Apparatus and method for automatically detecting objects
First Claim
Patent Images
1. An apparatus for detecting objects in one or more images captured by an image pickup device mounted on a vehicle, comprising:
- (a) memory on which is stored pixels of at least one image captured by the image pickup device; and
(b) a controller operatively coupled to the memory and adapted to compute velocity information for each pixel in an image using a sequential series of images;
extract from the image extracted pixels having a velocity component based on the velocity information, wherein the velocity component comprises a movement direction and a movement velocity in a lateral direction;
define regions for detecting a road boundary;
detect oblique lines made of pixels having a velocity component based on grouping those extracted pixels having a velocity component in the regions; and
generate a signal indicative of a road boundary in the image based on the oblique lines.
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Abstract
A device automatically detects boundary lines on the road from an image captured by a camera mounted on the vehicle. The device includes a controller that performs image processing on the image to compute the velocity information for each pixel in the image, and, on the basis of the computed velocity information for each pixel in the image, extracts the pixels that contain velocity information, detects the oblique lines formed by the extracted pixels, and detects the boundary lines on the road on the basis of the detected oblique lines.
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Citations
30 Claims
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1. An apparatus for detecting objects in one or more images captured by an image pickup device mounted on a vehicle, comprising:
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(a) memory on which is stored pixels of at least one image captured by the image pickup device; and (b) a controller operatively coupled to the memory and adapted to compute velocity information for each pixel in an image using a sequential series of images;
extract from the image extracted pixels having a velocity component based on the velocity information, wherein the velocity component comprises a movement direction and a movement velocity in a lateral direction;
define regions for detecting a road boundary;
detect oblique lines made of pixels having a velocity component based on grouping those extracted pixels having a velocity component in the regions; and
generate a signal indicative of a road boundary in the image based on the oblique lines. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. A vehicle, comprising:
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(a) a camera mounted including an image-pickup element generating as output a plurality of images; (b) memory on which is stored the plurality of images generated by the image pickup element; and (c) a controller operatively coupled to the memory and adapted to compute velocity information for each pixel in an image using a sequential series of images;
extract those pixels having a velocity component based on the velocity information, wherein the velocity component comprises a movement direction and a movement velocity in a lateral direction;
define regions for detecting a road boundary;
detect oblique lines based on grouping those extracted pixels having a velocity component in the regions; and
generate a signal indicative of a road boundary in the image based on the oblique lines. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
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19. An apparatus for detecting objects in one or more images captured by an image pickup device mounted on a vehicle and traveling on a road, comprising:
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(a) velocity information computing means for processing a sequential series of images to compute velocity information for each pixel in an image; (b) pixel extracting means for extracting pixels having a velocity component based on the velocity information computed by the velocity information computing means, wherein the velocity component comprises a movement direction and a movement velocity in a lateral direction; (c) defining means for defining regions for detecting a road boundary; (d) oblique line detecting means for detecting oblique lines made of pixels having a velocity component and extracted by the pixel extracting means by grouping those extracted pixels having the velocity component in the regions; and (e) boundary line detecting means for detecting at least one boundary line on the road present in the image on the basis of the oblique line detected by the oblique line detecting means. - View Dependent Claims (20, 21, 22, 23, 24)
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25. A method for detecting objects in an image captured of the pathway of a vehicle, comprising:
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(a) computing velocity information for each pixel in the image using a sequential series of images; (b) extracting from the image extracted pixels having a velocity component based on the velocity information, wherein the velocity component comprises a movement direction and a movement velocity in a lateral direction; (c) defining regions for detecting a road boundary; (d) detecting oblique lines made of pixels having a velocity component by grouping the extracted pixels having a velocity component in the regions; and (e) detecting one or more boundary lines on the vehicle pathway in the image from the oblique lines. - View Dependent Claims (26, 27, 28, 29, 30)
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Specification