Vehicle surroundings monitoring apparatus

• US 20020186298A1
• Filed: 06/06/2002
• Published: 12/12/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 06/08/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Fuji Heavy Industries Limited (Subaru Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Fuji Heavy Industries Limited (Subaru Corp.)
• Inventors: Ikeda, Atsushi
• Granted Patent: US 6,812,831 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/148
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/179 Distances to obstacles or vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/21 using cameras
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2370/179 Distances to obstacles or vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2370/21 using cameras
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/00 Instruments specially adapted for vehicles; Arrangement of instruments in or on vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/28 characterised by the type of the output information, e.g. video entertainment or vehicle dynamics information; characterised by the purpose of the output information, e.g. for attracting the attention of the driver
• 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 1/23 with a predetermined field of view
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2300/8093 for obstacle warning
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 3/784 using a mosaic of detectors
• 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

Abstract

A vehicle surroundings monitoring apparatus 2 has cameras having optical axes respectively, provided with imaging lens systems 5, 6 each having a fish-eye lens 5a, 6a, image processing units 7, 8 and an calculating unit 9. The image processing units 7, 8 detects moving objects, such as vehicles traveling alongside a host vehicle provided with the vehicle surroundings monitoring apparatus, and oncoming vehicles, on the basis of optical flow between two images taken by the cameras at different times, respectively, and sets a representative point representing the detected moving object on the surface of a road. The calculating unit calculates the position of the moving object relative to the host vehicle on the basis of displacement angles α and β of the representative point A with respect to the optical axis on an assumption that the representative point A is on a plane including a surface with which the host vehicle is in contact.

Claims

1. A vehicle surroundings monitoring apparatus comprising:

image obtaining means each having an imaging lens system including a fish-eye lens;

an image processing means capable of detecting a moving object on the basis of an optical flow between two images obtained by the image obtaining means respectively at different times, using one of the images as a reference image, and of setting a representative point representing the moving object on a surface of a road; and

an calculating means for calculating the position of the moving object relative to the vehicle on the basis of a displacement angle of the representative point from the optical axis on an image.

2. The vehicle surroundings monitoring apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the image obtaining means are disposed on right and left side parts of a body included in a host vehicle, respectively.

3. The vehicle surroundings monitoring apparatus according to claim 2, wherein each imaging lens system has an optical axis inclined slightly rearward to a direction parallel to width of the host vehicle.

4. The vehicle surroundings monitoring apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3 further comprising a display means for displaying positions of moving objects relative to that of the host vehicle, capable of indicating velocities of the moving objects relative to the host vehicle by vector notation.