Using multiple exposures to improve image processing for autonomous vehicles
First Claim
1. A method comprising:
- processing an image of a present scene in a vehicle'"'"'s environment to determine a first exposure value for capturing an average amount of light for the present scene to identify objects in the present scene with a camera, the first exposure value including a shutter time value and a gain value;
adding, by one or more processors, a fixed offset shutter time value to the shutter time value and a fixed offset gain value to the gain value to generate a second adjusted exposure value;
using the second exposure value to capture a first exposure image with the camera, wherein the first exposure image is a dark exposure image;
using the first exposure value to capture a second exposure image with the camera; and
using the first exposure image and the second exposure image to control the vehicle in an autonomous mode,wherein the first exposure value is determined in order to maintain the average amount of light for the present scene in a predetermine range based on logarithmic control for the shutter time value and linear control for the gain value.
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Accused Products
Abstract
The invention relates to collecting different images using different camera parameters. As an example, a single camera may capture two different types of images: a dark exposure for light emitting objects and a normal exposure for passive objects. The camera may first capture an image. This first image may be processed to determine the ideal camera settings for capturing the average intensity of the environment. Fixed offset values may be added to these ideal camera settings and the dark exposure may be captured. The ideal camera settings are then used to capture a normal exposure, which in turn may be processed to determine new ideal camera settings. Again, the fixed offset values may be added to the new ideal camera settings and a dark exposure is captured. This process may repeat continuously and periodically, and the resulting images may be processed to identify emissive and passive objects.
43 Citations
20 Claims
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1. A method comprising:
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processing an image of a present scene in a vehicle'"'"'s environment to determine a first exposure value for capturing an average amount of light for the present scene to identify objects in the present scene with a camera, the first exposure value including a shutter time value and a gain value; adding, by one or more processors, a fixed offset shutter time value to the shutter time value and a fixed offset gain value to the gain value to generate a second adjusted exposure value; using the second exposure value to capture a first exposure image with the camera, wherein the first exposure image is a dark exposure image; using the first exposure value to capture a second exposure image with the camera; and using the first exposure image and the second exposure image to control the vehicle in an autonomous mode, wherein the first exposure value is determined in order to maintain the average amount of light for the present scene in a predetermine range based on logarithmic control for the shutter time value and linear control for the gain value. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
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7. A method comprising:
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processing a first image of a present scene in a vehicle'"'"'s environment to determine a first exposure value for capturing an average amount of light for the present scene to identify objects in the present scene with a camera, the exposure value including a shutter time value and a gain value; accessing memory to identify a fixed predetermined exposure value for capturing dark exposure images, the fixed predetermined exposure value includes a fixed shutter time value and a fixed gain value; capturing, with the camera, a first exposure image using the fixed predetermined exposure value, wherein the first exposure image is a dark exposure image; using the first exposure value to capture a second exposure image with the camera; and using the first exposure image and the second exposure image to control the vehicle in an autonomous mode, wherein the first exposure value is determined in order to maintain the average amount of light for the present scene in a predetermine range based on logarithmic control for the shutter time value and linear control for the gain value. - View Dependent Claims (8, 9)
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10. A system comprising one or more processors configured to:
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process an image of a present scene in a vehicle'"'"'s environment to determine a first exposure value for capturing an average amount of light for the present scene to identify objects in the present scene with a camera, the first exposure value including a shutter time value and a gain value; add a fixed offset shutter time value to the shutter time value and a fixed offset gain value to the gain value to generate a second exposure value; send instructions to use the adjusted exposure value to capture a first exposure image with a camera, wherein the first exposure image is a dark exposure image; send instructions for the camera to use the camera setting to capture a second exposure image with the camera; and use the first exposure image and the second exposure image to control the vehicle in an autonomous mode, wherein the first exposure value is determined in order to maintain the average amount of light for the present scene in a predetermine range based on logarithmic control for the shutter time value and linear control for the gain value. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
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17. A system comprising:
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memory storing a fixed predetermined camera setting for capturing dark exposure images; one or more processors configured to; process an image of a present scene in a vehicle'"'"'s environment to determine an first exposure value for capturing an average amount of light for the present scene to identify objects in the present scene with a camera, the first exposure value including a shutter time value and a gain value; access the memory for the fixed predetermined camera setting which includes a fixed shutter time value and a fixed gain value; send instructions to capture a first exposure image with the camera using the fixed predetermined camera setting, wherein the first exposure image is a dark exposure image; send instructions to use the camera setting to capture a second exposure image with the camera using the first exposure value; and use the first exposure image and the second exposure image to control the vehicle in an autonomous mode, wherein the first exposure value is determined in order to maintain the average amount of light for the present scene in a predetermine range based on logarithmic control for the shutter time value and linear control for the gain value. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19, 20)
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Specification