Video processing device for determining video information status using analysis target specifying unit

• US 8,948,925 B2
• Filed: 12/22/2011
• Issued: 02/03/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 12/28/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: DENSO Ten Limited (f/k/a Fujitsu Ten Ltd.) (DENSO Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Fujitsu Ten Limited (DENSO Corporation), Fujitsu Limited
• Inventors: Katoh, Tetsuhiro, Murashita, Kimitaka
• Primary Examiner(s): Perungavoor, Sath V
• Assistant Examiner(s): Duley, Janese
• Application Number:
  US13/334,878
• Publication Number:
  US 20120162407A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,139 Days
• US Class Current: 701/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/183 for receiving images from a single remote source

Abstract

To provide a technology of determining a status of image information based on the image information of images captured by an image capturing device. A video processing method to process video information of an image capturing device mounted on a moving body, includes detecting an analysis target from video information of images captured by the image capturing device, determining a status of the video information on the basis of information on the analysis target and outputting a result of the determination.

Claims

1. A video processing device to process video information of an image capturing device mounted on a moving body, comprising:

an analysis target detection unit to detect an analysis target from video information of images captured by the image capturing device;

a status determining unit to determine a status of the video information on the basis of information on the analysis target detected by the analysis target detection unit; and

an output control unit to output a result of the determination, wherein

the analysis target detection unit includes

a characteristic point detection unit that detects characteristic points from the video information inputted by the image capturing device, and

a characteristic point observation unit that calculates a fluctuation in position of the detected characteristic point between different frames, and

the status determining unit determines that it is in an abnormal state when the detected characteristic points are detected by the characteristic point detection unit, and the number of characteristic points not continuously detected between different frames by the characteristic point observation unit is equal to or greater than a threshold value.

2. The video processing device according to claim 1, wherein the abnormal state is a state in which the image capturing device gets into a fault or a state in which illuminance is low.

3. The video processing device according to claim 1, wherein when the characteristic point observation unit detects:

(1) that a characteristic point does not change in a given area of a lens of the image capturing device while a characteristic point changes in the remaining area of the lens;

or (2) that a characteristic point is not detected in the given area while a characteristic point is detected in the remaining areas of the lens, the status determining unit determines that dirt is attached to the lens of the image capturing device.

4. The video processing device according to claim 1, wherein when the characteristic point observation unit detects that the characteristic points have no movement, the status determining unit determines that the image capturing device gets into a fault.

5. The video processing device according to claim 4, wherein when detecting based on speed information of the moving body that the moving body travels at a predetermined speed or higher and when the characteristic point observation unit detects that the characteristic points have no movement corresponding to the movement of the analysis target, the status determining unit determines that the image capturing device gets into the fault.

6. A video processing method to process video information of an image capturing device mounted on a moving body, by which a computer executes:

detecting an analysis target from video information of images captured by the image capturing device;

determining a status of the video information on the basis of information on the analysis target; and

outputting a result of the determination, wherein

the detecting of an analysis target includes detecting characteristic points from the video information inputted by the image capturing device and calculating a fluctuation in position of the detected characteristic point between different frames, and

the outputting the result of the determination includes determining that it is in an abnormal state when the characteristic points are detected, and the number of characteristic points not continuously detected between different frames is equal to or greater than a threshold value.

7. A non-transitory, computer readable recording medium storing a video processing program to process video information of an image capturing device mounted on a moving body, the program making a computer execute:

detecting an analysis target from video information of images captured by the image capturing device;

determining a status of the video information on the basis of information on the analysis target; and

outputting a result of the determination, wherein

the detecting of an analysis target includes detecting characteristic points from the video information inputted by the image capturing device and calculating a fluctuation in position of the detected characteristic point between different frames, and

the outputting the result of the determination includes determining that it is in an abnormal state when the characteristic points are detected, and the number of characteristic points not continuously detected between different frames is equal to or greater than a threshold value.