Hitachi, Ltd.

Hitachi Automotive Systems, Ltd.

Honda Motor Co., Ltd.

Isao Furusawa

Tatsuhiko Monji

Shoji Muramatsu

Hiroshi Takenaga

Yuji Otsuka

Jiro Takezaki

Yuuji Otsuka

Masayuki Takemura

Masaaki Fukuhara

Takeshi Shima

Shinya Ohtsuji

Hiroyuki Kasuya

Ken Ohsumi

Fujio Iida

Jun Higashino

Kota Irie

Yoshiki Kobayashi

Rikiya Kashimura

Katsuo Ouchi

Katsumi Otsubo

A vehicle-mounted environment recognition apparatus including a simple pattern matching unit which extracts an object candidate from an image acquired from a vehicle-mounted image capturing apparatus by using a pattern shape stored in advance and outputs a position of the object candidate, an area change amount prediction unit which calculates a change amount prediction of the extracted object candidate on the basis of an object change amount prediction calculation method set differently for each area of a plurality of areas obtained by dividing the acquired image, detected vehicle behavior information, and an inputted position of the object candidate, and outputs a predicted position of an object, and a tracking unit which tracks the object on the basis of an inputted predicted position of the object.

Vehicle-mounted environment recognition apparatus and vehicle-mounted environment recognition system

An image pickup device that acquires images is controlled by an image pickup device controller that accepts image acquisition requests from multiple application programs, and an application scheduler selects application programs to be executed. Information indicative of the image data volumes and image data acquisition rates required for each of the multiple application programs is stored and used to select multiple concurrently executable application programs on the basis of the image data volumes and image data acquisition rates. An image acquisition scheduler determines the timing and intervals at which the multiple executable application programs repeat receiving image data from the image pickup device, without overlapping in terms of time. In addition, an operations section, which explicitly presents concurrently executable application programs to a user and commands the startup of these programs, is displayed on a navigation screen menu.

Acquisition scheduler

An in-car-use multi-application execution device is provided that ensures safety while maintaining convenience by securing operation of a plurality of applications and suppressing occurrence of a termination process within a limited processing capacity without degrading a real-time feature. The in-car-use multi-application execution device dynamically predicts a processing time for each application, and schedules each application on the basis of the predicted processing time. If it is determined that an application failing to complete a process in a prescribed cycle exists as a result of the scheduling, a process is executed that terminates the application or degrades the function of the application on the basis of a preset priority order.

In-car-use multi-application execution device

A traveling lane detector according to the present invention includes: an imaging unit mounted on a vehicle to take a road surface image; and an image processor performing image processing on the image to detect lane marks on the road surface. The image processor judges whether the vehicle is crossing the lane marks, and, when the vehicle is not crossing any of the lane marks, defines first and second windows, in the image, for detecting the lane marks located respectively on left and right parts of a road surface in front of or behind the vehicle, performs image processing on the image in each of the windows to detect the lane marks, and, when the vehicle is crossing any of the lane marks, defines a third window including the currently-crossed lane mark in the image, performs image processing on the image in the third window to detect the lane mark.

Traveling lane detector

A vehicle controller is provided capable of expanding an application range of departure prevention control while suppressing erroneous control. The vehicle controller includes: a vehicle-mounted camerathat captures an image in front of a vehicle; and an ECUthat decides one vehicle control method from a plurality of vehicle control methods and controls an actuator with the decided vehicle control method. The vehicle-mounted camera includes an area-specific confidence calculation sectionthat divides the image captured into a plurality of areas on a basis of an acquired image by the capturing and a recognized lane, calculates confidence for each divided area and outputs area-specific confidence information, and the ECU decides a vehicle control method in accordance with the area-specific confidence information.

Vehicle controller

Image-processing camera with application processing using acquired image data

An auto lighting system that performs lighting control that corresponds to the driver's visual perception is provided. An auto lighting systemincludes imaging meansfor capturing an image of the road ahead of a vehicle and lighting control meansfor turning on or off lights such as headlights based on the image of the road ahead of the vehicle captured with the imaging means. The brightness ahead of the vehicle as perceived by the driver is recognized based on the image of the road ahead of the vehicle captured with the imaging means, and lighting control in which lightsare turned on or off is performed based on the brightness ahead of the vehicle.

Auto lighting system

Image-processing camera system and image-processing camera control method

An image processing apparatus includes an input portion for entering an image signal from a camera, an exposure timing determination portion for determining exposure timing of the camera according to an object to be detected, an output portion for outputting a signal to the camera to expose it according to the exposure timing and for outputting a signal to an illumination controller to vary the state of the illumination system installed on a vehicle according to the exposure timing, and an image analysis portion for analyzing the image signal captured by the camera according to the exposure timing and outputting the results of the analysis to another controller via the output portion.

Image processing apparatus, image processing method and image processing system

A detection system of vehicle interior condition includes an illumination unit for illuminating a plurality of mutually different illumination regions including at least one seat of a vehicle and a surrounding region thereof so as to have different illumination time durations shifted by a predetermined time. An imaging unit photographs an occupant and/or an object on the seat upon each illumination of the illumination unit. A control processor compares a plurality of images photographed by the imaging unit, and generates information indicative of a condition of the occupant or object, based on the result of the comparison.

Detection device of vehicle interior condition

A camera apparatus for vehicles including an imaging element and a lens comprises a gradation generation unit for stepwise changing the light amount reaching a whole or part of the imaging element. By this, a gradation region is formed on the imaging element and it absorbs assembling errors during manufacturing and positional shifts attributed to a road surface slope or the like. Even when an inverse light state is caused, it is possible to improve the image processing performance with an ecconomical configuration.

Imaging apparatus and a camera for vehicles

Vehicle image-processing camera system for acquiring images for multiple vehicle applications

A camera with two or more angles of view is disclosed. An imaging processing for a first application is carried out at a first angle of view on the same image data, and the imaging processing for a second application is carried out at a second angle of view different from the first angle of view on the same image data, the first and second image processing being carried out in the same period. To achieve this object, the same screen is divided into a plurality of screens having a plurality of angles of view, and the image processing for a plurality of applications is carried out using any one of the screens with the angles of view divided, the plurality of the applications being processed in the same period.

On-vehicle camera with two or more angles of view

This device includes an input unit for inputting an imaging signal sent from a camera for imaging an area around a vehicle in which the device is loaded, a coordinate area extracting unit for extracting predetermined continuous coordinate areas from the imaging signal inputted by the input unit, a feature quantity calculating unit for calculating a feature quantity of the coordinate areas extracted by the coordinate area extracting unit, a pairing unit for pairing the coordinate areas having the same or closer feature quantities, calculated by the feature quantity calculating unit, the coordinate areas being included in the coordinate areas extracted by the coordinate area extracting unit, with each other, and an output unit for outputting a signal that designates a distance between and a direction of the coordinate areas paired by the pairing unit.

Image recognition device for vehicle and vehicle head lamp controller and method of controlling head lamps

An image processing system including an imaging unit mounted on a subject vehicle, and an image analysis unit that acquires images photographed by the imaging unit. The image analysis unit acquires plural images with different exposures that the imaging unit photographed, detects light spots emitted from the other vehicles from the plural images with different exposures, and detects positions of the other vehicles. The plural images are an image photographed with a first exposure, and an image photographed with a second exposure greater than the first exposure. The image analysis unit extracts a first area containing a first color component from the image photographed with the first exposure to determine the first area to be a first three-dimensional object, and extracts a second area containing a second color component from the image photographed with the second exposure to determine the second area to be a second three-dimensional object.

Growing community of inventors

Hitachinaka, Japan

Isao Furusawa