Stereoscopic camera apparatus

• US 9,697,421 B2
• Filed: 01/29/2014
• Issued: 07/04/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 03/01/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hitachi Astemo Ltd. (Hitachi, Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Hitachi Automotive Systems Limited (Hitachi, Ltd.)
• Inventors: Mitoma, Hiroto, Ota, Ryo, Otsuka, Yuji
• Primary Examiner(s): Gilliard, Delomia L
• Application Number:
  US14/770,670
• Publication Number:
  US 20160012283A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,252 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 1/00 Optical viewing arrangements; Real-time viewing arrangements for drivers or passengers using optical image capturing systems, e.g. cameras or video systems specially adapted for use in or on vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 11/04 Mounting of cameras operative during drive; Arrangement of controls thereof relative to the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2300/107 using stereoscopic cameras
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2300/8093 for obstacle warning
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/30261 Obstacle
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/593 from stereo images
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/103 Static body considered as a whole, e.g. static pedestrian or occupant recognition

Abstract

In order to provide a stereoscopic camera apparatus capable of rapidly and accurately detecting a three-dimensional object even when the three-dimensional object abruptly appears in an angle of view, a stereoscopic camera apparatus 100 includes: three-dimensional object detecting means 105, 106, 107; to-be-covered object detecting means 108 for detecting a to-be-covered object having a known shape; and to-be-covered object covering-detecting means 109 and 110 for detecting whether or not the three-dimensional object detected by the three-dimensional object detecting means covers the to-be-covered object when the to-be-covered object is detected by the to-be-covered object detecting means 108. When it is detected that the three-dimensional object covers the to-be-covered object, the to-be-covered object covering-detecting means 109 and 110 detect the three-dimensional object which covers the to-be-covered object by performing a process for determining whether or not the three-dimensional object is present in a simpler way, as compared to a case where the to-be-covered object covering-detecting means 109 and 110 detect that the three-dimensional object does not cover the to-be-covered object.

Claims

1. A stereoscopic camera apparatus comprising:

three-dimensional object detecting means for calculating at least a distance to a three-dimensional object in a real space, a horizontal position, and a width by stereoscopy based on images captured from first and second image sensors;

to-be-covered object detecting means for detecting a to-be-covered object having a known shape based an image captured from one of the first and second image sensors; and

to-be-covered object covering-detecting means for detecting whether or not the three-dimensional object detected by the three-dimensional object detecting means covers the to-be-covered object when the to-be-covered object is detected by the to-be-covered object detecting means,

wherein when it is detected that the three-dimensional object covers the to-be-covered object, the to-be-covered object covering-detecting means detects the three-dimensional object which covers the to-be-covered object by performing a process for determining whether or not the three-dimensional object is present in fewer operations than a process for determining whether or not the three-dimensional object is present when it is detected that the three-dimensional object does not cover the to-be-covered object.

2. The stereoscopic camera apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein a process using the three-dimensional object detecting means is performed before a process using the to-be-covered object detecting means.

3. The stereoscopic camera apparatus according to claim 2,

wherein the three-dimensional object detecting means includes

distance calculating means for calculating a depth map by stereoscopy based on the images captured from the first and second image sensors,

three-dimensional object extracting means for obtaining an extracted three-dimensional object having a position, a distance, and a width as parameters based on the depth map obtained by the distance calculating means, and

three-dimensional object tracking means for obtaining a tracked three-dimensional object having a position, a distance, a width, and a relative speed, which are filtered in a chronological order, as parameters based on the extracted three-dimensional object obtained by the three-dimensional object extracting means, and

the to-be-covered object covering-detecting means sets pedestrian crossing detection frames for determining whether or not the pedestrian crossing is present on left and right sides of position information of the tracked three-dimensional object obtained by the three-dimensional object tracking means.

4. The stereoscopic camera apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein a process using the to-be-covered object detecting means is performed before a process using the three-dimensional object detecting means.

5. The stereoscopic camera apparatus according to claim 4,

wherein the to-be-covered object detecting means sets pedestrian crossing detection frames for determining whether or not a pedestrian crossing is present at left and right ends of an image captured from one of the first and second image sensors.

6. The stereoscopic camera apparatus according to claim 4,

wherein the three-dimensional object detecting means includes

distance calculating means for calculating a depth map by stereoscopy based on the images captured from the first and second image sensors,

three-dimensional object extracting means for obtaining an extracted three-dimensional object having a position, a distance, and a width as parameters based on the depth map obtained by the distance calculating means, and

three-dimensional object tracking means for obtaining a tracked three-dimensional object having a position, a distance, a width, and a relative speed, which are filtered in a chronological order, as parameters based on the extracted three-dimensional object obtained by the three-dimensional object extracting means, and

the three-dimensional object extracting means extracts the extracted three-dimensional object based on the depth map obtained by the distance calculating means and the to-be-covered object having a known shape obtained by the to-be-covered object detecting means.

7. The stereoscopic camera apparatus according to claim 3,

wherein when it is detected that the tracked three-dimensional object does not cover the to-be-covered object, the to-be-covered object covering-detecting means verifies whether or not the extracted three-dimensional object matches the same tracked three-dimensional object through a preset number or more of plural frames such that only the tracked three-dimensional object satisfying a condition is registered as a control candidate three-dimensional object, and

when it is detected that the tracked three-dimensional object covers the to-be-covered object, the to-be-covered object covering-detecting means verifies whether or not the extracted three-dimensional object matches the same tracked three-dimensional object through a smaller number of plural frames than the preset number of the plural frames such that only the tracked three-dimensional object satisfying a condition is registered as a control candidate three-dimensional object, or the tracked three-dimensional object is registered as a control candidate three-dimensional object without verification.

8. The stereoscopic camera apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein the to-be-covered object is one or plural three-dimensional objects among a traffic sign painted on a road, a pavement line including a white line painted on a road, a pedestrian crossing painted on a road, and a linear road structure including a curbstone installed along a road.