Communications: electrical – Land vehicle alarms or indicators
Reexamination Certificate
2000-07-25
2001-06-19
Hofsass, Jeffrey (Department: 2632)
Communications: electrical
Land vehicle alarms or indicators
C340S435000, C340S436000, C340S437000, C340S438000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06249214
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to an image processing apparatus, an image processing method and a navigation apparatus, which can obtain a distance to a road edge and a road width on the basis of an image signal from an image-taking device (e.g., a motion picture camera) in a vehicle, which is presently traveling. The present invention also relates to a program storage device for storing a program and a computer data signal embodied in a carrier wave, which enable a computer to function as such an image processing apparatus.
2. Description of the Related Art
There is a navigation apparatus, which detects a present position of a vehicle as a movable body, and displays the detected present position together with a road map around it, to thereby conduct a route guidance. In this type of the navigation apparatus, a large storage capacity record medium (e.g., a CD-ROM, a DVD-ROM or the like), on which map data are recorded, is equipped, and is used to generate the display data displayed on a display picture plane. The map data on the record medium include data related to the shape of the road and various data for display as well as road width information accompanying those. Therefore, it is possible to read out the road width information corresponding to the road on which the vehicle is presently traveling, and the road width of this road can be grasped.
However, according to the above mentioned navigation apparatus, the road width information included in the map data does not indicate an accurate road width, but indicates an inaccurate and rough road width of the road, such as 5.5 m to 8 m for example. Thus, it is not possible to obtain an accurate road width information finely corresponding to each point of the road. Further, it is desired that the distance to the edge of the road is obtained in a real time manner and is used for the safe driving of the vehicle.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide an image processing apparatus and an image processing method, which can obtain a distance to the road edge or a road width by detecting a wall, a groove or a structure other than a road surface adjacent to the road surface out of an image which is taken from a presently traveling vehicle, and also a navigation apparatus, which can perform a warning or a guidance so as to secure a safe driving operation for a driver, in correspondence with a result of the image processing of the image processing apparatus, as well as a program storage device for storing a program and a computer data signal embodied in a carrier wave which enable a computer to function as such an image processing apparatus.
The above object of the present invention can be achieved by an image processing apparatus provided with: an image taking device for taking an image on a side of a movable body and outputting an image signal corresponding to the taken image; a movement vector detecting device for detecting a movement vector for each area of the image taken by the image taking device, on the basis of the image signal while the movable body is moving; and a distance calculating device for judging a spatial changing rate of a magnitude of the detected movement vector and calculating the distance to a road edge on the basis of the spatial changing rate.
According to the image processing apparatus of the present invention, the image taking operation on the side of the movable body such as a vehicle is performed and the image signal is outputted by the image taking device while the movable body is presently moving. The image signal at one time point and the image signal at another time point are compared with each other, so that the movement vector for each area is detected. At the horizontal portion such as a road surface etc., in the image, the changing rate of the movement vector becomes approximately constant. On the other hand, at the road edge, a discontinuous point of the changing rate is generated. Thus, it is possible to judge the road edge separately for each area, and to thereby calculate the distance to the road edge on the basis of the magnitude of the movement vector. Therefore, the calculated distance can be utilized for securing a safety in driving, aiding the navigation operation and the like, so as to improve the safety and the convenience of the movable body.
In one aspect of the image processing apparatus of the present invention, the image taking device has a first image taking device for taking the image on a left side of the movable body and a second image taking device for taking the image on a right side of the movable body, and the distance calculating device calculates a first distance to the road edge on the left side and a second distance to the road edge on the right side.
According to this aspect, in the movable body such as a vehicle, the image on the left side is taken by the first image taking device and the image on the right side is taken by the second image taking device, to respectively output the image signals. The processes after that are performed for the image on the left side and for the image on the right side respectively in the above mentioned manner by the movement vector detecting device and the distance calculating device, so that the distance to the road edge on the left side and the distance to the road edge on the right side are calculated. Therefore, it is possible to recognize the position of the movable body on the road by using these two distances and to thereby improve the safety and the convenience of the movable body.
In this aspect, the image processing apparatus may be further provided with a road width calculating device for calculating a road width of the road, on which the movable body is moving, on the basis of the first distance and the second distance calculated by the distance calculating device.
According to this aspect, the road width of the road on which the movable body is presently moving can be calculated on the basis of the two distances corresponding to the left and right images of the movable body such as a vehicle. For example, in case that the image taking devices are installed on both side of the vehicle, the road width can be obtained by adding these two distances and the distance between these image taking devices. Therefore, it is possible to secure the safety in driving by using this road width, and store the road width data in correlation with map data, so that the function and safety of the navigation for the movable body can be improved.
In another aspect of the image processing apparatus of the present invention, the image signal comprises frame image data, which has a predetermined frame cycle, as a unit, and the movement vector detecting device detects the movement vector on the basis of two consecutive frame image data.
According to this aspect, the object of the image process is the frame image data outputted for each frame cycle, and the above described image process is performed by using the two consecutive frame image data. Therefore, the image process is performed always in a real time manner while the movable body is moving, so that the image processing apparatus dealing with the actual condition of the movable body speedily can be realized.
In another aspect of the image processing apparatus of the present invention, the image taking device is installed on a front portion of the movable body.
According to this aspect, by displaying the image signal, which is from the image taking device installed on the front portion of the moveable body, on a display picture plane for example, it is possible for the user or driver to easily watch the scenery in the side direction from the front side of the movable body, which is normally difficult to watch, so that the safety of the vehicle can be further improved.
In another aspect of the image processing apparatus of the present invention, the image taking device takes the image in an oblique forward direction of the movable body.
According to this aspect, since the above describ
Hofsass Jeffrey
Pioneer Corporation
Sughrue Mion Zinn Macpeak & Seas, PLLC
Tang Son
LandOfFree
Image processing apparatus, image processing method,... 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, image processing method,..., we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Image processing apparatus, image processing method,... will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-2513415