Vehicle Camera Attitude Correction Using Optical Flow
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing camera installation methods in vehicles face challenges in accurately detecting installation errors, particularly for wide-angle lenses, leading to displacement in imaging regions and inaccurate distance measurements, which affect driving assistance and automated driving functions.
Innovation Solution
A signal processing device that utilizes an optical flow detecting unit to analyze images captured by a vehicle-mounted camera, calculating installation errors based on detected optical flow to correct camera attitudes.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If a calibration chart is used to detect camera installation error, then measurement precision is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses a virtual calibration chart created from pre-stored reference images of the road surface pattern, eliminating the need for physical calibration charts. The system captures images of the road surface and compares them against stored reference images to detect camera installation errors, thereby simplifying the detection system while maintaining measurement precision.
2Measurement precision
If a calibration chart is used for detection, then measurement precision is improved, but ease of operation deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The system replaces physical calibration charts with virtual references stored in memory. The camera captures road surface images and compares them against pre-stored reference images, eliminating the need for manual calibration chart placement and simplifying the operational process while maintaining detection accuracy.
Solution Approach 2:
The system automatically performs detection using road surface images captured during normal vehicle operation. The camera continuously captures images and the processing unit automatically compares them against reference images, eliminating the need for manual calibration operations and enabling continuous self-monitoring of camera installation status.
3Ease of operation
If vanishing point detection is used, then ease of operation is improved, but reliability deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The system uses road surface pattern matching instead of vanishing point detection. By comparing captured road surface images against stored reference images with known patterns, the system can reliably detect camera installation errors regardless of whether vanishing points are visible in the captured images.
Data Source
AI summary
Provided is a signal processing device that includes an optical flow detecting unit and an installation error calculating unit. The optical flow detecting unit detects an optical flow on the basis of an image captured by an imaging device installed on a vehicle. The installation error calculating unit calculates an amount of error in attitude of the imaging device on the basis of information on the optical flow.