Calibration apparatus and method for in-vehicle camera

1. A calibration apparatus of a vehicle for executing calibration of an external parameter for a first in-vehicle camera in an in-vehicle camera system having input from a plurality of in-vehicle cameras, the calibration apparatus comprising a processor and memory,

wherein the processor estimates a road surface range, as a range for a road surface on which the vehicle travels on, by using a feature point appearing in an image captured by one or more in-vehicle cameras that are different from the first in-vehicle camera;

wherein the processor calculates heights of the feature points appearing in the image captured by one or more in-vehicle cameras;

wherein the processor estimates the road surface range by excluding feature points that have a height higher than a height of the road surface, based on the calculated heights of the feature points appearing in the image captured by one or more in-vehicle cameras;

wherein the processor determines whether a feature point appearing in an image captured by the first in-vehicle camera is within the estimated road surface range; and

wherein the calibration is executed by the processor using only a feature point that is determined to be within the estimated road surface range from among feature points appearing in the image captured by the first in-vehicle camera.

2. The calibration apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the processor estimates the road surface range based on a moved distance or a moving speed of the feature point appearing in the image captured by the one or more in-vehicle cameras that are not the first in-vehicle camera.

3. The calibration apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the in-vehicle camera that is different from the first in-vehicle camera is a front camera for capturing images of an area in front of a vehicle or a rear camera for capturing images of an area behind the vehicle.

4. The calibration apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the first in-vehicle is a side camera for capturing images of an area on a lateral side of the vehicle.

5. A calibration apparatus for executing calibration of an external parameter for a first in-vehicle cameras in an in-vehicle camera system having input from the plurality of in-vehicle cameras comprising:

the calibration apparatus comprising a processor and memory, wherein the processor:

detects first feature points appearing in an image captured by a second in-vehicle camera that is different from the first in-vehicle camera;

tracks the first feature points from images captured by the second in-vehicle camera at different times of day;

calculates a height of each of the first feature points from a moved distance or a moving speed of the tracked first feature point;

estimates, as a road surface range for a road surface on which the vehicle travels on, a range where the first feature point having the same height as that of a road surface exists, from among the first feature points, wherein the road surface range excludes feature points that have a height higher than a height of the road surface, based on the calculated heights of the feature points;

sets the estimated road surface range as a road surface range for the first in-vehicle camera;

detects second feature points appearing in an image captured by the first in-vehicle camera;

tracks the second feature points from images captured by the first in-vehicle camera at different times of day;

determines whether any feature point of the second feature points in the image captured by the first in-vehicle camera is within the estimated road surface range; and

executes the calibration of the first in-vehicle camera from only the second feature points that are determined to be within the road surface range.

6. A calibration method for executing calibration of an external parameter for a first in-vehicle camera in an in-vehicle camera system having input from a plurality of in-vehicle cameras,

wherein a road surface range is estimated, as a range for a road surface on which the vehicle travels on, by using a feature point appearing in an image captured by one or more in-vehicle cameras that are different from the first in-vehicle camera;

wherein a calibration apparatus calculates heights of the feature points appearing in the image captured by one or more in-vehicle cameras;

wherein the calibration apparatus estimates the road surface range by excluding feature points that have a height higher than a height of the road surface, based on the calculated heights of the feature points appearing in the image captured by one or more in-vehicle cameras;

wherein the calibration apparatus determines whether a feature point appearing in an image captured by the first in-vehicle camera is within the estimated road surface range; and

wherein the calibration is executed by using only a feature point that is determined to be within the estimated road surface range from among feature points appearing in the image captured by the first in-vehicle camera.

7. The calibration method according to claim 6 , wherein the road surface range is estimated based on a moved distance or a moving speed of the feature point appearing in the image captured by the one or more in-vehicle cameras that are not the first in-vehicle camera.

8. The calibration method according to claim 6 , wherein the in-vehicle camera that is different from the first in-vehicle camera is a front camera for capturing images of an area in front of a vehicle or a rear camera for capturing images of an area behind the vehicle.

9. The calibration method according to claim 6 , wherein the first in-vehicle camera is a side camera for capturing images of an area on a lateral side of the vehicle.