Stereo Image Parallax Calculation Using Reduced Resolution Segmentation
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Solution Overview
Problem
High-resolution stereo cameras require significant computational resources for parallax calculation, leading to increased costs and difficulties in achieving high frame rates due to the increased number of pixels, which complicates real-time monitoring and distance measurement accuracy.
Innovation Solution
An image processing system that reduces image data to lower pixel counts for initial parallax calculation, then refines the results using high-resolution data in specific regions, allowing for faster processing without expensive hardware, while also utilizing background parallax data to identify static areas and enhance accuracy.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If high-resolution stereo camera is used to improve recognition rate and distance measurement accuracy, then measurement precision is improved, but calculation amount increases and processing speed decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the parallax calculation process into two stages: first calculating parallax on reduced-resolution images to identify regions of interest, then performing detailed parallax calculation only on those specific regions using high-resolution images. This segmentation approach maintains measurement precision for distance calculation while significantly reducing the overall calculation amount and processing time.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies different processing qualities to different parts of the image: reduced-resolution processing for most areas and high-resolution processing only for identified parallax calculation regions. This local quality approach ensures accurate distance measurement where needed while reducing computational burden in other areas, thereby improving processing speed without sacrificing measurement precision.
2Measurement precision
If high-resolution stereo camera is used to improve recognition rate and distance measurement accuracy, then measurement precision is improved, but device cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the calculation workload by performing initial parallax detection on reduced images and detailed calculation only on identified regions of interest. This allows the use of standard, lower-cost arithmetic processing circuits rather than requiring expensive high-speed processors, while still achieving accurate distance measurement through the two-stage approach.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies high computational quality only locally to identified parallax regions rather than uniformly across the entire high-resolution image. This localized approach enables the use of more affordable processing hardware while maintaining measurement precision in the critical areas where distance calculation is performed.
3Productivity
If reduced image data is used for parallax calculation, then calculation amount decreases and processing speed increases, but measurement accuracy deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses reduced-resolution images for the initial segmentation step of identifying potential parallax regions, then switches to high-resolution images for the actual detailed parallax calculation in those specific regions. This segmentation strategy maintains measurement accuracy by performing precise calculations on high-resolution data while using reduced data only for the preliminary identification phase.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies high processing quality locally to the identified parallax calculation regions using high-resolution image data, while using reduced processing quality for the broader image areas during the identification phase. This ensures that measurement accuracy is maintained in the critical regions where actual parallax calculation occurs, while still achieving overall processing speed improvement.
Data Source
AI summary
An image processing system for reducing a calculation amount when calculating a parallax using an image of stereo photography. Reduced image data is generated by reducing image data respectively photographed by a plurality of cameras for stereo photographing, followed by reducing the number of pixels of image data. The image data and the reduced image data are stored in a memory. A plurality of reduced image data having the same photographing period are compared with each other to find a parallax. A parallax calculation region is set which includes the same position as a region where a parallax has been detected on reduced image data among a plurality of image data having the same photographing period. A parallax is calculated in the parallax calculation region of the image data formed before image reduction, and such parallax is used as a parallax of the image data formed before image reduction.