Camera capable of reducing motion blur in a low luminance environment and vehicle including the same

• US 9,736,364 B2
• Filed: 03/27/2015
• Issued: 08/15/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 05/29/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: Han, Jongwoo
• Primary Examiner(s): Berardesca, Paul
• Application Number:
  US14/671,170
• Publication Number:
  US 20150350510A1
• Time in Patent Office: 872 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/56 exterior to a vehicle by using sensors mounted on the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/64 Three-dimensional objects
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/239 using two 2D image sensors having a relative position equal to or related to the interocular distance H04N13/243 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2013/0081 Depth or disparity estimation from stereoscopic image signals
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2013/0092 Image segmentation from stereoscopic image signals
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/71 Circuitry for evaluating the brightness variation
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/73 by influencing the exposure time
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/74 by influencing the scene brightness using illuminating means
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/741 by increasing the dynamic range of the image compared to the dynamic range of the electronic image sensors
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/80 Camera processing pipelines; Components thereof
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/18 Closed-circuit television [CCTV] systems, i.e. systems in which the video signal is not broadcast

Abstract

A camera and a vehicle including the same are disclosed. The camera includes a first camera, an image sensor to sense an image based on light acquired by the first camera, and a processor to control the exposure time of the image sensed by the image sensor to be changed based on a brightness level and a brightness distribution value of the image acquired by the image sensor. Consequently, it is possible to reduce motion blur in a low luminance environment.

Claims

1. A camera device attached to a vehicle, the camera device comprising:

a first image sensor to sense an image based on light acquired by a first camera; and

a processor in communication with the first image sensor, wherein the processor modifies an exposure time of the image sensed by the first image sensor based on a brightness level and a brightness distribution value of the image acquired by the first image sensor, wherein when the vehicle goes into a tunnel, the processor controls the exposure time of the first image sensor to be gradually increased, wherein when the vehicle goes out of the tunnel, the processor controls the exposure time of the first image sensor to be gradually decreased, wherein, in a case in which the brightness distribution value is equal to or greater than a second level in a state in which the brightness level of the photographed image is equal to or less than a first level, the processor controls the exposure time to be shorter than in a case in which the brightness distribution value is less than the second level in a state in which the brightness level is equal to or less than the first level, and wherein the processor controls the exposure time to be shorter as the brightness level becomes higher in a state in which the brightness level is greater than the first level.

2. The camera device according to claim 1, wherein, in a case in which the brightness distribution value is equal to or greater than the second level in a state in which the brightness level is greater than the first level, the processor controls the exposure time to be longer than in a case in which the brightness distribution value is less than the second level in a state in which the brightness level is greater than the first level.

3. The camera device according to claim 1, wherein, in a case in which a difference between a brightness level of an image photographed at a first point of time and a brightness level of an image photographed at a second point of time after the first point of time is equal to or greater than a predetermined level, the processor controls the exposure time of an image sensed by the image sensor after the second point of time to be gradually changed.

4. The camera device according to claim 3, wherein, in a case in which the brightness level of the image photographed at the first point of time is greater than the brightness level of the image photographed at the second point of time, the processor controls the exposure time to be gradually increased.

5. The camera device according to claim 3, wherein, in a case in which the brightness level of the image photographed at the first point of time is less than the brightness level of the image photographed at the second point of time, the processor controls the exposure time to be gradually decreased.

6. The camera device according to claim 1, wherein the image sensor adjusts the exposure time based on an electric signal from the processor.

7. The camera device according to claim 1, further including:

an aperture to adjust the amount of light incident upon the lens, wherein the processor controls an opening and closing time of the aperture to change the exposure time of the image sensed by the image sensor.

8. The camera device according to claim 1, further including:

a second image sensor to sense a second image acquired by a second camera, wherein the second camera is spaced apart from the first camera, and wherein the processor modifies an exposure time of the second image sensed by the second image sensor, wherein the processor verifies an adjacent vehicle, a lane marker, a road surface, a traffic sign, or the tunnel around the vehicle based on the first image from the first image sensor and the second image from the second image sensor.

9. A vehicle comprising:

a steering apparatus;

a brake apparatus;

a power source;

a steering drive to drive the steering apparatus;

a brake drive to drive the brake apparatus;

a power source drive to drive the power source;

a controller that controls the steering drive, the brake drive, and the power source drive, wherein the controller generates a control signal to control at least one of the steering drive, the brake drive, or the power source drive in the vehicle, and

a camera device equipped in the vehicle, wherein the camera device includes;

a first image sensor to sense an image based on light acquired by a first camera; and

a processor in communication with the first image sensor, wherein the processor modifies an exposure time of the image sensed by the first image sensor based on a brightness level and a brightness distribution value of the image acquired by the first image sensor, wherein when the vehicle goes into a tunnel, the processor controls the exposure time of the first image sensor to be gradually increased, wherein when the vehicle goes out of the tunnel, the processor controls the exposure time of the first image sensor to be gradually decreased, and

wherein, in a case in which the brightness distribution value is equal to or greater than a second level in a state in which the brightness level of the photographed image is equal to or less than the first level, the processor controls the exposure time to be shorter than in a case in which the brightness distribution value is less than the second level in a state in which the brightness level is equal to or less than the first level.

10. The vehicle according to claim 9, wherein the processor controls the exposure time to be shorter as the brightness level becomes higher in a state in which the brightness level is greater than the first level.

11. The vehicle according to claim 10, wherein, in a case in which the brightness distribution value is equal to or greater than the second level in a state in which the brightness level is greater than the first level, the processor controls the exposure time to be longer than in a case in which the brightness distribution value is less than the second level in a state in which the brightness level is greater than the first level.

12. The vehicle according to claim 9, wherein, in a case in which a difference between a brightness level of an image photographed at a first point of time and a brightness level of an image photographed at a second point of time after the first point of time is equal to or greater than a predetermined level, the processor controls the exposure time of an image sensed by the image sensor after the second point of time to be gradually changed.

13. The vehicle according to claim 12, wherein, in a case in which the brightness level of the image photographed at the first point of time is greater than the brightness level of the image photographed at the second point of time, the processor controls the exposure time to be gradually increased.

14. The vehicle according to claim 12, wherein, in a case in which the brightness level of the image photographed at the first point of time is less than the brightness level of the image photographed at the second point of time, the processor controls the exposure time to be gradually decreased.

15. The vehicle according to claim 9, wherein the camera further includes:

a second image sensor to sense a second image based acquired by a second camera, wherein the second camera is spaced apart from the first camera, and wherein the processor modifies an exposure time of the second image sensed by the second image sensor.

16. The vehicle according to claim 15, wherein the processor generates a disparity map and an RGB image based on stereo images from the first image sensor and the second image sensor, wherein the processor verifies an adjacent vehicle, a lane marker, a road surface, a traffic sign, or the tunnel around the vehicle based on the first image from the first image sensor and the second image from the second image sensor.

17. The vehicle according to claim 15, further including:

a second processor to generate a disparity map and an RGB image based on stereo images from the image sensor and the second image sensor, wherein the second processor or the controller generates a control signal to control at least one of the steering drive, the brake drive, and the power source drive in the vehicle based on the disparity map and the RGB image.