KR102630606B1 - Digital viewfinder based golf range finder - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to a digital viewfinder-based golf range finder. According to the present invention, in a digital viewfinder-based golf rangefinder using a camera module and a laser module, when an object is targeted at the center of the display screen through the camera module, light is transmitted and received through the laser module to initially measure the distance. measuring unit; Based on the positional deviation information between the camera module and the laser module analyzed at the initially measured distance value and a preset reference distance, the camera module and the laser module are projected on a two-dimensional image plane in the image shown on the display screen. a calculation unit that calculates the positional deviation between pointing points in units of pixels; a calibration unit that moves the output image on the display screen by the position deviation and adjusts the pointing point of the laser module to be at the center position on the screen; and a control unit that re-measures the distance to the object through the measurement unit when an object is targeted at the center of the screen while image adjustment is completed and outputs a corrected distance measurement value.
According to the present invention, the output image of the digital viewfinder can be displayed so that the laser pointing point is at the center of the screen by moving the output image of the digital viewfinder by the position error between the camera and the laser pointing point, thereby minimizing distance measurement errors and increasing distance measurement accuracy.

Description

Digital viewfinder based golf range finder}

The present invention relates to a digital viewfinder-based golf range finder and method, and more specifically, to a digital viewfinder-based golf range finder that can measure a golf distance using a digital viewfinder.

In general, golf rangefinders that use a digital viewfinder do not match the center of the laser transmitter and the central axis of the camera compared to optical viewfinders, so especially in the case of long distance measurement, the distance measurement point provided by the digital viewfinder and the laser are not aligned. A problem occurs that does not match the specified target point.

Figure 1 is a diagram for explaining distance measurement errors that occur in a golf rangefinder using a digital viewfinder method.

In Figure 1, a represents the laser module, b represents the camera, c represents the pointing point of the camera (e.g., pin position), and f represents the pointing point of the laser module. As shown in Figure 1, the golf range finder 1 includes a laser module (a) and a camera (b), and the central axis of the transmitter of the laser module (a) does not coincide with the central axis of the camera (b). You can check it.

In order to measure the distance to the target point (e.g. pin location) through the digital viewfinder when the distance measurement point is not aligned, when the pointing point of the camera is aligned with the target point, the transmitter of the laser module (a) The straight laser light e emitted from ultimately fails to reach point c and reaches point f, which may cause an error in measuring the distance to point f.

In addition, due to assembly errors that occur when assembling the golf rangefinder, the distance measurement error may become larger when measuring an object that is far away. Furthermore, errors in the assembly of the golf rangefinder inevitably result in minor errors that result in a deviation between the central axes of the laser and the camera.

The technology behind the present invention is disclosed in Korean Patent Publication No. 10-2023-0033177 (published on March 8, 2023).

According to the present invention, the output image of the digital viewfinder is shifted by the position error generated between the camera and the laser pointing point, and the laser pointing point is displayed at the center position on the screen, thereby minimizing the distance measurement error of the golf rangefinder. The purpose is to provide a digital viewfinder-based golf range finder that can provide more accurate distance measurement values.

The present invention is a digital viewfinder-based golf rangefinder using a camera module and a laser module, and when an object is targeted at the center of the display screen through the camera module, light is transmitted and received through the laser module to initially measure the distance. wealth; Based on the positional deviation information between the camera module and the laser module analyzed at the initially measured distance value and a preset reference distance, the camera module and the laser module are projected on a two-dimensional image plane in the image shown on the display screen. a calculation unit that calculates the positional deviation between pointing points in units of pixels; a calibration unit that moves the output image on the display screen by the position deviation and adjusts the pointing point of the laser module to be at the center position on the screen; and a control unit that re-measures the distance to the object through the measurement unit when an object is targeted at the center of the screen while image adjustment is completed and outputs a corrected distance measurement value.

In addition, the golf range finder analyzes the positional relationship between the pointing point of the laser module and the pointing point of the camera module observed on a pixel measuring plate having a grid pattern of a set resolution set on the reference distance from the laser module. It may further include a storage unit that stores positional deviation information between the camera module and the laser module.

Additionally, the reference distance may correspond to a distance value measured with the outline of the pixel measurement plate inside the edge of the image of the display screen obtained through the camera module.

In addition, the position deviation information includes the coordinate deviation of the pointing point of the laser module in x and y directions in pixel units with respect to the pointing point of the camera module analyzed on the plane on the reference distance, and the deviation angle in x and y directions. It can be included.

In addition, the calculation unit analyzes the relationship between distance and position deviation based on the position deviation information determined at the reference distance and applies the initially measured distance value to a previously established position deviation analysis algorithm, so that the camera module and the laser The positional deviation between module pointing points can be calculated.

In addition, the position deviation includes a coordinate deviation in the x-axis direction and a coordinate deviation in the y-axis direction between the pointing point of the camera module and the pointing point of the laser module, which are projected on the two-dimensional image plane in the image of the display screen. can do.

Additionally, the calibration unit may calibrate the output image of the display screen so that the pointer of the laser module is at the center of the screen by moving the output image on the display screen by the coordinate deviation in the x-axis and y-axis directions.

In addition, the control unit displays the pointing point of the laser module projected on the image of the display screen in real time on the display screen, and when the correction is completed, the pointing point of the laser module may be displayed at the center of the screen.

According to the present invention, the output image of the digital viewfinder is shifted by the position error that occurs between the camera and the laser pointing point and displayed so that the laser pointing point is at the center position on the screen, thereby measuring the distance of a golf rangefinder using a digital viewfinder. It can eliminate errors and provide more accurate distance measurements.

Figure 1 is a diagram for explaining distance measurement errors that occur in a golf rangefinder using a digital viewfinder method.
Figure 2 is a diagram illustrating the external appearance of a digital viewfinder-based golf range finder according to an embodiment of the present invention.
Figure 3 is a diagram showing the configuration of a digital viewfinder-based golf range finder according to an embodiment of the present invention.
Figure 4 is a diagram explaining the calibration operation of a golf range finder according to an embodiment of the present invention.
Figure 5 is a diagram explaining the principle of obtaining positional deviation information between a camera and a laser module using a measuring plate installed at a reference distance in an embodiment of the present invention.
Figure 6 is a diagram showing the position deviation in x and y directions obtained by the method of Figure 5.
Figure 7 is a diagram showing an example of calculating a position difference in an embodiment of the present invention.

Then, with reference to the attached drawings, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail so that those skilled in the art can easily implement the present invention. However, the present invention may be implemented in many different forms and is not limited to the embodiments described herein. In order to clearly explain the present invention in the drawings, parts that are not related to the description are omitted, and similar parts are given similar reference numerals throughout the specification.

Throughout the specification, when a part is said to be "connected" to another part, this includes not only the case where it is "directly connected," but also the case where it is "electrically connected" with another element in between. . Additionally, when a part "includes" a certain component, this means that it may further include other components rather than excluding other components, unless specifically stated to the contrary.

Figure 2 is a diagram illustrating the external appearance of a digital viewfinder-based golf range finder according to an embodiment of the present invention.

As shown in Figure 2, the golf range finder is provided with a display screen on the front part, and a laser module and a camera for short-distance measurement may be placed on the rear part. In addition, a laser module and a camera for long-distance measurement may be placed on one of the four sides. At this time, the laser module for short-distance measurement may use laser light with a wavelength of approximately 650 nm, and the laser module for long-distance measurement may use laser light with a wavelength of approximately 905 nm.

In the case of long-distance measurement, the camera and OLED display allow you to target the object you want to measure (e.g. pin, flag) with the camera, measure the exact distance and height, and display it on the screen, just like using a smartphone camera. At this time, it is convenient to use even when wearing glasses or using sunglasses. At this time, through AI analysis, it can be implemented to automatically measure the distance when a pin (flag) enters the circle display area on the display.

In the case of short-distance measurement, it is mainly performed on the green, and for example, the exact distance and height difference between the ball and the hole cup on the green can be measured. In other words, it is equipped with a short-range laser sensor and can accurately measure the exact distance and height difference between the ball and the hole cup in an approach situation on the green or within 30m. At this time, if the ball is recognized by the camera and the hole cup is recognized through AI analysis, the accurate distance height can be displayed on the display.

Here, the golf range finder may further include various function buttons for distance measurement commands, screen manipulation, etc. on at least one of the front, rear, and side parts.

The golf distance measuring instrument proposed in the present invention may be implemented by including both sets of measurement modules for long-distance and near-distance measurement, or it may be implemented by including only one set of measurement modules. In addition, the golf distance measurement technology proposed in the present invention can be used in both long-distance and short-distance measurement modules.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing the configuration of a digital viewfinder-based golf range finder according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 4 is a diagram explaining the calibration operation of the golf range finder according to an embodiment of the present invention.

First, as shown in FIG. 3, the digital viewfinder-based golf distance measuring device 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a measurement unit 110, a calculation unit 120, a calibration unit 130, and a control unit 140. And may further include a storage unit 150, a laser module 10, and a camera module 20. Here, the control unit 140 can control the operation of each unit (110, 120, 130, 150, 10, and 20) and the data flow between each unit.

When an object is targeted to the center of the display screen through the camera module 20, the measuring unit 110 initially measures the distance by transmitting and receiving light through the laser module 10.

As explained in the background technology, the laser module 10 and the camera module 20 installed side by side in the golf range finder 100 have different central axes. That is, the pointing point of the laser module 10 does not match the pointing point of the camera module 20 due to assembly errors occurring during the actual manufacturing process, which causes an error in distance measurement through the laser.

In other words, in order to measure the distance to an object, even if the pointing point of the camera module 20 is placed in the center of the screen, the object point where the light emitted from the laser module 10 is actually targeted reaches the point around the object, so that it reaches the object. It is difficult to accurately measure distance, and distance measurement errors occur.

In an embodiment of the present invention, the position error between the two modules is determined based on the initial measurement distance of the laser observed before calibration and the previously stored position deviation information, and the pointing point of the laser module 10 is displayed on the screen in the same manner as shown in FIG. 4. Measurement error can be eliminated by calibrating the display output image by shifting it by the corresponding position error so that it is at the center position and performing distance measurement in this state.

Specifically, for this purpose, the calculating unit 120 is based on the initial measured distance value measured by the measuring unit 110 and the positional deviation information between the camera module 20 and the laser module 10 analyzed at a preset reference distance, The positional deviation between the pointing points of the camera module 20 and the laser module 10 projected on the two-dimensional image plane in the image shown on the display screen is calculated in pixel units.

Here, the calculating unit 120 may calculate the position deviation using the initial measurement distance measured by the measuring unit 110 and the positional deviation information previously stored in the storage unit 150. Here, of course, you can further utilize the camera's angle of view information.

Figure 5 is a diagram explaining the principle of obtaining positional deviation information between a camera and a laser module using a measuring plate installed at a reference distance in an embodiment of the present invention.

In an embodiment of the present invention, the reference distance may correspond to a distance value measured with the outline of the pixel measurement plate inside the edge of the image of the display screen obtained by the angle of view of the camera module 20, as shown in FIG. 5. For example, the reference distance may be 7 m or more.

Embodiments of the present invention can measure the error using a two-dimensional image of the measuring plate 30 projected to the image sensor at a certain distance (7 m or more) depending on the angle of view of the camera's image sensor and lens. The pixel measurement plate 30 has a size that is accurately measured by the image sensor according to the viewing angle of the camera, and a grid-shaped pattern is formed on its surface to enable measurement of pixels of the image sensor of the camera module 20.

Additionally, the exact difference between the camera pointing point C and the radar pointing point C1 projected on the image captured by the pixel measurement plate 30 can be measured using a trigonometric function or the like.

In an embodiment of the present invention, the storage unit 150 stores the information of the laser module 10 observed on the pixel measurement plate 30 having a grid pattern of a set resolution set on a reference distance d1 from the laser module 10. Information on the positional deviation between the camera module 20 and the laser module 10, which is analyzed from the positional relationship between the viewpoint and the pointing point of the camera module 20, can be stored.

Here, the positional deviation information includes the coordinate deviation in pixel units in the x and y directions of the pointing point of the laser module 10 with respect to the pointing point of the camera module 20 analyzed on the plane on the reference distance, and the deviation in the x and y directions. Can include angles.

Additionally, the calculation unit 120 may calculate the position difference between the pointing points of the camera module and the laser module by applying the initially measured distance value to a pre-established position difference analysis algorithm. The position deviation analysis algorithm can be built in advance by analyzing the relationship between distance and position deviation based on position deviation information determined at the reference distance.

The position deviation analysis algorithm can be implemented in the form of a function such as a mathematical equation, and can be implemented as a deep learning-based learning model. A learning model can be built by learning the relationship between input and output values already collected for various cases. At this time, the input value may include the initial distance value, camera angle of view, and positional deviation information analyzed at the reference distance, and the output value may include the positional deviation in the x and y directions.

Here, as shown in FIG. 6 described later, the position deviation is the coordinate deviation in the x-axis direction between the pointing point of the camera module 20 and the pointing point of the laser module 10 projected on the two-dimensional image plane in the image of the display screen. It may include coordinate deviation Δy in the Δx and y-axis directions.

Figure 6 is a diagram showing the position deviation in x and y directions obtained by the method of Figure 5. Depending on the angle of view of the image sensor and lens, a square pyramid to be projected onto the image sensor can be prepared at a certain distance (more than 7 m), and the angle of the measurement plate 30 can be adjusted so that the measurement distance (e) is the shortest. At this time, using the difference between the center of the image (C) and the center of the square pyramid (laser center, C1) in the image projected to the image sensor of the camera module 20, the x and y directions between the two pointing points (C, C1) The deviations (Δx and Δy) for can be obtained. Of course, the twisted angles in the x and y directions between the two modules 10 and 20 can also be confirmed.

When the position difference between the two pointing points is obtained in the calculation unit 120 in this way, the calibration unit 130 moves the output image on the display screen by the position difference, as shown in FIG. 4, so that the pointing point of the laser module 10 is on the screen. It can be adjusted to be in the center position of the image.

Specifically, the calibration unit 130 may calibrate the output image on the display screen by moving the coordinate deviation (Δx and Δy) in the x-axis and y-axis directions so that the pointing point of the laser module is located at the center of the screen.

The upper picture of FIG. 4 shows the captured image initially shown on the display screen in a state before calibration. The lower left picture shows the deviation Δx and Δy of the laser pointing point (P3) centered on the camera lens, and the right picture shows the laser pointing point (P3) by moving the captured image itself in the x and y directions by the corresponding position deviation. It shows the result of calibration so that it is in the center of the screen. In this state, when the distance measurement button of the measuring device 100 is pressed, an accurate distance measurement value with the position error corrected can be provided.

When the object is targeted at the center of the screen, that is, point P3, with the image adjustment (calibration) completed as above, the control unit 140 remeasures the distance to the object through the measurement unit 110 to measure the accurate distance with the error corrected. The value can be output.

Here, the control unit 140 can display the pointing point of the laser module 10 projected on the image on the display screen in real time on the display screen, and when correction is completed, the laser module 10 is displayed as shown in the lower right figure of FIG. 4. The pointer can be displayed at the center of the screen.

Figure 7 is a diagram showing an example of calculating a position difference in an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 7 is an example for calculating a position difference, and the present invention is not necessarily limited thereto.

In Figure 7, H represents the distance constant (in pixel units) from the center of the camera lens to the image plane, and A represents the distance constant from the center of the lens to the center of the laser.

D1 and D2 are the object distance to the laser point measured for calibration, P1 and P2 are the distance between the point where the laser point measured for calibration is focused on the image plane and the center of the image plane, and D3 is the distance to the real-time laser point during operation. The distance, P3, is the distance between the point where the real-time laser point is formed on the image plane during operation and the center of the image plane, and can be finally derived by the formula shown in the drawing. Here, P3 is divided into

As described above, according to the present invention, the output image of the digital viewfinder is shifted by the position error generated between the camera and the laser pointing point, and the laser pointing point is displayed at the center position on the screen, thereby providing a golf rangefinder using a digital viewfinder. It can eliminate distance measurement errors and provide more accurate distance measurement values.

The present invention has been described with reference to the embodiments shown in the drawings, but these are merely illustrative, and those skilled in the art will understand that various modifications and equivalent other embodiments are possible therefrom. Therefore, the true scope of technical protection of the present invention should be determined by the technical spirit of the attached patent claims.

10: Laser module 20: Camera module
100: Golf distance measuring device 110: Measuring unit
120: calculation unit 130: calibration unit
140: control unit 150: storage unit

Claims (8)

In a digital viewfinder-based golf rangefinder using a camera module and a laser module,
Between the camera module and the laser module analyzed from the positional relationship between the pointing point of the laser module and the pointing point of the camera module observed on a pixel measurement plate having a grid pattern of a set resolution set at a preset reference distance from the laser module a storage unit that stores positional deviation information;
a measuring unit that initially measures the distance by transmitting and receiving light through the laser module when an object is targeted at the center of the display screen through the camera module;
Based on the initial measured distance value and the positional deviation information between the camera module and the laser module analyzed at the reference distance, the camera module and the laser module are projected on a two-dimensional image plane in the image shown on the display screen. a calculation unit that calculates the position difference between pointing points in pixel units;
a calibration unit that moves the output image on the display screen by the position deviation and adjusts the pointing point of the laser module to be at the center position on the screen; and
When image adjustment is completed and an object is targeted at the center of the screen, it includes a control unit that re-measures the distance to the object through the measurement unit and outputs a corrected distance measurement value,
The reference distance is,
A golf distance measuring device that corresponds to a distance value measured with the outline of the pixel measurement plate being positioned at the edge of the image of the display screen obtained through the camera module. delete delete In claim 1,
The positional deviation information is,
A golf distance measuring device comprising a coordinate deviation in pixel units in the x and y directions of the pointing point of the laser module with respect to the pointing point of the camera module analyzed on the plane on the reference distance, and a distortion angle in the x and y directions. In claim 1,
The calculation unit is,
By applying the initially measured distance value to a position deviation analysis algorithm established by analyzing the relationship between distance and position deviation based on the position deviation information determined at the reference distance, the position between the pointing points of the camera module and the laser module A golf distance measuring device that calculates deviation. In claim 1,
The position deviation is,
A golf distance measuring device comprising a coordinate deviation in the x-axis direction and a coordinate deviation in the y-axis direction between the pointing point of the camera module and the pointing point of the laser module projected on the two-dimensional image plane in the image of the display screen. In claim 6,
The calibration unit,
A golf distance measuring device that moves the output image of the display screen by the coordinate deviation in the x-axis and y-axis directions to calibrate the pointing point of the laser module to be at the center of the screen. In claim 1,
The control unit,
A golf distance measuring device that displays the pointing point of the laser module projected on the image of the display screen in real time on the display screen, and where the pointing point of the laser module is displayed at the center of the screen when the correction is completed.