Object detection system and method therefor

• US 8,977,000 B2
• Filed: 03/22/2012
• Issued: 03/10/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 03/30/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Yano, Kotaro
• Primary Examiner(s): Koziol, Stephen R
• Assistant Examiner(s): CONNER, SEAN M
• Application Number:
  US13/427,124
• Publication Number:
  US 20120250939A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,083 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 382/103
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 30/2504 Coarse or fine approaches, e.g. resolution of ambiguities or multiscale approaches
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/10 Human or animal bodies, e.g. vehicle occupants or pedestrians; Body parts, e.g. hands

Abstract

In an object detection system with a first and a second image processing apparatus, the first image processing apparatus includes a reduction unit configured to reduce an input image, a first detection unit configured to detect a predetermined object from a reduction image reduced by the reduction unit, and a transmission unit configured to transmit the input image and a first detection result detected by the first detection unit to the second image processing apparatus, and the second image processing apparatus includes a reception unit configured to receive the input image and the first detection result from the first image processing apparatus, a second detection unit configured to detect the predetermined object from the input image, and an output unit configured to output the first detection result and a second detection result detected by the second detection unit.

Claims

1. An object detection system including a first and a second image processing apparatus:

wherein

the first image processing apparatus comprises;

a reduction unit configured to reduce each frame image of an input moving image input at a first frame rate;

a first detection unit configured to detect a predetermined object from each reduced frame image obtained by the reduction unit to obtain a first detection result of detecting the predetermined object from a low resolution input moving image with a high frame rate; and

a transmission unit configured to transmit the input moving image at a second frame rate lower than the first frame rate and the first detection result from the low resolution input moving image with the high frame rate to the second image processing apparatus; and

the second image processing apparatus comprises;

a reception unit configured to receive the input moving image transmitted at the second frame rate and the first detection result from the low resolution input moving image with the high frame rate from the first image processing apparatus;

a second detection unit configured to detect the predetermined object from each frame image of the input moving image received at the second frame rate to obtain a second detection result of detecting the predetermined object from a high resolution input moving image with a low frame rate; and

an output unit configured to output the first detection result from the low resolution input moving image of the high frame rate and the second detection result from the high resolution input moving image with the low frame rate.

2. The object detection system according to claim 1, wherein the first and second detection units detect the predetermined object by sequentially reducing an image so that the resolution of the reduced image does not coincide.

3. An object detection method in an object detection system including a first and a second image processing apparatus, comprising:

in the first image processing apparatus,

reducing each frame image of an input moving image input at a first frame rate to a reduction image;

detecting a predetermined object from each reduced frame image obtained by the reducing step to obtain a first detection result of detecting the predetermined object from a low resolution input moving image with a high frame rate; and

transmitting the input moving image at a second frame rate lower than the first frame rate and the first detection result from the low resolution input moving image with the high frame rate to the second image processing apparatus; and

in the second image processing apparatus,

receiving the input moving image transmitted at the second frame rate and the first detection result from the low resolution input moving image with the high frame rate from the first image processing apparatus;

detecting the predetermined object from each frame image of the input moving image received at the second frame rate to obtain a second detection result of detecting the predetermined object from a high resolution input moving image with a low frame rate; and

outputting the first detection result form the low resolution input moving image of the high frame rate and the second detection result from the high resolution input moving image with the low frame rate.

4. An object detection system including a first and a second image processing apparatus:

wherein

the first image processing apparatus comprises;

an acquisition unit configured to acquire an input moving image input at a first frame rate;

a first detection unit configured to detect a predetermined object from an each frame image extracted from the input moving image at a second frame rate lower than the first frame rate to obtain a first detection result of detecting the predetermined object from a high resolution input moving image with a low frame rate;

a reduction unit configured to reduce each frame image of the input moving image input at the first frame rate; and

a transmission unit configured to transmit a reduced moving image obtained by the reduction unit at the first frame rate and the first detection result from the high resolution input moving image with the low frame rate to the second image processing apparatus; and

the second image processing apparatus comprises;

a reception unit configured to receive the reduced moving image transmitted at the first frame rate and the first detection result from the high resolution input moving image with the low frame rate from the first image processing apparatus;

a second detection unit configured to detect the predetermined object from each frame image of the reduced moving image received at the first frame rate to obtain a second detection result of detecting the predetermined object from a low resolution input moving image with a high frame rate; and

an output unit configured to output the first detection result from the high resolution input moving image of the low frame rate and the second detection result from the low resolution input moving image with the high frame rate.

5. The object detection system according to claim 4, wherein the first detection unit clips a partial image including the predetermined object from the input image if the first detection unit detects the predetermined object from the input image, the transmission unit transmits the partial image together with the first detection result to the second image processing apparatus, and the output unit outputs the partial image together with the first detection result.

6. An object detection method in an object detection system including a first and a second image processing apparatus, comprising:

in the first image processing apparatus,

acquiring an input moving image input at a first frame rate;

detecting a predetermined object from each frame image extracted from the input moving image at a second frame rate lower than the first frame rate to obtain a first detection result of detecting the predetermined object from a high resolution input moving image with a low frame rate;

reducing each frame image of the input moving image input at the first frame rate to a reduction image; and

transmitting a reduced moving image obtained by the reducing step at the first frame rate and the first detection result from the high resolution input moving image with the low frame rate to the second image processing apparatus; and

in the second image processing apparatus,

receiving the reduced moving image transmitted at the first frame rate and the first detection result from the high resolution input moving image with the low frame rate from the first image processing apparatus;

detecting the predetermined object from each frame image of the reduced moving image received at the first frame rate to obtain a second detection result of detecting the predetermined object from a low resolution input moving image with a high frame rate; and

outputting the first detection result form the low resolution input moving image of the high frame rate and the second detection result from the high resolution input moving image with the low frame rate.