Method for detecting objects in a digital image using image zones of different resolutions

A digital image-taking apparatus comprising an optical lens and an image sensor adapted to an implementation of a method of detecting objects in a digital image comprising the steps of:

• acquiring, by means of a digital image-taking apparatus, a digital image with aberration of a scene, said digital image incorporating at least a first image zone and a second image zone, the first and second image zones having respectively at least a first resolution and at least a second resolution, said first and second resolutions being different;
• calculating a deployed digital image, by deployment of at least one zone of said digital image with aberration;
• applying an object detection algorithm in said deployed digital image;
• and
• supplying information on each object detected in said deployed digital image;
• wherein said image sensor comprises a plurality of pixels distributed over at least one central pixel zone having a first pitch between any two adjacent pixels in said central pixel zone and at least one edge pixel zone having a second pitch between any two adjacent pixels in said second edge pixel zone, said first and second pitches having different values, said first pitch being greater than the said second pitch, and said central and edge pixel zones corresponding respectively to said first and second image zones;
• wherein said digital image-taking apparatus comprises an infrared filter disposed at the level of an image plane or an intermediate image plane of said digital image-taking apparatus;
• wherein said infrared filter is able to provide filtering of the infrared rays which increases progressively from the top to the bottom of the digital image.

A digital image-taking apparatus comprising an optical lens and an image sensor adapted to an implementation of a method of detecting objects in a digital image comprising the steps of:

• acquiring, by means of a digital image-taking apparatus, a digital image with aberration of a scene, said digital image incorporating at least a first image zone and a second image zone, the first and second image zones having respectively at least a first resolution and at least a second resolution, said first and second resolutions being different;
• calculating a deployed digital image, by deployment of at least one zone of said digital image with aberration;
• applying an object detection algorithm in said deployed digital image;
• and
• supplying information on each object detected in said deployed digital image;
• wherein said image sensor comprises a plurality of pixels distributed over at least one central pixel zone having a first pitch between any two adjacent pixels in said central pixel zone and at least one edge pixel zone having a second pitch between any two adjacent pixels in said second edge pixel zone, said first and second pitches having different values, said first pitch being greater than the said second pitch, and said central and edge pixel zones corresponding respectively to said first and second image zones;
• wherein said lens is of the anamorphic type and comprises at least one toric lens;
• wherein said digital image-taking apparatus comprises an infrared filter disposed at an image plane or at an intermediate image plane of said digital image-taking apparatus;
• wherein said infrared filter comprises at least two zones in which distinct filterings are provided, a first zone corresponding to the top part of the image, and in which the infrared rays undergo substantially no filtering and a second zone corresponding to the bottom part of the image and in which the infrared rays are filtered substantially in their entirety.

A digital image-taking apparatus comprising an optical lens and an image sensor adapted to an implementation of a method of detecting objects in a digital image comprising the steps of:

• acquiring, by means of a digital image-taking apparatus, a digital image with aberration of a scene, said digital image incorporating at least a first image zone and a second image zone, the first and second image zones having respectively at least a first resolution and at least a second resolution, said first and second resolutions being different;
• calculating a deployed digital image, by deployment of at least one zone of said digital image with aberration;
• applying an object detection algorithm in said deployed digital image;
• and
• supplying information on each object detected in said deployed digital image;
• wherein said image sensor comprises a plurality of pixels distributed over at least one central pixel zone having a first pitch between any two adjacent pixels in said central pixel zone and at least one edge pixel zone having a second pitch between any two adjacent pixels in said second edge pixel zone, said first and second pitches having different values, said first pitch being greater than the said second pitch, and said central and edge pixel zones corresponding respectively to said first and second image zones;
• wherein said lens is of the anamorphic type and comprises at least one toric lens;
• wherein said digital image-taking apparatus comprises an infrared filter disposed at an image plane or at an intermediate image plane of said digital image-taking apparatus;
• wherein said infrared filter is able to provide filtering of the infrared rays which increases progressively from the top to the bottom of the digital image.

A digital image-taking apparatus comprising an optical lens and an image sensor adapted to an implementation of a method of detecting objects in a digital image comprising the steps of:

• acquiring, by means of a digital image-taking apparatus, a digital image with aberration of a scene, said digital image incorporating at least a first image zone and a second image zone, the first and second image zones having respectively at least a first resolution and at least a second resolution, said first and second resolutions being different;
• calculating a deployed digital image, by deployment of at least one zone of said digital image with aberration;
• applying an object detection algorithm in said deployed digital image;
• and
• supplying information on each object detected in said deployed digital image;
• wherein said image sensor comprises a plurality of pixels distributed over at least one central pixel zone having a first pitch between any two adjacent pixels in said central pixel zone and at least one edge pixel zone having a second pitch between any two adjacent pixels in said second edge pixel zone, said first and second pitches having different values, said first pitch being greater than the said second pitch, and said central and edge pixel zones corresponding respectively to said first and second image zones;
• wherein said lens is of the anamorphic type and comprises a plurality of microlenses distributed in first and second types to which there correspond respectively first and second focal distances, said plurality of microlenses being associated respectively with a plurality of pixels of said image sensor;
• wherein said digital image-taking apparatus comprises an infrared filter disposed at the image plane or an intermediate image plane of said digital image-taking apparatus;
• wherein said infrared filter comprises at least two zones in which distinct filterings are provided, a first zone corresponding to the top part of the image, and in which the infrared rays undergo substantially no filtering and a second zone corresponding to the bottom part of the image and in which the infrared rays are filtered substantially in their entirety.

A digital image-taking apparatus comprising an optical lens and an image sensor adapted to an implementation of a method of detecting objects in a digital image comprising the steps of:

• acquiring, by means of a digital image-taking apparatus, a digital image with aberration of a scene, said digital image incorporating at least a first image zone and a second image zone, the first and second image zones having respectively at least a first resolution and at least a second resolution, said first and second resolutions being different;
• calculating a deployed digital image, by deployment of at least one zone of said digital image with aberration;
• applying an object detection algorithm in said deployed digital image;
• and
• supplying information on each object detected in said deployed digital image;
• wherein said image sensor comprises a plurality of pixels distributed over at least one central pixel zone having a first pitch between any two adjacent pixels in said central pixel zone and at least one edge pixel zone having a second pitch between any two adjacent pixels in said second edge pixel zone, said first and second pitches having different values, said first pitch being greater than the said second pitch, and said central and edge pixel zones corresponding respectively to said first and second image zones;
• wherein said lens is of the anamorphic type and comprises a plurality of microlenses distributed in first and second types to which there correspond respectively first and second focal distances, said plurality of microlenses being associated respectively with a plurality of pixels of said image sensor;
• wherein said digital image-taking apparatus comprises an infrared filter disposed at the image plane or an intermediate image plane of said digital image-taking apparatus;
• wherein the said infrared filter is able to provide filtering of the infrared rays which increases progressively from the top to the bottom of the digital image.

A vehicle image system for providing motor vehicle driving assistance, said vehicle image system comprising:

• a digital image-taking apparatus for acquiring a digital image with aberration of a scene, said digital image incorporating at least a first image zone having a first image resolution and a second image zone having a second image resolution;
• said first image resolution being different than said second image resolution;
• a processing unit for processing said digital image to supply information on at least one object in said digital image said processing unit introducing said aberration into said digital image so as to obtain a first substantially constant angular resolution for a first sector of the optical field of a lens corresponding to said first image zone and a second variable angular resolution for a second sector of the optical field of the lens corresponding to said second image zone, said first angular resolution being higher than said second angular resolution and obtaining said digital image, wherein each object detected in said first image zone has normal proportions with said aberration being substantially eliminated;
• and
• said processing unit calculating a deployed digital image, by deployment of at least one zone of said digital image with aberration, applying an object detection algorithm in said deployed digital image, supplying information on each object detected in said deployed digital image;
• using said information to assist driving the motor vehicle;
• said image sensor comprising a plurality of pixels distributed over at least one central pixel zone having a first pitch between any two adjacent pixels in said central pixel zone and at least one edge pixel zone having a second pitch between any two adjacent pixels in said second edge pixel zone, said first and second pitches having different values, said first pitch being greater than the said second pitch, and said central and edge pixel zones corresponding respectively to said first and second image zones;
• wherein said digital image-taking apparatus comprises an infrared filter disposed at the level of an image plane or an intermediate image plane of said digital image-taking apparatus;
• wherein said infrared filter comprises at least two zones in which distinct filterings are provided, a first zone corresponding to the top part of the image, and in which the infrared rays undergo substantially no filtering and a second zone corresponding to the bottom part of the image and in which the infrared rays are filtered substantially in their entirety.