IP Library › Granted Patent US 12,354,326
Granted Patent B2
US 12,354,326 · App. 17/893,792 · Granted Jul 8, 2025

Image recognition apparatus, image recognition method, and a learning data set generation apparatus

Inventors: Yasutaka Okada (Kobe, JP); Ryusuke Seki (Kobe, JP); Yuki Katayama (Kobe, JP)
Assignee: DENSO TEN Limited
G06V10/764G06V10/22G06V10/774G06V10/82
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 12,354,326
App. No.
17/893,792
Granted
Jul 8, 2025
Kind
B2
Abstract

In an image recognition apparatus, a processor performs, based on an input image and using an image recognition model, a plurality of object detection processes to detect as an object detection region a region in the input image where a recognition target object is judged to be present. In the plurality of object detection processes, a plurality of mutually different image recognition models are used. The processor generates inference result data according to the degree of overlap among a plurality of object detection regions detected in the plurality of object detection processes.

Claims (69)

1. An image recognition apparatus comprising a processor configured to make an inference to recognize a recognition target object in an input image, wherein

the processor is configured to

perform, based on the input image and using a plurality of mutually different image recognition models, a plurality of object detection processes to detect as an object detection region a region in the input image where the recognition target object is judged to be present, and

generate inference result data indicating a result of the inference in accordance with a degree of overlap among a plurality of object detection regions detected in the plurality of object detection processes,

the processor is configured to generate, in each object detection process, object detection data including

class data indicating a kind of an object in the object detection region,

position/shape data of the object detection region, and

a reliability of the result of the object detection process,

each object detection process is a single-class object detection process dealing with a single kind of object as the recognition target object, the recognition target objects of the plurality of object detection processes being of a same kind, and

the processor is configured to

identify a maximum reliability among a plurality of reliabilities derived in the plurality of object detection processes and

set to the inference result data the class data and the position/shape data corresponding to the maximum reliability if the degree of overlap is equal to or higher than a predetermined overlap threshold value.

2. The image recognition apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein

the processor is configured to set to the inference result data the class data and the position/shape data of the object detection data corresponding to the maximum reliability

if the degree of overlap is equal to or higher than the overlap threshold value or

if the degree of overlap is lower than the overlap threshold value and in addition the maximum reliability is equal to or higher than a predetermined reference reliability.

3. The image recognition apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein

the processor is configured to set particular data as the inference result data if the degree of overlap is lower than the overlap threshold value and in addition the maximum reliability is lower than the reference reliability.

4. The image recognition apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein

the plurality of image recognition models employ mutually different algorithms for detecting the recognition target object, or

each image recognition model is constructed as a neural network, the plurality of image recognition models being constructed as neural networks having mutually different configurations, or

the plurality of image recognition models are constructed through machine learning in mutually different environments.

5. A learning data set generation apparatus comprising the image recognition apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein

the learning data set generation apparatus is configured to generate a learning data set using a plurality of input images and the inference result data with respect to each input image.

6. An image recognition apparatus comprising a processor configured to make an inference to recognize a recognition target object in an input image, wherein

the processor is configured to

perform, based on the input image and using a plurality of mutually different image recognition models, a plurality of object detection processes to detect as an object detection region a region in the input image where the recognition target object is judged to be present, and

generate inference result data indicating a result of the inference in accordance with a degree of overlap among a plurality of object detection regions detected in the plurality of object detection processes,

the processor is configured to generate, in each object detection process, object detection data including

class data indicating a kind of an object in the object detection region,

position/shape data of the object detection region, and

a reliability of the result of the object detection process,

each object detection process is a multi-class object detection process dealing with a plurality of kinds of object as the recognition target object, and

the processor is configured to

identify a maximum reliability among a plurality of reliabilities derived in the plurality of object detection processes and

set to the inference result data the class data and the position/shape data of the object detection data corresponding to the maximum reliability if the degree of overlap is equal to or higher than a predetermined overlap threshold value in a case where a plurality of regions where through the plurality of object detection processes a same kind of object is judged to be present are the plurality of object detection regions.

7. The image recognition apparatus according to claim 6 , wherein

the processor is configured to set to the inference result data the class data and the position/shape data of the object detection data corresponding to the maximum reliability

if the degree of overlap is equal to or higher than the overlap threshold value or

if the degree of overlap is lower than the overlap threshold value and in addition the maximum reliability is equal to or higher than a predetermined reference reliability

in the case where the plurality of regions where through the plurality of object detection processes the same kind of object is judged to be present are the plurality of object detection regions.

8. The image recognition apparatus according to claim 7 , wherein

the processor is configured to set particular data as the inference result data if the degree of overlap is lower than the overlap threshold value and in addition the maximum reliability is lower than the reference reliability in the case where the plurality of regions where through the plurality of object detection processes the same kind of object is judged to be present are the plurality of object detection regions.

9. The image recognition apparatus according to claim 6 , wherein

the plurality of image recognition models employ mutually different algorithms for detecting the recognition target object, or

each image recognition model is constructed as a neural network, the plurality of image recognition models being constructed as neural networks having mutually different configurations, or

the plurality of image recognition models are constructed through machine learning in mutually different environments.

10. A learning data set generation apparatus comprising the image recognition apparatus according to claim 6 , wherein

the learning data set generation apparatus is configured to generate a learning data set using a plurality of input images and the inference result data with respect to each input image.

11. An image recognition method involving making an inference to recognize a recognition target object in an input image, the method comprising:

performing, based on the input image and using a plurality of mutually different image recognition models, a plurality of object detection processes to detect as an object detection region a region in the input image where the recognition target object is judged to be present; and

generating inference result data indicating a result of the inference in accordance with a degree of overlap among a plurality of object detection regions detected in the plurality of object detection processes,

generating, in each object detection process, object detection data including

class data indicating a kind of an object in the object detection region,

position/shape data of the object detection region, and

a reliability of the result of the object detection process,

each object detection process being a single-class object detection process dealing with a single kind of object as the recognition target object, the recognition target objects of the plurality of object detection processes being of a same kind,

identifying a maximum reliability among a plurality of reliabilities derived in the plurality of object detection processes and

setting to the inference result data the class data and the position/shape data of the object detection data corresponding to the maximum reliability if the degree of overlap is equal to or higher than a predetermined overlap threshold value.

12. An image recognition method involving making an inference to recognize a recognition target object in an input image, the method comprising:

performing, based on the input image and using a plurality of mutually different image recognition models, a plurality of object detection processes to detect as an object detection region a region in the input image where the recognition target object is judged to be present; and

generating inference result data indicating a result of the inference in accordance with a degree of overlap among a plurality of object detection regions detected in the plurality of object detection processes,

generating, in each object detection process, object detection data including

class data indicating a kind of an object in the object detection region,

position/shape data of the object detection region, and

a reliability of the result of the object detection process,

each object detection process being a multi-class object detection process dealing with a plurality of kinds of object as the recognition target object, and

identifying a maximum reliability among a plurality of reliabilities derived in the plurality of object detection processes and

setting to the inference result data the class data and the position/shape data of the object detection data corresponding to the maximum reliability if the degree of overlap is equal to or higher than a predetermined overlap threshold value in a case where a plurality of regions where through the plurality of object detection processes a same kind of object is judged to be present are the plurality of object detection regions.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Aug 23, 2022
From: OKADA, YASUTAKA; SEKI, RYUSUKE; KATAYAMA, YUKI
To: DENSO TEN LIMITED
Reel/Frame 060872/0911 →
Priority Claims (3)
JP 2022-015322 · Feb 3, 2022 · national
JP 2022-015323 · Feb 3, 2022 · national
JP 2022-015325 · Feb 3, 2022 · national
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20230245422A1 · Aug 3, 2023
References Cited (13)
US 20220300739A1 · Xie · 2022 [cited by examiner]
US 20230196787A1 · Agrawal · 2023 [cited by examiner]
JP 2019061505A · 2019 [cited by applicant]
Walambe R, Marathe A, Kotecha K, Ghinea G. Lightweight Object Detection Ensemble Framework for Autonomous Vehicles in Challenging Weather Conditions. Comput Intell Neurosci. Oct. 7, 2021;2021:5278820. doi: 10.1155/2021/… [cited by examiner]
Alqaysi H, Fedorov I, Qureshi FZ, O'Nils M. A Temporal Boosted YOLO-Based Model for Birds Detection around Wind Farms. Journal of Imaging. 2021; 7(11):227 (Year: 2021). [cited by examiner]
Lyu, Z., Gutierrez, N., Rajguru, A., Beksi, W.J. (2020). Probabilistic Object Detection via Deep Ensembles. In: Bartoli, A., Fusiello, A. (eds) Computer Vision—ECCV 2020 Workshops. ECCV 2020. Lecture Notes in Computer S… [cited by examiner]
T. Huang, J. A. Noble, and A. I. L. Namburete, ‘Omni-Supervised Learning: Scaling Up to Large Unlabelled Medical Datasets’, in Proceedings of the International Conference on Medical Image Computing and Computer-Assisted… [cited by examiner]
S. Schmidt, Q. Rao, J. Tatsch and A. Knoll, “Advanced Active Learning Strategies for Object Detection,” 2020 IEEE Intelligent Vehicles Symposium (IV), Las Vegas, NV, USA, 2020, pp. 871-876, doi: 10.1109/IV47402.2020.930… [cited by examiner]
J. Lee, S.-K. Lee and S.-I. Yang, “An Ensemble Method of CNN Models for Object Detection,” 2018 International Conference on Information and Communication Technology Convergence (ICTC), Jeju, Korea (South), 2018, pp. 898… [cited by examiner]
H. Wang, Y. Yu, Y. Cai, X. Chen, L. Chen and Y. Li, “Soft-Weighted-Average Ensemble Vehicle Detection Method Based on Single-Stage and Two-Stage Deep Learning Models,” in IEEE Transactions on Intelligent Vehicles, vol. … [cited by examiner]
Singh, B. and Davis, L.S., 2018. An analysis of scale invariance in object detection snip. In Proceedings of the IEEE conference on computer vision and pattern recognition (pp. 3578-3587) (Year: 2018). [cited by examiner]
Zhou, H., Li, Z., Ning, C. and Tang, J., 2017. Cad: Scale invariant framework for real-time object detection. In Proceedings of the IEEE international conference on computer vision workshops (pp. 760-768) (Year: 2017). [cited by examiner]
Walambe R, Marathe A, Kotecha K. Multiscale Object Detection from Drone Imagery Using Ensemble Transfer Learning. Drones. 2021; 5(3):66. Doi: 10.3390/drones5030066 (Year: 2021). [cited by examiner]