JPH10290388A - Light wave sensor device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To improve a signal-to-noise ratio, to miniaturize a device and to improve a target detection rate by performing scanning so as to overlap the partial image pickup area of a sensor visual field, obtaining two-dimensional image information, overlapping a part of the image pickup area based on visual line angle information and integration-processing the image information of the overlapped area. SOLUTION: The light wave image in a target direction is image-formed in an image pickup part 10 composed of two-dimensionally arrayed plural image pickup elements through an optical system not shown in the Fig. The image pickup part 10 scans the entire image pickup visual field based on the control signals of a visual line driving control part 11 and outputs the two-dimensional image information to an arithmetic processing part 12. The arithmetic processing part 12 integration- processes the partial overlapped area of the two-dimensional image area based on the visual line angle information from a visual line angle detection part 13 and generates target information. Thus, even in the case that a certain picture element of the image pickup part 10 is chipped off, it is supplemented by another pixel data image-picked up in overlap and detection probability is improved even for a fine point target corresponding to one picture element.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a light wave sensor device used for searching and detecting a target, for example, for tracking.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In general, a light-wave sensor device is provided with a two-dimensionally arranged charge storage type image pickup device (CCD) in an image pickup unit, and condenses a light wave in a target direction on the image pickup device of the image pickup unit by an optical system. Then, the target information is generated from the acquired two-dimensional image information by photoelectric conversion.
In such a light wave sensor device, since the imaging element of the imaging unit has a viewing angle θ, when searching within a wide visual field, a method of capturing light waves within the visual field by scanning the search range. Is adopted.

By the way, in such a light wave sensor device, a target signal is obtained so as to be larger than noise.
There is a demand for improving noise immunity and realizing highly accurate target detection. In order to satisfy this requirement, it is necessary to set a small one-pixel visual field of the image sensor of the image pickup unit.

[0004] However, in the above-mentioned light wave sensor device,
If the field of view of one pixel of the imaging device of the imaging unit is set small to improve noise immunity, the optical system must be enlarged to obtain highly reliable target information. There is a problem that the size becomes large and the weight becomes heavy.

Further, in the above-mentioned light wave sensor device, when a pixel of the image pickup device of the image pickup section has a defect, it becomes difficult to obtain an image of image information corresponding to the pixel. Therefore, when a defect occurs in a pixel of such an image sensor, a method of obtaining a two-dimensional image based on a light wave is employed by replacing image information of a pixel adjacent to the defective pixel. ing.

However, in the above-described method of substituting pixels of an image sensor, when a very minute target called a point target is detected, it is difficult to substitute image information obtained by adjacent pixels. However, there is a possibility that the target point image may be lost.

[0007]

As described above, in the conventional light wave sensor device, when the noise immunity is improved, the size becomes large and the minute target is detected due to the lack of the pixel of the image sensor. It is difficult to perform the operation.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made in view of the above-described circumstances, and has been made to achieve an improvement in noise immunity and a reliable detection of a minute target while ensuring miniaturization. Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a light wave sensor device with an improved target detection probability.

[0009]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION According to the present invention, there is provided an image pickup means for receiving light waves into an image pickup element arranged two-dimensionally and photoelectrically converting the light wave to obtain two-dimensional image information, and controlling a visual axis of the image pickup means. Visual axis drive control means for performing scanning so that at least a part of the sensor field of view overlaps; angle detecting means for detecting a scan angle of the imaging means whose visual axis is controlled by the visual axis drive control means; Calculating processing means for moving the two-dimensional image information obtained in step 2 on the basis of the scanning angle information detected by the angle detecting means, and integrating the image information of the overlapping area to generate target information. The lightwave sensor device is provided.

According to the above arrangement, the imaging means obtains two-dimensional image information scanned so that at least a part of the sensor field of view overlaps, and converts the two-dimensional image information into scanning angle information from the angle detecting means. Based on that area,
By integrating the image information of the overlapped area, target information whose signal strength is increased is generated. This allows
The noise component is suppressed, the signal strength of the target information becomes larger than the noise, and the wide field of view target information with a high signal strength can be obtained. When a pixel defect occurs in the imaging unit, the target information detection probability can be improved because the image information can be corrected by the output of another pixel having an overlapping imaging region.

[0011]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below in detail with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 shows a light wave sensor device according to an embodiment of the present invention. In an image pickup section 10, for example, a plurality of image pickup elements 10a are arranged two-dimensionally (n × n) as shown in FIG. You. Here, as for the image pickup device 10a of the image pickup section 10, n ≧ 2 are arranged two-dimensionally, and the field of view assigned to the whole of the two-dimensionally arranged plural image pickup devices 10a is referred to as a sensor field of view.
The field of view assigned to one of a is referred to as a one-pixel field of view, and an imaging field of view equal to or greater than the sensor field of view is scanned based on a visual axis drive signal from the visual axis drive control unit 11 for visual axis adjustment and is not shown. A light wave image in a target direction is formed via the optical system.

The imaging unit 10 is connected to a processing unit 12 at an output end of the imaging unit 10. The imaging unit 10 converts a light wave image collected through the optical system (not shown) into an electric signal and outputs the electric signal to the processing unit 12. Output. Further, the visual axis drive control unit 11 is attached to the imaging unit 10. This visual axis drive control unit 11
As shown in (1), a visual axis driving signal is output to the imaging unit 10, and the visual axis is controlled so that a partial area (shown by oblique lines in the figure) of the sensor field of view of the imaging unit 10 overlaps, and the imaging is performed. Part 10
Image light waves in a wide field of view.

The visual axis drive control section 11 is provided with a visual axis angle detecting section 13, and the output end of the visual axis angle detecting section 13 is connected to the arithmetic processing section 12. The visual axis angle detection unit 13 detects the visual axis angle of the imaging unit 10 based on the visual axis drive signal of the visual axis drive control unit 11 and calculates the arithmetic processing unit 12.
Output to

The arithmetic processing unit 12 includes an imaging unit 10
A plurality of two-dimensional image information obtained by overlapping the partial imaging regions (shown by oblique lines in FIG. 4) acquired according to the visual axis is input, and visual axis angle information is input from the visual axis angle detection unit 13. Is done. Here, the arithmetic processing unit 12 superimposes two-dimensional image information having different visual axes acquired by the imaging unit 10 on the basis of the visual axis angle information from the visual axis angle detection unit 13 as shown in FIG. The target information is generated by integrating the image information of the overlapped area.

As the integration process executed by the arithmetic processing unit 12, for example, the overlapping area of the two-dimensional image information from the imaging unit 10 is cumulatively added based on the visual axis angle information from the visual axis angle detecting unit 13. By multiplying the noise normalization coefficient, a target is captured and target information is generated. The target information includes a calculation result, a target image signal, target position information, and the like.

As described above, the light wave sensor device scans the image pickup unit 10 so that the image pickup areas of the sensor field of view overlap with each other to obtain two-dimensional image information, and converts the two-dimensional image information into the visual axis. Based on the visual axis angle information of the imaging unit 10 detected by the angle detection unit 13, by superimposing a part of the imaging region and integrating the image information of the overlapped region,
It is configured to generate target information with the increased signal strength.

According to this, since the noise component is suppressed and the signal of the target information becomes larger than the noise, the miniaturization of the optical system is ensured, and the acquisition of the target information with a high signal strength and a wide field of view is obtained. Is realized, and the target detection probability can be improved.

Further, according to this, for example, when a pixel of the image sensor 10a of the image pickup unit 10 is defective, the data of the defective pixel is corrected by using another pixel which is superimposed and imaged. High-precision correction of defective pixel data becomes possible. For example, reliable detection is realized even for a minute target corresponding to one pixel, and the target detection probability can be improved.

In the above-described embodiment, the visual axis is controlled by the visual axis drive control section 11 so as to overlap a part of the sensor visual field captured by the image capturing section 10. However, the present invention is not limited to this. Instead, it is also possible to configure so that scanning is performed so that the entire sensor field of view overlaps.

In the above embodiment, the case has been described in which the visual axis angle of the imaging unit 10 is detected based on the output of the visual axis drive control unit 11. However, the present invention is not limited to this. The visual axis driving state of the unit 10 may be directly detected to detect the visual axis angle. Therefore, it is needless to say that the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, but can be variously modified without departing from the gist of the present invention.

[0021]

As described in detail above, according to the present invention, it is possible to improve the noise immunity while ensuring the miniaturization, and to realize the accurate detection of a minute target. In this way, it is possible to provide a lightwave sensor device that improves the target detection probability.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a light wave sensor device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an arrangement state of image pickup elements of the image pickup unit of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a state in which two-dimensional image information obtained respectively in a plurality of different sensor visual fields in FIG. 1 are superimposed.

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing the two-dimensional image information of FIG. 3 in comparison with each visual axis;

[Explanation of symbols]

 10 ... Imaging unit. 10a: imaging element. 11 ... visual axis drive control unit. 12 arithmetic processing unit. 13: Visual axis angle detection unit.

Claims (4)

[Claims] 1. An image pickup means for taking light waves into an image pickup device arranged two-dimensionally and photoelectrically converting the light wave to obtain two-dimensional image information, and controlling a visual axis of the image pickup means to form at least a part of a sensor field of view. Visual axis drive control means for scanning so as to overlap, angle detection means for detecting a scan angle of the image pickup means whose visual axis is controlled by the visual axis drive control means, and two-dimensional image information acquired by the image pickup means A light wave sensor device comprising: arithmetic processing means for overlappingly moving regions based on the scanning angle information detected by the angle detection means, and integrating the image information of the overlapped regions to generate target information. 2. The arithmetic processing unit according to claim 1, wherein the image information obtained by the imaging unit is moved by overlapping the regions based on the scanning angle information, and the image information of the overlapped regions is cumulatively added and multiplied by a noise normalization coefficient. The lightwave sensor device according to claim 1, wherein the target information is generated by performing the following. 3. The lightwave sensor device according to claim 1, wherein the arithmetic processing unit further converts the target information into an image signal and a position signal and outputs the image signal and the position signal. 4. The lightwave sensor device according to claim 1, wherein said image pickup means comprises a two-dimensional array of at least four image pickup devices.