With Camera Patents (Class 340/937)
  • Patent number: 10430953
    Abstract: A system and method are provided for object tracking in a sequence of images of a scene acquired by an imaging device. The method includes generating a representation of an object and its surroundings; generating a tracking score based on the representation of the object and its surroundings, and a classification scheme; detecting a peak in the tracking score corresponding to a location of the object in the image; and adjusting the representation of the object and its surroundings and the classification scheme according to one or more new appearances of the object.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 20, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 1, 2019
    Assignee: Sportlogiq Inc.
    Inventors: Mehrsan Roshtkhari Javan, Mengyao Zhai, Gregory Peter Mori
  • Patent number: 10339394
    Abstract: A step detection device detects the distance and the direction to a road surface around a vehicle, using a distance sensor mounted on the vehicle, and sets a first step determination position and a second step determination position on the road surface. Then, the step detection device calculates the height changes of the road surfaces at the first step determination position and the second step determination position based on the distance and the direction to the road surface, and detects a step on the road surface based on one of the step determination positions, the gradient of the height change of the road surface at the one being larger.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 4, 2015
    Date of Patent: July 2, 2019
    Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Takuya Nanri, Abdelaziz Khiat, Hirotoshi Ueda, Fang Fang
  • Patent number: 10332265
    Abstract: Described is a system for object detection and recognition from a moving platform under adverse visual conditions. The system generates a predicted change regarding how a moving platform's surrounding change in an image captured from the moving platform. Based on an agreement of the predicted change and an actual input image obtained via an image sensor positioned on the moving platform and corrupted by a visual disturbance, a transformation-consistency map is generated. The transformation-consistency map and the actual input image are used to improve detection and recognition performance of a machine learning method in detecting at least one object in the moving platform's surroundings.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 2016
    Date of Patent: June 25, 2019
    Assignee: HRL Laboratories, LLC
    Inventors: Heiko Hoffmann, Kyungnam Kim
  • Patent number: 10311723
    Abstract: Apparatuses, methods and storage media associated with parking management are disclosed herein. In embodiments, a system may include a plurality of sensors disposed around an expanse of space to collect occupancy data of the expanse of space; and a parking management unit disposed in or adjourning the expanse of space to manage parking of vehicles in the expanse of space, based at least in part on the occupancy data collected by the plurality of sensors. The expanse of space may be a linear expanse of roadway space adjacent to a sidewalk, or an aerial expanse of surface space of a parking lot or a floor of a parking structure. Parking spaces within the expanse of space may be fixed or variably sized/typed. Other embodiments may be disclosed or claimed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 10, 2017
    Date of Patent: June 4, 2019
    Assignee: Intel Corporation
    Inventors: Suman A. Sehra, Sameer Sharma, Purushottam Kumar, Karthik Vasan, Sergio Piedrahita, Robin Mcgechie
  • Patent number: 10298910
    Abstract: This disclosure is directed to calibrating sensors mounted on an autonomous vehicle. First image data and second image data representing an environment can be captured by first and second cameras, respectively (and or a single camera at different points in time). Point pairs comprising a first point in the first image data and a second point in the second image data can be determined and projection errors associated with the points can be determined. A subset of point pairs can be determined, e.g., by excluding point pairs with the highest projection error. Calibration data associated with the subset of points can be determined and used to calibrate the cameras without the need for calibration infrastructure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 29, 2018
    Date of Patent: May 21, 2019
    Assignee: Zoox, Inc.
    Inventor: Till Kroeger
  • Patent number: 10282831
    Abstract: An apparatus for motion compensated noise reduction for input images is provided. The motion estimation and motion compensation circuit performs a motion estimation operation and a motion compensation operation on a current image and a previous image to obtain a first patch. The block matching operation circuit performs a block matching operation on the current image and the previous image to obtain a second patch. The motion detection circuit performs a motion detection operation on a target patch according to the first patch and the second patch to output a set of third patches. The current image includes the target patch. The noise reduction circuit performs a noise reduction operation on the set of third patches according to a threshold curve, so as to generate the target patch that the noise is reduced. A method for motion compensated noise reduction for input images is also provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 28, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 7, 2019
    Assignee: Novatek Microelectronics Corp.
    Inventors: Chien-Chi Chen, Tung-Hsin Lee, Chieh-Cheng Chen
  • Patent number: 10274335
    Abstract: The systems and methods disclosed herein are directed to providing a notification of a presence of an occupant in a vehicle before arriving at a destination. In an illustrative embodiment, the vehicle may include a location system for tracking routes taken or traveled by the vehicle. The vehicle may include a detection system for determining whether the occupant is in the vehicle along those routes traveled by the vehicle. The vehicle may also include a notification system. The notification system may store the routes traveled by the vehicle with and without the occupant in the vehicle. The notification system may provide a notification when a route is taken with the occupant and the route is not associated with the occupant based on the historical patterns of the routes traveled by vehicle with and without the occupant.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 3, 2017
    Date of Patent: April 30, 2019
    Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Stuart Masakazu Yamamoto
  • Patent number: 10257403
    Abstract: Provided is an intermediate unit including a first connect unit, a second connect unit, and an information bridge unit. The first connect unit is for connecting a camera unit having a first resolution in one of a spatial direction and a temporal direction. The second connect unit is for connecting a camera control unit for a camera unit having a second resolution lower than the first resolution in one of the spatial direction and the temporal direction. The information bridge unit is interposed between the first connect unit and the second connect unit and configured to bridge information exchanged between the camera unit and the camera control unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 15, 2017
    Date of Patent: April 9, 2019
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventor: Koji Kamiya
  • Patent number: 10214208
    Abstract: A system ECU (9) executes a collision avoidance operation in the following manner when a moving object that has suddenly appeared from a shadow of a predetermined object present around a vehicle moves toward a determination area set around the vehicle. That is, the system ECU (9) executes the collision avoidance operation at an early timing that is after a camera (6) detects the moving object, but before a radar (5) detects the moving object and the predetermined object, or more specifically, when an object expanding toward the determination area is detected by the radar (5). As a result, the collision avoidance operation is able to be performed quickly when a moving object that has appeared suddenly from the shadow of an object moves toward the determination area, while avoiding as much as possible unnecessary execution of the collision avoidance operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 31, 2013
    Date of Patent: February 26, 2019
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Wataru Ike
  • Patent number: 10202135
    Abstract: An assembly for monitoring an area is provided. The assembly can include two or more cameras sensitive to radiation of distinct wavelength ranges. The fields of view of the cameras can be substantially co-registered at the area to be monitored. The assembly can include a computer system which can process the image data to monitor the area. The computer system can be configured to identify relevant objects present in the area, update tracking information for the relevant objects, and evaluate whether an alert condition is present using the tracking information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 16, 2014
    Date of Patent: February 12, 2019
    Assignee: International Electronic Machines Corp.
    Inventors: Zahid F. Mian, Ronald W. Gamache, Ryk E. Spoor
  • Patent number: 10140417
    Abstract: A method includes receiving external data including a plurality of data points indicative of a plurality of respective states of an environment external to a vehicle. The external data is data that was received by the vehicle from a handheld mobile communication device external to the vehicle (e.g., a mobile communication device of a pedestrian) via a wireless link, and is indicative of objects sensed by the handheld mobile communication device. The method also includes storing the external data in a memory, generating a virtual model of an event (e.g., accident) involving at least one vehicle using the stored plurality of data points, and causing the virtual model of the event to be displayed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 16, 2016
    Date of Patent: November 27, 2018
    Assignee: STATE FARM MUTUAL AUTOMOBILE INSURANCE COMPANY
    Inventors: Todd Binion, Joe Harr, Brian Fields, Steven Cielocha, Steve J. Balbach
  • Patent number: 10057489
    Abstract: A vision system for a vehicle includes a plurality of cameras with one camera functioning as a master camera and other cameras functioning as slave cameras. During a forward driving maneuver of the vehicle, a forward viewing camera functions as the master camera and at least a driver-side sideward viewing camera and a passenger-side sideward viewing camera function as slave cameras. During a reversing maneuver of the vehicle, a rearward viewing camera functions as the master camera and at least the driver-side sideward viewing camera and the passenger-side sideward viewing camera function as slave cameras. The vision system is operable to synthesize a composite image derived from image data captured by at least the master camera and the driver-side sideward viewing camera and the passenger-side sideward viewing camera. Operating parameters of the master camera are used at least by the driver-side sideward viewing camera and the passenger-side sideward viewing camera.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 18, 2017
    Date of Patent: August 21, 2018
    Assignee: MAGNA ELECTRONICS INC.
    Inventors: Yuesheng Lu, Richard D. Shriner
  • Patent number: 10037604
    Abstract: Foreground objects of interest are distinguished from a background model by dividing a region of interest of a video data image into a grid array of individual cells. Each of the cells are labeled as foreground if accumulated edge energy within the cell meets an edge energy threshold, or if color intensities for different colors within each cell differ by a color intensity differential threshold, or as a function of combinations of said determinations.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 8, 2016
    Date of Patent: July 31, 2018
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Ankur Datta, Rogerio S. Feris, Sharathchandra U. Pankanti, Xiaoyu Wang
  • Patent number: 9990551
    Abstract: A driver assistance system (10) for a motor vehicle comprises an imaging means (11) for acquiring images from a surrounding of the motor vehicle, and a processing means (14) adapted to perform image processing of images (30) recorded by the imaging means (11) and to detect an oncoming vehicle (33) by identifying its head lights (34) as a result of the image processing. The processing means (14) is adapted to detect, in the recorded images (30), a light aura (37) originating from at least one light source (34) hidden to the imaging means (11), and to use the light aura detection in the oncoming vehicle detection.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 24, 2012
    Date of Patent: June 5, 2018
    Assignee: AUTOLIV DEVELOPMENT AB
    Inventors: Jonas Hammarström, Ognjan Hedberg
  • Patent number: 9964643
    Abstract: Vehicle occupancy detection involves projecting modulated light onto an occupant from a light source outside of a vehicle. Reflections of the light source are received at a detector located outside of the vehicle. Three-dimensional data is determined based on a time-of-flight of the reflections, and the occupant is detected based on the three-dimensional data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 8, 2011
    Date of Patent: May 8, 2018
    Assignee: CONDUENT BUSINESS SERVICES, LLC
    Inventor: Patrick Yasuo Maeda
  • Patent number: 9953196
    Abstract: Systems, methods, apparatuses, and computer readable media are disclosed for providing variable blink rate ultra-wideband (UWB) communications. Some embodiments may provide for a radio frequency (RF) tag including a motion sensor, processing circuitry, and a UWB transmitter. The motion sensor may be configured to generate one or more motion data values indicating motion of the RF tag. The UWB transmitter may be configured to transmit blink data at variable blink rates. The processing circuitry may be configured to receive the one or more motion data values from the motion sensor, determine a blink rate for the UWB transmitter based on the one or more motion data values, and control the UWB transmitter to wirelessly transmit the blink data at the blink rate. In some embodiments, the RF tag may include a UWB receiver and the blink rate may be controlled remotely by a system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 3, 2017
    Date of Patent: April 24, 2018
    Assignee: ZIH Corp.
    Inventors: Belinda Turner, Aitan Ameti, Edward A. Richley, Alexander Mueggenborg
  • Patent number: 9946950
    Abstract: An aspect of the present invention provides a data processing apparatus, including: an image acquisition section that acquires a captured image depicting a road along which vehicles pass; a calibration section that computes a road parameter for converting coordinates in the captured image to coordinates in real space based on the captured image and road data related to the road; a vehicle lane region detection section that detects a vehicle lane region in the captured image based on the captured image and the road parameter; and a processing region setting section that, based on the vehicle lane region, sets a processing region in the vehicle lane region for detecting a vehicle passing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 14, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 17, 2018
    Assignee: Oki Electric Industry Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Takahiro Mae, Takamitsu Watanabe, Takahiro Watanabe
  • Patent number: 9940633
    Abstract: A system and method for detection of drive-arounds in a retail setting. An embodiment includes acquiring images of a retail establishment, analyzing the images to detect entry of a customer onto the premises of the retail establishment, tracking a detected customer's location as the customer traverses the premises of the retail establishment, analyzing the images to detect exit of the detected customer from the premises of the retail establishment, and generating a drive-around notification if the customer does not enter a prescribed area or remain on the premises of the retail location for at least a prescribed minimum period of time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 19, 2014
    Date of Patent: April 10, 2018
    Assignee: Conduent Business Services, LLC
    Inventors: Edgar A. Bernal, Qun Li
  • Patent number: 9904859
    Abstract: Imaging system and method, the system including a main detection unit, an auxiliary detection unit, an image processor, and a controller. The main detection unit includes a light source that emits light pulses and a gated image sensor that receives reflections of the light pulses reflected from a selected depth of field in the environment and converts the reflections into a reflection-based image. The auxiliary detection unit includes a thermal sensor that detects infrared radiation emitted from the environment and generates an emission-based image. The image processor processes and detects at least one region of interest in the acquired reflection-based image and/or acquired emission-based image. The controller adaptively controls at least one detection characteristic of a detection unit based on information obtained from the other detection unit. The image processor detects at least one object of interest in the acquired reflection-based image and/or acquired emission-based image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 3, 2015
    Date of Patent: February 27, 2018
    Assignee: Brightway Vision, Ltd.
    Inventor: Yoav Grauer
  • Patent number: 9824285
    Abstract: A control system for a vehicle includes a forward-viewing camera and an image processor operable to process image data captured by the forward-viewing camera. The control system is operable to detect a traffic light and to determine a change in state of the traffic light from red to green. The control system determines that another vehicle is ahead of the stopped equipped vehicle at the traffic light, and determines a change in state of the traffic light from red to green. Responsive to (a) a threshold period of time elapsing during which the other vehicle ahead of the equipped vehicle has not moved after the traffic light changes state from red to green and/or (b) the other vehicle ahead of the equipped vehicle moving a threshold distance away from the equipped vehicle, the control system (i) generates an alert and/or (ii) controls a vehicle system of the equipped vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 26, 2017
    Date of Patent: November 21, 2017
    Assignee: MAGNA ELECTRONICS INC.
    Inventors: Ove J. Salomonsson, Christopher L. Van Dan Elzen
  • Patent number: 9812016
    Abstract: A method for assessing accident risks to a moving vehicle (100; 110) includes continuously monitoring (s410) a surroundings configuration while the vehicle (100; 110) is in motion, continuously determining (s420) running characteristics for the vehicle (100; 110), continuously registering (s430) the surroundings configuration in order to create and provide an idea about chosen characteristics of the surroundings passed by the vehicle using the running characteristics and the idea as a basis for assessing (s440) accident risks related to the surroundings passed by the vehicle (100; 110). Also a computer program product includes program code (P) for a computer (200; 210) for implementing the method. Also the device and a vehicle equipped with the device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 26, 2013
    Date of Patent: November 7, 2017
    Assignee: SCANIA CV AB
    Inventor: Bas Oremus
  • Patent number: 9813677
    Abstract: A video system includes at least one video subsystem including a video source coupled to a mobile platform. The video source is configured to capture and transmit video data. A video processing system is configured to receive transmission of the video data from the video subsystem at a plurality of locations in which the video subsystem is configured to transmit the video data to the video processing system automatically when the video subsystem is in range of the video processing system at each of the plurality of locations.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 23, 2014
    Date of Patent: November 7, 2017
    Assignee: Verint Americas Inc.
    Inventors: Charles Lampe, Todd Barrick
  • Patent number: 9799118
    Abstract: An image processing apparatus for correcting, on the basis of an image and a depth map corresponding to the image, the depth map, includes: a detection unit that detects an object included in the image; a determination unit that determines whether a size of the object detected by the detection unit is a threshold or less; and a correction unit that corrects a distance in a target area which corresponds to an area of the object in the depth map, when the size of the detected object is the threshold or less.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 30, 2014
    Date of Patent: October 24, 2017
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Satoru Komatsu
  • Patent number: 9789818
    Abstract: An image processing apparatus includes an I/F, a synthesizer, and a color determinator. The I/F obtains a captured image, which is generated by imaging a subject in the vicinity of a vehicle. The synthesizer superimposes an indicator on the captured image. The color determinator, when color of the captured image is similar to a first color, changes color of the indicator from the first color.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 16, 2013
    Date of Patent: October 17, 2017
    Assignee: KYOCERA Corporation
    Inventors: Takatoshi Nakata, Takahiro Okada
  • Patent number: 9786167
    Abstract: A method for validating an information item regarding a wrong-way driver, which indicates an instance of detected wrong-way travel of a vehicle driving the wrong way. The method includes checking plausibility, in which the information item regarding a wrong-way driver is checked for plausibility, using an additional information item, before the information item regarding a wrong-way driver is made available as a warning message for affected road users. In this context, the warning message is suppressed, if the additional information item characterizes the information item regarding a wrong-way driver as irrelevant.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 11, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 10, 2017
    Assignee: ROBERT BOSCH GMBH
    Inventors: Daniele Mauro, Kurt Eckert
  • Patent number: 9769381
    Abstract: A vision system for a vehicle includes a plurality of cameras having respective fields of view exterior of the vehicle. One of the cameras functions as a master camera and others of the cameras function as slave cameras. Responsive to processing of captured image data, the vision system is operable to synthesize a composite image derived from image data captured by at least two of the cameras, at least one of which is a slave camera. Operating parameters of the master camera are used by slave cameras. An electronic control unit sends via Ethernet connection operating parameters to a slave camera so that image sections of the composite image, when displayed to a driver of the vehicle by a display device of the vehicle, appear uniform in at least one of (i) brightness at the borders of the sections and (ii) color at the borders of the sections.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 28, 2016
    Date of Patent: September 19, 2017
    Assignee: MAGNA ELECTRONICS INC.
    Inventors: Yuesheng Lu, Richard D. Shriner
  • Patent number: 9741249
    Abstract: As set forth herein, systems and methods are described that facilitate to analyze a video stream from a camera mounted on the side of a school bus, wherein a sub-set of video sequences showing cars illegally passing the stopped school bus are automatically identified through image and/or video processing. The described systems and methods provide a significant savings in terms of the amount of manual review that is required to identify such violations. The video sequences also can be analyzed further to additionally produce images of the license plate (for identification of the violator), thereby providing further reduction in required human processing and review time. In one embodiment, automatic license plate recognition (ALPR) is employed to identify text on the violator's license plate, as well as the state by which the license plate was issued, without requiring human review of the license plate image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 16, 2011
    Date of Patent: August 22, 2017
    Assignee: CONDUENT BUSINESS SERVICES, LLC
    Inventors: Aaron M. Burry, Raja Bala, Zhigang Fan
  • Patent number: 9733101
    Abstract: A method for vehicle convergence analysis based on a plurality of sparse location data is provided. The method may include obtaining a plurality of vehicle location data. The method may also include receiving a plurality of input data. The method may further include calculating, for each vehicle a probabilistic street network route based on each sequential piece of timed data and each piece of location data included in the obtained plurality of vehicle data and the received plurality of input data. The method may include identifying a plurality of overlapping routes between two vehicles based on the calculated probabilistic street network route. The method may include displaying the identified plurality of overlapping routes between the two vehicles as a meeting area.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 18, 2015
    Date of Patent: August 15, 2017
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Robert J. Fund, William J. Oliver, Wojciech J. Wyzga
  • Patent number: 9715733
    Abstract: A road calibration system and a method for calibration of a road surveillance system are provided. The road surveillance system monitors a surveillance area of a road using vehicle surveillance devices. The vehicle surveillance devices measure a position of a vehicle passing the surveillance area and are synchronized with a global timing signal. In order to calibrate the vehicle surveillance devices such that a position determination of the vehicle surveillance devices is equal, a calibration vehicle with predefined calibration markers is passed through the surveillance area. During the passage each measurement device measures a position of an assigned calibration marker at a predetermined time and compares a measured distance between the positions of the calibration markers with a reference distance between the positions of the calibration markers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 3, 2014
    Date of Patent: July 25, 2017
    Assignee: Kapsch TrafficCom AB
    Inventor: Göran Boström
  • Patent number: 9707890
    Abstract: The present invention relates to an automobile camera module by which an estimated traveling trace can be grasped to prevent fender-bender (minor collision) with a parked vehicle to reduce inconvenience and time loss caused by a parking failure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 22, 2011
    Date of Patent: July 18, 2017
    Assignee: LG INNOTEK CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Sangyong Lee
  • Patent number: 9691188
    Abstract: System, arrangement and method for tolling includes a location determining system arranged at least partly in a vehicle to determine the vehicle location during vehicular travel, a toll database including data about tolls for use of a plurality of lanes of a multi-lane roadway at a plurality of different geographic points, the toll data being different for different lanes of the multi-lane roadway at at least one geographic point, and a communications device arranged on the vehicle. A processor directs transmission including the determined vehicle location and an identification of the vehicle by the communications device to a remote site separate and apart from the vehicle. A toll is determined at the remote site based on the toll database and the vehicle location which is the lane-specific location of the vehicle or based on at least two vehicle locations each of which is a lane-specific location of the vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 13, 2017
    Date of Patent: June 27, 2017
    Assignee: Intelligent Technologies International, Inc.
    Inventors: David S Breed, Vyacheslav Sokurenko
  • Patent number: 9685084
    Abstract: Information on a traffic event, such as a traffic accident, may be provided to a vehicle equipped with a system for performing a wireless data communication with a traffic event center. The system can determine automatically if the vehicle approaches the traffic event by receiving corresponding information in a wireless data transmission, or by a determination based on the vehicle's current position and a location of the traffic event received in a wireless data transmission. If it is determined by the system that the vehicle has approached a traffic event, the system can automatically acquire image data of the vehicle environment, and transmit the acquired image data to the traffic event center.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 5, 2015
    Date of Patent: June 20, 2017
    Assignee: Harman Becker Automotive Systems GmbH
    Inventors: Kay-Ulrich Scholl, Andreas Stiegler, Heiko Oehring
  • Patent number: 9641806
    Abstract: An average speed detection system includes a first automatic license plate reader (ALPR) camera having an infrared camera for capturing identification information from a vehicle passing an entrance point. A first communication module is coupled to the first ALPR camera for transmitting the identification information and either an entrance timestamp or an exit timestamp for the vehicle. A second ALPR camera includes an infrared camera and an overview camera is coupled to a second communication module. The second communication module receives the vehicle identification information and the reference time stamp from the first communication module. The infrared camera of the second ALPR camera captures identification information from the vehicle as it passes the exit point, and if the time at which the vehicle passes an exit point is prior to an exit timestamp for the vehicle, the overview camera flash illuminates the vehicle and captures an image of the vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 12, 2013
    Date of Patent: May 2, 2017
    Assignee: 3M INNOVATIVE PROPERTIES COMPANY
    Inventor: Brian Smith
  • Patent number: 9626574
    Abstract: A biometric notification system compares images or indicia of images and where there is a match provides a notification of the same.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 2, 2015
    Date of Patent: April 18, 2017
    Assignee: FaceFirst, Inc.
    Inventor: Joseph Ethan Rosenkrantz
  • Patent number: 9607227
    Abstract: A boundary detection apparatus includes an acquisition unit, an extraction unit and a detection unit. The acquisition unit acquires a disparity image based on information obtained by capturing an image of a peripheral environment of a vehicle. The extraction unit extracts predetermined pixel regions from first and second pixel regions of the disparity image based on a disparity gradient direction of the first pixel region and a disparity gradient direction of the second pixel region. The detection unit detects a boundary of a step surface existing alongside a road by joining together at least some of the predetermined pixel regions extracted by the extraction unit. The first and second pixel regions sandwich the predetermined pixel region. An angle formed by the disparity gradient direction of the first pixel region and the disparity gradient direction of the second pixel region is within a predetermined angular range of a right angle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 19, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 28, 2017
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Yoshinao Takemae, Kiyosumi Kidono, Hiroyuki Ishida
  • Patent number: 9595139
    Abstract: System, arrangement and method for tolling includes a location determining system arranged at least partly in a vehicle to determine the vehicle location during vehicular travel, a memory device that stores data about predetermined locations, and a processor coupled to the location determining system and that compares the determined vehicle location to data in the memory device to determine whether a transmission of the location is necessary and if so, directs the transmission to a remote site via the Internet. The memory device and/or processor may also be arranged on the vehicle, i.e., to provide a completely vehicle-resident system that may be installed on the vehicle during manufacture or retrofit to the vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 31, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 14, 2017
    Assignee: Intelligent Technologies International, Inc.
    Inventors: David S Breed, Vyacheslav Sokurenko
  • Patent number: 9586455
    Abstract: A camera takes an image or images of a region including a vehicle (vehicle-in-front) running in front of a driver's own vehicle. A wheel information acquiring unit acquires the positional information of a wheel or wheels of the vehicle-in-front in the image taken by the camera. More specifically, the boundary between the wheels of the vehicle-in-front and the road surface. The processing for detecting the boundary is done by use of the difference in the brightness between the wheels and the road surface of the vehicle-in-front. A camera attitude correcting unit corrects the detected boundary by use of a self-calibration function, and a road surface condition estimating unit estimates the conditions of the road surface on which the vehicle-in-front is traveling.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 29, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 7, 2017
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Haruhiko Sugai, Tomoyuki Nakamura
  • Patent number: 9576207
    Abstract: The method consists in taking, when the vehicle is running, images of the road markings delimiting the circulation lanes of the road, and in fully estimating, through an iterative process, the orientation of the camera with respect to the vehicle, based on the position of two lanes located side-by-side on the image. The calibration essentially comprises: correcting the position of the lane edges in the image (10, 12); estimating the residual pitch and yaw (16); updating the rotation matrix (18); estimating the residual roll (20); updating the rotation matrix (24). These steps are iterated until the corrective angles estimated by each module are negligible (22).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 4, 2014
    Date of Patent: February 21, 2017
    Assignee: PARROT AUTOMOTIVE
    Inventor: Laure Chevalley
  • Patent number: 9569970
    Abstract: Provided are a back-sideways alarming system and an alarming control method, which are capable of reducing the generation of a false alarm by detecting a driving road environment of a vehicle and preventing an unnecessary alarm caused by target information generated at a centerline of a road and an outside of a road. The back-sideways alarming system includes: an image acquiring unit configured to acquire road information of a vehicle; a collecting unit configured to collect target information on targets located around the vehicle; and an electronic control unit configured to recognize a lane based on the road information acquired by the image acquiring unit, reset an alarm area according to information on the recognized lane and the road information, and generate an alarm when the target information is located in the reset alarm area.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 16, 2014
    Date of Patent: February 14, 2017
    Assignee: MANDO CORPORATION
    Inventor: Dong Myeong Kim
  • Patent number: 9563813
    Abstract: Embodiments of a system and method for tracking objects are described herein. Aspects of this disclosure efficiently update object “belief” data by creating a bitmap representation of object locations and velocities. The bitmap provides a three-dimensional representation of the object as viewed by one or more sensors. The bitmap representations are blended with sensor data over time to determine a current object belief state which can accurately account for asynchronous sensor data. Peaks in the belief data, which may be represented by pixels with an intensity value above a threshold value, are identified as likely objects. Additional sensor data is used to detect longitudinal velocities located at one or more of the peaks.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 27, 2013
    Date of Patent: February 7, 2017
    Assignee: Google Inc.
    Inventor: Russell Leigh Smith
  • Patent number: 9563809
    Abstract: A driver assistance system for a vehicle includes at least one forward viewing camera and a control having an image processor operable to process image data captured by the forward viewing camera. The vehicle includes start-stop technology operable to turn off the engine of the vehicle when the vehicle stops and operable to restart the engine of the vehicle to enable the vehicle drive forward. Responsive at least in part to processing by the image processor of captured image data, the driver assistance system determines that the vehicle, when stopped, is behind a stopped leading vehicle. Responsive at least in part to processing by the image processor of captured image data, the driver assistance system determines forward movement of the leading vehicle from its stopped position. Responsive at least in part to the determination of forward movement of the leading vehicle, the control automatically restarts the engine of the vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 18, 2016
    Date of Patent: February 7, 2017
    Assignee: MAGNA ELECTRONICS INC.
    Inventors: Ove J. Salomonsson, Christopher L. Van Dan Elzen
  • Patent number: 9542620
    Abstract: Possible locations of a person of interest are ranked based on LPR instances captured around physical locations and license plate numbers associated with the person of interest. An LPR instance includes an indication of a vehicle license plate number, a physical location, and a time when the LPR instance was captured by a LPR system. A possible location of the person of interest may be a location of an LPR instance that matches the license plate number or an address location associated with the person of interest. The ranking may be based on the number of LPR visits to each location, the number of license plate number matches at each location, or an attribute of a cluster of LPR instances. In some examples, an electronic message is rapidly communicated to an entity if a target license plate number is found at a highly ranked location.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 6, 2016
    Date of Patent: January 10, 2017
    Assignee: VaaS, Inc.
    Inventor: Shawn B. Smith
  • Patent number: 9530063
    Abstract: An apparatus for recognizing a lane line. In the apparatus, when a three-dimensional object lies in the same lane as a subject vehicle and a distance between the three-dimensional object and the subject vehicle is small in an image acquired by an image capture unit, a masking area setter sets a masking area that is partially truncated at or near a lower end of the three-dimensional object in the image. A degree-of-belief calculator is configured to, for each of the edge points extracted by the edge-point extractor, calculate a degree of belief that the edge point is on the lane line. The degree of belief when the edge point is in the masking area is set less than the degree of belief when the edge point is outside the masking area. A lane-line recognizer is configured to recognize the lane line based on the degrees of belief calculated for the edge points.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 13, 2015
    Date of Patent: December 27, 2016
    Assignee: DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Syunya Kumano, Naoki Kawasaki, Shunsuke Suzuki, Tetsuya Takafuji
  • Patent number: 9530212
    Abstract: An image frame conversion method and a video frame conversion method and apparatus are provided. The video frame conversion method includes: extracting a longest line segment of a 2D video frame; determining a first depth image of the 2D video frame according to a direction of the longest line segment; determining motion information of the 2D video frame according to a video frame adjacent to the 2D video frame; determining a second depth image of the 2D video frame according to the motion information; and generating, according to the first depth image, the second depth image, and the 2D video frame, a 3D video frame corresponding to the 2D video frame.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 17, 2014
    Date of Patent: December 27, 2016
    Assignee: Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Mingchen Han, Cheolkon Jung, Lei Wang, Biao Hou
  • Patent number: 9508014
    Abstract: A vision system of a vehicle includes a plurality of cameras disposed at the vehicle and having respective fields of view exterior of the vehicle. An image processing system is operable to process image data captured by the cameras. Responsive to processing of captured image data, the vision system is operable to generate a composite image derived from image data captured by at least two cameras of the plurality of cameras. One of the plurality of cameras functions as a master camera and the vision system, responsive to processing image data captured by the master camera, determines operating parameters for the master camera. The determined operating parameters for the master camera are used by the other cameras of the plurality of cameras.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 5, 2014
    Date of Patent: November 29, 2016
    Assignee: MAGNA ELECTRONICS INC.
    Inventors: Yuesheng Lu, Richard D. Shriner
  • Patent number: 9493108
    Abstract: An on-vehicle apparatus detects other vehicle lights from an image picked up outside the vehicle. The apparatus acquires an image around the vehicle and extracts light sources from the image. The apparatus calculates a target area probability that is a probability of a light source in a target area being different vehicle light, in accordance with a probability that light-source feature quantities at least including either of a color of light source and a shape of light source coincide with target-area feature quantities, the target area indicating a preset site that is a part of an area indicating each of the light sources. The target-area feature quantities are prepared as feature quantities of vehicle light, being correlated to the position of a target area. The apparatus outputs information that a light source having the target area probability of not less than a preset threshold is different vehicle light.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 19, 2012
    Date of Patent: November 15, 2016
    Assignee: DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Taiji Morishita, Hironori Sato, Kentarou Shiota
  • Patent number: 9478030
    Abstract: By evaluating readily available facts regarding an object, an item may be identified, or one or more characteristics of the item may be determined, and a destination for the item may be selected. An extraction module including a depth sensor may capture depth imaging data regarding the item, which may then be processed in order to estimate one or more dimensions of the item, and an appropriate container or storage area for the item may be selected. Additionally, the extraction module may further include a scale for determining a mass of the item, or digital cameras for capturing one or more images of the item. The images of the item may be analyzed in order to interpret any markings, labels or identifiers disposed on the item, and a destination for the item may be selected based on the mass, the analyzed images or the depth imaging data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 19, 2014
    Date of Patent: October 25, 2016
    Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc.
    Inventor: Ned Lecky
  • Patent number: 9443158
    Abstract: A method of identifying bigrams of glyphs within a digital image. Classifiers are configured through training to differentiate between glyph orientations, allowing for accurate pairing and positive identification of the bigram. Embodiments include assistive technology devices which read playing cards held in-hand by visually impaired users and convey the rank and suit of each card to the player by non-visual means.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 22, 2015
    Date of Patent: September 13, 2016
    Inventor: Kristopher Haskins
  • Patent number: 9399433
    Abstract: An automotive camera system and a data processing method based on its shooting angles synchronizing with automotive speeds are provided. The method comprises the following steps: obtain a current velocity value through a velocity acquisition device; determine a corresponding automotive speed grade; look up a prestored correspondence relationship table and finding out a synchronized camera lens zoom number synchronizing with automotive speed grades; control a camera focal motor zooming a camera lens to the number, and achieving the synchronization of the shooting angle and the automotive speed. When applying the camera system and the method as stated in the present invention, the distant road can be clearly seen in high speed driving, and dangers can be found ahead in advance, thus improves the driving safety.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 14, 2013
    Date of Patent: July 26, 2016
    Assignee: SHENZHEN PROTRULY ELECTRONICS CO., LTD
    Inventors: Min Zhuang, Peng Lu
  • Patent number: 9373202
    Abstract: A vehicle information recording apparatus for a vehicle includes a collision determination section and an information management section. The collision determination section determines the presence or absence of a collision between the vehicle and an object based on (i) detection values of impact sensors which detect impacts applied to the vehicle and (ii) detection values by proximity sensors which detect an approach of the object to the vehicle. The information management section records collision data concerning the collision based on a determination result by the collision determination section. This enables a detection of a collision with an object as a recording target while reducing influence of vibration or noise.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 8, 2014
    Date of Patent: June 21, 2016
    Assignee: DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Nobuyoshi Shimizu, Yasutoshi Katoh