Object size and distance determination using image processing
AssigneeGM Global Technology Operations LLC
InventorsTzvi Philipp, Igal Kotzer
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A vehicle includes a camera in communication with a controller. An inertial motion unit (IMU) is in communication with the controller. The controller includes a processor and a non-transitory memory configured to store a set of sequential images generated by the camera and configured to associate vehicle velocity and acceleration data from the IMU with each image in the set of sequential images. An object size and distance determination module is stored in one or both of the controller and an external computer system. The object size and distance determination module is configured to determine a distance of an object in the set of sequential images from the vehicle using the images and the associated vehicle velocity and acceleration data.
Claims20
A vehicle comprising:
- a camera in communication with a controller;
- an inertial motion unit (IMU) in communication with the controller;
- the controller comprising a processor and a non-transitory memory, the memory being configured to store a set of sequential images generated by the camera and configured to associate vehicle velocity and acceleration data from the IMU with each image in the set of sequential images;
- an object size and distance determination module stored in one or both of the controller and an external computer system;
- and
- wherein the object size and distance determination module is configured to determine a distance of an object in the set of sequential images from the vehicle using the images and the associated vehicle velocity and acceleration data.
A method for analyzing objects in an image comprising:
- storing a set of sequential images generated by a vehicle camera;
- associating vehicle velocity and acceleration data from the IMU with each image in the set of sequential images using a vehicle controller;
- and
- determining a distance of an object in the set of sequential images from the vehicle using the images and the associated vehicle velocity and acceleration data using an object size and distance determination module stored in one or both of a controller and an external computer system.
A method for analyzing objects in an image comprising:
- storing a set of sequential images generated by a vehicle camera;
- associating vehicle velocity and acceleration data from the IMU with each image in the set of sequential images using a vehicle controller;
- determining a distance of an object in the set of sequential images from the vehicle using the images and the associated vehicle velocity and acceleration data using an object size and distance determination module stored in one or both of a controller and an external computer system,
- wherein the object is an object of known size and determining the distance of the object in the set of sequential images from the vehicle comprises:
- measuring an object dimension of the object in pixels;
- determining an image size of the object by multiplying the object dimension by a pixel size;
- determining a magnification of the camera as a ratio of the object dimension size and a corresponding actual object dimension;
- determining the distance of the vehicle from the object at a time the image was captured according to
- m
-
- a
-
- g
- =
- f
- z
- -
- f
- where mag is the magnification of the camera, z is the distance of the vehicle from the object and f is a focal length of the camera;
- a second object in the set of images, the second object being an unknown size, and the object size and distance determination module is configured to determine a size of the second object and a distance from the vehicle of the second object using a the set of sequential images and the associated vehicle velocity and acceleration data, wherein a size of the second object and the distance of the second object is determined by:
- identifying a travel distance of the vehicle between sequential images containing the second object using the vehicle velocity and acceleration data;
- identifying an image size of the second object in each image in the set of sequential images based on a measured object dimension of the second object in each image;
- calculating a distance traveled between sequential images using the vehicle velocity and acceleration data and time stamp data of the images in the set of sequential images;
- calculating an image magnification of the second object using a size change of the first object;
- and
- calculating a distance of the vehicle to the second object by multiplying the magnification and the focal length of the camera.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.