Pre-warping Global Motion Compensation Optical Flow

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Solution Overview

Problem

In vehicle image processing, camera motion between image frames complicates the determination of environmental awareness by introducing longer-than-average motion vectors, increasing processing difficulty and requiring additional computing resources, especially in applications with high speeds, high resolutions, or reduced frame rates.

Innovation Solution

A global motion model is used to remove camera-specific orientation and distortion, allowing for pre-warping of image frames to simplify optical flow estimation, reducing the search range and complexity of image processing algorithms.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Measurement precision

If camera motion between image frames is accounted for in optical flow processing, then situational awareness accuracy is improved, but processing complexity and computing resources increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvesituational awareness accuracyVSAvoidprocessing complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments the motion compensation process into two distinct stages: global motion compensation (GMC) that handles camera-specific orientation and distortion, and local optical flow processing that handles residual motion. This segmentation allows each stage to focus on specific aspects of motion, reducing overall processing complexity while maintaining accuracy.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The patent applies preliminary global motion compensation to remove camera motion effects before performing optical flow processing. By pre-removing the dominant camera motion component, the subsequent optical flow algorithm only needs to handle residual local motion, significantly reducing search range and computational requirements.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

2Measurement precision

If search range is increased to accommodate longer motion vectors from camera motion, then motion estimation accuracy is improved, but processing time increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvemotion estimation accuracyVSAvoidprocessing time
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The patent performs preliminary global motion compensation to remove camera-induced motion before optical flow processing. This preliminary action reduces the magnitude of motion vectors that the optical flow algorithm must handle, allowing for a smaller search range and reduced processing time while maintaining motion estimation accuracy.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

3Measurement precision

If high image resolution is used to improve detection accuracy, then object detection precision is improved, but processing resources and time increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveobject detection precisionVSAvoidprocessing efficiency
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments processing into global motion compensation (computationally efficient) and local optical flow (detailed analysis). This segmentation allows high-resolution images to be processed by first removing dominant camera motion with a efficient global model, then applying detailed optical flow only where needed, maintaining detection precision while improving overall processing efficiency.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

4Quantity of substance

If frame rate is reduced to bandwidth for multiple camera inputs, then system bandwidth is improved, but motion compensation accuracy deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvesystem bandwidthVSAvoidmotion compensation accuracy
Core Design Contradiction:
Quantity of substanceVSMeasurement precision

Solution Approach 1:

The patent changes the approach to motion compensation by using a global motion model that explicitly models camera orientation and distortion parameters. This parameter-based approach allows accurate motion compensation even at lower frame rates, as the global model can interpolate and extrapolate motion between frames more effectively than traditional optical flow methods.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

Data Source

PatentUS20240221179A1Pre-warping for global motion compensation in optical flow image processing
Publication Date: 2024.07.04 QUALCOMM INC
  • US20240221179A1 patent drawing
  • US20240221179A1 patent drawing
  • US20240221179A1 patent drawing

AI summary

This disclosure provides systems, methods, and devices for vehicle driving assistance systems that support image processing. In a first aspect, a method of image processing includes receiving image data comprising a first image frame and a second image frame; determining a global motion model corresponding to the first image frame and the second image frame; warping the first image frame based on the global motion model to determine a warped first image frame; and determining a local flow based on the warped first image frame and the second image frame. Other aspects and features are also claimed and described.