Output control device, distance measuring device comprising the same, output control method, and output control program

1 . An output control device configured to control an output of information included in a distance image including information about a distance to a target, the output control device comprising:

a lighting device;

an image sensor; and

a processor operatively coupled to the lighting device and the image sensor, the processor configured with a program to perform operations comprising:

operation as a distance information acquisition unit configured to acquire information about the distance to the target according to an amount of reflection of electromagnetic waves emitted from the lighting device toward the target and received by the image sensor;

operation as an output information selection unit configured to select, as an output target, the information about the distance corresponding to pixels of the distance image including the target detected on the basis of the information about the distance acquired by the distance information acquisition unit;

operation as an angle information acquisition unit configured to acquire angle information corresponding to each pixel included in the distance image;

operation as a three dimensional coordinate conversion unit configured to convert the information about the distance acquired by the distance information acquisition unit into three dimensional coordinates on the basis of the angle information acquired by the angle information acquisition unit;

operation as a plane detection unit configured to detect a floor surface on which the target has been placed;

operation as a height calculation unit configured to calculate an installation height of a distance measuring device on the basis of the three dimensional coordinates converted by the three dimensional coordinate conversion unit from the information about the distance for the floor surface detected by the plane detection unit;

operation as a coordinate rotation calculation unit configured to calculate rotary coordinates obtained by rotating around an axis the three dimensional coordinates converted from the information about the distance and the angle information in the three dimensional coordinate conversion unit;

operation as a target detection unit configured to compare coordinates in a height direction of the rotary coordinates calculated by the coordinate rotation calculation unit with the installation height calculated by the height calculation unit, and if an object having a dimension in the height direction is detected, detects this object as the target; and

operation as a threshold value setting unit configured to set a first threshold value, a second threshold value and a third threshold value used in the detection of the target by the target detection unit, wherein

the processor is configured with the program to perform operations such that:

operation as the height calculation unit further comprises calculating, as the installation height, an average value of the coordinate values in a vertical direction from among a plurality of coordinate values in an optical axis direction of the coordinate value re-acquired by rotating an orthogonal coordinate system of the distance measuring device around an axis by the angle formed by a vertical line of the floor surface detected by the plane detection unit and the optical axis of the distance measuring device, and

operation as the target detection unit further comprises determining that there is the object on the floor when the distance in the height direction from the floor in the height direction is at or above the first threshold value, and that there is a hole on the floor when the distance in the height direction from the floor in the height direction is below the second threshold value, and that there is a slope on the floor when an amount of change of the distance in the height direction from the floor between adjacent pixels is above the third threshold value.

2 . The output control device according to claim 1 ,

wherein the processor is configured with the program to perform operations such that operation as the output information selection unit comprises selecting and outputting the information about the distance for each pixel that includes the target detected by the target detection unit.

3 . The distance measuring device according to claim 1 ,

further comprising a memory unit configured to store at least one of the following: the information about the distance, angle information corresponding to each pixel included in the distance image, an orthogonal coordinate system of the distance measuring device, the installation height, rotary coordinates obtained by rotating around an axis the three-dimensional coordinates converted from the information about the distance and the angle information, a threshold used when detecting the target, and coordinate values of pixels to be outputted.

4 . The distance measuring device according to claim 1 ,

further comprising an output unit configured to output to an external device the information about the distance corresponding to the pixels selected by the output information selection unit.

5 . An output control method for controlling the output of information included in a distance image including information about a distance to a target determined using a device comprising a lighting device and an image sensor, the output control method comprising:

emitting from the lighting device, electromagnetic waves toward the target;

acquiring information about the distance to the target according to an amount of reflection of electromagnetic waves emitted from a lighting device toward the target and received by the image sensor;

selecting, as an output target, the information about the distance corresponding to a pixels of the distance image including the detected target on the basis of the acquired information about the distance;

acquiring angle information corresponding to each pixel included in the distance image;

converting the information about the acquired distance into three dimensional coordinates on the basis of the acquired angle;

detecting a floor surface on which the target has been placed;

calculating an installation height of a distance measuring device on the basis of the three dimensional coordinates converted from the acquired information about the distance for the detected floor surface;

calculating rotary coordinates obtained by rotating around an axis the three dimensional coordinates converted from the acquired information about the distance and the acquired angle information;

comparing coordinates in a height direction of the calculated rotary coordinates with the calculated installation height, and if an object having a dimension in the height direction is detected, detecting this object as the target; and

setting a first threshold value, a second threshold value and a third threshold value used in the detection of the target in the target detection step, wherein

calculating the installation height comprises calculating, as the installation height, an average value of the coordinate values in a vertical direction from among a plurality of coordinate values in an optical axis direction of the coordinate value re-acquired by rotating an orthogonal coordinate system of the distance measuring device around an axis by the angle formed by a vertical line of the detected floor surface and the optical axis of the distance measuring device, and

comparing coordinates in the height direction comprises determining that there is the object on the floor when the distance in the height direction from the floor in the height direction is at or above the first threshold value, and that there is a hole on the floor when the distance in the height direction from the floor in the height direction is below the second threshold value, and that there is a slope on the floor when an amount of change of the distance in the height direction from the floor between adjacent pixels is above the third threshold value.

6 . A non-transitory computer readable medium storing an output control program that controls the output of information included in a distance image that includes information about a distance to a target determined using a device comprising a lighting device and an image sensor, the output control program causing a computer to execute an output control method comprising:

emitting from the lighting device, electromagnetic waves toward the target;

acquiring information about the distance to the target according to an amount of reflection of electromagnetic waves emitted from a lighting device toward the target and received by the image sensor; and

selecting, as an output target, the information about the distance corresponding to a pixels of the distance image including the detected target on the basis of the acquired information about the distance;

acquiring angle information corresponding to each pixel included in the distance image;

converting the information about the acquired distance into three dimensional coordinates on the basis of the acquired angle information;

detecting a floor surface on which the target has been placed;

calculating an installation height of a distance measuring device on the basis of the three dimensional coordinates converted from the acquired information about the distance for the detected floor surface;

calculating rotary coordinates obtained by rotating around an axis the three dimensional coordinates converted from the acquired information about the distance and the acquired angle information;

comparing coordinates in a height direction of the calculated rotary coordinates with the calculated installation height, and if an object having a dimension in the height direction is detected, detecting this object as the target; and

setting a first threshold value, a second threshold value and a third threshold value used in the detection of the target in the target detection step, wherein

calculating the installation height comprises calculating, as the installation height, an average value of the coordinate values in a vertical direction from among a plurality of coordinate values in an optical axis direction of the coordinate value re-acquired by rotating an orthogonal coordinate system of the distance measuring device around an axis by the angle formed by a vertical line of the detected floor surface and the optical axis of the distance measuring device, and

comparing coordinates in the height direction comprises determining that there is the object on the floor when the distance in the height direction from the floor in the height direction is at or above the first threshold value, and that there is a hole on the floor when the distance in the height direction from the floor in the height direction is below the second threshold value, and that there is a slope on the floor when an amount of change of the distance in the height direction from the floor between adjacent pixels is above the third threshold value.