Method and device for ascertaining an optical flow based on an image sequence recorded by a camera of a vehicle

A device configured to ascertain an optical flow based on an image sequence recorded by a camera of a vehicle, the device configured to:

• receive at least one input signal which represents vehicle surroundings and/or a driving situation of the vehicle identified using at least one sensor of the vehicle and/or a result of a previous ascertainment of the optical flow, and an image signal representing the image sequence;
• determine a time difference value using the input signal;
• select at least two individual images of the image sequence which are offset from one another by the time difference value using the image signal;
• and
• detect coinciding pixels in the individual images to ascertain the optical flow using the coinciding pixels,
• wherein, in the step of determining, at least one further time difference value deviating from the time difference value is determined, using the input signal, in the step of selecting, at least two further individual images of the image sequence which are offset from one another by the further time difference value being selected, and in the step of detecting, coinciding further pixels being detected in the further individual images to ascertain the optical flow, using the coinciding further pixels.

A non-transitory machine-readable storage medium on which is stored a computer program for ascertaining an optical flow based on an image sequence recorded by a camera of a vehicle, the computer program, when executed by a computer, causing a computer to perform the following steps:

• receiving at least one input signal which represents vehicle surroundings and/or a driving situation of the vehicle identified using at least one sensor of the vehicle and/or a result of a previous ascertainment of the optical flow, and an image signal representing the image sequence;
• determining a time difference value using the input signal;
• selecting at least two individual images of the image sequence which are offset from one another by the time difference value using the image signal;
• and
• detecting coinciding pixels in the individual images to ascertain the optical flow using the coinciding pixels,
• wherein, in the step of determining, at least one further time difference value deviating from the time difference value is determined, using the input signal, in the step of selecting, at least two further individual images of the image sequence which are offset from one another by the further time difference value being selected, and in the step of detecting, coinciding further pixels being detected in the further individual images to ascertain the optical flow, using the coinciding further pixels.