Image recognition system, image recognition method, and machine readable medium storing thereon an image recognition program

An image recognition method which recognizes a subject, which is moving with respect to an image capturing unit provided in a vehicle, included in an image captured by the image capturing unit, comprising:

• a first image capturing step of capturing an image by the image capturing unit;
• a first recognition step of recognizing a candidate of the subject included in the image captured in said first image capturing step by comparing the image captured in said image capturing step with predetermined template data;
• a template selection step of selecting the template data to be compared with an image captured by the image capturing unit after a predetermined duration has been elapsed from a time of capturing an image in said first image capturing step;
• a second image capturing step of capturing an image by the image capturing unit after a predetermined duration has been elapsed from a time of capturing an image in said first image capturing step;
• a second recognition step of recognizing the subject by comparing the image captured in said second image capturing unit with the template data selected in said template selection step;
• a step of measuring a speed of the vehicle by a speed measurement unit;
• and
• a step of using a region estimate unit to estimate a position of a region indicating the subject in an image captured by said image capturing unit after a predetermined duration has been elapsed after a time of capturing an image used for recognition of the candidate by said first recognition unit based on a region indicating the subject recognized by said first recognition unit in an image captured by said image capturing unit, and on the speed,
• wherein said second recognition unit recognizes the subject by comparing a predetermined range of image centering on a position estimated by said region estimate unit among images captured by said image capturing unit with the template data selected by said template selection unit;
• and
• further comprising:
• a step of measuring a steering angle of the vehicle by a steering angle measurement section,
• wherein said region estimate section estimates a position of a region indicating the subject further based on the steering angle.

A computer readable medium having an image recognition program stored thereon, which when executed by a computer causes the computer to act as an image recognition system which recognizes a subject, which is moving with respect to an image capturing unit provided in a vehicle, included in an image captured by the image capturing unit, comprising:

• the image capturing unit;
• a first recognition unit which recognizes a candidate of the subject included in the image captured by said image capturing unit by comparing the image captured by said image capturing unit with predetermined template data;
• a template selection unit which selects the template data to be compared with an image captured by said image capturing unit after a predetermined duration has been elapsed from a time of capturing an image used for recognition of the candidate by said first recognition unit;
• a second recognition unit which recognizes the subject by comparing the image, which is captured by said image capturing unit after a predetermined duration has been elapsed from a time of capturing an image used for recognition of the candidate by said first recognition unit, with the template data selected by said template selection unit;
• a speed measurement unit which measures speed of the vehicle;
• and
• a region estimate unit which estimates a position of a region indicating the subject in an image captured by said image capturing unit after a predetermined duration has been elapsed after a time of capturing an image used for recognition of the candidate by said first recognition unit based on a region indicating the subject recognized by said first recognition unit in an image captured by said image capturing unit, and on the speed,
• wherein said second recognition unit recognizes the subject by comparing a predetermined range of image centering on a position estimated by said region estimate unit among images captured by said image capturing unit with the template data selected by said template selection unit;
• and
• further comprising a steering angle measurement section which measures a steering angle of the vehicle,
• wherein said region estimate section estimates a position of a region indicating the subject further based on the steering angle.

An image recognition system which recognizes a subject, which is moving with respect to an image capturing unit, included in an image captured by the image capturing unit, comprising:

• the image capturing unit;
• a first recognition unit which recognizes a candidate of the subject included in the image captured by said image capturing unit by comparing the image captured by said image capturing unit with predetermined template data;
• a template selection unit which selects the template data to be compared with an image captured by said image capturing unit after a predetermined duration has been elapsed from a time of capturing an image used for recognition of the candidate by said recognition unit;
• a second recognition unit which recognizes the subject by comparing the image, which is captured by said image capturing unit after a predetermined duration has been elapsed from a time of capturing an image used for recognition of the candidate by said first recognition unit, with the template data selected by said template selection unit;
• and
• a region estimate unit which estimates a speed of the subject moving with respect to said image capturing unit, and estimates a position of a region indicating the subject in an image captured by said image capturing unit after a predetermined duration has been elapsed after a time of capturing an image used for recognition of the candidate by said first recognition unit based on a region indicating the subject recognized by said first recognition unit in an image captured by said image capturing unit, and on the speed,
• wherein said second recognition unit recognizes the subject by comparing a predetermined range of image centering on a position estimated by said region estimate unit among images captured by said image capturing unit with the template data selected by said template selection unit,
• wherein said region estimate section further estimates a size of a region indicating the subject in an image captured by said image capturing unit after a predetermined duration has been elapsed after a time of capturing an image used for recognition of the candidate by said first recognition section based on a region indicating the subject recognized by said first recognition unit in an image captured by said image capturing unit, and on the speed, and
• said second recognition section recognizes the subject by comparing a predetermined range of an image according to a size estimated by said region estimate section centering on a position estimated by said region estimate section among images captured by said image capturing unit with the template data selected by said template selection section.

An image recognition method which recognizes a subject, which is moving with respect to an image capturing unit, included in an image captured by the image capturing unit, comprising:

• a first image capturing step of capturing an image by the image capturing unit;
• a first recognition step of recognizing a candidate of the subject included in the image captured in said first image capturing step by comparing the image captured in said image capturing step with predetermined template data;
• a template selection step of selecting the template data to be compared with an image captured by the image capturing unit after a predetermined duration has been elapsed from a time of capturing an image in said first image capturing step;
• a second image capturing step of capturing an image by the image capturing unit after a predetermined duration has been elapsed from a time of capturing an image in said first image capturing step;
• a second recognition step of recognizing the subject by comparing the image captured in said second image capturing unit with the template data selected in said template selection step;
• and
• a step of using a region estimate unit to estimate a speed of the subject moving with respect to said image capturing unit, and to estimate a position of a region indicating the subject in an image captured by said image capturing unit after a predetermined duration has been elapsed after a time of capturing an image used for recognition of the candidate by said first recognition unit based on a region indicating the subject recognized by said first recognition unit in an image captured by said image capturing unit, and on the speed,
• wherein said second recognition unit recognizes the subject by comparing a predetermined range of image centering on a position estimated by said region estimate unit among images captured by said image capturing unit with the template data selected by said template selection unit,
• wherein said region estimate section further estimates a size of a region indicating the subject in an image captured by said image capturing unit after a predetermined duration has been elapsed after a time of capturing an image used for recognition of the candidate by said first recognition section based on a region indicating the subject recognized by said first recognition unit in an image captured by said image capturing unit, and on the speed, and
• said second recognition section recognizes the subject by comparing a predetermined range of an image according to a size estimated by said region estimate section centering on a position estimated by said region estimate section among images captured by said image capturing unit with the template data selected by said template selection section.

A computer readable medium having an image recognition program stored thereon, which when executed by a computer causes the computer to act as an image recognition system which recognizes a subject, which is moving with respect to an image capturing unit, included in an image captured by the image capturing unit, comprising:

• the image capturing unit;
• a first recognition unit which recognizes a candidate of the subject included in the image captured by said image capturing unit by comparing the image captured by said image capturing unit with predetermined template data;
• a template selection unit which selects the template data to be compared with an image captured by said image capturing unit after a predetermined duration has been elapsed from a time of capturing an image used for recognition of the candidate by said recognition unit;
• a second recognition unit which recognizes the subject by comparing the image, which is captured by said image capturing unit after a predetermined duration has been elapsed from a time of capturing an image used for recognition of the candidate by said first recognition unit, with the template data selected by said template selection unit;
• and
• a region estimate unit which estimates a speed of the subject moving with respect to the image capturing unit and which estimates a position of a region indicating the subject in an image captured by said image capturing unit after a predetermined duration has been elapsed after a time of capturing an image used for recognition of the candidate by said first recognition unit based on a region indicating the subject recognized by said first recognition unit in an image captured by said image capturing unit, and on the speed,
• wherein said second recognition unit recognizes the subject by comparing a predetermined range of image centering on a position estimated by said region estimate unit among images captured by said image capturing unit with the template data selected by said template selection unit,
• wherein said region estimate section further estimates a size of a region indicating the subject in an image captured by said image capturing unit after a predetermined duration has been elapsed after a time of capturing an image used for recognition of the candidate by said first recognition section based on a region indicating the subject recognized by said first recognition unit in an image captured by said image capturing unit, and on the speed, and
• said second recognition section recognizes the subject by comparing a predetermined range of an image according to a size estimated by said region estimate section centering on a position estimated by said region estimate section among images captured by said image capturing unit with the template data selected by said template selection section.