Stereo Camera Segmentation for Wide-Angle Detection Accuracy

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional stereo image capture apparatuses face challenges in securing high detection accuracy at wide angles while maintaining system size and cost efficiency, as wider fields of view lead to increased processing loads and errors due to the need for larger image correction amounts and lower angular resolution.

Innovation Solution

The apparatus employs a configuration with two cameras, partitioning the image capture region into telephoto and wide-angle regions, using central projection in the telephoto region for higher angular resolution and equidistant projection in the wide-angle region, reducing distortion and image correction needs, and optimizing lens distortion characteristics to minimize processing resources.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Area of moving object

If the field of view is set wider, then the detection range is improved, but the detection accuracy at the far side in telephoto region deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvefield of viewVSAvoiddetection accuracy
Core Design Contradiction:
Area of moving objectVSMeasurement precision

Solution Approach 1:

The image capture region is divided into two distinct regions: a telephoto region captured by a first camera and a wide-angle region captured by a second camera. This segmentation allows each camera to be optimized for its specific region, with the telephoto camera providing high accuracy for distant objects and the wide-angle camera providing broad coverage for nearby objects, thereby resolving the contradiction between wide field of view and far-side detection accuracy.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

2Measurement precision

If the detection accuracy at the far side is prioritized, then the measurement precision is improved, but the processing load increases too much

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedetection accuracyVSAvoidprocessing load
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

By segmenting the monitoring task into two separate camera systems focused on different regions, the processing load is distributed and reduced. Each camera processes only the region it captures, avoiding the need to process entire high-resolution images for both wide-angle and telephoto views, thus maintaining high detection accuracy while reducing overall processing requirements.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The patent extracts the telephoto function from the wide-angle camera system by introducing a dedicated first camera for the telephoto region. This extraction allows the wide-angle camera to focus solely on broad coverage without the computational burden of maintaining high accuracy across the entire field of view, thereby reducing processing load while preserving detection accuracy where needed.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

3Measurement precision

If the measurement accuracy at the far side is prioritized, then the detection precision is improved, but the system cost and system size increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvemeasurement accuracyVSAvoidsystem size
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The monitoring system is segmented into two specialized camera units, each optimized for specific regions. This segmentation allows the use of smaller, more cost-effective camera sensors compared to using a single large high-resolution camera, thereby achieving high measurement accuracy at the far side while controlling system size and cost.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Data Source

PatentEP3547682B1Stereo image capture apparatus
Publication Date: 2024.05.22 RICOH CO LTD
  • EP3547682B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3547682B1 patent drawingFigure 2A~2B
  • EP3547682B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

A stereo image capture apparatus (100) includes a first image capture device (23), a second image capture device (23), a first optical system (21) configured to divide image data to be captured by the first image capture device (23) into a telephoto region and a wide-angle region, a second optical system (21) configured to divide image data to be captured by the second image capture device (23) into a telephoto region and a wide-angle region, and a processor (28, 30) configured to perform image processing on the image data captured by the first image capture device (23) and the image data captured by the second image capture device (23) according to the telephoto region and the wide-angle region.