US 11,238,281 B1Granted

Light source detection in field of view

AssigneeAmazon Technologies, Inc.

InventorsChengwu Cui, Stephen Thomas Safarik, Yves Albers Schoenberg

Life of this patent

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Abstract

In some embodiments, a first image may be captured from a first field of view using a first exposure time. A second image may be captured from a second field of view using a second exposure time that is different than the first exposure time. An overlapping field of view may be defined by an overlapping portion of the first field of view and the second field of view. Histograms may be created for the first image and the second image, and possibly more images that include different exposure times and represent the overlapping field of view. The histograms may be analyzed to determine a presence or an absence of a light source in the overlapping field of view.

Claims20

Dependent claims

An unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), comprising:

a UAV frame configured to support components of the UAV;
a propulsion system coupled to the UAV frame, the propulsion system to generate thrust to propel the UAV along a route toward a destination;
a stereo camera unit coupled to the UAV frame, the stereo camera unit recording at least first imagery of the route with a first camera and recording at least second imagery of the route with a second camera, wherein the first camera and the second camera are offset to cause disparity between the first imagery and the second imagery;
one or more processors;
and
memory coupled to the one or more processors, the memory including instructions that are executable by the one or more processors to perform operations comprising:
capturing a first image and a second image, the first image and the second image including an overlapping field of view, wherein a first exposure time used to capture the first image is different than a second exposure time used to capture the second image;
creating a first histogram for the first image and a second histogram for the second image;
analyzing the first histogram to determine a first value of a first bin associated with the first image;
analyzing the second histogram to determine a second value of a second bin associated with the second image;
determining, based at least in part on a difference between the first value and the second value, at least one of a presence or an absence of two or more light sources in the overlapping field of view, wherein the difference being within at least one of a threshold percentage or a threshold value indicates the presence of the two or more light sources;
associating at least one of the first image or the second image with at least one of the presence or the absence of the two or more light sources;
determining at least one of a quantity of the two or more light sources in the overlapping field of view or a location of the two or more light sources in the overlapping field of view;
and
causing, based at least in part on the at least one of the quantity of the two or more light sources or the location of the two or more light sources in the overlapping field of view, the UAV to maneuver from a current path to a different path such that the two or more light sources are outside of the overlapping field of view.

12 more elements

A computer-implemented method comprising:

receiving a first image using a first exposure setting that includes a first exposure time, the first image having a first field of view;
creating a first histogram associated with the first image;
receiving a second image using a second exposure setting that includes a second exposure time, the second image having a second field of view, the second field of view at least partially overlapping with the first field of view as an overlapping field of view, the second exposure time being different than the first exposure time;
creating a second histogram associated with the second image;
analyzing the first histogram to determine a first value of a first bin associated with the first image;
analyzing the second histogram to determine a second value of a second bin associated with the second image;
determining, based at least in part on a difference between the first value and the second value, at least one of a presence or absence of two or more light sources in the overlapping field of view, wherein the difference being within at least one of a threshold percentage or a threshold value indicates the presence of the two or more light sources;
associating at least one of the first image or the second image with at least one of the presence or the absence of the two or more light sources;
determining at least one of a quantity of the two or more light sources or a location of the two or more light sources in the overlapping field of view;
and
causing a vehicle to maneuver such that the two or more light sources are outside of the overlapping field of view.

8 more elements

A system comprising:

one or more processors;
memory coupled to the one or more processors, the memory including one or more computer-executable instructions that are executable by the one or more processors to perform operations comprising:
capturing a first image using a first exposure time, the first image having a first field of view;
capturing a second image using a second exposure time, the second image having a second field of view that at least partially overlaps with the first field of view as an overlapping field of view, the second exposure time being different than the first exposure time;
creating a first histogram for the first image and a second histogram for the second image;
determining, in the first histogram, a first value of a first bin associated with the first image;
determining, in the second histogram, a second value of a second bin associated with the second image;
determining, based at least in part on a difference between the first value and the second value, at least one of a presence or absence of two or more light sources in the overlapping field of view;
associating at least one of the first image or the second image with at least one of the presence or the absence of the two or more light sources;
determining at least one of a quantity of the two or more light sources or a location of the two or more light sources in the overlapping field of view;
and
causing a vehicle to maneuver such that the two or more light sources are outside of the overlapping field of view.

9 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

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Abstract

An unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), comprising:

a UAV frame configured to support components of the UAV;
a propulsion system coupled to the UAV frame, the propulsion system to generate thrust to propel the UAV along a route toward a destination;
a stereo camera unit coupled to the UAV frame, the stereo camera unit recording at least first imagery of the route with a first camera and recording at least second imagery of the route with a second camera, wherein the first camera and the second camera are offset to cause disparity between the first imagery and the second imagery;
one or more processors;
and
memory coupled to the one or more processors, the memory including instructions that are executable by the one or more processors to perform operations comprising:
capturing a first image and a second image, the first image and the second image including an overlapping field of view, wherein a first exposure time used to capture the first image is different than a second exposure time used to capture the second image;
creating a first histogram for the first image and a second histogram for the second image;
analyzing the first histogram to determine a first value of a first bin associated with the first image;
analyzing the second histogram to determine a second value of a second bin associated with the second image;
determining, based at least in part on a difference between the first value and the second value, at least one of a presence or an absence of two or more light sources in the overlapping field of view, wherein the difference being within at least one of a threshold percentage or a threshold value indicates the presence of the two or more light sources;
associating at least one of the first image or the second image with at least one of the presence or the absence of the two or more light sources;
determining at least one of a quantity of the two or more light sources in the overlapping field of view or a location of the two or more light sources in the overlapping field of view;
and
causing, based at least in part on the at least one of the quantity of the two or more light sources or the location of the two or more light sources in the overlapping field of view, the UAV to maneuver from a current path to a different path such that the two or more light sources are outside of the overlapping field of view.

12 more elements