Device for monitoring around a vehicle

• US 7,130,448 B2
• Filed: 01/17/2003
• Issued: 10/31/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 01/18/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Arriver Software AB (Qualcomm, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha (Honda Motor Company)
• Inventors: Saka, Masakazu, Tsuji, Takayuki, Nagaoka, Nobuharu, Hattori, Hiroshi, Watanabe, Masahito, Takatsudo, Izumi
• Primary Examiner(s): Wu, Jingge
• Assistant Examiner(s): GORADIA, SHEFALI DINESH
• Application Number:
  US10/346,517
• Publication Number:
  US 20030138133A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,383 Days
• Field of Search: 382/103, 382/104, 382/203, 382/274, 340/907, 340/925, 340/435, 348/164, 348/148
• US Class Current: 382/104
• 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 2201/08 Detecting or categorising vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/10 Human or animal bodies, e.g. vehicle occupants or pedestrians; Body parts, e.g. hands

Abstract

A device for monitoring around a vehicle capable of detecting objects present around the vehicle based on an image captured by at least one infrared camera member provided with the vehicle. The device includes a binary object extraction unit which subjects a gray scale image of the image captured by the infrared camera member to a binary thresholding method, and extracts a binary object from the gray scale image; a gray scale object extraction unit which extracts a gray scale object, a range of the gray scale object including the binary object, from the gray scale image based on change in luminance of the gray scale image, and a pedestrian determination unit which sets a search area in an area including the gray scale object, and recognizes a pedestrian in the gray scale image based on a luminance variance in the search area.

Claims

1. A device for monitoring around a vehicle capable of detecting objects present around the vehicle based on an image captured by at least one infrared camera provided with said vehicle, said device comprising:

a binary object extraction unit which subjects a gray scale image of said image captured by said infrared camera to a binary thresholding method, and extracts a binary object from said gray scale image;

a gray scale object extraction unit which extracts a gray scale object, a range of said gray scale object including said binary object, from said gray scale image based on change in luminance of said gray scale image, and

a pedestrian determination unit which sets a search area in an area including said gray scale object, and recognizes a pedestrian in said gray scale image based on a luminance variance in said search area, wherein said pedestrian determination unit distinguishes between a pedestrian and other non-pedestrian objects in the gray scale image.

2. A device for monitoring around a vehicle according to claim 1, wherein

said pedestrian determination unit sets said search area so that a size in a transverse direction of said search area matches a width of said binary object and that a size in a longitudinal direction of said search area matches a height of said binary object.

3. A device for monitoring around a vehicle according to claim 1, wherein

said pedestrian determination unit sets, as said search area, a head portion area whose size corresponds to a size of a head portion of a pedestrian, based on an upper end of said gray scale object.

4. A device for monitoring around a vehicle according to claim 1, wherein

said pedestrian determination unit sets, as said search area, a head portion area whose size corresponds to a size of a head portion of a pedestrian, based on an upper end of said gray scale object, and a body portion area whose size corresponds to a body portion of a pedestrian and is larger than said head portion area, below said head portion area.

5. A device for monitoring around a vehicle according to claim 1, wherein said device is used as a night vision device.

6. A device for monitoring around a vehicle according to claim 1, further comprising:

a heat-retaining object extraction unit which extracts heat-retaining objects that do not generate heat by themselves but retain heat which was externally applied, and emit heat substantially equivalent to that from a pedestrian, from said objects extracted by said object extraction unit, wherein

said pedestrian recognition unit recognizes a pedestrian from said object extracted by said binary object extraction unit excluding said heat-retaining objects extracted by said heat-retaining object extraction unit.

7. A device for monitoring around a vehicle according to claim 1, further comprising:

a weather detection unit which detects weather around said vehicle; and

a heat-retaining object extraction unit which extracts heat-retaining objects that do not generate heat by themselves but retain heat which was externally applied, and emit heat substantially equivalent to that from a pedestrian, from said objects extracted by said object extraction unit;

wherein

said pedestrian recognition unit recognizes a pedestrian from said object extracted by said binary object extraction unit when it is determined by said weather detection unit that weather around said vehicle includes precipitation, and which recognizes a pedestrian from said object extracted by said binary object extraction unit excluding said heat-retaining objects extracted by said heat-retaining object extraction unit when it is determined by said weather detection unit that the weather around said vehicle does not include precipitation.

8. A device for monitoring around a vehicle according to claim 7, further comprising:

a shape determination unit which determines shapes of said objects, wherein

said shape determination unit is deactivated when it is determined by said weather detection unit that weather around said vehicle includes precipitation.

9. A device for monitoring around a vehicle capable of detecting objects present around the vehicle based on an infrared image captured by at least one infrared camera provided with said vehicle, said device comprising:

an object extraction unit which extracts objects which emit infrared rays from said infrared image;

a heat-retaining object extraction unit which extracts heat-retaining objects that do not generate heat by themselves but retain heat which was externally applied, and emit heat substantially equivalent to that from a pedestrian, from said objects extracted by said object extraction unit, and

a pedestrian recognition unit which recognizes a pedestrian front said objects extracted by said object extraction unit excluding said heat-retaining objects extracted by said heat-retaining object extraction unit, wherein said pedestrian determination unit distinguishes between a pedestrian and other non-pedestrian objects in the gray scale image.

10. A device for monitoring around a vehicle capable of detecting objects present around the vehicle based on an infrared image captured by at least one infrared camera provided with said vehicle, said device comprising:

a weather detection unit which detects weather around said vehicle;

an object extraction unit which extracts objects which emit infrared rays from said infrared image;

a heat-retaining object extraction unit which extracts heat-retaining objects that do not generate heat by themselves but retain heat which was externally applied, and emit heat substantially equivalent to that from a pedestrian, from said objects extracted by said object extraction unit; and

a pedestrian recognition unit which recognizes a pedestrian from said objects extracted by said object extraction unit when it is determined by said weather detection unit that weather around said vehicle includes precipitation, and which recognizes a pedestrian from said objects extracted by said object extraction unit excluding said heat-retaining objects extracted by said heat-retaining object extraction unit when it is determined by said weather detection unit that the weather around said vehicle does not include precipitation, wherein said pedestrian determination unit distinguishes between a pedestrian and other non-pedestrian objects in the gray scale image.

11. A device for monitoring around a vehicle according to claim 10, further comprising:

a shape determination unit which determines shapes of said objects, wherein

said shape determination unit is deactivated when it is determined by said weather detection unit that weather around said vehicle includes precipitation.