IP Library Granted Patent US 10,140,717
Granted Patent B2
US 10,140,717 · App. 14/770,033 · Granted Nov 27, 2018

Imaging apparatus and vehicle controller

View Patent ↗
Loading inventors, assignments & file history…
Monitor This Case
Get email alerts when status or documents change.
Order Certified Copies
Most orders are placed with the USPTO same day — all within 24 business hours.
Order via The Patent Place →
Pre-filled with this patent's details
Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 10,140,717
App. No.
14/770,033
Granted
Nov 27, 2018
Kind
B2
Abstract

In order to provide an imaging apparatus which minimizes erroneous recognition of a moving body and prevent a braking operation from being erroneously performed, even if the moving body is likely to cross a road, the imaging apparatus includes a correlation value calculation unit that calculates a correlation value from two images captured by two imaging units, a three-dimensional object detection unit that detects a three-dimensional object from the two images, a region dividing unit that divides an image region including the three-dimensional object into multiple regions, a relative speed calculation unit that calculates relative speed for every region of the multiple regions, and a reliability calculation unit that calculates reliability of the three-dimensional object, based on the relative speed calculated for every region.

Claims (26)

1. An imaging apparatus which has two imaging units, comprising:

a correlation value processor programmed to calculate a correlation value from two images captured by the two imaging units;

a three-dimensional object determination processor programmed to determine an existence of a three-dimensional object from the two images;

a region dividing processor programmed to divide an image region including the three-dimensional object into multiple regions;

a relative speed processor programmed to calculate relative speed for every region of the multiple regions;

a reliability calculation processor programmed to calculate a reliability of a determination of the existence of the three-dimensional object, based on the relative speed calculated for every region;

a feature amount processor programmed to calculate a feature amount from an image including the three-dimensional object detected by the three-dimensional object determination processor; and

a matching degree processor programmed to calculate a matching degree of the feature amount between a past feature amount which is stored and a current feature amount which is calculated,

wherein the relative speed processor calculates the relative speed, based on the calculated matching degree.

2. The imaging apparatus according to claim 1 ,

wherein the region dividing processor vertically divides the image region including the three-dimensional object into two regions.

3. The imaging apparatus according to claim 2 ,

wherein the region dividing processor divides the image region into two regions based on a shoulder position of a pedestrian, when the three-dimensional object is the pedestrian.

4. The imaging apparatus according to claim 1 ,

wherein the correlation value processor generates a parallax image based on a calculation result of the correlation value, and the three-dimensional object determination processor determines the existence of the three-dimensional object by using the parallax image.

5. The imaging apparatus according to claim 1 ,

wherein the reliability calculation processor calculates a reliability of whether or not the three-dimensional object moves, based on a matching degree of the relative speed calculated for every region.

6. The imaging apparatus according to claim 1 ,

wherein the reliability calculation processor calculates the reliability of the determination of the existence of the three-dimensional object, based on the matching degree of the feature amount.

7. The imaging apparatus according to claim 1 ,

wherein the relative speed processor calculates the relative speed by selecting a frame in which the matching degree of the feature amount is highest from the past frames which are stored.

8. A vehicle controller comprising:

an imaging apparatus having a correlation value processor programmed to calculate a correlation value from two images captured by two imaging units, a three-dimensional object determination processor programmed to determine an existence of a three-dimensional object from the two images, a region dividing processor programmed to divide an image region including the three-dimensional object into multiple regions, a relative speed processor programed to calculate a relative speed for every region of the multiple regions, and a reliability processor programmed to calculate a reliability of a determination of the existence of the three-dimensional object, based on the relative speed calculated for every region, a feature amount processor programmed to calculate a feature amount from an image including the three-dimensional object detected by the three-dimensional object determination processor; and a matching degree processor programmed to calculate a matching degree of the feature amount between a past feature amount which is stored and a current feature amount which is calculated, wherein the relative speed processor calculates the relative speed, based on the calculated matching degree; and

a control unit that controls deceleration and acceleration, based on the reliability calculated by the imaging apparatus.

9. The vehicle controller according to claim 8 ,

wherein the control unit determines whether to control the deceleration and the acceleration, or whether to output a warning signal, based on the reliability calculated by the imaging apparatus.

Assignments (2)
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Mar 25, 2021
From: HITACHI AUTOMOTIVE SYSTEMS, LTD.
To: HITACHI ASTEMO, LTD.
Reel/Frame 056299/0447 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Oct 13, 2015
From: MATONO, HARUKI; HIGUCHI, MIRAI; OTSUKA, YUJI
To: HITACHI AUTOMOTIVE SYSYTEMS, LTD.
Reel/Frame 036780/0117 →