US 2001/0055418 A1 · Image-correspondence position detection device, distance measuring device and apparatus using the same

Abstract

An image-correspondence position detection device comprising an extractor 12 for extracting a sampling image of specific size from a pair of images, correlation calculator 114 for generating a correlation value line and calculating an integer correlation position and a decimal correlation position while sequentially shifting the extraction position, measured correlation value calculator 118 for calculating a measured correlation value for a partial area at the integer correlation position, estimated correlation value calculator 116 for calculating an estimated correlation value assuming uniform shifting in each pixel of similar sampling images by the difference between the integer correlation position and the decimal correlation position for the partial area, and a correspondence degree calculator 120 for calculating the degree of correspondence between pixels in the partial area from the measured correlation value and the estimated correlation value.

Claims15

Dependent claims

An image-correspondence position detecting device comprising:

an extractor for sampling image data of specific size from a pair of images to obtain a sample image;
a correlation calculator for creating a correlation value row by calculating correlation values representing the degree of correspondence between a pair of sample images while sequentially shifting the sampling position from at least one of the images, and for calculating minimum or maximum positions of correspondence values among the correlation value row which represents an integer correspondence position representing a sampling position of optimum degree of correspondence, and for interpolating between the correlation values and calculates a minimum value or maximum value which represents a decimal correspondence position having the optimum degree of correspondence;
measured correlation value calculator for calculating the measured correlation value of a partial correlation value for an optional partial area smaller than the sampling image, which is an area corresponding to each sampling image at the integer correspondence position;
estimated correlation value calculator for calculating an estimated correlation value of a partial correlation value from the difference between the integer correspondence position and the decimal correspondence position in the partial area based on the assumption that each sampling image is uniformly shifted in each pixel;
and
correspondence degree calculator for calculating the degree of correspondence between optional pixels in the partial area from the measured correlation value and the estimated correlation value.

3 more elements

A distance measuring device comprising:

a pair of optical systems for forming a pair of object images;
a pair of image sensing elements provided near the image forming position of each optical system;
an extractor for sampling image data of specific size from a pair of images on said image sensing elements to obtain a sample image;
a correlation calculator for creating a correlation value row by calculating correlation values representing the degree of correspondence between a pair of sample images while sequentially shifting the sampling position from at least one of the images, and for calculating minimum or maximum positions of correspondence values among the correlation value row which represents an integer correspondence position representing a sampling position of optimum degree of correspondence, and for interpolating between the correlation values and calculates a minimum value or maximum value which represents a decimal correspondence position having the optimum degree of correspondence;
a measured correlation value calculator for calculating the measured correlation value of a partial correlation value for an optional partial area smaller than the sampling image, which is an area corresponding to each sampling image at the integer correspondence position;
an estimated correlation value calculator for calculating an estimated correlation value of a partial correlation value from the difference between the integer correspondence position and the decimal correspondence position in the partial area based on the assumption that each sampling image is uniformly shifted in each pixel;
a correspondence degree calculator for calculating the degree of correspondence between optional pixels in the partial area from the measured correlation value and the estimated correlation value;
a distance calculator for calculating a distance based on the integer correspondence position and a decimal correspondence position;
and
a discriminator for discriminating whether the degree of correspondence is good or poor by comparing for each pixel a specific value and the degree of correspondence, so that if the degree is discriminated as poor, the pixel is determined unmeasurable, and if the degree is discriminated as good, the distance measurement data is adopted.

7 more elements

An image-correspondence position detecting device comprising:

an extractor for sampling image data of specific size from a pair of images to obtain a sample image;
a correlation calculator for creating a correlation value row by calculating correlation values representing the degree of correspondence between a pair of sample images while sequentially shifting the sampling position from at least one of the images, and for calculating minimum or maximum positions of correspondence values among the correlation value row which represents an integer correspondence position representing a sampling position of optimum degree of correspondence, and for interpolating between the correlation values and calculates a minimum value or maximum value which represents a decimal correspondence position having the optimum degree of correspondence;
measured correlation value calculator for calculating the measured correlation value of a partial correlation value for an optional partial area smaller than the sampling image, which is an area corresponding to each sampling image at the integer correspondence position;
estimated correlation value calculator for calculating an estimated correlation value of a partial correlation value from the difference between the integer correspondence position and the decimal correspondence position in the partial area based on the assumption that each sampling image is uniformly shifted in each pixel;
correspondence degree calculator for calculating the degree of correspondence between optional pixels in the partial area from the measured correlation value and the estimated correlation value;
and
a reliability evaluation value calculator for calculating a reliability evaluation value for evaluating the reliability of the sampling image at the integer correspondence position from the degree of correspondence and the change in luminance of the object in the sampling image at the integer correspondence position.

4 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Image-correspondence position detection device, distance measuring device and apparatus using the same

Life of this patent

Image-correspondence position detection device, distance measuring device and apparatus using the same

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims15