Distance Measurement Device Parallax Edge Binarization
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing distance measuring devices using parallax images face reduced matching accuracy due to brightness variations between images captured by individual cameras, leading to increased calculation complexity and device size.
Innovation Solution
A distance measuring device that extracts edge images with identification information for brightness variations, generates binarized edge images based on this information, and calculates parallax images to enhance matching accuracy, reducing calculation complexity and improving measurement accuracy.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If a binarized edge image is generated from edge extraction image with a threshold, then the calculation scale is suppressed, but the matching accuracy of the parallax image decreases due to brightness variations between individual cameras
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the parameter used for binarization from absolute brightness values to relative brightness relationships. By comparing whether pixels are brighter or darker than reference pixels, the system captures edge information while being invariant to absolute brightness variations between cameras, thus maintaining both low calculation scale and high matching accuracy
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an intermediary comparison mechanism where pixel brightness is evaluated relative to reference pixels rather than using absolute thresholds. This intermediary relative comparison approach mediates between the need for simple binarization and the requirement for accuracy despite brightness variations
2Measurement precision
If direct use of brightness values or edge features is used for parallax image generation, then the matching accuracy is maintained, but the memory size and device size increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts only the essential edge information (brightness relationship: brighter/darker than reference) from the full brightness values. By taking out only the necessary relative comparison data rather than storing complete brightness values, the system maintains matching accuracy while significantly reducing memory requirements
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses simplified binarized edge data instead of expensive full-resolution brightness images for parallax calculation. This disposable simplified representation provides sufficient information for distance measurement without requiring large memory capacity
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The solution enhances the matching accuracy of parallax images and reduces the calculation complexity, resulting in more accurate and efficient distance measurements.
Implementation Method 1
a plurality of image sensors 3a, 3b which capture an image
Implementation Method 2
the edge image including pixel values each containing identification information used to identify an edge caused by a brightness variation from light to dark or an edge caused by a brightness variation from dark to light
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3~4
Figure 5~6
AI summary
Provided is a distance measuring device with a suppressed calculation amount for a parallax image. A distance measuring device 4 that generates the parallax image to measure a distance includes image sensors 3a and 3b each capturing an image, an edge image extractor 13 that extracts an edge image in accordance with the image, the edge image including pixel values each containing identification information used to identify an edge caused by a brightness variation from light to dark or an edge caused by a brightness variation from dark to light, a binarized edge image generator 15 that generates a binarized edge image in accordance with the identification information of the edge image, a parallax image generator 17 that generates the parallax image from the binarized edge image, and a distance image calculator 19 that calculates a distance image from the parallax image.