Ranging device utilizing image processing

A ranging device utilizing image processing comprising:

• an image size changing section for obtaining two horizontally-reduced images by reducing the horizontal size of each of two original images captured by a pair of cameras facing forward;
• a first feature extracting section for extracting a feature end points from one of said two horizontally-reduced images;
• a first pattern extracting section for extracting a pattern of a prescribed size including said feature end points, and the coordinate of said pattern, from said one of two horizontally-reduced images;
• a first ranging section for searching for the coordinates in the other one of said two horizontally-reduced images, on the axis on which the coordinate of said pattern exists, to detect the coordinate of a position most correlated with said pattern, and recognizing an object in front of said ranging device to determine the distance to said object based on the difference between the coordinates of the positions in said two horizontally-reduced images where said pattern is extracted;
• a second feature extracting section for extracting a feature end points from one of two original images captured by said pair of cameras;
• a second pattern extracting section for extracting a pattern of a prescribed size including said feature end points, and the coordinate of said pattern, from said one of two original images;
• a second ranging section for searching for the coordinates in the other one of said two original images, on the axis on which the coordinate of said pattern exists, to detect the coordinate of a position most correlating with said pattern, and recognizing an object in front of said ranging device to determine the distance to said object based on the difference between the coordinates of the positions in said two original images where said pattern is extracted;
• and
• a merging section for merging the results of distance determination of said first and second ranging sections to further recognize said object and determine the distance to said object.

A ranging device utilizing image processing comprising:

• a first image size changing section for obtaining two horizontally-reduced images by reducing the horizontal size of each of two original images captured by a pair of cameras facing forward;
• a first feature extracting section for extracting a feature end points from one of said two horizontally-reduced images;
• a first pattern extracting section for extracting a pattern of a prescribed size including said feature end points, and the coordinate of said pattern, from said one of two horizontally-reduced images;
• a first ranging section for searching for the coordinates in the other one of said two horizontally-reduced images, on the axis on which the coordinate of said pattern exists, to detect the coordinate of a position most correlating with said pattern, and recognizing an object in front of said ranging device to determine the distance to said object based on the difference between the coordinates of the positions in said two horizontally-reduced images where said pattern is extracted;
• a second image size changing section for obtaining two vertically-reduced images by reducing the vertical size of each of said two original images;
• a second feature extracting section for extracting a feature end points from one of said two vertically-reduced images;
• a second pattern extracting section for extracting a pattern of a prescribed size including said feature end points, and the coordinate of said pattern, from said one of two vertically-reduced images;
• a second ranging section for searching for the coordinates in the other one of said two vertically-reduced images on the axis on which the coordinate of said pattern exists to detect the coordinate of a position most correlating with said pattern, and recognizing an object in front of said ranging device to determine the distance to said object based on the difference between the coordinates of the positions in said two vertically reduced images where said pattern is extracted;
• and
• a merging section for merging the results of distance determination of said first and second ranging sections to further recognize said object and determine the distance to said object.

A ranging device utilizing image processing comprising:

• a first image size changing section for obtaining two horizontally-reduced images by reducing the horizontal size of each of two original images captured by a pair of cameras facing toward;
• a first feature extracting section for extracting a feature end points from one of said two horizontally-reduced images;
• a second image size changing section for obtaining two vertically-reduced images by reducing the vertical size of each of said two original images;
• a second feature extracting section for extracting a feature end points from one of said two vertically-reduced images;
• a feature end point merging/extracting section for merging the results of extracting of said first and second feature extracting sections to further extract feature end points;
• a pattern extracting section for extracting a pattern of a prescribed size including the feature end points extracted by said feature end point merging/extracting section, and the coordinate of said pattern, from one of said two vertically-reduced images;
• and
• a ranging section for searching for the coordinates in the other one of said two vertically-reduced images on the axis on which the coordinate of said pattern exists to detect the coordinate of a position most correlating with said pattern, and recognizing an object in front of said ranging device to determine the distance to said object based on the difference between the coordinates of the positions in said two vertically reduced images where said pattern is extracted.

A ranging device utilizing image processing for recognizing an object in front of said ranging device to determine the distance to said object by processing two images captured by a pair of cameras facing toward, comprising:

• a density summing section for obtaining the sum of densities in vertical direction of each of said two images;
• a comparing section for comparing the two sums;
• and
• a determining section for determining that the image of an object other than a target object is included in one of said two images, when the difference between said two sums is larger than a predetermined value, to output a signal.

A ranging device utilizing image processing for recognizing an object in front of said ranging device to determine the distance to said object by processing images captured by a camera facing toward, comprising:

• a density summing section for obtaining the sum of densities in vertical direction of each of an image and a subsequent image captured by said camera;
• a comparing section for comparing the two sums;
• and
• a determining section for determining that the image of a windshield wiper is included, in one of said two images, when the difference between said two sums is larger than a predetermined value, to output a signal.