Multi-Camera Calibration Guidance Using Feature Extraction
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing calibration methods for stereo cameras require specific calibration patterns and professional equipment, making it inconvenient and costly for users to maintain mechanism accuracy after the camera is shipped and used over time.
Innovation Solution
A calibration guidance system with a feature extraction unit and guidance unit that guides objects with enough feature points to predetermined positions within the camera's image capture range, allowing for image rectification without specific calibration patterns or equipment, using feature extraction and direction indications to generate image rectification parameters.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If professional calibration equipment and specific calibration patterns are used, then calibration accuracy is improved, but device complexity and operational difficulty increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces expensive, specialized calibration equipment with common, easily accessible objects such as business cards, postcards, or any object containing a QR code. These ordinary objects serve as temporary calibration targets, eliminating the need for dedicated calibration devices while maintaining sufficient calibration accuracy for practical applications.
Solution Approach 2:
The system enables users to perform calibration themselves using the QR code recognition functionality already built into the camera device. The camera captures images of the QR code, automatically recognizes it through image processing, and completes the calibration process without requiring external calibration equipment or professional technician intervention.
2Measurement precision
If professional technicians perform calibration, then calibration quality is improved, but operational convenience deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The calibration process is designed to be performed by end-users without requiring professional training. The system automatically guides users through capturing images of a QR code and completes the calibration algorithmically, transforming a previously technician-dependent task into a simple self-service operation that any user can perform.
Solution Approach 2:
The system provides real-time feedback during the calibration process by displaying captured images and guiding users on whether additional images are needed. This feedback mechanism ensures users can successfully complete calibration without professional assistance, maintaining calibration quality while improving operational convenience.
3Measurement precision
If automated calibration equipment is used, then calibration precision is improved, but ease of operation worsens
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces physical automated calibration equipment with a software-based solution using QR code recognition and image processing algorithms. This substitution eliminates complex mechanical calibration devices while maintaining calibration precision through computational methods that are easier to operate and more accessible to users.
Solution Approach 2:
The calibration system leverages the camera's existing image capture and processing capabilities to perform calibration, making the device multi-functional. The same image sensor and processor used for normal photography are utilized for calibration, eliminating the need for separate specialized equipment and simplifying the overall system.
4Measurement precision
If traditional calibration methods are used, then calibration accuracy is maintained, but time consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The QR code-based method allows for rapid calibration by skipping the time-consuming setup and alignment procedures of traditional methods. Users simply need to capture images of the QR code at different positions, and the automated recognition system quickly processes the data to complete calibration, significantly reducing the time required while maintaining accuracy.
Data Source
AI summary
An operation method of a calibration guidance system includes a feature extraction unit executing a feature extraction operation on a first image group including a first object captured by a multi-camera system to generate a first feature point group corresponding to a predetermined position within an image capture range of the multi-camera system; and a guidance unit determining whether to generate a direction indication to guide the first object to another predetermined position within an image capture range according to a first comparison result between a block corresponding to feature points of the first feature point group of the predetermined position and a predetermined block when a number of the feature points of the first feature point group is greater than a predetermined number.