Stereo camera apparatus, vehicle provided with stereo camera apparatus, and non-transitory recording medium

• US 10,180,318 B2
• Filed: 11/22/2016
• Issued: 01/15/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 05/28/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kyocera Corporation
• Original Assignee: Kyocera Corporation
• Inventors: Akimoto, Kazumasa
• Primary Examiner(s): Elahi, Shan E
• Application Number:
  US15/358,464
• Publication Number:
  US 20170074651A1
• Time in Patent Office: 784 Days
• Field of Search: 348 47
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/188 Displaying information using colour changes
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/21 using cameras
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/29 Instruments characterised by the way in which information is handled, e.g. showing information on plural displays or prioritising information according to driving conditions
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 11/04 Mounting of cameras operative during drive; Arrangement of controls thereof relative to the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2300/105 using multiple cameras
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 3/06 Use of electric means to obtain final indication
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 3/085 with electronic parallax measurement
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 35/08 by simultaneous recording
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/70 Determining position or orientation of objects or cameras camera calibration G06T7/80
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/582 of traffic signs
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/584 of vehicle lights or traffic lights
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/588 Recognition of the road, e.g. of lane markings; Recognition of the vehicle driving pattern in relation to the road
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/20 Image signal generators
• 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 13/25 using two or more image sensors with different characteristics other than in their location or field of view, e.g. having different resolutions or colour pickup characteristics; using image signals from one sensor to control the characteristics of another sensor
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/257 Colour aspects
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/181 for receiving images from a plurality of remote sources

Abstract

A stereo camera apparatus, and a vehicle provided with a stereo camera apparatus, can detect an object targeted for detection in a wider spatial range, calculate the distance to a subject with high accuracy, and perform object detection with high accuracy. The stereo camera apparatus includes a first imaging unit configured to image a first area as a first image, a second imaging unit that images a second area as a second image, the second area being partially shifted from the first area in a direction differing from a direction along the baseline length, and a controller that calculates the distance to a subject using an overlapping region between the first image and the second image.

Claims

1. A stereo camera apparatus comprising:

a first imaging unit configured to image a first area as a first image;

a second imaging unit configured to image a second area as a second image, the second area being partially shifted from the first area in a direction differing from a direction along a baseline, the baseline extending between an optical axis position on an imaging plane of the first imaging unit and an optical axis position on an imaging plane of the second imaging unit; and

a controller configured to calculate a distance to a subject using an overlapping region between the first image and the second image,

the controller further configured to detect a different object indicating different content than the subject in a region in the second image outside the overlapping region.

2. The stereo camera apparatus of claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to detect at least one of a traffic sign and a traffic signal in the first image.

3. The stereo camera apparatus of claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to detect at least one of a road marking and a dividing line on a road in the second image.

4. The stereo camera apparatus of claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to detect different objects indicating different content between a region in the first image outside the overlapping region and a region in the second image outside the overlapping region.

5. The stereo camera apparatus of claim 1, wherein

the first imaging unit is configured to capture a color image;

and

the second imaging unit is configured to capture a monochrome image.

6. The stereo camera apparatus of claim 5, wherein the first imaging unit is configured to capture a color image only in a region in the first image outside the overlapping region.

7. The stereo camera apparatus of claim 5, wherein the controller is further configured to, upon detecting an object set to be differentiated by color in the second image, use a color in a corresponding region in the first image corresponding to a region occupied by the object in the second image to differentiate the object detected in the second image.

8. The stereo camera apparatus of claim 5, wherein the controller is further configured to perform object detection in a corresponding region in the first image corresponding to a region in the second image occupied by an object detected in the second image.

9. The stereo camera apparatus of claim 5, wherein a brighter optical system is used in the first imaging unit than in the second imaging unit.

10. A vehicle provided with a stereo camera apparatus, the stereo camera apparatus comprising:

a first imaging unit configured to image a first area and a second area as a first image;

a second imaging unit configured to image the second area and a third area as a second image, the third area being partially shifted from the first area in a direction differing from a direction along a baseline, the baseline extending between an optical axis position on an imaging plane of the first imaging unit and an optical axis position on an imaging plane of the second imaging unit; and

a controller configured to calculate a distance to a subject using an overlapping region between the first image and the second image,

the controller further configured to detect a different object indicating different content than the subject in a region in the second image outside the overlapping region.

11. A computer-readable non-transitory recording medium storing instructions to be executed by a stereo camera apparatus,

the stereo camera apparatus comprising:

a first imaging unit configured to image a first area as a first image; and

a second imaging unit configured to image a second area as a second image, the second area being partially shifted from the first area in a direction differing from a direction along a baseline, the baseline extending between an optical axis position on an imaging plane of the first imaging unit and an optical axis position on an imaging plane of the second imaging unit;

the instructions comprising;

calculating a distance to a subject using an overlapping region between the first image and the second image;

detecting a different object than the subject in a region in the second image excluding the overlapping region, and

detecting a different object indicating different content than the subject in a region in the second image outside the overlapping region.