IP Library › Granted Patent US 12664674
Granted Patent B2
US 12664674 · App. 18/731,336 · Granted Jun 23, 2026

Target monitoring device, target monitoring method, and recording medium

Inventor: Yuta Takahashi (Hyogo, JP)
Assignee: FURUNO ELECTRIC CO., LTD.
G06T7/60G01S13/08G01S13/867G06V20/60H04N7/181G06T2207/30181
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12664674
App. No.
18/731,336
Granted
Jun 23, 2026
Kind
B2
Abstract

A target monitoring device includes: a data acquiring unit, acquiring image data including a ship observed by an imaging sensor; an image recognizing unit, detecting a region of the ship included in the image data; a distance acquiring unit, acquiring a distance to the ship from an observation position detected by a sensor that is different from the imaging sensor; a course acquiring unit, acquiring a course of the ship detected by the sensor that is different from the imaging sensor; and a ship body length estimating unit, estimating a ship body length of the ship based on a dimension of the region of the ship in a horizontal direction, the distance to the ship, and the course of the ship.

Claims (54)

1 . A target monitoring device, comprising:

processing circuitry configured to:

acquire image data comprising a ship observed by an imaging sensor,

detect a region of the ship comprised in the image data,

acquire a distance to the ship from an observation position detected by a sensor that is different from the imaging sensor,

acquire a course of the ship detected by the sensor that is different from the imaging sensor, and

estimate a ship body length of the ship based on a dimension of the region of the ship in a horizontal direction, the distance to the ship, and the course of the ship.

2 . The target monitoring device as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to estimate the ship body length of the ship further based on a particular ship body aspect ratio.

3 . The target monitoring device as claimed in claim 1 , wherein

the imaging sensor is a camera, and

the processing circuitry is further configured to:

calculate an occupancy angle of the ship in a view angle of the camera in the horizontal direction based on a dimension of the image data in the horizontal direction, the dimension of the region of the ship in the horizontal direction, and the view angle, and

estimate the ship body length of the ship based on the occupancy angle of the ship, the distance to the ship, and the course of the ship.

4 . The target monitoring device as claimed in claim 2 , wherein

the imaging sensor is a camera, and

the processing circuitry is further configured to:

calculate an occupancy angle of the ship in a view angle of the camera in the horizontal direction based on a dimension of the image data in the horizontal direction, the dimension of the region of the ship in the horizontal direction, and the view angle, and

estimate the ship body length of the ship based on the occupancy angle of the ship, the distance to the ship, and the course of the ship.

5 . The target monitoring device as claimed in claim 3 , wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to calculate the occupancy angle of the ship in the view angle based on the dimension of the image data in the horizontal direction, the dimension of the region of the ship in the horizontal direction, the view angle of the camera in the horizontal direction, a focal point distance of the camera, and an optical center of the camera.

6 . The target monitoring device as claimed in claim 4 , wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to:

calculate the occupancy angle of the ship in the view angle based on the dimension of the image data in the horizontal direction, the dimension of the region of the ship in the horizontal direction, the view angle of the camera in the horizontal direction, a focal point distance of the camera, and an optical center of the camera.

7 . The target monitoring device as claimed in claim 1 , wherein

the sensor that is different is a radar, and

the processing circuitry is further configured to acquire the distance to the ship based on data detected by the radar.

8 . The target monitoring device as claimed in claim 2 , wherein

the sensor that is different is a radar, and

the processing circuitry is further configured to acquire the distance to the ship based on data detected by the radar.

9 . The target monitoring device as claimed in claim 3 , wherein

the sensor that is different is a radar, and

the processing circuitry is further configured to acquire the distance to the ship based on data detected by the radar.

10 . The target monitoring device as claimed in claim 1 , wherein

the sensor that is different is a radar, and

the processing circuitry is further configured to acquire the course of the ship based on data detected by the radar.

11 . The target monitoring device as claimed in claim 2 , wherein

the sensor that is different is a radar, and

the processing circuitry is further configured to acquire the course of the ship based on data detected by the radar.

12 . The target monitoring device as claimed in claim 3 , wherein

the sensor that is different is a radar, and

the processing circuitry is further configured to acquire the course of the ship based on data detected by the radar.

13 . The target monitoring device as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to detect a boundary box surrounding the ship comprised in the image data as the region of the ship.

14 . The target monitoring device as claimed in claim 2 , wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to detect a boundary box surrounding the ship comprised in the image data as the region of the ship.

15 . The target monitoring device as claimed in claim 3 , wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to detect a boundary box surrounding the ship comprised in the image data as the region of the ship.

16 . A target monitoring method, comprising:

acquiring image data comprising a ship observed by an imaging sensor;

detecting a region of the ship comprised in the image data;

acquiring a distance to the ship from an observation position detected by a sensor that is different from the imaging sensor;

acquiring a course of the ship detected by the sensor that is different from the imaging sensor; and

estimating a ship body length of the ship based on a dimension of the region of the ship in a horizontal direction, the distance to the ship, and the course of the ship.

17 . A non-transient computer-readable recording medium, recording a program, executed by a computer to:

acquire image data comprising a ship observed by an imaging sensor;

detect a region of the ship comprised in the image data;

acquire a distance to the ship from an observation position detected by a sensor that is different from the imaging sensor;

acquire a course of the ship detected by the sensor that is different from the imaging sensor; and

estimate a ship body length of the ship based on a dimension of the region of the ship in a horizontal direction, the distance to the ship, and the course of the ship.