Image monitoring apparatus, movable object, program and failure determining method

• US 10,518,701 B2
• Filed: 07/26/2013
• Issued: 12/31/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 07/26/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kyocera Corporation
• Original Assignee: Kyocera Corporation
• Inventors: Yokota, Tadashi, Yanagisawa, Haruo, Nakata, Takatoshi
• Primary Examiner(s): Perungavoor, Sath V
• Assistant Examiner(s): Kwon, Yong Joon
• Application Number:
  US14/411,935
• Publication Number:
  US 20150165974A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,349 Days
• Field of Search: 348148
• 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 2300/10 characterised by the type of camera system used
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2300/30 characterised by the type of image processing
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2300/304 using merged images, e.g. merging camera image with stored images
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 17/002 for television cameras
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/18 Closed-circuit television [CCTV] systems, i.e. systems in which the video signal is not broadcast

Abstract

The image monitoring apparatus (10) has an image acquiring unit (15), an image processing unit (16) and a determining unit (17). The image acquiring unit (15) continuously acquires a peripheral image. The image acquiring unit (15) superimposes a periodically changing signal on a predetermined position of the peripheral image. The image processing unit (16) treats the peripheral image superimposed with the signal with a predetermined image processing. The determining unit (17) determines a failure of the image processing unit based on a presence or absence of a periodic change in the superimposed signal on the peripheral image treated with the predetermined image processing.

Claims

1. An image monitoring apparatus, comprising:

a processor and a memory communicatively coupled with the processor, the processor being configured to;

continuously acquire a peripheral image from an imaging unit and thereafter replace an image data on a predetermined position of an image signal with a periodically changing signal such that there is a change between a previous frame and a current frame, the imaging unit including an optical black, the image signal having an optical black component being a signal component corresponding to each pixel of the optical black of the imaging unit and an image component being a signal component corresponding to each pixel of the imaging unit other than the optical black;

treat the image signal in which the image data on the predetermined position is replaced with the signal with a predetermined image processing;

determine a failure of the predetermined image processing if there is no periodic change between the current frame and the previous frame in the replaced signal on the image signal treated with the predetermined image processing; and

when the failure is determined, warn that the image monitoring apparatus is in a failed state, wherein

the predetermined position is a position within the optical black component.

2. The image monitoring apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a periodic change in the signal is at least one of a presence or absence of addition of a signal, color, luminance and shape.

3. The image monitoring apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to give a warning by displaying an image indicating the failed state.

8. A movable object comprising the image monitoring apparatus according to claim 2.

9. A movable object comprising the image monitoring apparatus according to claim 3.

10. A movable object comprising the image monitoring apparatus according to claim 1.

13. The image monitoring apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the image monitoring apparatus is provided on a movable object, and

the processor is configured to determine the failure of the predetermined image processing not based on information from the movable object.

15. The image monitoring apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the periodic change between the current frame and the previous frame in the replaced signal is provided by a periodical change between presence of a signal and absence of the signal.

16. The image monitoring apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the processor is configured to

determine if there is a change, between the previous frame and the current frame, in a signal value of the periodically changing signal;

and

determine the failure of the predetermined image processing if the processor determines that there is no change between the current frame and the previous frame in the signal value of the periodically changing signal.

17. The image monitoring apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the processor is configured to output information of the failure of the predetermined image processing to Electronic Control Unit on a movable object when the processor determines the failure of the predetermined image processing.

4. An image monitoring apparatus, comprising:

a processor and a memory communicatively coupled with the processor, the processor being configured to;

continuously acquire a peripheral image from an imaging unit and thereafter replace image data on a predetermined position of an image signal with a periodically changing signal such that there is a change between a previous frame and a current frame, the imaging unit including an optical black, the image signal having an optical black component being a signal component corresponding to each pixel of the optical black of the imaging unit and an image component being a signal component corresponding to each pixel of the imaging unit other than the optical black;

determine a failure of the image acquiring if there is no periodic change between the current frame and the previous frame in the replaced signal on the image signal in which the image data on the predetermined position is replaced with the signal; and

when the failure is determined, warn that the image monitoring apparatus is in a failed state, wherein

the predetermined position is a position within the optical black component.

7. The image monitoring apparatus according to claim 4, wherein a periodic change in the signal is at least one of a presence or absence of addition of a signal, color, luminance and shape.

11. A movable object comprising the image monitoring apparatus according to claim 4.

12. A movable object comprising the image monitoring apparatus according to claim 7.

14. The image monitoring apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the image monitoring apparatus is provided on a movable object, and

the processor is configured to determine the failure of the image acquiring not based on information from the movable object.

5. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium storing program that causes an image monitoring apparatus having a processor and a memory communicatively coupled with the processor to:

continuously acquire a peripheral image from an imaging unit and thereafter replace image data on a predetermined position of an image signal with a periodically changing signal such that there is a change between a previous frame and a current frame, the imaging unit including an optical black, the image signal having an optical black component being a signal component corresponding to each pixel of the optical black of the imaging unit and an image component being a signal component corresponding to each pixel of the imaging unit other than the optical black;

treat the peripheral image in which the image data on the predetermined position is replaced with the signal with a predetermined image processing;

determine a failure of the predetermined image processing if there is no periodic change between the current frame and the previous frame in the replaced signal on the peripheral image treated with the predetermined image processing; and

when the failure is determined, warn that the image monitoring apparatus is in a failed state, wherein

the predetermined position is a position within the optical black component.

6. A failure determining method implemented by a processor communicatively coupled with a memory, comprising:

a first acquiring step of acquiring, by the processor, a peripheral image continuously from an imaging unit;

a step of, after the first acquiring step, replacing, by the processor, image data on a predetermined position of an image signal with a periodically changing signal such that there is a change between a previous frame and a current frame, the imaging unit including an optical black, the image signal having an optical black component being a signal component corresponding to each pixel of the optical black of the imaging unit and an image component being a signal component corresponding to each pixel of the imaging unit other than the optical black;

an image processing step of treating, by the processor, the peripheral image in which the image data on the predetermined position is replaced with the signal with a predetermined image processing;

a determining step of determining, by the processor, a failure of the predetermined image processing if there is no periodic change between the current frame and the previous frame in the replaced signal on the peripheral image treated with the predetermined image processing; and

a step of giving a warning of failure when the failure is determined, wherein

the predetermined position is a position within the optical black component.