Monocular Camera Time Estimation Without Stereo Cameras
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing camera-based tracking systems rely on stereo cameras or additional sensors for distance determination, which can be costly and complex, and often require assumptions about object dimensions, limiting their flexibility and scalability.
Innovation Solution
Utilizing a monocular camera to estimate the time of encounter by calculating scaled distances and velocities based on image data, eliminating the need for stereo cameras and allowing for flexible object tracking without predefined dimensions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If stereo cameras or additional sensors are used for distance determination, then measurement precision is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts and eliminates the need for stereo cameras and additional sensors by developing a monocular camera system that calculates scaled distance and scaled velocity from single-camera image data, thereby reducing system complexity while maintaining distance estimation capability
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the mechanical/optical approach of using multiple physical cameras with a computational approach that uses image processing and mathematical calculations (scaled distance, scaled velocity, time-to-encounter) to achieve distance determination from a single camera
2Measurement precision
If stereo cameras or additional sensors are used for distance determination, then measurement precision is improved, but cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes the requirement for expensive stereo camera systems and additional sensors by demonstrating that accurate distance and velocity estimation can be achieved through computational methods using data from a single, less expensive monocular camera
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs a simpler, more affordable monocular camera system that achieves the required measurement precision through software algorithms rather than relying on expensive hardware configurations
3Measurement precision
If assumptions about object dimensions are used, then measurement precision is improved, but adaptability decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the approach from using fixed object dimension assumptions to using dynamic scaled distance and scaled velocity parameters that are calculated from image data, allowing the system to adapt to objects of various sizes and types without requiring pre-defined dimensional information
Data Source
AI summary
In general, disclosed herein are systems and methods of using a monocular camera to determine an estimated time from encounter between an object a region of interest, including receiving an image from a camera, identifying an object from the image, calculating a scaled distance between the object and the region of interest based on the image, calculating a scaled velocity based on the scaled distance, and calculating an estimated time from encounter until the object will encounter the region of interest based on the scaled distance and the scaled velocity.