Image processing system, vehicle including the same, image processing method, and computer program product

• US 9,706,177 B2
• Filed: 11/27/2012
• Issued: 07/11/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 11/29/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ricoh Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Ricoh Company Limited
• Inventors: Kasahara, Ryosuke
• Primary Examiner(s): Walker, Jared
• Application Number:
  US14/359,750
• Publication Number:
  US 20140300744A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,687 Days
• Field of Search: 348148
• CPC Class Codes: B60S 1/0844 including a camera
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/56 exterior to a vehicle by using sensors mounted on the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/55 Optical parts specially adapted for electronic image sensors; Mounting thereof
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/60 Control of cameras or camera modules
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/75 by influencing optical camera components
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/811 by dust removal, e.g. from surfaces of the image sensor or processing of the image signal output by the electronic image sensor
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/183 for receiving images from a single remote source

Abstract

According to an embodiment, provided is an image processing system that includes: a light source that emits light; an imaging unit including an imaging element that captures light emitted and reflected from a foreign matter attached to the other surface of the transparent member and that captures light transmitted through the transparent member from the other surface side; and an image analyzing unit that analyzes captured image data. The captured image data is formed of a first image area frame used for detecting a foreign matter, and is formed of a second image area frame that corresponds to an effective imaging area excluding a predetermined area. Different rules are applied to read pixel data of between the first image area frame and the second image area frame.

Claims

1. An image processing system, comprising:

a light source configured to emit light from one surface side of a transparent member to the transparent member;

a camera including an imaging sensor that captures light emitted by the light source and reflected from foreign matter attached to an other surface side of the transparent member, and captures light transmitted through the transparent member from the other surface side; and

processing circuitry configured to read and analyze captured image data captured by the camera,

wherein the captured image data includes a first image area frame for detecting the foreign matter, and a second image area frame for acquiring information beyond the transparent member,

the imaging sensor includes a first area that captures light emitted by the light source and reflected from the foreign matter attached to the other surface side of the transparent member, and that captures light transmitted through the transparent member from the other surface side, and a second area that captures light transmitted through the transparent member from the other surface side,

the processing circuitry is configured to apply different rules when reading pixel data of the first image area frame as compared to when reading the second image area frame, and

the camera is configured to capture the first image area frame at a first exposure amount and capture the second image area frame at a second exposure amount.

2. The image processing system according to claim 1, wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to read the pixel data of the first image area frame from only the first image area.

3. The image processing system according to claim 1, wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to thin out pixels when reading the first image area frame.

4. The image processing system according to claim 1, wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to read pixel data of the second image area frame from only the second image area.

5. The image processing system according to claim 1, wherein an area of a predetermined area is smaller than an area of an effective imaging area excluding the predetermined area.

6. The image processing system according to claim 1, further comprising an optical filter provided between the transparent member and the imaging sensor, the optical filter transmitting only light in a predetermined wavelength range in a predetermined area of an effective imaging area.

7. The image processing system according to claim 6, wherein the optical filter includes:

a substrate that is transparent with respect to light in a bandwidth to be used;

a first spectral filter layer formed on an entire surface of the effective imaging area on the substrate on a transparent member side, the first spectral filter layer transmitting only light of a wavelength component in ranges from wavelength λ

1 to λ

2 and wavelengths λ

3 to λ

4 (λ

1<

λ

2<

λ

3<

λ

4); and

a second spectral filter layer formed on the predetermined area of the effective imaging area on the substrate on an imaging sensor side, the second spectral filter layer transmitting only light of a wavelength component in the range from the wavelengths λ

3 to λ

4, wherein an emission wavelength of the light source is within the range from the wavelengths λ

3 to λ

4.

14. The image processing system according to claim 1, wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to make a resolution of the first image area frame smaller than a resolution of the second image area frame so as to shorten a time to read the first image area frame compared to a time to read the second image area frame.

15. The image processing system according to claim 1, wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to make data amount of the first image area frame smaller than data amount of the second image area frame so as to shorten a time to read the first image area frame compared to a time to read the second image area frame.

8. A vehicle, comprising:

an image processing system;

a windshield wiper that removes foreign matter attached to a windshield of the vehicle; and

a windshield wiper control circuit that receives a detection result of the foreign matter from processing circuitry of the image processing system and generates a control signal for controlling the windshield wiper, wherein the image processing system includes;

a light source configured to emit light from one surface side of the windshield to the windshield;

a camera including an imaging sensor that captures light emitted by the light source and reflected from the foreign matter attached to an other surface side of the windshield, and captures light transmitted through the windshield from the other surface side; and

the processing circuitry configured to read and analyze captured image data captured by the camera,

wherein the captured image data includes a first image area frame for detecting the foreign matter, and a second image area frame for acquiring information beyond the windshield,

the imaging sensor includes a first area that captures light emitted by the light source and reflected from the foreign matter attached to the other surface side of the windshield, and that captures light transmitted through the windshield from the other surface side, and a second area that captures light transmitted through the windshield from the other surface side,

the processing circuitry applies different rules when reading pixel data of the first image area frame as compared to when reading the second image area frame, and

the camera is configured to capture the first image area frame at a first exposure amount and capture the second image area frame at a second exposure amount.

9. The vehicle according to claim 8, wherein the image processing system further includes an optical filter provided between the windshield and the imaging sensor, the optical filter transmitting only light in a predetermined wavelength range in a predetermined area of an effective imaging area.

10. An image processing method implemented by an image processing system that includes a light source configured to emit light from one surface side of a transparent member to the transparent member, the image processing method comprising:

performing imaging by

capturing, by an imaging sensor, light emitted by the light source and reflected from foreign matter attached to an other surface side of the transparent member, and

capturing, by the imaging sensor, light transmitted through the transparent member from the other surface side; and

image-analyzing that includes analyzing captured image data captured in the imaging step,

wherein the captured image data includes a first image area frame for detecting the foreign matter, and a second image area frame for acquiring information beyond the transparent member,

the imaging sensor includes a first area that captures light emitted by the light source and reflected from the foreign matter attached to the other surface side of the transparent member, and that captures light transmitted through the transparent member from the other surface side, and a second area that captures light transmitted through the transparent member from the other surface side,

the image-analyzing step further includes applying different rules when reading pixel data of the first image area frame as compared to when reading the second image area frame, and

the imaging step includes capturing the first image area frame at a first exposure amount and capturing the second image area frame at a second exposure amount.

11. The image processing method according to claim 10, further comprising:

transmitting, by an optical filter provided in the image processing system, only light in a predetermined wavelength range in a predetermined area of an effective imaging area.

12. A computer program product comprising a non-transitory computer usable medium having computer-readable program codes embodied in the medium for an image processing system, when the program codes executed, to execute the image processing method according to claim 10.

13. A computer program product comprising a non-transitory computer usable medium having computer-readable program codes embodied in the medium for an image processing system, when the program codes executed, to execute the image processing method according to claim 11.