Abstract: An apparatus for testing infrared cameras includes: a front plate which has holes arranged in line, and which is adapted to emit an amount of infrared light; and a back plate which is disposed in parallel to and behind the front plate as viewed from infrared cameras to be tested, and which is adapted to emit a different amount of infrared light when compared with the front plate. The back plate is disposed at lower portions of pillars. On the other hand, the front plate is made vertically movable in front of the back plate and along the pillars. By being controlled by a controller, the front plate is movable from the ground height to a level corresponding to approximately two times the height of the back plate.

Abstract: A vehicle surroundings monitoring apparatus is provided herein which is capable of determining an object type, particularly capable of determining an animal other than a human being among objects. The vehicle surroundings monitoring apparatus which monitors the surroundings of a vehicle by using an image captured by a camera (2R, 2L) mounted on the vehicle, including an object extraction process unit which extracts an image area of the object from the captured image (steps 1 to 6) and an object type determination process unit which determines the object type according to whether the image area of the object extracted by the object extraction process unit includes a first object area in which the ratio of widths in different directions is within a predetermined range and a plurality of second object areas located below the first object area and smaller in area than the first object area (steps 31 to 37).

Abstract: An apparatus for detecting the passenger occupancy of a vehicle includes, at least two image pickup sections provided at a specified distance, a measuring section measuring a distance to an object on the basis of the at least two images acquired by the at least two image pickup sections, a reference data providing section providing reference data relating to the distance from the image pickup sections to a seat in accordance with the position of the seat, and a detection section detecting the passenger occupancy of the seat on the basis of the distance measured by the measuring section and the reference data.

Abstract: A device for monitoring around a vehicle capable of detecting objects present around the vehicle based on an image captured by at least one infrared camera member provided with the vehicle. An area which is inferred to correspond to the pedestrian's head is established as a reference area. Two object areas are established above the reference area so as to correspond to spaces above the shoulders on both sides of the pedestrian's head. An area which corresponds to the head and the shoulders in an infra-red ray image is acknowledged. Another object area which is inferred to correspond to the shoulders and arms of the pedestrian is established. If a distance from an entire pedestrian and a distance from an area which corresponds to the shoulders and arms are equal, it is acknowledged that a binary object including the area which corresponds to the shoulders and arms indicates a pedestrian.

Abstract: A vehicle surroundings monitoring apparatus capable of recognizing the type of object existing around a vehicle with accuracy.

Abstract: A vehicle surroundings monitoring apparatus is provided herein which is capable of determining an object type, particularly capable of determining an animal other than a human being among objects. The vehicle surroundings monitoring apparatus which monitors the surroundings of a vehicle by using an image captured by a camera (2R, 2L) mounted on the vehicle, including an object extraction process unit which extracts an image area of the object from the captured image (steps 1 to 6) and an object type determination process unit which determines the object type according to whether the image area of the object extracted by the object extraction process unit includes a first object area of an inverse triangular shape and a second object area located below the first object area and within a predetermined range from the first object area (steps 31 to 36).

Abstract: A device for monitoring around a vehicle capable of detecting objects present around the vehicle based on an image captured by at least one infrared camera member provided with the vehicle. The device includes a binary object extraction unit which subjects a gray scale image of the image captured by the infrared camera member to a binary thresholding method, and extracts a binary object from the gray scale image; a gray scale object extraction unit which extracts a gray scale object, a range of the gray scale object including the binary object, from the gray scale image based on change in luminance of the gray scale image, and a pedestrian determination unit which sets a search area in an area including the gray scale object, and recognizes a pedestrian in the gray scale image based on a luminance variance in the search area.

Abstract: A right infrared camera produces a right gray-scale image by imaging aiming targets disposed in a right position, and a left infrared camera produces a left gray-scale image by imaging aiming targets disposed in a left position. An average value of coordinates of the aiming targets in a preset clipping area is determined, and an average value of coordinates of the aiming targets in a preset clipping area is determined. A difference between the average value and the average value is determined, and the clipping area is moved depending on the difference.

Abstract: Abstract of the Disclosure A vehicle surroundings monitoring apparatus that extracts a body present in the surroundings of a vehicle as an object, based on an image captured by an infrared imaging device including a binarized object extraction device that extracts a binarized objectfrom image data obtainedby binarizing a gray scale image of the image; a region setting device that sets a region including at least a portion of the binarized object on the gray scale image; a luminance status quantity calculation device that calculates a luminance status quantity of the region; an interval status quantity calculation device that calculates an interval status quantity according to an interval between a position of a substantially maximum luminance value and a position of a substantially minimum luminance value within the region based on the luminance status quantity; and an object type determination device that determines a type of the object based on the interval status quantity.

Abstract: Abstract of the Disclosure A vehicle surroundings monitoring apparatus that extracts a body present in the surroundings of a vehicle as an object, based on an image captured by an infrared imaging device including a binarized object extraction device that extracts a binarized object from image data obtained by binarizing a gray scale image of the image, an obstacle determination device that determines whether or not another body being an obstacle is present between the infrared imaging device and the binarized object, a height calculation device that calculates a height dimension of the binarized object based on the height dimension of the obstacle on the gray scale image when it is determined that an obstacle is present in a determination result of the obstacle determination device and an object type determination device that determines a type of the object based on the height dimension of the binarized object.

Abstract: An abnormality detecting apparatus for an imaging apparatus that detects a presence of abnormalities in imaging apparatuses mounted on a vehicle to capture vehicle surroundings, which includes: a luminance variance value calculating device that calculates a luminance variance value of each image from the imaging apparatuses using the luminance value of each image from the imaging apparatuses obtained by the imaging apparatuses; and an abnormality detecting device that detects the presence of abnormalities in any of the imaging apparatuses in accordance with the luminance variance values calculated by the luminance variance value calculating device.

Abstract: A first object and a second object arranged in an actual space with coordinates (Xn, Zn) and (Xn?D, Zn) are imaged, and respective coordinates x1* and x2* of the first object and the second object in the image are calculated. Then, a coordinate x1 of the first object in the image and a coordinate x2 of the second object in the image are calculated by equations: x1=F·Xn/Zn x2=F·(Xn?D)/Zn where F is a design parameter of an imaging unit. An image distortion corrective value ? to correct the design parameter F is calculated by equations: ?·x1*=x1 ?·x2*=x2 using a difference between the coordinates x1 and x1* and a difference between the coordinates x2 and x2*.

Abstract: Two aiming targets are arranged at positions that are away from two infrared cameras by a predetermined distance. One of the infrared cameras images one of the aiming targets, and the other of the infrared cameras images the other of the aiming targets. Assuming that the obtained images relate to an image of one aiming target, a parallax offset value is calculated. The correction of position is performed based on the parallax offset value.

Abstract: An ECU of a night vision system stores small obtained images of provisional targets as six templates depending on the distance from infrared cameras, and selects one of the templates depending on the distance up to an actual object. Using the selected template, the ECU performs template matching on images obtained by the infrared cameras, and calculates coordinates of the inspection target. The ECU compares the calculated coordinates of the inspection target and stored reference coordinates with each other, and determines mounted angles of the infrared cameras.

Abstract: An abnormality detecting apparatus for an imaging apparatus that detects the presence of abnormalities in an imaging apparatus mounted on a vehicle to capture vehicle surroundings which includes: a region setting device that sets a region including at least a road boundary portion in an image obtained by the imaging apparatus; a luminance variance value calculating device that calculates a luminance variance value using the luminance value acquired from the image with respect to the region set by the region setting device; and an abnormality detecting device that detects the presence of abnormalities in the imaging apparatus according to the luminance variance value calculated by the luminance variance value calculating device.

Abstract: An object detection system comprises a physical object recognition unit which recognizes physical objects outside the vehicle, and a physical object memory which stores information concerning the physical objects. A controller recognizes presence of a physical object when the physical object is sensed by one or more sensors a predetermined number of times, which is larger for a central portion of the detecting area than for a peripheral portion of the detecting area. The system includes a memory for storing information about the physical objects. The controller holds the physical object stored in the memory indicating that the physical object is existent until the controller fails to recognize presence of the corresponding physical object a predetermined number of recognition cycles.

Abstract: An object recognition system mounted on a vehicle comprises a camera and a controller. The camera captures an image in front of the vehicle. The controller divides the image into a plurality of windows. The controller measures distance to the road surface for each of the plurality of windows and thereby obtains a plurality of distances. The controller estimates a relative inclination of the road surface against the vehicle based on the plurality of distances. The controller judges, for each of the plurality of windows, based on the estimated inclination, whether the object is an obstacle or the road surface and thereby obtains a judgment result. The controller recognizes the object based on the judgment result. The system recognizes objects in front of the vehicle even when the vehicle is lopsided by pitching, rolling or else.

Abstract: An apparatus for detecting the passenger occupancy of a vehicle includes, at least two image pickup sections provided at a specified distance, a measuring section measuring a distance to an object on the basis of the at least two images acquired by the at least two image pickup sections, a reference data providing section providing reference data relating to the distance from the image pickup sections to a seat in accordance with the position of the seat, and a detection section detecting the passenger occupancy of the seat on the basis of the distance measured by the measuring section and the reference data.

Abstract: A vehicle environment monitoring device identifies objects from an image taken by an infrared camera. Object extraction from images is performed in accordance with the state of the environment as determined by measurements extracted from the images as follows: N1 binarized objects are extracted from a single frame. Height of a grayscale objects corresponding to one of the binarized objects are calculated. If a ratio of the number of binarized objects C, where the absolute value of the height difference is less than the predetermined value ?H, to the total number N1 of binarized objects, is greater than a predetermined value X1, the image frame is determined to be rainfall-affected. If the ratio is less than the predetermined value X1, the image frame is determined to be a normal frame. A warning is provided if it is determined that the object is a pedestrian and if a collision is likely.

Abstract: An object recognition system comprises a memory for storing a plurality of distance ranges with different distance labels associated with respective distance ranges. The controller converts measured distance values into distance labels according to distance ranges to which the distance values belong. The controller groups the sections or windows of a captured image based on assigned distance labels. Detection area or viewing area of the sensors is divided into a plurality of distance ranges according to tolerance of the measured distance such that broader distance range is defined as the distance from the system is larger. The controller scans the windows with distance labels using a template that defines a joining relationship for the windows and assigns each window with a cluster label that is a combination of the distance label and a occurrence indicia, which is the same for the windows that satisfy the joining relationship.