Vehicle Attitude Estimation Using Overlapping Camera Offsets
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing attitude estimation techniques for vehicles, such as PTL 1, are inadequate for estimating comprehensive vehicle attitudes including pitch, roll, and yaw angles based on images captured by in-vehicle cameras.
Innovation Solution
A device comprising an image acquisition unit, detection unit, and estimation unit that acquires images from multiple cameras with overlapping imaging areas, detects feature points, calculates positional offsets, and estimates vehicle attitudes, including pitch, roll, and yaw angles, using these offsets.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If a single camera is used for attitude estimation, then the device complexity is reduced, but the measurement precision of comprehensive attitude (pitch, roll, yaw angles) is insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the attitude estimation task into multiple specialized camera views (front, rear, left, right cameras) where each camera captures specific spatial information. The front and rear cameras estimate pitch angle, while left and right cameras estimate roll angle, with yaw angle derived from differential offset comparisons. This segmentation allows comprehensive attitude measurement without requiring a single complex camera system.
2Measurement precision
If multiple cameras with overlapping imaging areas are used, then the comprehensive attitude estimation capability is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent makes each camera serve multiple functions: the front camera contributes to both pitch estimation (via its own imaging area) and roll estimation (via overlap area with right camera). Similarly, the rear camera works for both pitch and roll. This multi-functionality reduces the need for dedicated cameras for each attitude parameter, thereby managing device complexity while achieving comprehensive attitude measurement.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent combines information from multiple cameras by merging their imaging areas into overlap regions. The front and rear cameras' imaging areas overlap to provide pitch estimation, while left and right cameras' overlap areas provide roll estimation. This merging allows the system to extract multiple attitude parameters from a coordinated camera network rather than requiring separate dedicated systems for each parameter.
3Reliability
If feature portions are detected from overlap areas of multiple cameras, then the reliability of attitude estimation is improved, but the difficulty of detecting and measuring increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses overlap areas as intermediary regions between multiple camera views. These overlap areas contain feature portions that appear in multiple camera images, serving as reference points for calculating positional offsets. By detecting features in these intermediary overlap regions rather than trying to directly compare entire images, the system improves reliability while managing detection complexity through focused feature analysis.
Data Source
AI summary
An attitude estimation device acquires a plurality of images captured by a plurality of cameras mounted to a vehicle so as to form a plurality of overlap areas in each of which imaging areas partly overlap with each other. The attitude estimation device detects feature portions contained in regions on images respectively including appearances of the overlap areas. Then, the attitude estimation device calculates, for each of the overlap areas, an amount of positional offset between the feature portions detected from the plurality of images respectively including appearances of the overlap areas, and estimates an attitude of the vehicle, based on a difference in the amount of offset calculated for each of the plurality of overlap areas.