Image processing device
First Claim
1. An image processing device, comprising:
- a light source configured to irradiate a light intensity-modulated at a modulation frequency to a target space;
a light receiving element configured to receive the light reflected from an object in the target space and generate an electrical output corresponding to an intensity of the received light;
an image generator configured to generate a distance image having pixel values, each of which provides a distance value between the object and the image processing device, in accordance with a phase difference between the light emitted from said light source and the light received by said light receiving element, and a gray image having pixel values, each of which provides a gray value of the object, in accordance with the intensity of the received light;
a differentiator configured to generate a distance differential image having pixel values, each of which provides a distance differential value, from said distance image, and a gray differential image having pixel values, each of which provides a gray differential value, from said gray image; and
an outline extractor configured to extract an outline of the object by use of said distance differential image and said gray differential image.
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Abstract
An image processing device for generating both of a distance image and a gray image from an electrical output of a light receiving element on the precondition that a light intensity-modulated at a modulation frequency is irradiated into a target space. This device has an image generator for generating the distance image having pixel values, each of which provides a distance value between an object in the target space and the device, in accordance with a phase difference between the irradiated light and the received light, and the gray image having pixel values, each of which provides a gray value of the object, in accordance with an intensity of the received light. By use of an output of the image generator, an outline of the object can be extracted.
29 Citations
10 Claims
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1. An image processing device, comprising:
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a light source configured to irradiate a light intensity-modulated at a modulation frequency to a target space; a light receiving element configured to receive the light reflected from an object in the target space and generate an electrical output corresponding to an intensity of the received light; an image generator configured to generate a distance image having pixel values, each of which provides a distance value between the object and the image processing device, in accordance with a phase difference between the light emitted from said light source and the light received by said light receiving element, and a gray image having pixel values, each of which provides a gray value of the object, in accordance with the intensity of the received light; a differentiator configured to generate a distance differential image having pixel values, each of which provides a distance differential value, from said distance image, and a gray differential image having pixel values, each of which provides a gray differential value, from said gray image; and an outline extractor configured to extract an outline of the object by use of said distance differential image and said gray differential image. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5)
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6. An image processing device, comprising:
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a light source configured to irradiate a light intensity-modulated at a modulation frequency to a target space; a light receiving element configured to receive the light reflected from an object in the target space and generate an electrical output corresponding to an intensity of the received light; and an image generator configured to generate a distance image having pixel values, each of which provides a distance value between the object and the image processing device, in accordance with a phase difference between the light emitted from said light source and the light received by said light receiving element, and a gray image having pixel values, each of which provides a gray value of the object, in accordance with the intensity of the received light, wherein said image generator generates said gray image in a time-series manner, and the image processing device further comprises a differentiator configured to generate a gray differential image having pixel values, each of which provides a gray differential value, from said gray image, and an object detector configured to detect the object by use of said gray differential value and said distance value. - View Dependent Claims (7, 8)
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9. An image processing device, comprising:
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a light source configured to irradiate a light intensity-modulated at a modulation frequency to a target space; a light receiving element configured to receive the light reflected from an object in the target space and generate an electrical output corresponding to an intensity of the received light; an image generator configured to generate a distance image having pixel values, each of which provides a distance value between the object and the image processing device, in accordance with a phase difference between the light emitted from said light source and the light received by said light receiving element, and a gray image having pixel values, each of which provides a gray value of the object, in accordance with the intensity of the received light; a reference-pixel detector configured to detect, as a reference pixel, a pixel having a minimum distance value in a predetermined region in said distance image; a pixel extractor configured to set a specific region including said reference pixel in said distance image, and extract a group of pixels each having the distance value within a predetermined range from said specific region; and an exposure controller configured to control a sensitivity of said light receiving element in accordance with the gray image having the pixels, each of which has a one-to-one correspondence with one of the pixels extracted by said pixel extractor. - View Dependent Claims (10)
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Specification