Image analysis – Applications – Vehicle or traffic control
Reexamination Certificate
1997-07-21
2001-03-20
Rogers, Scott (Department: 2624)
Image analysis
Applications
Vehicle or traffic control
C382S199000, C382S283000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06205234
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image processing system, more particularly to the image processing system for providing a desired image display for an object to be detected, on the basis of image information in a visible region corresponding to a field of view of a vehicle driver.
2. Description of the Related Arts
Recently, an image processing system is proposed for processing image information in a visible region in front of an automotive vehicle to form an image for various uses. According to Japanese Patent Laid-open Publication No. 6-215137, for example, it is proposed to provide an image processing system for detecting edge points in an image rapidly. This system is adapted to determine a scanning region by combining scanning line information such as a coordinate for beginning the scanning process and a coordinate for ending the scanning process, which are stored in a scanning table memory device.
In order to detect borders of a white line for defining the vehicle's path and extending ahead of the vehicle, theoretically it is sufficient to scan image data in a relatively narrow region to obtain edge points of the white line, because a region of a road wherein the white line is disposed is generally limited to a certain narrow region. However, a region for detecting an object is complex in shape, that scanning process could not be practiced in the system prior to the system proposed in the publication. According to the proposed system in the publication, therefore, the scanning region which is called as a “window” is determined in accordance with the combination of the scanning line information such as the coordinate for beginning the scanning process and the coordinate for ending the scanning process, which are stored in a scanning table memory device. According to the system, therefore, the scanning region, i.e., window, is not limited in shape, so that the detection of the white line can be made in a relatively short period by scanning only the minimum region.
The image processing system disclosed in the above publication is installed on the automotive vehicle, for example, and used to distinguish a boundary of a road in the driver's field of view when the vehicle travels on the road, i.e., along the white line of a lane. In this respect, by means of the window for encircling the white line, it is possible to increase a speed for detecting edges through a density in the image information, and prevent noise edges from being caused by foul or material on the road other than the white line to be detected, and improve the detection accuracy. The word of “edge” means a step-like variation in a density of an image, i.e., a place where brightness of the image varies to a great extent, so that the edge generally resides on an outline of an object.
In order to increase the speed for detecting the edges, it is preferable to form the window in a pattern corresponding to the shape of the object. In the above-described system, for example, it is preferable to form the window as narrow as possible to encircle only the white line of the lane. However, the lanes appeared on the image are of so many kinds that a large number of window patterns are to be provided in advance, and a window having an appropriate pattern is to be selected from the window patterns. Therefore, a large capacity of memory is necessitated, and it takes much time to select the appropriate pattern, so that the processing time might be extended.
Furthermore, if the object is varied in shape, for example the object is a curved lane which resides in a visible region in front of the vehicle, it is necessary to provide a plurality of windows for various patterns in advance in order to trace the curve of the lane properly and perform a necessary process immediately, so that a large capacity of memory is required.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide an image processing system, which is capable of setting appropriate windows for various objects with a relatively small capacity of memory.
It is another object of the present invention to provide an image processing system for use in an automotive vehicle.
In accomplishing these and other objects, an image processing system includes an image detection device for introducing image information of an object to detect image data for indicating at least a density of the object. A scanning table memory is adapted to provide addresses in accordance with horizontal or vertical scanning lines, and provide a horizontal or vertical location information for each address. The scanning table memory is also adapted to provide a window on the basis of the location information and in accordance with the object, and store the window in a table memory. And, an image processing device is provided for forming a desired image on the basis of a logical product of the image data and the window. The scanning table memory is adapted to provide the window for the image formed at a next iteration step on the basis of the desired image formed by the image processing device.
Preferably, the scanning table memory includes a window setting device for setting a x-coordinate and a y-coordinate to at least a reference point for each address on the basis of the image data provided for forming the desired image, and setting a predetermined width to each reference point to provide the window and store the window in the table memory. The scanning table memory may include a window setting device for setting a x-coordinate and a y-coordinate to each of a beginning point and an end point for each address on the basis of said image data provided for forming the desired image to provide the window and store the window in the table memory.
It is preferable that the image detection device includes an edge detection device for detecting edges of the object on the basis of the density of the image information.
The image processing system may further include a camera for picking up image information in a visible region including the image information of the object, and the edge detection device may be adapted to introduce the image information picked up by the camera to detect the edges.
Preferably, the image processing system further includes an image memory for storing the image data detected by the image detection device, and the image processing device is adapted to form the desired image on the basis of the logical product of the image data stored in the image memory and the window provided by the scanning table memory. The image memory may include an edge memory for storing the edges detected by the edge detection device. The image processing system may be installed on an automotive vehicle to be used for a front view monitoring system.
REFERENCES:
patent: 6-215106 (1994-08-01), None
patent: 6-215137 (1994-08-01), None
patent: 6215137 (1994-08-01), None
patent: 6215106 (1994-08-01), None
Inoue Ryo
Kakinami Toshiaki
Kimura Yoshikatsu
Aisin Seiki Kabushiki Kaisha
Rogers Scott
Sughrue Mion Zinn Macpeak & Seas, PLLC
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