A vehicle area detecting apparatus, comprising:

imaging means mounted on a vehicle for producing an image of an object; and

vehicle area detecting means mounted on the vehicle for detecting a vehicle area including a vehicle in the image produced by the imaging means, wherein the vehicle area detecting means detects the vehicle area as an area at a position substantially equal to that of the vehicle area when the area satisfies up to this point a predetermined number of times the conditions for

a degree of horizontal symmetry with respect to a degree of gradation in the image of the area,

a degree of variance in the degree of gradation in the image of the area, and

a difference in the degree of gradation of an image between a lower area of a vehicle candidate area and an area in the proximity of a lower edge of the candidate area.

7. A vehicle area detecting apparatus for detecting a vehicle area in a vehicle candidate area having a high probability of existence of a vehicle in an image produced by imaging means mounted on a vehicle, comprising:

horizontal symmetry evaluating means for evaluating a degree of horizontal symmetry with respect to a degree of gradation in the image of the area,

variance evaluating means for evaluating a degree of variance in the degree of gradation in the image of the area,

mean gradation evaluating means for evaluating a difference in the degree of gradation of an image between a lower area of a vehicle candidate area and an area in the proximity of a lower edge of the candidate area; and

area determining means for determining a vehicle candidate area as the vehicle area when either one of results of evaluation from the symmetry evaluating means, the variance evaluating means, and the mean gradation evaluating means exceeds a predetermined threshold value.

8. A vehicle area detecting apparatus for detecting a vehicle area in a vehicle candidate area having a probability of existence of a vehicle in an image produced by imaging means mounted on a vehicle, comprising:

horizontal symmetry evaluating means for evaluating a degree of horizontal symmetry with respect to a degree of gradation in the image of the area,

variance evaluating means for evaluating a degree of variance in the degree of gradation in the image of the area,

mean gradation evaluating means for evaluating a difference in the degree of gradation of an image between a lower area of a vehicle candidate area and an area in the proximity of a lower edge of the candidate area; and

area determining means for determining a vehicle candidate area as the vehicle area when two of the results of evaluation from the symmetry evaluating means, the variance evaluating means, and the mean gradation evaluating means exceed respective predetermined threshold values.

9. A vehicle area detecting apparatus for detecting a vehicle area in a vehicle candidate area having a probability of existence of a vehicle in an image produced by imaging means mounted on a vehicle, comprising:

horizontal symmetry evaluating means for evaluating a degree of horizontal symmetry with respect to a degree of gradation in the image of the area,

variance evaluating means for evaluating a degree of variance in the degree of gradation in the image of the area,

mean gradation evaluating means for evaluating a difference in the degree of gradation of an image between a lower area of a vehicle candidate area and an area in the proximity of a lower edge of the candidate area; and

area determining means for determining a vehicle candidate area as the vehicle area when the results of evaluation from the symmetry evaluating means, the variance evaluating means, and the mean gradation evaluating means exceed respective predetermined threshold values.