The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Jun. 02, 2009
Filed:
Jul. 22, 2004
Osamu Katayama, Nagoya, JP;
Hiroshi Uesugi, Nagoya, JP;
Tadashi Kamada, Nagoya, JP;
Takafumi Ito, Toyota, JP;
Minoru Okada, Kitakyushu, JP;
Osamu Katayama, Nagoya, JP;
Hiroshi Uesugi, Nagoya, JP;
Tadashi Kamada, Nagoya, JP;
Takafumi Ito, Toyota, JP;
Minoru Okada, Kitakyushu, JP;
Denso Corporation, Kariya, JP;
Minoru Okada, Kitakyushu, JP;
Abstract
A dynamic contour extracting means detects, using a dynamic contour extraction method generally known as SNAKE, a contour of a recognition object included on an image by the following steps: a curve with control points is disposed in an image; an internal energy Eint indicating smoothness of the curve, an image energy Eimage, and an external energy Eext are summed up; and the curve is modified so that the summed total energy becomes the minimum. Here, a template is stored for including disposition information of primary control points that are bound to be moved only in a vertical or horizontal direction based on a road shape. The dynamic contour extracting means moves the primary control points based on the template. The primary control points can be rapidly moved owing to their limited movement direction.