IMAGE PROCESSING SYSTEM AND VEHICLE CONTROL SYSTEM

• US 20080278577A1
• Filed: 07/21/2008
• Published: 11/13/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 08/11/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hitachi Astemo Ltd. (Hitachi, Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Hitachi Automotive Systems Limited (Hitachi, Ltd.)
• Inventors: Muramatsu, Shoji, Takenaga, Hiroshi, Monji, Tatsuhiko, Furusawa, Isao, OTSUKA, Yuji
• Granted Patent: US 7,899,213 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/113
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/1423 Automatic dimming circuits, i.e. switching between high beam and low beam due to change of ambient light or light level in road traffic
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 2300/054 Variable non-standard intensity, i.e. emission of various beam intensities different from standard intensities, e.g. continuous or stepped transitions of intensity
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 2300/3321 Detection of streetlights
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 2300/41 preceding vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 2300/42 oncoming vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 9/008 for anti-collision purposes
• CPC Class Codes: G01M 11/068 with part of the measurements done from inside the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/30248 Vehicle exterior or interior
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/73 using feature-based methods
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/584 of vehicle lights or traffic lights
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/741 by increasing the dynamic range of the image compared to the dynamic range of the electronic image sensors

Abstract

An image processing system including an imaging unit mounted on a subject vehicle, and an image analysis unit that acquires images photographed by the imaging unit. The image analysis unit acquires plural images with different exposures that the imaging unit photographed, detects light spots emitted from the other vehicles from the plural images with different exposures, and detects positions of the other vehicles. The plural images are an image photographed with a first exposure, and an image photographed with a second exposure greater than the first exposure. The image analysis unit extracts a first area containing a first color component from the image photographed with the first exposure to determine the first area to be a first three-dimensional object, and extracts a second area containing a second color component from the image photographed with the second exposure to determine the second area to be a second three-dimensional object.

Claims

1. An image processing system comprising an imaging means mounted on a subject vehicle, and an image analysis means that acquires images photographed by the imaging means and analyzes the images,

wherein the image analysis means acquires plural images with different exposures that the imaging means photographed, detects light spots emitted from other vehicles from the plural images with different exposures, and detects positions of the other vehicles;

wherein the plural images with different exposures are an image photographed with a first exposure, and an image photographed with a second exposure greater than the first exposure; and

wherein the image analysis means extracts a first area containing a first color component from the image photographed with the first exposure to determine the first area to be a first three-dimensional object, and extracts a second area containing a second color component from the image photographed with the second exposure to determine the second area to be a second three-dimensional object.

2. The image processing system according to claim 1, wherein:

the first color component is white and the second color component is red; and

the first three-dimensional object is an opposing vehicle and the second three-dimensional object is a preceding vehicle.

3. The image processing system according to claim 2, wherein the image analysis means:

calculates the positions of the other vehicles, when there are more than two light spots in the horizontal direction of the image photographed by the imaging means, on the basis of a spacing of the two light spots; and

calculates the positions of the other vehicles, when there is one light spot in the horizontal direction of the image photographed by the imaging means, on the basis of depression angle information from the imaging means.

4. The image processing system according to claim 3, wherein:

when there are more than two light spots in the horizontal direction of the image photographed by the imaging means, the position of the other vehicle calculated from the spacing of the two light spots is compared with the position of the other vehicle calculated from the depression angle information of one light spot; and

the position of the other vehicle being in a shorter distance from the subject vehicle is control information for controlling the subject vehicle.