Image analysis – Pattern recognition – Feature extraction
Patent
1996-12-24
1999-11-16
Mancuso, Joseph
Image analysis
Pattern recognition
Feature extraction
382104, G06K 948
Patent
active
059871741
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
TECHNICAL FIELD
The present invention relates to an image processing apparatus for selecting an image indicating a particular straight or curved line according to image information obtained through an image pickup operation, and in particular, to an apparatus operative according to image information obtained through an image pickup operation by an onboard camera for correctly recognizing a line for a vehicle with respect to a lane on which the vehicle is running.
BACKGROUND ART
An apparatus for recognizing a running route or lane area according to image information obtained through an image pickup operation by an onboard camera has been described, for example, in the JP-A-4-134503 (article (1)).
The apparatus above includes scan means for extracting a running route edge from image information inputted via image input means and scanning upward an image associated with the extracted running route edge beginning at a particular reference point in a horizontal direction and means for setting a center of the scanned area to a particular reference point in the horizontal direction for the subsequent scanning operation such that the running route zone according to the area scanned by the scan means.
In other words, a color corresponding to pixels which constitute the image information and which are at the lower portion of the screen is assumed as a particular color (color of the road surface) to examine an area including a set of pixels having color information equivalent to the particular color, thereby determining a zone or an area enclosed with the particular color as a road area in front of the vehicle.
However, in accordance with the prior art described in article (1), although the zone enclosed with the particular color is assumed as a road area in front of the vehicle, there still remains a problem, for example, occurrence of an event in which the road zone enclosed with road edges (corresponding to lines of the vehicle) cannot be exactly extracted only by the technology.
For example, in a case in which the contour of the road area in front of the vehicle is complicated due to presence of wheel tracks, it is determined that there exist edges of the running route in addition to the line in the road. Resultantly, the edge cannot be appropriately recognized. In addition, there have frequently occurred a case in which the road zone cannot be correctly recognized.
On the other hand, for such a vehicle which runs on a road, it is necessary for the driver to appropriately drive the vehicle so that the vehicle runs along a predetermined running lane.
Consequently, the driver is required to continuously monitor the running road surface to pay attention to the state of the road surface and presence of other vehicles and obstacles. Therefore, a heavy psychological and physical load is imposed on the driver.
As a result, if the driver loses concentration or the driver's attention is distracted in a driving state in which the vehicle exceeds its own running lane at random, there may possibly occur a grave accident.
In particular, on a general road including opposing traffic lanes in which vehicles run mutually in the opposite directions, if a vehicle exceeds a central line of the road into the opposing traffic lane, there will possibly occur quite a serious accident.
To solve the problem, the JP-A-62-221800 (article (2)) has disclosed an apparatus in which an image of a road surface in front of the pertinent vehicle is obtained by a color image pickup device. According to the obtained color image signal, a line of the vehicle is decided according to the difference in color between the line and the road surface to thereby issue an alarm message to the driver of the vehicle.
In the conventional technology described in article (2), the existence of the line is determined according to a color representing the line, namely, yellow or white.
Since the road surface is grey and hence it is guaranteed to discriminate the road surface from the yellow line. However, the discrimination is impossible by the color difference bet
REFERENCES:
patent: 5307419 (1994-04-01), Tsujino et al.
patent: 5555312 (1996-09-01), Shima et al.
H. Munkel, K. Welz, "Verfolgung des Strassenverlaufes in einer Farbbildofolge" (Tracking the Course of a Road in a Color Image Sequence), Mustererkennung 1991, 13, ADGM-Symposium, Munich, pp. 515-520, Springer-Verlag.
L. Tsinas, H. Meier, W. Efenberger, "Farbgestutzte Verfolgung von Objekten mit dem PC-basierten Multiprozessorsystem BVV4" (Color-Assisted Tracking of Objects in the PC-based Multriprocessor System BVVR), Mustererkennung 1993, 15, DAGM-Symposium, Lubeck, pp. 741-748, Springer-Verlag.
E.D. Dickmans, Birger D. Mysliwetz, "Recursive 3-D Road and Relative Ego-State Recoginition", IEEE Transactions on pattern analysis and machine intelligence, vol. 14, No. 2, Feb. 1992, pp. 199-213.
Hanawa Kazuhiko
Monji Tatsuhiko
Nakamura Kazuto
Ondo Eiryo
Takano Kazuaki
Bali Vikkram
Hitachi , Ltd.
Mancuso Joseph
LandOfFree
Image processing apparatus for vehicles does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Image processing apparatus for vehicles, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Image processing apparatus for vehicles will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-1334728