Patent application number | Description | Published |
20080239097 | Image Processing Apparatus and Image Processing Method - The present invention provides an image processing technology for detecting the motion vector of an image pickup target with increased accuracy. Disclosed is an image processing apparatus that includes: an image processing buffer for storing images that are input from a plurality of image pickup devices; a distance image calculation image processing section for acquiring a disparity image between a first image, which is picked up by an image pickup device and stored in the image processing buffer, and a second image, which is simultaneously picked up by another image pickup device that corresponds to the image pickup device used to pick up the first image; and a motion vector calculation image processing section for acquiring a motion vector image between the first image and a third image, which is picked up with a time lag by the image pickup device used to pick up the first image. | 10-02-2008 |
20080243389 | Vehicle Collision Avoidance Equipment and Method - An object recognizing means obtains a relative physical value between a movable body and an object such as at least one of the other movable body, an object on the ground, a position on the ground, a topographical feature and a regional information around the movable body, and a safety keeping area calculator calculates an imaginary safety keeping area around the movable body from the relative physical value, and an object intrusion judging means decides as to at least one of whether or not the object is within the safety keeping area and whether or not the object will be within the safety keeping area to perform at least one of controlling for preventing a collision between the movable body and the object and outputting an alarm, when deciding the at least one of that the object is within the safety keeping area and that the object will be within the safety keeping area. | 10-02-2008 |
20080278577 | IMAGE PROCESSING SYSTEM AND VEHICLE CONTROL SYSTEM - An image processing system including an imaging unit mounted on a subject vehicle, and an image analysis unit that acquires images photographed by the imaging unit. The image analysis unit acquires plural images with different exposures that the imaging unit photographed, detects light spots emitted from the other vehicles from the plural images with different exposures, and detects positions of the other vehicles. The plural images are an image photographed with a first exposure, and an image photographed with a second exposure greater than the first exposure. The image analysis unit extracts a first area containing a first color component from the image photographed with the first exposure to determine the first area to be a first three-dimensional object, and extracts a second area containing a second color component from the image photographed with the second exposure to determine the second area to be a second three-dimensional object. | 11-13-2008 |
20090085775 | Vehicle Detection Apparatus - Disclosed herein is a vehicle detection apparatus has a first and a second sensors to detect vehicles ahead of the host vehicle, and a judgment part to judge that, in the case where the second sensor detects an object which the first sensor has detected, the object is a vehicle. The judging part judges the object as a vehicle in the case where it has once judged the object as a vehicle even though the second sensor does not detect the object in the next judgment. The first and second sensors should preferably be a radar and a camera, respectively. | 04-02-2009 |
20090153664 | Stereo Camera Device - A stereo camera device includes: plural picture image taking sections, an image correction section which makes correction of picture images taken, a parallax calculating section which calculates parallax, an amount of dislocation between the left and right images, and an image recognition section which carries out image recognition processing using both the image taken and the calculated parallax, or either of them. The stereo camera device further includes: a processing area setting up section which sets up the image area to be processed and reduction ratio differently depending on the driving environment of the vehicle on which the stereo camera device is mounted, wherein, by using the image area and the reduction ratio set up by the processing area setting up section, the image correction section makes correction to the picture image, the parallax calculating section calculates parallax, and the image recognition section carries out processing of image recognition. | 06-18-2009 |
20090187321 | Detector - A detector includes an image pickup unit mounted on a vehicle to obtain an image of an object; and a detecting unit for detecting an object in an object detecting area at a predetermined distance from the image pickup unit. The image pickup unit may include a monocular camera, and the predetermined distance may be fixed or may be varied according to the running speed of the vehicle. The detecting unit may detect objects respectively in plural object detection areas respectively at different distances from the image pickup unit. | 07-23-2009 |
20090195410 | IMAGE PROCESSING DEVICE AND VEHICLE DETECTION DEVICE PROVIDED WITH THE SAME - A virtual vehicle which approaches to a monitor-side vehicle and a virtual background are defined in a camera image, and a region in which a virtual vehicle moves fast with respect to a virtual background is defined as a first region F | 08-06-2009 |
20090201370 | Traveling Lane Detector - A traveling lane detector according to the present invention includes: an imaging unit mounted on a vehicle to take a road surface image; and an image processor performing image processing on the image to detect lane marks on the road surface. The image processor judges whether the vehicle is crossing the lane marks, and, when the vehicle is not crossing any of the lane marks, defines first and second windows, in the image, for detecting the lane marks located respectively on left and right parts of a road surface in front of or behind the vehicle, performs image processing on the image in each of the windows to detect the lane marks, and, when the vehicle is crossing any of the lane marks, defines a third window including the currently-crossed lane mark in the image, performs image processing on the image in the third window to detect the lane mark. | 08-13-2009 |
20090316956 | Image Processing Apparatus - An image processing accuracy estimation unit estimates an image processing accuracy by calculating a size of an object by which the accuracy of measurement of the distance of the object photographed by an on-vehicle camera becomes a permissible value or less. An image post-processing area determination unit determines, in accordance with the estimated image processing accuracy, a partial area inside a detection area of the object as an image post-processing area for which an image post-processing is carried out and lattices the determined image post-processing area to cells. An image processing unit processes the image photographed by the on-vehicle camera to detect a candidate for object and calculates a three-dimensional position of the detected object candidate. An image post-processing unit calculates, in each the individual cell inside the determined area the probability as to whether the detected object is present and determines the presence/absence of the object. | 12-24-2009 |
20100157060 | Image-Processing Camera System and Image-Processing Camera Control Method - An image pickup device that acquires images is controlled by an image pickup device controller that accepts image acquisition requests from multiple application programs, and an application scheduler selects application programs to be executed. Information indicative of the image data volumes and image data acquisition rates required for each of the multiple application programs is stored and used to select multiple concurrently executable application programs on the basis of the image data volumes and image data acquisition rates. An image acquisition scheduler determines the timing and intervals at which the multiple executable application programs repeat receiving image data from the image pickup device, without overlapping in terms of time. In addition, an operations section, which explicitly presents concurrently executable application programs to a user and commands the startup of these programs, is displayed on a navigation screen menu. | 06-24-2010 |
20110025848 | In-Vehicle Image Display Device - Provided is an in-vehicle image display device capable of providing, from among images of the peripheral area of a vehicle that can change in accordance with the driving state, an image of a part needed by the driver at an appropriate timing so that the driver can recognize the positional relationship between the vehicle and the peripheral area of the vehicle. Images captured with in-vehicle cameras are acquired, and a vehicle periphery image is generated from such images. Then, a collision-warned part of the vehicle that has a possibility of hitting a nearby object is selected based on the vehicle driving state, and the acquired image is processed to generate an enlarged image of the peripheral area of the collision-warned part of the vehicle selected by the collision-warned part selection part. Then, a composite display image, in which the positions of the enlarged image and the vehicle periphery image are displayed in a correlated manner, is generated and displayed. | 02-03-2011 |
20110063097 | Device for Detecting/Judging Road Boundary - There is provided a road boundary detection/judgment device resistant to environmental change and capable of detecting even a road boundary demarcated by a three-dimensional object in the distance. The device is provided with: an image acquisition section having two or more cameras for image-capturing the road area; a distance data acquisition section acquiring three-dimensional distance information about an image-capture area on the basis of an image obtained by the image acquisition section; a road boundary detection section detecting the height of a three-dimensional object existing in the road area on the basis of the three-dimensional distance information obtained by the distance data acquisition section to detect a road boundary; and a same boundary judgment section transforming the image, for a first road area where the height of a three-dimensional object corresponding to a road boundary could be detected and a second road area where the height of a three-dimensional object corresponding to a road boundary could not be detected, and judging whether the three-dimensional object corresponding to the first road area and the three-dimensional object corresponding to the second road area are the same. If it is judged that the three-dimensional objects corresponding to the first and second road area boundaries are the same, the second road area is reset as the first road area. | 03-17-2011 |
20110074957 | Apparatus for Vehicle Surroundings Monitorings - There is provided apparatus for vehicle surroundings monitorings that assists so as to make it possible for a driver to check the periphery of the vehicle with ease. Plural images are obtained by capturing the periphery of the vehicle with mutually differing exposure. A process of image recognition is then performed for a target within the thus obtained images. The images are then compared, and images for which the accuracy of image recognition of the target is favorable are selected from among the images. The selected images are joined and composited to generate a host vehicle periphery composite image. Thus, an image with a wide dynamic range and high visibility is generated, thereby making it easier for the driver to check the periphery of the vehicle. | 03-31-2011 |
20110205042 | Information Processing Device Associated with Vehicle Traveling - Provided are an information processing device and a processing method both of which are capable of executing processing in response to a traveling situation of a vehicle, thereby securing safety at the time of emergency while securing convenience. The aforementioned information processing device includes: an image obtaining section which performs imaging and obtains information associated with an image; an information obtaining section which obtains the information of a traveling state; a first executing section which executes a first application that executes information processing for improving the safety of traveling; a second executing application which executes a second application that executes the information processing associated with an improvement in traveling feeling; and a determining section which, based on the information obtained in the image obtaining section and the information obtained in the information obtaining section, determines with or without a possibility of encountering an emergency event. Based on determination, made by the determining section, that it is likely to encounter the emergency event, the information processing device stops part of or the overall processing executed by the second executing section. | 08-25-2011 |
20110234761 | THREE-DIMENSIONAL OBJECT EMERGENCE DETECTION DEVICE - Provided is a three-dimensional object emergence detecting device capable of detecting the emergence of a three-dimensional object rapidly and correctly at low costs. | 09-29-2011 |
20110261168 | Camera Device - Provided is a camera device which is capable of estimating a road shape ahead of a target vehicle or capable of determining whether or not the target vehicle needs to be decelerated by controlling a brake before a curve, even in the situation where a white line of a traveling road or a roadside three-dimensional object is difficult to detect. A camera device 105 including a plurality of image capturing units 107 and 108 which each take an image of a traveling road ahead of a target vehicle 106, includes: a three-dimensional object ahead detection unit 114 which detects three-dimensional objects ahead 101 existing in a vicinity of a vanishing point of the traveling road 102 on the basis of the images picked up by the plurality of image capturing units 107 and 108; and a road shape estimation unit 113 which estimates a road shape of a distant portion on the traveling road 102 on the basis of a detection result detected by the three-dimensional object ahead detection unit 114. | 10-27-2011 |
20110273565 | Image-Processing Camera System and Image-Processing Camera Control Method - An image pickup device that acquires images is controlled by an image pickup device controller that accepts image acquisition requests from multiple application programs, and an application scheduler selects application programs to be executed. Information indicative of the image data volumes and image data acquisition rates required for each of the multiple application programs is stored and used to select multiple concurrently executable application programs on the basis of the image data volumes and image data acquisition rates. An image acquisition scheduler determines the timing and intervals at which the multiple executable application programs repeat receiving image data from the image pickup device, without overlapping in terms of time. In addition, an operations section, which explicitly presents concurrently executable application programs to a user and commands the startup of these programs, is displayed on a navigation screen menu. | 11-10-2011 |
20120062746 | Image Processing Apparatus - An image processing apparatus capable of detecting, simultaneously and with high precision, headlights of oncoming cars, taillights of cars ahead, and pedestrians at night, the image processing apparatus comprising: means that obtains first exposure data at a first shutter speed; means that obtains second exposure data at a second shutter speed that is slower than the shutter speed; means that obtains third exposure data at a third shutter speed that is slower than the first shutter speed; means that converts the first exposure data into a visible grayscale image; means that outputs the visible grayscale image; means that converts the second exposure data into a color image; means that outputs the color image; means that converts the third exposure data into an infrared grayscale image; means that outputs the infrared grayscale image; means that detects a headlight based on the visible grayscale image; means that detects a taillight based on the color image; and means that detects a pedestrian based on an image obtained by processing the infrared grayscale image and the color image. | 03-15-2012 |
20120133767 | Image-Processing Camera System and Image-Processing Camera Control Method - An image pickup device that acquires images is controlled by an image pickup device controller that accepts image acquisition requests from multiple application programs, and an application scheduler selects application programs to be executed. Information indicative of the image data volumes and image data acquisition rates required for each of the multiple application programs is stored and used to select multiple concurrently executable application programs on the basis of the image data volumes and image data acquisition rates. An image acquisition scheduler determines the timing and intervals at which the multiple executable application programs repeat receiving image data from the image pickup device, without overlapping in terms of time. In addition, an operations section, which explicitly presents concurrently executable application programs to a user and commands the startup of these programs, is displayed on a navigation screen menu. | 05-31-2012 |
20120185167 | Road Shape Recognition Device - A road shape recognition device capable of accurately recognizing the road shape of a road that lies ahead in the travel direction of a vehicle is provided. A road shape recognition device | 07-19-2012 |
20120224747 | In-Vehicle Apparatus for Recognizing Running Environment of Vehicle - An in-vehicle running-environment recognition apparatus including an input unit for inputting an image signal from in-vehicle imaging devices for photographing external environment of a vehicle, an image processing unit for detecting a first image area by processing the image signal, the first image area having a factor which prevents recognition of the external environment, an image determination unit for determining a second image area based on at least any one of size of the first image area, position thereof, and set-up positions of the in-vehicle imaging devices having the first image area, an environment recognition processing being performed in the second image area, the first image area being detected by the image processing unit, and an environment recognition unit for recognizing the external environment of the vehicle based on the second image area. | 09-06-2012 |
20120288154 | Road-Shoulder Detecting Device and Vehicle Using Road-Shoulder Detecting Device - Disclosed is a road-shoulder detecting device including a distance-information calculating portion for calculating the presence of a physical object and the distance from the subject vehicle to the object from input three-dimensional image information relating to an environment around the vehicle, a vehicular road surface detecting portion for detecting a vehicular road surface with the subject vehicle from a distance image, a height difference calculating portion for measuring height difference between the detected vehicular road and an off-road region, and a road shoulder decision portion for deciding height difference as to whether the road shoulder is boundary between the surface and the region in a case where there is an off-road region lower than the vehicular road surface. | 11-15-2012 |
20120307062 | VEHICLE-MOUNTED IMAGE PROCESSING APPARATUS - There is provided a vehicle-mounted image processing device that is capable of making a plurality of processing units appropriately perform processes corresponding to scenes in which there are many types, such as people, vehicles, etc., and in which they are combined. Based on processing results of image processing by a plurality of processing units | 12-06-2012 |
20120327188 | Vehicle-Mounted Environment Recognition Apparatus and Vehicle-Mounted Environment Recognition System - A vehicle-mounted environment recognition apparatus including a simple pattern matching unit which extracts an object candidate from an image acquired from a vehicle-mounted image capturing apparatus by using a pattern shape stored in advance and outputs a position of the object candidate, an area change amount prediction unit which calculates a change amount prediction of the extracted object candidate on the basis of an object change amount prediction calculation method set differently for each area of a plurality of areas obtained by dividing the acquired image, detected vehicle behavior information, and an inputted position of the object candidate, and outputs a predicted position of an object, and a tracking unit which tracks the object on the basis of an inputted predicted position of the object. | 12-27-2012 |
20120327189 | Stereo Camera Apparatus - A stereo camera apparatus which carries out distance measuring stably and with high accuracy by making measuring distance resolution variable according to a distance to an object is provided. A stereo camera apparatus | 12-27-2012 |
20130147948 | IMAGE PROCESSING APPARATUS AND IMAGING APPARATUS USING THE SAME - It is possible to provide an image processing apparatus capable of carrying out calibration easily and precisely without requiring a special facility and provide an imaging apparatus making use of the image processing apparatus. The imaging apparatus comprises at least two cameras | 06-13-2013 |
20130335561 | In-Vehicle Camera and In-Vehicle Camera System - In the present invention, images at a front side or a rear side of a vehicle are obtained from a plurality of image capturing devices and a disparity and a distance to the captured object are calculated from the images, if the disparity is not sufficiently obtained, pattern light is irradiated onto a capturing object and an image of the object onto which the pattern light is irradiated is obtained again from the plurality of image capturing devices and the disparity and the distance to the captured object are calculated. Therefore, it is possible to provide an in-vehicle camera and system that recognizes an obstacle even in a situation where it is difficult to obtain the disparity of the obstacle around the vehicle. | 12-19-2013 |
20140028873 | IMAGE PROCESSING APPARATUS - There is provided an image processing apparatus that can implement image recognition processing on all of objects to be recognized, and can reduce a load of capturing and transferring images. The image processing apparatus includes: an image capturing unit that captures image information picked up by an imaging element; a processing region setting unit that sets a plurality of processing regions for the image information; a processing sequence/frequency determination unit that determines at least any one of a sequence, a frequency, and a timing of capturing the respective image information in a plurality of set processing regions, and at least any one of a sequence, a frequency, and a timing of processing the respective image information; and an image processing unit that captures the image information for each of the processing regions according to the sequence, the frequency, or the timing which has been determined, and processes the captured image information according to the sequence, the frequency, or the timing which has been determined. | 01-30-2014 |
20140078305 | Image-Processing Camera System and Image-Processing Camera Control Method - An image pickup device that acquires images is controlled by an image pickup device controller that accepts image acquisition requests from multiple application programs, and an application scheduler selects application programs to be executed. Information indicative of the image data volumes and image data acquisition rates required for each of the multiple application programs is stored and used to select multiple concurrently executable application programs on the basis of the image data volumes and image data acquisition rates. An image acquisition scheduler determines the timing and intervals at which the multiple executable application programs repeat receiving image data from the image pickup device, without overlapping in terms of time. In addition, an operations section, which explicitly presents concurrently executable application programs to a user and commands the startup of these programs, is displayed on a navigation screen menu. | 03-20-2014 |
20140118504 | CAMERA DEVICE WITH THREE-DIMENSIONAL OBJECT AHEAD DETECTION UNIT - Provided is a camera device capable of estimating a road shape ahead of a target vehicle or determining whether or not the target vehicle needs to be decelerated by controlling a brake before a curve, even in the situation where a white line of a traveling road or a roadside three-dimensional object is difficult to detect. A camera device | 05-01-2014 |
20140132739 | Stereo Camera - Although a conventional method can eliminate a mounting position deviation when left and right camera units only are taken into consideration, a problem is posed that deviation again occurs due to poor machining precision and assembly precision at the mounting surface between a camera unit and a member when a camera unit is mounted to a stay. According to this invention, mounting surfaces for mounting left and right imaging elements to a stay are provided to directly position left and right imaging elements to the stay, whereby built-up tolerance between components is reduced and the positional mounting precision between imaging elements is improved. | 05-15-2014 |