Image processing device for vehicle

• US 7,756,298 B2
• Filed: 06/07/2006
• Issued: 07/13/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 06/08/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: DENSO Corporation, Nagoya University
• Original Assignee: DENSO Corporation, Nagoya University
• Inventors: Miyahara, Takayuki, Kumon, Hiroaki, Murase, Hiroshi
• Primary Examiner(s): Ahmed; Samir A
• Assistant Examiner(s): RASHIDIAN, MOHAMMAD M
• Application Number:
  US11/448,517
• Publication Number:
  US 20070008182A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,497 Days
• Field of Search: 382/100, 382/103, 382/104, 382164-165, 382171-173, 382/181, 382/199, 382224-225, 382/236, 382/256, 382/260, 348/113, 348/118, 348121-122, 352/57, 352/66, 345/419, 342 73-104, 340/907, 340/933, 701 1-124, 701200-210, 324/300, 324/304, 324/315
• US Class Current: 382/104
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/867 Combination of radar systems with cameras
• 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

An image processing device for a vehicle includes a radar for transmitting a radio wave outside of the vehicle and detecting an object in a first area outside of the vehicle by using a reflected wave of the transmitted radio wave; a camera for acquiring an image in a second area including the first area; and an image processing unit for processing the acquired image to detect, in the acquired image, the object detected by the radar. Visibility outside of the vehicle is detected based on result of detection of the radar and result of detection of the camera.

Claims

1. An image processing device for a vehicle, comprising:

means for detecting an object by transmitting a radio wave outside of the vehicle and detecting the object in a first area outside of the vehicle by using a reflected wave of the transmitted radio wave, the object detecting means detecting a distance from the vehicle to the detected object in the first area outside of the vehicle by using the reflected wave of the transmitted radio wave;

means for acquiring an image in a second area including the first area;

means for processing the acquired image to detect, in the acquired image, the object detected by the object detecting means, the image processing means executing frequency analysis of brightness distribution in the acquired image;

means for detecting visibility outside of the vehicle based on the result of the detection of the object detecting means and the result of the detection of the processing means; and

means for estimating a visibility distance outside of the vehicle based on the detected distance and the result of the frequency analysis.

2. The image processing device of claim 1, wherein the visibility detecting means detects poor visibility outside of the vehicle when the image processing means fails to detect in the acquired image the object detected by the object detecting means.

3. The image processing device of claim 1, wherein

the result of detection of the image processing means is one of that the detection of the image processing means has succeeded and that the detection of the image processing means has failed.

4. The image processing device of claim 3, wherein

the visibility detecting means detects the visibility distance based on time variation of the detected distance and time variation of the result of detection of the image processing means.

7. The image processing device of claim 1, further comprising:

means for assisting driving operation of a driver of the vehicle by using the detected visibility.

5. An image processing device for a vehicle, comprising:

means for detecting an object by transmitting a radio wave outside of the vehicle and detecting a distance from the vehicle to the object in a first area outside of the vehicle by using a reflected wave of the transmitted radio wave;

means for acquiring an image of a second area including the first area;

means for executing frequency analysis of brightness distribution in the acquired image the executing means calculating frequency characteristics of the brightness distribution in the acquired image;

means for estimating a visibility distance outside of the vehicle based on the detected distance and result of the frequency analysis; and

means for storing mapping data used for transforming the calculated frequency characteristics to the visibility distance with a parameter of the detected distance;

wherein

the estimating means estimates the visibility distance from the calculated frequency characteristics by using the stored mapping data.

6. The image processing device of claim 5, wherein

the mapping data used for transforming the calculated frequency characteristics to the visibility distance with the parameter of the detected distance is stored with a parameter of brightness of the object in the acquired image, and

the estimating means estimates the visibility distance from the calculated frequency characteristics by using the mapping data with the parameters of the detected distance and the brightness of the object in the acquired image.

8. The image processing device of claim 5, further comprising

means for assisting driving operation of a driver of the vehicle by using the estimated visibility distance.

9. A method for image processing for an image processing device in a vehicle, the method comprising:

detecting an object in a first area outside of the vehicle by transmitting a radio wave and using a reflected wave of the transmitted radio wave;

detecting a distance from the vehicle to the detected object in the first area outside of the vehicle by using the reflected wave of the transmitted radio wave;

acquiring an image in a second area including the first area;

executing frequency analysis of brightness distribution in the acquired image;

determining the detected object in the acquired image by processing the acquired image;

detecting visibility outside of the vehicle based on the result of detecting the object and the result of determining the detected object in the acquired image; and

estimating a visibility distance outside of the vehicle based on the detected distance and the result of the frequency analysis.

10. An image processing device for a vehicle, comprising:

an object detecting unit that transmits a radio wave outside of the vehicle and detects an object in a first area outside of the vehicle by using a reflected wave of the transmitted radio wave, the object detecting unit detecting a distance from the vehicle to the detected object in the first area outside the vehicle by using the reflected wave of the transmitted radio wave;

an image acquisition unit that acquires an image in a second area including the first area;

an image processing unit that processes the acquired image to detect, in the acquired image, the object detected by the object detecting unit, the image processing unit executing frequency analysis of brightness distribution in the acquired images;

a visibility detecting unit that detects visibility outside of the vehicle based on result of detection of the object detecting unit and result of detection of the image processing unit; and

a visibility estimating unit that estimates a visibility distance outside the vehicle based on the detected distance and the result of the frequency analysis.