METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR CALIBRATING A CAMERA OF A VEHICLE

• US 20160328851A1
• Filed: 12/15/2014
• Published: 11/10/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 12/19/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Continental Automotive France (Continental AG), Continental Automotive GmbH (Continental AG)
• Original Assignee: Continental Automotive France (Continental AG)
• Inventors: GARCIA, Lucien
• Granted Patent: US 10,152,794 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G01B 11/002 for measuring two or more coordinates
• CPC Class Codes: G01B 21/042 Calibration or calibration artifacts G01B3/30, G01B9/02072 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/30204 Marker
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/30252 Vehicle exterior; Vicinity of vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/80 Analysis of captured images to determine intrinsic or extrinsic camera parameters, i.e. camera calibration

Abstract

A method, a medium (20) and a system (10) for calibrating a camera (32) of a vehicle (30). The calibration system (10) is remarkable in that it includes a calibration medium (20), including at least a first calibration reference (24) and a mirror (26), and a vehicle (30), including at least a second calibration reference (34). The method can be used to calibrate the camera (32) by determining the spatial compensation values between the camera (32) and the vehicle (30), without any need to align the vehicle (30) perfectly facing the calibration medium (20).

Claims

1. A method for calibrating a camera (32) of a vehicle (30), based on a calibration medium (20) comprising at least a first calibration reference (24), the calibration medium (20) comprising a mirror (26) and the vehicle (30) comprising at least a second calibration reference (34), wherein the method comprises:

a first step (E1) of determining the spatial compensation values between the camera (32) and the first calibration reference (24),

a second step (E2) of determining the spatial compensation values between the camera (32) and the image (IM) of the second calibration reference (34) via the mirror (26),

a third step (E3) of determining the spatial compensation values between the camera (32) and the second calibration reference (34) on the basis of the spatial compensation values determined in the first step (E1) and the second step (E2),

a fourth step (E4) of determining the spatial compensation values between the camera (32) and the vehicle (30) on the basis of the spatial compensation values between the vehicle (30) and the second calibration reference (34).

2. The method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a preliminary step (E0) of determining the spatial compensation values between the vehicle (30) and the second calibration reference (34).

3. A system for calibrating a camera of a vehicle, said system (10) comprising a calibration medium (20) for calibrating a camera, said medium (20) being fixed during the calibration of said camera (32) and comprising:

a plurality of first calibration references (24),

a flat mirror (26),

the medium taking the form of a wall or a panel (20) on which the first calibration references (24) are positioned, and to which the mirror (26) is fixed,

a vehicle (30) comprising at least a camera (32) to be calibrated and at least a second calibration reference (34).

4. The system as claimed in claim 3, wherein the vehicle (30) comprises a windshield (33) on which the camera (32) is mounted, and the second calibration reference (34) is positioned on said windshield (33).

5. The system as claimed in claim 3, wherein the vehicle (30) comprises a plurality of second calibration references (34).

6. The system as claimed in claim 4, wherein the vehicle (30) comprises a plurality of second calibration references.

7. The system as claimed in claim 5, wherein the vehicle (30) comprises three second calibration references.

8. The system as claimed in claim 6, wherein the vehicle (30) comprises three second calibration references.