Calibration operation device, camera device, camera system and camera calibration method

• US 8,928,757 B2
• Filed: 07/06/2012
• Issued: 01/06/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 04/04/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kyocera Corporation, Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Kyocera Corporation
• Inventors: Maekawa, Takashi, Oshima, Takeo, Yanagisawa, Haruo, Sawada, Ryuuichi
• Primary Examiner(s): Perungavoor, Sath V
• Assistant Examiner(s): Brown, Jr., Howard D
• Application Number:
  US13/542,965
• Publication Number:
  US 20130265442A1
• Time in Patent Office: 914 Days
• Field of Search: 348/187
• US Class Current: 348/178
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2300/402 Image calibration
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2200/24 involving graphical user interfaces [GUIs]
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/20092 Interactive image processing based on input by user
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 17/002 for television cameras

Abstract

An object of the present invention is to simplify an operation for calibration of a camera and to shorten a time necessary for the calibration. A camera calibration device 10 includes: a camera 11 configured to take an image including an index 41 provided outside a movable object 100; an image superimposing unit 122 configured to generate a superimposed image by superimposing a calibration object 42 having a first adjustment part 421 indicating a predetermined area and a second adjustment part 422 indicating a predetermined rotation area; and a calculation unit 124 configured to control the image superimposing unit 122 to generate the superimposed image in which the calibration object 42 is shifted based on a shift instruction of the calibration object 42 and to calculate, based on a position of the calibration object 42 after being shifted in the superimposed image such that an end of the index 41 is included in the area of the first adjustment part 421 and the index 41 is positioned in the rotation area of the second adjustment part 422, parameters relative to a pan angle, a tilt angle and a roll angle for calibrating displacement of a mounting position of the camera 11.

Claims

1. A camera device comprising:

a camera mounted on a predetermined position of a movable object and configured to take an image including an index provided outside the movable object;

an image superimposing unit configured to generate a superimposed image by superimposing a calibration object having a first adjustment part for indicating a predetermined area and a second adjustment part for indicating a predetermined rotation area on the image taken by the camera; and

a calculation unit configured to control the image superimposing unit to generate the superimposed image in which the calibration object is shifted based on a shift instruction of the calibration object and to calculate, based on a position of the calibration object after being shifted in the superimposed image such that one end of the index is included in the predetermined area of the first adjustment part and the index is positioned in the predetermined rotation area of the second rotation part, a pan angle, a tilt angle and a roll angle for calibration of a camera mounting position.

2. The camera device according to claim 1, wherein the calculation unit, in calculating a shift amount of the calibration object in a rotational direction, sets a center of the first adjustment part as a rotation center.

3. The camera device according to claim 1, wherein the second adjustment part defines the predetermined rotation area by using a plurality of lines having a predetermined space therebetween or a line having a predetermined width.

4. The camera device according to claim 1, wherein the calibration object further includes a first auxiliary adjustment part, and

the first auxiliary adjustment part indicates a predetermined area larger than the predetermined area of the first adjustment part and disposed surrounding the first adjustment part.

5. The camera device according to claim 4, wherein the first auxiliary adjustment part is formed of a circular figure to define the predetermined area.

6. The camera device according to claim 1, wherein the calibration object further includes a second auxiliary adjustment part, and

the second auxiliary adjustment part indicates a predetermined rotation area.

7. The camera device according to claim 6, wherein a boundary line of the rotation area of the second auxiliary adjustment part is different in color from the boundary line of the second adjustment part.

8. The camera device according to claim 6, wherein the second auxiliary adjustment part is formed of a plurality of lines having a predetermined space therebetween or a line having a predetermined width to define the predetermined rotation area.

9. The camera device according to claim 3, wherein the first adjustment part is formed of a circular figure to define the predetermined area.

10. The camera device according to claim 9, wherein the first adjustment part defines adjustment fineness of a pan angle and a tilt angle based on a diameter of the circle, and

the second adjustment part defines adjustment fineness of a roll angle based on a length and the space of the plurality of lines having the predetermined space therebetween, or on a length and the width of the line having the predetermined width.

11. The camera device according to claim 4, wherein a boundary line of the area of the first auxiliary adjustment part is different in color from the area of the first adjustment part.

12. The camera device according to claim 1, wherein the image superimposing unit, when the index displayed in the image taken by the camera has distortion, generates a superimposed image in which the calibration object having the second adjustment part tilted from a horizontal direction by an angle determined based on the distortion.

13. A camera calibration method comprising:

an image taking step to take an image including an index provided outside a movable object by a camera mounted on a predetermined position of the movable object;

a display step to display a superimposed image in which a calibration object having a first adjustment part indicating a predetermined area and a second adjustment part indicating a predetermined rotation area is superimposed on the image taken by the camera;

a shift step to shift the calibration object such that one end of the index is included in the predetermined area of the first adjustment part;

a rotation step to rotate the calibration object about the first adjustment part until the index is positioned in the predetermined rotation area of the second adjustment part; and

a calculation step to calculate, based on a shift amount of the calibration object specified by the shift step and the rotation step, a pan angle, a tilt angle and a roll angle for calibration of displacement of a camera mounting position.

14. A calibration operation device mounted on a predetermined position of a movable object for calibrating, by using an image taken by a camera for taking an image including an index provided outside the movable object, displacement of a camera mounting position relative to a pan angle, a tilt angle and a roll angle, comprising:

an image superimposing unit configured to generate a superimposed image by superimposing a calibration object having a first adjustment part for indicating a predetermined area and a second adjustment part for indicating a predetermined rotation area on the image taken by the camera; and

a calculation unit configured to control the image superimposing unit to generate the superimposed image in which the calibration object is shifted based on a shift instruction of the calibration object and to calculate, based on a position of the calibration object after being shifted in the superimposed image such that one end of the index is included in the predetermined area of the first adjustment part and the index is positioned in the rotation area of the second adjustment part, the pan angle, the tilt angle and the roll angle for calibration of the displacement of the camera mounting position.

15. A camera system comprising:

a camera mounted on a predetermined position of a movable object and configured to take an image including an index provided outside the movable object;

an image superimposing unit configured to generate a superimposed image by superimposing a calibration object having a first adjustment part indicating a predetermined area and a second adjustment part indicating a predetermined rotation area on the image taken by the camera;

a display unit disposed inside the movable object and configured to display the superimposed image;

an instruction unit configured to instruct the calibration object to shift a display position of the calibration object in the superimposed image; and

a calculation unit configured to control the image superimposing unit to generate the superimposed image in which the calibration object is shifted based on a shift instruction of the calibration object by the instruction unit and to calculate, based on a position of the calibration object after being shifted in the superimposed image such that one end of the index is included in the predetermined area of the first adjustment part and the index is positioned in the predetermined rotation area of the second adjustment part, a pan angle, a tilt angle and a roll angle for calibration of displacement of a camera mounting position.