Image processing device and elevator mounting it thereon

• US 7,079,669 B2
• Filed: 12/27/2000
• Issued: 07/18/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 12/27/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Mitsubishi Denki Kabushiki Kaisha (Mitsubishi Electric Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Mitsubishi Denki Kabushiki Kaisha (Mitsubishi Electric Corporation)
• Inventors: Hashimoto, Manabu, Sumi, Kazuhiko
• Primary Examiner(s): Mancuso, Joseph
• Assistant Examiner(s): Conover, Damon M
• Application Number:
  US10/169,509
• Publication Number:
  US 20020191819A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,029 Days
• Field of Search: 382/118
• US Class Current: 382/118
• CPC Class Codes: B66B 1/468 Call registering systems
• CPC Class Codes: B66B 2201/4669 using passenger condition detectors
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/10 Human or animal bodies, e.g. vehicle occupants or pedestrians; Body parts, e.g. hands
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/161 Detection; Localisation; Normalisation

Abstract

An image processing apparatus detecting a wheelchair passenger for an elevator. This image processing apparatus includes a TV camera installed so that a hail where passengers are waiting is monitored through the camera, which is located in the vicinity of the elevator door, a face area extraction unit, a wheelchair area estimation unit, and a wheelchair existence judgment unit. The image processing apparatus is operated in the following manner, one or a several passengers'"'"' face area is identified by the face area extraction unit in the image picked-up by the TV camera, and the position of the face area in the image is detected. If the passenger is sitting in a wheelchair, the area where the wheelchair is likely to be in the image is estimated by the wheelchair area estimation unit from the position of the face area. The estimated area where the wheelchair is likely to be is checked by the wheelchair existence judgment unit, to determine whether the wheelchair is present.

Claims

1. An image processing apparatus comprising:

an image pick up device which picks up an image of a person;

a face area extraction unit which extracts a first area including a person'"'"'s face from an image picked up by the image pick up device;

a wheelchair area estimation unit in which a desired detection area is previously registered and which estimates the desired detection area using the first area extracted by the face area extraction unit to obtain an image in a second area; and

a wheelchair existence judgment unit which judges whether the image in the second area extracted by the detection area estimation unit coincides with a condition of the area previously registered.

2. An image processing apparatus comprising:

a TV camera installed to pick up an image of an outside of a compartment proximate a door which separates an inside of the compartment from the outside of the compartment;

a face area extraction unit which detects a position of a person'"'"'s face area in the image picked-up by the TV camera;

a wheelchair area estimation unit which estimates a wheelchair area corresponding to an approximate position of a wheelchair and which uses the face area position detected when the person is assumed to be in a wheelchair; and

a wheelchair existence judgment unit which judges whether a wheelchair exists in the image from the wheelchair area estimated.

3. The image processing apparatus according to claim 2, further comprising a distance measurement unit which measures a distance to the face area extracted by the face area extraction unit, wherein the wheelchair area estimation unit estimates the wheelchair area using the measured distance data.

4. The image processing apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the distance measurement unit comprises:

an optical beam generation unit which generates a spot-like or slit-like optical beam;

an optical beam scanning unit which scans so that the optical beam generated is projected to an area to be measured; and

a reflected light detection unit which detects reflected light of the optical beam, the distance measurement unit measuring a distance to an object based on a scanning angle of the optical beam and a position where the reflected light is detected.

5. The image processing apparatus according to claim 3, further comprising:

a range gate setting unit which sets a range threshold in order to judge when a person approaches an established range from the compartment; and

an image pickup timing determination unit which determines timing at which an image is picked up, through recognition by the distance measurement unit, when the person comes into the established range, wherein an image is picked up by the TV camera according to the timing determined.

6. An elevator including image processing apparatus, the image processing apparatus comprising:

a TV camera installed to pick up an image of an outside of an elevator from proximate a door which separates the outside from an inside of the elevator;

a face area extraction unit which detects a position of a person'"'"'s face area in the image picked-up by the TV camera;

a wheelchair area estimation unit which estimates a desired area corresponding to an approximate position of a wheelchair and which uses the face area position detected when the person is assumed to be in a wheelchair; and

a wheelchair existence judgment unit which judges whether a wheelchair exists in the image from the wheelchair area estimated, wherein the TV camera photographs a passenger from proximate the door of the elevator, and information obtained by the wheelchair existence judgment unit is input into a control unit of the elevator.