Object detection apparatus, motion control apparatus and pattern recognition apparatus

An object detection apparatus, comprising:

• at least one first image capture device configured to capture a distance image of an object in a single image capture direction, the distance image being configured by a plurality of pixel data indicative of a distance to and a three-dimensional shape of the object,
• the image capture device including a light-emitting device emitting light, a light-receiving device receiving a first amount of light not including light reflected by the object when the light-emitting device emits light receiving a second amount of light when the light-emitting device does not emit light and receiving a third amount of light when the light-emitting device emits light onto the object, a first subtracting device subtracting the second amount of light from the first amount of light ahead of capturing the distance image to obtain a fourth amount of light, and a second subtracting device subtracting the fourth amount of light from the third amount of light to obtain the distance image;
• an object extraction device configured to extract the shape of the object based on the pixel data from the distance image captured by said at least one first image capture device thereby obtaining an extracted object;
• at least one second image capture device configured to capture an image which differs in property from the distance image;
• and
• a detection device configure to detect at least one of the object and a motion of the object based on at least one of the shape of the extracted object and the image captured by the at least one second image capture device.

An object detection apparatus, comprising:

• a plurality of image capture devices each configured to capture a distance image of an object in a single image capture direction, the distance image being configured by a plurality of pixel data indicative of a distance to and a three-dimensional shape of the object,
• each of the plurality of image capture devices including a light-emitting device emitting light, a light-receiving device receiving a first amount of light not including light reflected by the object when the light-emitting device emits light, receiving a second amount of light when the light-emitting device does not emit light, and receiving a third amount of light when the light-emitting device emits light onto the object, a first subtracting device subtracting the second amount of light from the first amount of light ahead of capturing the distance image to obtain a fourth amount of light, and a second subtracting device subtracting the fourth amount of light from the third amount of light to obtain the distance image;
• an object extraction device configured to extract the shape of the object based on the pixel data from the distance image captured by at least one of the plurality of the image capture devices thereby obtaining an extracted object;
• and
• a detection device configured to detect at least one of the object and a motion of the object from the shape of the extracted object.

An object detection apparatus, comprising:

• an image capture device configured to capture a distance image of an object in a single image capture direction, the distance image being configured by a plurality of pixel data indicative of a distance to and a three-dimensional shape of the object,
• the image capture device including a light-emitting device emitting light, a light-receiving device receiving a first amount of light not including light reflected by the object when the light-emitting device emits light receiving a second amount of light when the light-emitting does not emit light, and receiving a third amount of light when the light-emitting device emits light onto the object, a first subtracting device subtracting the second amount of light from the first amount of light ahead of capturing the distance image to obtain a fourth amount of light, and a second subtracting device subtracting the fourth amount of light from the third amount of light to obtain the distance image;
• an object extraction device configured to extract the shape of the object based on the pixel data from the distance image thereby obtaining an extracted object;
• a detection device configured to detect at least one of the object and a motion of the object from the shape of the extracted object;
• and
• an alarm generation device configured to generate an alarm when the detection device detects the at least one of the object and the motion of the object.

A motion control apparatus applied to another apparatus, comprising:

• an image capture device configured to capture a distance image of an object in a single image capture direction, the distance image being configured by a plurality of pixel data indicative of a distance to and a three-dimensional shape of the object,
• the image capture device including a light-emitting device emitting light, a light-receiving device receiving a first amount of light not including light reflected by the object when the light-emitting device emits light, receiving a second amount of light when the light-emitting device emits light onto the object, a first subtracting device subtracting the second amount of light from the first amount of light ahead of capturing the distance image to obtain a fourth amount of light and a second subtracting device subtracting the fourth amount of light from the third amount of light to obtain the distance image;
• an object extraction device configured to extract the shape of the object based on the pixel data from the distance image to obtain an extracted object;
• a detection device configured to detect at least one of the object and a motion of the object from the shape of the extracted object;
• and
• a control device configured to control the motion of the another apparatus based on a result of detection of the detection device.

A motion control apparatus applied to another apparatus, comprising:

• at least one first image capture device configured to capture a distance image of an object in a single image capture direction, the distance image being configured by a plurality of pixel data indicative of a distance to and a three-dimensional shape of the object,
• the at least one image capture device including a light-emitting device emitting light, a light-receiving device receiving a first amount of light not including light reflected by the object when the light-emitting device emits light, receiving a second amount of light when the light-emitting device does not emit light, and receiving a third amount of light when the light-emitting device emits light onto the object, a first subtracting device subtracting the second amount of light from the first amount of light ahead of capturing the distance image to obtain a fourth amount of light, and a second subtracting device subtracting the fourth amount of light from the third amount of light to obtain the distance image;
• an object extraction device configured to extract the shape of the object based on the pixel data from the distance image captured by at least one first image capture device thereby obtaining an extracted object;
• at least one second image capture device configured to capture an image which differs in property from the distance image;
• a detection device configured to detect at least one of the object and a motion of the object based on at least one of the shape of the extracted object and the image captured by the at least one second image capture device;
• and
• a control device configured to control the motion of the another apparatus based on the result of detection of the detection device.

A motion control apparatus applied to another apparatus, comprising:

• a plurality of image capture devices each configured to capture a distance image of an object in single image capture direction, the distance image being configured by a plurality of pixel data indicative of a distance to and a three-dimensional shape of the object,
• each of the plurality of image capture devices including a light-emitting device emitting light, a light-receiving device receiving a first amount of light not including light reflected by the object when the light-emitting device emits light receiving a second amount of light when the light-emitting device emits light, and receiving a third amount of light when the light-emitting device emits light onto the object, a first subtracting device subtracting the second amount of light from the first amount of light ahead of capturing the distance image to obtain a fourth amount of light, and a second subtracting device subtracting the fourth amount of light from the third amount of light to obtain the distance image and providing a plurality of pixel data indicative of a three-dimensional shape of the object;
• an object extraction device configured to extract the shape of the object based on the pixel data from the distance image captured by at least one of the plurality of image capture device thereby obtaining an a extracted object;
• a detection device configured to detect at least one of the object and a motion of the object based on the shape of the extracted object;
• and
• a control device configured to control the motion of the another apparatus based on the result of detection of the detection device.

A pattern recognition apparatus, comprising:

• an image capture device configured to capture a distance image of an object in a single image capture direction, the distance image being configured by a plurality of pixel data indicative of a distance to and a three-dimensional shape of the object,
• the image capture device including a light-emitting device emitting light, a light-receiving device receiving a first amount of light not including light reflected by the object when the light-emitting device emits light, receiving a second amount of light when the light-emitting device does not emit light, and receiving a third amount of light when the light-emitting device emits light onto the object, a first subtracting device subtracting the second amount of light from the first amount of light ahead of capturing the distance image to obtain a fourth amount of light, and a second subtracting device subtracting the fourth amount of light from the third amount of light to obtain the distance image;
• an object extraction device configured to extract the shape of the object based on the pixel data and reflectivity of the object from the distance image thereby obtaining an extracted object;
• and
• a recognition device configured to recognize a predetermined pattern from the shape of the extracted object.