IP Library › Granted Patent US 10,860,867
Granted Patent B2
US 10,860,867 · App. 16/105,529 · Granted Dec 8, 2020

Image processing apparatus, imaging apparatus, mobile device control system, and recording medium

Inventor: Genki Watanabe (Tokyo, JP)
Assignee: RICOH COMPANY, LTD.
G06K9/00791G06K9/00805G06K9/4604G06T7/593G08G1/16H04N13/239H04N13/271B60W30/09B60W2554/00G06K9/2054G06K9/44G06T2207/10012G06T2207/30252G06T2207/30261H04N2013/0081
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 10,860,867
App. No.
16/105,529
Granted
Dec 8, 2020
Kind
B2
Abstract

An image processing apparatus includes a reducer configured to reduce a number of pixels in a distance image having pixel values corresponding to a distance of a body positioned within a predetermined distance from a plurality of imagers installed in a mobile body, according to frames respectively captured by the plurality of imagers; a detector configured to detect the body based on the reduced distance image; and a rejecter configured to reject data of the detected body, based on a density of pixels having a value of the distance with respect to the detected body in an area overlapping a travel area in which the mobile body travels.

Claims (31)

1. An image processing apparatus comprising:

reducing circuitry configured to reduce a number of pixels in a distance image having pixel values corresponding to a distance of a body positioned within a predetermined distance from a plurality of imagers installed in a mobile body, according to frames respectively captured by the plurality of imagers;

detection circuitry configured to detect the body based on the reduced distance image; and

rejection circuitry configured to reject data of the detected body, based on a density of pixels having a value of the distance with respect to the detected body in an area overlapping a travel area in which the mobile body travels,

wherein the rejection circuitry calculates the travel area based on a height and a width of the mobile body and a distance from the mobile body to the body.

2. The image processing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the detection circuitry detects, as the area of the body, a rectangular or a square area including the body in the reduced distance image.

3. The image processing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the reducing circuitry extracts pixels from the distance image at predetermined intervals, and determines values of the extracted pixels based on values of pixels surrounding the extracted pixels, in response to determining that the values of the extracted pixels are invalid.

4. An imaging apparatus comprising:

a plurality of imagers installed in a mobile body;

generation circuitry configured to generate a distance image having pixel values corresponding to a disparity of a body positioned within a predetermined distance from the plurality of imagers, according to frames respectively captured by the plurality of imagers;

reducing circuitry configured to reduce a number of pixels in the distance image;

detection circuitry configured to detect the body based on the reduced distance image; and

rejection circuitry configured to reject data of the detected body, based on a density of pixels having a value of a distance with respect to the detected body in an area overlapping a travel area in which the mobile body travels,

wherein the rejection circuitry calculates the travel area based on a height and a width of the mobile body and a distance from the mobile body to the body.

5. A mobile device control system comprising:

the plurality of imagers configured to capture an image of an area in front of the mobile body;

generation circuitry configured to generate a distance image having pixel values corresponding to a disparity of a body positioned within a predetermined distance from the plurality of imagers, according to frames respectively captured by the plurality of imagers;

the image processing apparatus according to claim 1 ; and

a controller configured to control the mobile body based on a result of the detection by the detection circuitry and a result of the rejection by the rejecter.

6. A non-transitory computer-readable recording medium storing a program that causes a computer to execute a process performed by an image processing apparatus, the process comprising:

reducing a number of pixels in a distance image having pixel values corresponding to a distance of a body positioned within a predetermined distance from a plurality of imagers installed in a mobile body, according to frames respectively captured by the plurality of imagers;

detecting the body based on the reduced distance image; and

rejecting data of the detected body, based on a density of pixels having a value of the distance with respect to the detected body in an area overlapping a travel area in which the mobile body travels,

wherein the rejecting calculates the travel area based on a height and a width of the mobile body and a distance from the mobile body to the body.

7. The mobile body comprising:

the mobile device control system according to claim 5 , wherein

the mobile body is controlled by the controller.

8. The imaging apparatus according to claim 4 , wherein the detection circuitry detects, as the area of the body, a rectangular or a square area including the body in the reduced distance image.

9. The imaging apparatus according to claim 4 , wherein the reducing circuitry extracts pixels from the distance image at predetermined intervals, and determines values of the extracted pixels based on values of pixels surrounding the extracted pixels, in response to determining that the values of the extracted pixels are invalid.

10. The non-transitory computer-readable recording medium according to claim 6 , wherein the detection circuitry detects, as the area of the body, a rectangular or a square area including the body in the reduced distance image.

11. The non-transitory computer-readable recording medium according to claim 6 , wherein the reducing circuitry extracts pixels from the distance image at predetermined intervals, and determines values of the extracted pixels based on values of pixels surrounding the extracted pixels, in response to determining that the values of the extracted pixels are invalid.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Oct 18, 2018
From: WATANABE, GENKI
To: RICOH COMPANY, LTD.
Reel/Frame 047215/0750 →
Priority Claims (1)
JP 2016-032118 · Feb 23, 2016 · national
Continuity (2)
Continuation PCTJP2017001914 · Jan 20, 2017
Related Publication 20180357495A1 · Dec 13, 2018