Method and apparatus for obtaining an object image and distance data of a moving object

An apparatus for monitoring a moving object, comprising:

• image memory means for storing a reference monitor image of a designated monitor region;
• distance map memory means for storing a distance map, the distance map comprising a plurality of blocks, and the distance map having distance data from a predetermined reference point to points in the designated monitor region corresponding to each of the blocks;
• object image detecting means for detecting an object image of the moving object from an input monitor image of the designated monitor region and the reference monitor image stored in said image memory means;
• distance detecting means for detecting a distance from the reference point to the moving object from the detected object image and the distance map stored in said distance map memory means;
• and
• alarm means for selectively generating an alarm in accordance with the distance detected by said distance detecting means.

An apparatus for monitoring a moving object, comprising:

• image memory means for storing reference monitor images corresponding to a plurality of monitor regions;
• distance map memory means for storing a plurality of distance maps corresponding to the plurality of monitor regions, each of the monitor images corresponding to each monitor region and each of the distance maps comprising a plurality of blocks and having distance data from a predetermined reference point to points in one monitor region corresponding to each of the blocks;
• designation means for designating one of the plurality of monitor regions, one of the plurality of reference monitor images, and one of the plurality of distance maps;
• object image detecting means for detecting an object image of the object from an input monitor image of the designated monitor region and the designated reference monitor image;
• and
• distance detecting means for detecting a distance from the reference point to the moving object from the detected object image and the designated distance map.

A method of monitoring a moving state of an object in accordance with a distance map, comprising the steps of:

• storing a reference monitor image of a designated monitor region in an image memory;
• detecting an object image of the moving object from a monitor image of the designated monitor region and the stored reference monitor image;
• and
• detecting a distance from a predetermined reference point to the moving object from the detected object image and the distance map, the distance map comprising a plurality of blocks and having distance data from the predetermined reference point to points in the monitor region corresponding to each of the blocks.