Apparatus and method for calculating and displaying the height of an object detected in an image on a display

• US 9,082,020 B2
• Filed: 12/03/2012
• Issued: 07/14/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 10/11/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hyundai Motor Company (Hyundai Motor Group)
• Original Assignee: Hyundai Motor Company (Hyundai Motor Group)
• Inventors: Choi, Jae Seob, Yoon, Dae Joong, Chang, Eu Gene
• Primary Examiner(s): Tran, Thai
• Assistant Examiner(s): Dunn, Mishawn
• Application Number:
  US13/692,229
• Publication Number:
  US 20140104423A1
• Time in Patent Office: 953 Days
• Field of Search: 348/135, 348/148, 340/435, 340/901, 340/903, 382/103, 382/106
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/56 exterior to a vehicle by using sensors mounted on the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/58 Recognition of moving objects or obstacles, e.g. vehicles or pedestrians; Recognition of traffic objects, e.g. traffic signs, traffic lights or roads

Abstract

Disclosed is an apparatus for calculating the actual height of an object and displaying the calculated height on an image, including: an object detection unit that detects an object in an image of the vehicle'"'"'s surroundings acquired by a camera disposed on a vehicle; an object position measurement unit that measures a position of the object in the image and measures an object distance and an object length of the object in the image based on a distance value acquired by a distance measuring sensor disposed on the vehicle; an object height calculation unit that calculates an object height using the object distance and the object length of the object displayed in the image; and a display controller controlling display of the calculated the height of the object on a display.

Claims

1. An apparatus, comprising:

one or more processors;

memory;

an image acquisition unit that receives one or more images from a camera;

a sensor value acquisition unit that receives a distance value from a distance measuring sensor;

an image analysis unit that processes the one ore more images into one or more processed images;

an object detection unit that detects one or more objects in the one or more processed images;

an object position measurement unit that measures one or more positions of the one or more objects and determines an object distance to each of the one or more objects and an object length of each of the one or more objects in the one or more processed images based on the distance value;

an object height calculation unit that calculates an object height of each of the one or more objects based on the determined object distance and the determined object length; and

a display controller that communicates the determined object height to a display.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the object height calculation unit calculates the object height by applying the object distance and the object length to a pre-stored mapping table.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the object height calculation unit calculates the object height by applying the object distance and the object length to a conversion curve graph.

4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the conversion curve graph arranges different conversion curves indicating a height value corresponding to the object distance and the object length in a predetermined unit series based on the object distance.

5. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the conversion curve is a curve in which a gradient becomes smaller as the height of the object becomes higher.

6. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the gradient becomes smaller as the object distances and the object lengths become longer in response to a same height value.

7. A method, comprising:

receiving an image from a camera disposed on a vehicle;

receiving a distance value from a distance measuring sensor;

processing the image into a processed image;

detecting an object in the processed image;

measuring a position of the object in the processed image to determine an object distance and an object length based on the distance value, the object distance corresponding to a distance between the vehicle and the object and the object length corresponding to a distance between a first end and a second end of the object;

calculating an object height based on the object distance and the object length; and

displaying the calculated object height on a display.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein calculating the object height further comprises calculating the height of the object by applying the object distance and the object length to a pre-stored mapping table.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein calculating the object height further comprises calculating the object height by applying the object distance and the object length to a previously generated conversion curve graph.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the conversion curve graph comprises different conversion curves arranged so that the object height corresponds to the distance to the object and the length of the object in a predetermined distance unit series.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the conversion curve is a curve in which a gradient becomes smaller as the height of the object becomes higher.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein in conversion curve comprises one or more curves in which the gradients become smaller as the distances to the object and the lengths of the object become longer in response to a same height value.

13. A non-transitory computer readable medium containing program instructions executed by a processor or controller, the computer readable medium comprising:

program instructions that receive an image from a camera disposed on a vehicle;

program instructions that receive a distance value from a distance measuring sensor;

program instructions that process the image into a processed image;

program instructions that detect an object in the processed image;

program instructions that measure a position of the object in the processed image to determine an object distance and an object length based on the distance value, the object distance corresponding to a distance between the vehicle and the object and the object length corresponding to a distance between a first end and a second end of the object;

program instructions that calculate an object height based on the object distance and the object length; and

program instructions that display the calculated object height on a display.