JPH01173269A - Automatic measuring instrument for position of color object - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To process the automatic measurement of the position of a color object with a video rate setting a moving image as an object by specifying the position of the said color object at every frame. CONSTITUTION:The designation of a color to be extracted is performed by the parameter setting of hue, saturation, and lightness from a host computer via an interfere part 7, and a threshold value is set on a binarization part 4, and horizontal and vertical area setting are performed on horizontal and vertical projection parts 5 and 6. After that, the image signals and the synchronizing signals of R, G and B are sent from a color TV camera 1, and a synchronization control signal is sent to every part from a control signal generation part 2, and every part processes the signal with the video rate, and calculates a projection result in horizontal and vertical directions at every frame. The computer 8 decides that the object with a designated color exists when projection of a prescribed value continues over prescribed number of lines, and specifies the position of the color object based on the minimum and the maximum values, etc., of a line position.

Description

[Detailed description of the invention] 〔overview〕 Red (R) and green (G) obtained from a color television camera.

Regarding a device that processes a blue (B) signal and measures the position of an object with a specific color at a video rate, the purpose is to automatically measure the position of a colored object in a moving image at a video rate, Red (R) obtained from color television images,
Inputs green (G) and blue (B) signals, extracts pixels of the color specified by the host computer in advance, and projects the image in the horizontal and vertical directions after binarizing the color information. The host computer repeatedly calculates the result for each frame and uses the host computer to determine the position of the specified colored object based on the projection result data for each frame, and automatically determines the position of the object with the specified color. and configured to measure at video rate.

[Industrial application field]

The present invention relates to red (R) obtained from a color television camera,
This invention relates to a device that processes green (G) and blue (B) signals to measure the position of an object with a specific color at video rate.

With the recent advances in image processing technology and the spread of color television cameras and television receivers, color moving images can be produced using input/output devices (color television cameras, television receivers) that can be economically obtained. The trend is to process images at video rates.

For example, an automatic monitoring system that monitors objects with a specific color by automatically measuring the position of the object.
There is a need for an automatic tracking system that tracks an object by specifying the color of the object and automatically measuring the position of a portion of that color.

As a specific example, in the construction industry, “red”
If the movement of a painted crane could be monitored and tracked by extracting, for example, "red" colored objects, it would be possible for the operator of the crane to operate the crane effectively. It is possible to conduct an "inspection" in a short period of time to see if there is a problem.

Under these circumstances, for color images obtained with a color television camera, a color object position that can be displayed by specifying a specific color and processing the movement of the object of the specified color, that is, the movement of the position at a video rate. Automatic measuring equipment is required.

[Prior art and problems to be solved by the invention] FIG. 6 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of a conventional video rate color extraction device, and FIG. 7 is a vertical view of a conventional image.

2 is a diagram illustrating an example of the configuration of an apparatus for calculating lateral projection using a videoray 1.

The video rate color extraction device shown in FIG. ), green (G), and blue (B) signals to analog/digital (A/D) conversion, and the resulting digital R, G
, B signal is given in advance by the table converter (a)
Table conversion is performed using 31 tables, hue, saturation,
Obtain lightness data, convert the data again into a table in the table converter (b) 32, and generate a signal that makes pixels with specified color information (hue, saturation, brightness) effective pixels. is generated, and pixels of a pre-specified color are extracted in real time using the signal.

Therefore, although it is possible to extract pixels of a specified color from a color image obtained from a television camera at a video rate, there is a problem in that the position of the extracted pixel cannot be recognized.

Next, the video rate projection device shown in FIG. 7 is disclosed in Japanese Patent Application No. 61-288045, which was previously filed by the applicant of the present application, and is based on a digital video signal (image) from a color television camera. For example, the vertical projection result (
The sum of the pixel values of the pixels in the vertical direction of each line) is added to the adder (
In addition) 54, calculation is performed at the video rate by pipeline processing, and the projection result is stored in two memories (1).
58-1. By alternately holding the data in the memory (2) 58-2 and switching between them while synchronizing with the vertical synchronization signal that separates one screen of the image, the latest projection results are always displayed between the two images. Memory (1) and (2) can be read without being aware of their existence.

In the same way, a horizontal projection of the image can be obtained.

By calculating and extracting the vertical and horizontal projection results of the image at a video rate, it is possible to specify the position of a specific part in the image, but with this technology alone, it is not possible to identify a specific color in a color image. There was a problem in that the position of the object could not be specified.

Thus, for example, for still images it is possible to specify the position of an area having a particular color by software means, but it is not possible to deal with moving images by means of software means.

In view of the above-mentioned drawbacks of the conventional art, the present invention provides a technology for extracting a specific color using a video ray 1, based on color information obtained from an image of a color television camera, and a technique for extracting the vertical and lateral projection results of the image at a video ray rate. The purpose of this paper is to provide a method for automatically measuring the position of a colored object in a moving image at a video rate.

[Means for solving problems]

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing the principle structure of an automatic color object position measuring device according to the present invention.

The above problems are solved by an automatic color object position measuring device configured as follows.

Red (R) and green (G) obtained from color television camera 1
, blue (B) signals to measure the position of an object having a specific color at a video rate, the device processes red (R), green (G), and blue ( B) A/D conversion/synchronization that converts a video signal from analog to digital and outputs it sequentially, and also generates and outputs a signal indicating the valid period of image data from the synchronization signal (SYNC) of the video signal. a control signal generation module 2; a color extraction module 3 which receives the output of the A/D conversion/synchronization control signal generation module 2 as input and extracts pixels of a color designated by the host computer 8 at a video rate; A binarization module 4 takes the output of the module 3 as an input and binarizes the color extraction result image at a video rate using a threshold specified by the host computer 8; , a horizontal projection module 5 that performs horizontal projection at video rate; a vertical projection module 6 that receives the output of the binarization module 4 as input and performs vertical projection at video rate; and the color extraction module. 3, specifying the threshold value to the binarization module 4, specifying the horizontal position of the colored object from the projection result obtained by the horizontal projection module 5,
and a host computer 8 that specifies the vertical position of the colored object from the projection result obtained by the vertical projection module 6;
- It is composed of an interface section 7 that performs interface control between the host computer 8 and each of the above modules.

[Effect]

That is, according to the present invention, red (R), green (G), and blue (B) signals obtained from a color television camera image are input,
To extract a specified color and measure the position of an object with that color automatically and at video rate, the host computer specifies the color to be extracted to the color extraction module through the interface section. This is done by setting parameters for hue, saturation, and brightness, then setting threshold parameters for binarization to remove noise for the binarization module, and then setting the binarization threshold parameters for the horizontal and vertical projection modules. Horizontal.

Perform vertical area settings.

After completing these initial settings, the color TV camera outputs red (R), green (G), and blue (B) image signals and a synchronization signal (SYNC), and generates A/D conversion and synchronization control signals. The module converts the R, G, and B signals into analog/
In addition to digitally converting and outputting to each module, the synchronization signal (SYNC) is converted into a synchronization control signal (vertical synchronization signal (
VD), frame enable (FE), and line enable (LE)) and outputs them to each module.

Each module processes these signals at video rates. That is, the horizontal and vertical projection results of the image after color extraction and binarization processing are calculated for each frame. (See FIG. 3) The calculated horizontal and vertical projection results represent the area of the designated color on each line.

Therefore, the host computer determines whether there is an object of the specified color when the number of lines with a projection of more than a certain value (for example, two or more lines continues) and the minimum value of the line position ("U" in Figure 3) is determined. ” or 'L') and the maximum value (0 + or 'R' in FIG. 3), etc., the position of the color object is specified.

In this way, by specifying the position of the colored object for each frame, the position of the colored object can be measured at video rate, making it possible to automatically track and monitor moving objects. There is.

〔Example〕

Embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings.

The above-mentioned FIG. 1 is a diagram showing the principle configuration of the automatic color object position measuring device of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a binary image. FIG. 4 is a diagram showing the relationship between a synchronization signal of a moving image and a synchronization control signal, and FIG. 5 is a diagram showing the relationship between an input image and a binary image. Figure 1,
Color extraction section (module) in FIG. 2 3. Horizontal and vertical projection units (modules) 5, 6. The means for specifying the position of the colored object in the host computer 8 are necessary means for carrying out the present invention. Note that the same reference numerals indicate the same objects throughout the figures.

Hereinafter, with reference to FIG. 1 and FIGS. 2 to 5, the operation of the automatic color object position measuring apparatus of the present invention will be explained.

First, the red (R), green (G), and blue (B) signals output from the color television camera (TV camera) 1 are subjected to Δ/D conversion in the A/D conversion/synchronization control signal generation section 21. [Phase] 2
Analog/digital conversion is performed at 2° [phase] 23. In addition, in the VD separation section 24 from the synchronization signal (SYNC),
The vertical synchronization signal (VD) shown in the figure is separated, and an FE generation section [phase] 25 generates a frame enable (FE), and an LH generation section [phase] 26 generates a line enable (LH).

The color extraction unit 3 receives address (A), data (D), and write enable (W) signals from the host computer 8 via the interface unit 7 to specify settings for specifying the color to be extracted (specifically, is the table conversion part for color extraction (
b) Parameter settings to 32 (see Figure 6) are performed.

After that, the valid period (fourth period) of image data indicated by frame enable (FE) and line enable (LE)
(Refer to the frame effective period and line effective period in the figure), the brightness (M) of only the pixels of the color to be extracted from the digital R, G, and B signals output from the A/D converters 021 to 023 is changed. Output at video rate.

In the next binarization unit 4, the threshold value is also set from the host computer 8 via the interface unit 7, and then,
Frame enable (FE), line enable (L)
During the validity period of the image data indicated by E) (see FIG. 4), the brightness (M) from the color extraction section 3 is binarized at the video rate.

FIG. 5 shows the process of extracting, for example, a red portion from an input image to obtain a binarized image. As shown in this figure, the binarization process removes noise occurring in the "red" area or other color areas.

Next, a horizontal projection unit (module) 5 projects the output (B) of the binarization unit 4 in the horizontal direction (specifically, calculates the number of pixels having a value of 1° on the line). ) at the video rate, and calculate the memory that the module has.
(For example, memory (1), (2) 58-L2 in FIG.
(see).

Similarly, the vertical projection unit (module) 6 calculates the vertical projection of the output (B) of the binarization unit 4 at the video rate, and calculates the vertical projection of the output (B) of the binarization unit 4 at the video rate, (1), (2)58-1.2
(see).

FIG. 3 shows the projection results calculated in this manner. For the image after binarization, the horizontal projection results (U, D) and the vertical projection results (1,.

R) is obtained.

The position of the object can be identified from this projection result.

That is, the host computer 8 analyzes the horizontal and vertical projection results via the interface unit 7, and
For example, if two or more lines continue to have a number exceeding a certain threshold, the projection result is determined to be valid, and the minimum value (“U′ or L′ in FIG. 3) and maximum value of the position of the line are determined to be valid. (D' or "R'" in FIG. 3), and thereby the host computer 8 determines the area of the image (D' or "R'" in FIG.
The location of the dirt (called a colored object) is determined.

By specifying the position of the color object based on the projection results calculated for each frame, it becomes possible to measure the transition of the position of the color object for each frame, and as a result, the position of the color object can be determined. can be measured automatically.

As described above, the present invention converts red (R), green (G), and blue (B) signals obtained from images of a color television camera into digital signals, and inputs the digital R, G, and B signals. Then, pixels with a specified color are extracted in advance, and the brightness (M) of the extracted pixels is binarized using a specified threshold value, and based on the obtained binarized image. , calculate the projection in the horizontal and vertical directions, and specify the position of the image (color object) having the extracted color based on the calculated projection result for each frame at the video rate. Therefore, the feature is that the position of the colored object is measured for each frame.

〔Effect of the invention〕

As described above in detail, the color object position automatic measuring device of the present invention is capable of measuring red (R) obtained from a color television camera.
, green (G), and blue (B) signals to determine the position of an object with a specific color at video rate. (
B) Input the signal, extract the pixels of the color specified by the host computer in advance, and calculate the horizontal and vertical projection results of the image for each frame after binarizing the color information. Based on the projection result data for each frame,
The host computer repeatedly determines the position of the object with the specified color, and the position of the object with the specified color is automatically determined.

Moreover, since it is designed to measure at the video rate, by specifying the position of the color object in each frame,
The position of the colored object can be measured at video rate, allowing automatic tracking of moving objects.

This has the effect of enabling automatic monitoring.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing the principle configuration of the automatic color object position measuring device of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 3 is a diagram showing the concept of projection processing for a binarized image. FIG. 4 is a diagram showing the relationship between synchronization signals and synchronization control signals for moving images. FIG. 5 is a diagram showing the relationship between an input image and a binary image. Figure 6 shows an example of the configuration of a conventional video rate color extraction device = 16
- Diagram showing. FIG. 7 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of a conventional device for calculating vertical or horizontal projection of an image at a video rate. It is. In the drawing, 1 is a color TV (TV camera). 2 is an A/D conversion/synchronization control signal generation section. 21 to 23 are A/D conversion units (A/D conversion ■, [phase], [
phase]) (module). 24 is a VD separation section, and 25 is an FE generation section. 26 is an LE generation section. 3 is a color extraction section (module). 4 is a binarization unit (module). 5 is a horizontal projection unit (module). 6 is a vertical projection unit (module). 7 is an interface section, and 8 is a host computer. R, G, B are color information, VD is vertical synchronization signal. FB is frame enable. LE is line enable. A is address, D is data. W is write enable. Gate is the brightness, and B is the output of the binarization section. are shown respectively. γL's high 4's elbow ← Nu (L's arrogant structure J was MU C's (I)'s 4 images Σ video - l-7゛ count 3 equipment's grass 7
to

Claims (1)

[Claims] Red (R), green (
G), a device for processing the red (R), green (G) signals from the color television camera (1) to determine the position of objects of a particular color at video rate; , blue (B
) signal is analog/digital converted and outputted sequentially, and the synchronization signal (SYN) of the video signal is
A/D conversion/synchronization control signal generation module (2) that generates and outputs a signal indicating the valid period of image data from C)
and a color extraction module (3) which takes the output of the A/D conversion/synchronization control signal generation module (2) as input and extracts pixels of a color designated by the host computer (8) at a video rate.
), and a binarization module (4) which takes the output of the color extraction module (3) as input and binarizes the color extraction result image at video rate using a threshold specified by the host computer (8).
), and a horizontal projection module (4) that receives the output of the binarization module (4) and performs horizontal projection at a video rate.
5), and a vertical projection module (4) that receives the output of the binarization module (4) and performs vertical projection at video rate.
6) and specifying the color to be extracted to the color extraction module (3),
Specify the threshold value to the binarization module (4), specify the horizontal position of the colored object from the projection result obtained by the horizontal projection module (5), and specify the color from the projection result obtained from the vertical projection module (6). An automatic color object position measuring device characterized by having a host computer (8) that specifies the vertical position of an object, and an interface section (7) that performs interface control between the host computer (8) and each of the above modules. .