Vehicle vicinity monitoring apparatus

• US 20060115126A1
• Filed: 11/23/2005
• Published: 06/01/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 11/30/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (Honda Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (Honda Motor Company)
• Inventors: Saka, Masakazu, Nagaoka, Nobuharu, Watanabe, Masahito, Hirai, Yoshitaka, Okabe, Toshiya
• Granted Patent: US 7,590,263 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 382/106
• 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 40/10 Human or animal bodies, e.g. vehicle occupants or pedestrians; Body parts, e.g. hands
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/166 for active traffic, e.g. moving vehicles, pedestrians, bikes

Abstract

An ECU of a night vision system stores small obtained images of provisional targets as six templates depending on the distance from infrared cameras, and selects one of the templates depending on the distance up to an actual object. Using the selected template, the ECU performs template matching on images obtained by the infrared cameras, and calculates coordinates of the inspection target. The ECU compares the calculated coordinates of the inspection target and stored reference coordinates with each other, and determines mounted angles of the infrared cameras.

Claims

1. A vehicle vicinity monitoring apparatus for use on a vehicle, comprising:

an imaging unit for obtaining an image of a vicinity of said vehicle;

an object distance detecting unit for detecting a distance up to an object; and

an object information calculating unit for calculating information as to the object with a calculation method corresponding to said distance up to said object which is detected by said object distance detecting unit.

2. A vehicle vicinity monitoring apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

a coordinate reference value memory unit for storing reference coordinates of an object whose image is obtained by said imaging unit for adjustment; and

a template memory unit for storing a plurality of templates representing obtained images of objects depending on the distance from said imaging unit,

wherein said object information calculating unit comprises;

a template selecting unit for selecting one of said templates stored in said template memory unit depending on the distance from said imaging unit to said object; and

an object coordinate calculating unit for performing template matching on said image obtained by said imaging unit by using said template selected by said template selecting unit, and calculating coordinates of said object.

3. A vehicle vicinity monitoring apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said object information calculating unit further comprises a mounted angle calculating unit for comparing said reference coordinates read from said coordinate reference value memory unit and said coordinates calculated by said object coordinate calculating unit with each other to determine a mounted angle of said imaging unit on said vehicle.

4. A vehicle vicinity monitoring apparatus according to claim 3, wherein said object coordinate calculating unit performs template matching on each of a plurality of images obtained by said imaging unit, and said mounted angle calculating unit compares said reference coordinates read from said coordinate reference value memory unit and average values of said coordinates calculated by said object coordinate calculating unit with each other to determine said mounted angle of said imaging unit on said vehicle.

5. A vehicle vicinity monitoring apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said template memory unit stores templates corresponding to a plurality of prescribed distances, respectively, and said template selecting unit selects said template based on said prescribed distances and said distance from said imaging unit to said object.

6. A vehicle vicinity monitoring apparatus according to claim 5, wherein said template selecting unit selects said template corresponding to a prescribed distance which is equal to or smaller than, and closest to said distance from said imaging unit to said object.

7. A vehicle vicinity monitoring apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said object information calculating unit calculates a position in an actual space of said object with a perspective transformation model which corresponds to said distance up to said object which is detected by said object distance detecting unit.

8. A vehicle vicinity monitoring apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a model memory unit for storing a first expression based on a short-distance pin-hole model as an optical perspective transformation model of said imaging unit and a second expression based on a long-distance pin-hole model as an optical perspective transformation model of said imaging unit,

wherein said object information calculating unit calculates a position of said object according to said first expression if said distance up to said object which is detected by said object distance detecting unit is equal to or smaller than a predetermined threshold, and calculates a position of said object according to said second expression if said distance up to said object which is detected by said object distance detecting unit exceeds said predetermined threshold.

9. A vehicle vicinity monitoring apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a model memory unit for storing a first expression based on a short-distance pin-hole model as an optical perspective transformation model of said imaging unit and a second expression based on a long-distance pin-hole model as an optical perspective transformation model of said imaging unit;

and

a mode selecting unit for selecting, as an execution mode, an inspection mode for obtaining an image of an inspection target at a known distance to detect a mounted angle of said imaging unit, or a normal mode for obtaining an image of an actual object at an unknown distance;

wherein said object information calculating unit detects a position of said inspection target according to said first expression when said mode selecting unit selects said inspection mode, and detects a position of said actual object according to said second expression when said mode selecting unit selects said normal mode.