KR20180106336A - Camera apparatus, collision prevention apparatus using the same and method of preventing collision - Google Patents

Abstract

Provided is a camera apparatus, capable of obtaining and processing images so as to reduce an image processing time and allowing additional devices for image processing to be unnecessary. The camera apparatus comprises: a sensor photographing images in the certain direction of a vehicle; and a camera control unit obtaining an image signal based on the photographed images and generating a control signal based on distance information with respect to an object in the obtained image signal.

Description

[0001] The present invention relates to a camera apparatus, a collision avoidance apparatus and a collision avoidance method using the same,

An embodiment relates to a camera apparatus.

The embodiment relates to an anti-collision apparatus using a camera apparatus.

The embodiments relate to a collision avoidance method using a camera apparatus.

A vehicle is any device that drives a wheel for the purpose of transporting people or cargo. A typical example of a vehicle is a car.

An automobile can be classified into an internal combustion engine automobile, an external combustion engine automobile, a gas turbine automobile or an electric vehicle depending on the type of prime mover used.

An electric vehicle is an automobile that uses electric power as an energy source to drive an electric motor. The hybrid electric vehicle, a hybrid electric vehicle (HEV), a plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV) (Fuel Cell Electric Vehicle: FCEV).

In recent years, the development and commercialization of an intelligent vehicle (Smart Vehicle) has been actively conducted for the safety and convenience of drivers and pedestrians. Intelligent automobile is a cutting-edge automobile that integrates information technology (IT). It provides optimal transportation efficiency through interworking with intelligent transportation system as well as introduction of advanced system of automobile itself. Specifically, the intelligent vehicle performs automatic cruise control, adaptive cruise control (ACC), obstacle detection, collision detection, precise guidance, route to destination, and location of key locations , Maximizing the safety and comfort of the driver, passengers and pedestrians.

Conventionally, a camera device used for collision detection merely has a function of acquiring and transmitting an image, and a function of analyzing the image is provided in a separate device. Accordingly, a separate apparatus for performing a function of analyzing an image must be provided, thus requiring a space for mounting a separate apparatus. In addition, the image obtained from the camera device is sent to a device for analysis, and the image is analyzed in the device. Thus, there is a problem in that it takes time to process the image and power loss occurs due to transmission of the image.

The embodiments are directed to solving the above problems and other problems.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a camera device capable of acquiring and processing an image, reducing image processing time and not requiring a separate device for image processing, a collision avoiding device using the same, and a collision avoiding method.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a camera device, a collision avoidance device, and a collision prevention method using the same, which can improve the reliability of object detection by improving the image processing method remarkably.

According to an aspect of the embodiment, a camera apparatus includes a sensor for capturing an image in a specific direction of a vehicle, a control unit for acquiring a first image signal based on the captured image, And a camera controller for generating a control signal based on distance information on an object in the video signal.

According to another aspect of the embodiment, the anti-collision device includes a camera device and a control device.

The camera device acquires a first image signal based on an image photographed in a specific direction of the vehicle and converts the obtained first image signal into a second image signal vertically viewed from the top to the bottom And generates a control signal based on the distance information of the object in the converted second video signal. The control device controls the associated device to take an action corresponding to the control signal.

According to another aspect of the present invention, a collision avoidance method includes acquiring a first image signal based on an image captured in a specific direction of a vehicle from a camera device, and acquiring the acquired first image Converts the signal into a second video signal that is viewed vertically from the top to the bottom and generates a control signal in the camera apparatus based on distance information on the object in the converted second video signal, And controls the associated device to take an action corresponding to the control signal.

In the above embodiment, the control signal may include at least one of a beep output control signal, a deceleration control signal, and a stop control signal.

Effects of the camera device, the collision avoiding device and the collision avoiding method using the camera according to the embodiment will be described as follows.

According to at least one of the embodiments, the camera device includes both a sensor and a camera control unit for generating a control signal used for controlling the vehicle, so that it is not necessary to provide a separate camera control unit, The internal structure is simplified and there is no need to send a separately provided camera control unit for processing the image sensed by the sensor, thereby preventing signal distortion and power loss.

According to at least one of the embodiments, the object can be detected through the image conversion using the viewpoint conversion, and the object detection error can be remarkably reduced.

According to at least one of the embodiments, there is an advantage that the collision with the vehicle can be predicted and prevented based on the distance information set at each point of the image conversion using the viewpoint conversion.

Additional ranges of applicability of the embodiments will be apparent from the following detailed description. It should be understood, however, that various changes and modifications within the spirit and scope of the embodiments will become apparent to those skilled in the art, and that specific embodiments, such as the detailed description and the preferred embodiments, are given by way of example only.

1 is a block diagram showing a system of a vehicle according to an embodiment.
2 is a view showing an appearance of a vehicle equipped with a camera apparatus according to an embodiment.
3 is a block diagram showing an anti-collision apparatus according to an embodiment.
4 is a block diagram showing the camera controller of FIG.
5 is a block diagram showing the image processing unit of FIG.
FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating a state in which an object is detected by the image processing unit of FIG. 4. FIG.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein like reference numerals are used to designate identical or similar elements, and redundant description thereof will be omitted. The suffix "module" and " part "for the components used in the following description are given or mixed in consideration of ease of specification, and do not have their own meaning or role. In the following description of the embodiments of the present invention, a detailed description of related arts will be omitted when it is determined that the gist of the embodiments disclosed herein may be blurred. The accompanying drawings are included to provide a further understanding of the invention and are incorporated in and constitute a part of this application, It is to be understood that the invention includes equivalents and alternatives.

1 is a block diagram showing a system of a vehicle according to an embodiment.

1, a vehicle 700 includes a communication unit 710, an input unit 720, a sensing unit 760, an output unit 740, a vehicle driving unit 750, a memory 730, an interface unit 780, An ECU 770, a power supply unit 790, an around view providing apparatus 100, and an AVN apparatus 400. [

The communication unit 710 is connected to the communication unit 710 to communicate with the vehicle 700 and the mobile terminal 600, Modules. In addition, the communication unit 710 may include one or more modules that connect the vehicle 700 to one or more networks.

The communication unit 710 may include a broadcast receiving module 711, a wireless Internet module 712, a local area communication module 713, a location information module 714, and an optical communication module 715.

The broadcast receiving module 711 receives broadcast signals or broadcast-related information from an external broadcast management server through a broadcast channel. Here, the broadcast includes a radio broadcast or a TV broadcast.

The wireless Internet module 712 refers to a module for wireless Internet access, and may be embedded in the vehicle 700 or externally. The wireless Internet module 712 is configured to transmit and receive wireless signals in a communication network according to wireless Internet technologies.

Wireless Internet technologies include, for example, WLAN (Wireless LAN), Wi-Fi (Wireless Fidelity), Wi-Fi (Wireless Fidelity) Direct, DLNA, WiBro World Wide Interoperability for Microwave Access (HSDPA), High Speed Uplink Packet Access (HSUPA), Long Term Evolution (LTE), and Long Term Evolution-Advanced (LTE-A) (712) transmits and receives data according to at least one wireless Internet technology in a range including internet technologies not listed above. For example, the wireless Internet module 712 can exchange data with the external server 500 wirelessly. The wireless Internet module 712 can receive weather information and road traffic situation information (for example, TPEG (Transport Protocol Expert Group)) information from the external server 500. [

The short-range communication module 713 is for short-range communication and may be a Bluetooth ™, a Radio Frequency Identification (RFID), an Infrared Data Association (IrDA), an Ultra Wideband (UWB) It is possible to support near-field communication using at least one of Near Field Communication (NFC), Wireless-Fidelity (Wi-Fi), Wi-Fi Direct and Wireless USB (Universal Serial Bus)

The short range communication module 713 may form short range wireless communication networks (Wireless Area Networks) to perform short range communication between the vehicle and at least one external device. For example, the short-range communication module 713 can exchange data with the mobile terminal 600 wirelessly. The short distance communication module 713 can receive weather information and traffic situation information (e.g., TPEG (Transport Protocol Expert Group)) from the mobile terminal 600. For example, when the user has boarded the vehicle, the user's mobile terminal 600 and the vehicle can perform pairing with each other automatically or by execution of the user's application.

The position information module 714 is a module for acquiring the position of the vehicle, and a representative example thereof is a Global Positioning System (GPS) module. For example, the vehicle 700 can use the GPS module to obtain the position of the vehicle 700 based on the signal sent from the GPS satellite.

The optical communication module 715 may include a light emitting portion and a light receiving portion.

The light receiving section can convert the light signal into an electric signal and receive the information. The light receiving unit may include a photodiode (PD) for receiving light. Photodiodes can convert light into electrical signals. For example, the light receiving section can receive information of the front vehicle through light emitted from the light source included in the front vehicle.

The light emitting unit may include at least one light emitting element for converting an electric signal into an optical signal. Here, the light emitting element is preferably an LED (Light Emitting Diode). The optical transmitter converts the electrical signal into an optical signal and transmits it to the outside. For example, the optical transmitter can emit the optical signal to the outside through the blinking of the light emitting element corresponding to the predetermined frequency. According to an embodiment, the light emitting portion may include a plurality of light emitting element arrays. According to the embodiment, the light emitting portion can be integrated with the lamp provided in the vehicle. For example, the light emitting portion may be at least one of a headlight, a tail light, a brake light, a turn signal lamp, and a car light.

According to one embodiment, the optical communication module 715 can exchange data with another vehicle 510 via optical communication.

The input unit 720 may include a driving operation unit 721, a camera unit 722, a microphone 723, a user input unit 724, and a monitoring unit 725.

The driving operation means 721 receives a user input for driving the vehicle. The driving operation means 721 may include a steering input means, a shift input means, an acceleration input means, a brake input means, and the like.

The steering input means receives an input for the traveling direction of the vehicle 700. It is preferable that the steering input means is formed in a wheel shape so that steering input can be performed by rotation. According to an embodiment, the steering input means may be formed of a touch screen, a touch pad or a button.

The shift input means receives inputs for parking (P), forward (D), neutral (N) and reverse (R) of the vehicle. The shift input means is preferably formed in a lever shape. According to an embodiment, the shift input means may be formed of a touch screen, a touch pad or a button.

The acceleration input means receives an input for acceleration of the vehicle. The brake input means receives an input for deceleration of the vehicle. In this case, the acceleration input means and the brake input means are preferably formed in a pedal shape. According to an embodiment, the acceleration input means or the brake input means may be formed of a touch screen, a touch pad or a button.

The camera device 722 may include an image sensor and an image processing module. The camera device 722 may process still images or moving images obtained by an image sensor (e.g., CMOS or CCD). The image processing module may process the still image or moving image obtained through the image sensor to extract necessary information, and may transmit the extracted information to the ECU 770. Meanwhile, the vehicle 700 may include a camera device 722 for photographing a vehicle front image or a vehicle periphery image, and a monitoring unit 725 for photographing an in-vehicle image.

The monitoring unit 725 may acquire an image of the occupant. The monitoring unit 725 may obtain an image for biometrics of the occupant.

1, the monitoring unit 725 and the camera device 722 are included in the input unit 720. However, the camera device 722 may be included in the surround view providing apparatus 100 as described above.

The microphone 723 can process an external acoustic signal into electrical data. The processed data can be utilized variously according to functions performed in the vehicle 700. The microphone 723 can convert the voice command of the user into electrical data. The converted electrical data may be transmitted to the ECU 770.

The user input unit 724 can receive information from the user. When information is input through the user input unit 724, the ECU 770 can control the operation of the vehicle 700 to correspond to the input information. The user input unit 724 may include touch input means or mechanical input means. According to an embodiment, the user input 724 may be located in one area of the steering wheel. In this case, the driver can operate the user input portion 724 with his / her finger while holding the steering wheel.

The sensing unit 760 senses a signal related to the running or the like of the vehicle. For this purpose, the sensing unit 760 may include a sensor, a wheel sensor, a speed sensor, a tilt sensor, a weight sensor, a heading sensor, a yaw sensor, a gyro sensor, It can include a position module, a vehicle forward / backward sensor, a battery sensor, a fuel sensor, a tire sensor, a steering sensor by steering wheel rotation, a vehicle internal temperature sensor, an internal humidity sensor, an ultrasonic sensor, a radar, have.

Thereby, the sensing unit 760 can acquire the vehicle collision information, vehicle direction information, vehicle position information (GPS information), vehicle angle information, vehicle speed information, vehicle acceleration information, vehicle tilt information, , Fuel information, tire information, vehicle lamp information, vehicle interior temperature information, vehicle interior humidity information, steering wheel rotation angle, and the like.

In addition, the sensing unit 760 may include an acceleration pedal sensor, a pressure sensor, an engine speed sensor, an air flow sensor AFS, an intake air temperature sensor ATS, a water temperature sensor WTS, A sensor (TPS), a TDC sensor, a crank angle sensor (CAS), and the like.

The sensing unit 760 may include a biometric information sensing unit. The biometric information sensing unit senses and acquires the biometric information of the passenger. The biometric information may include fingerprint information, iris-scan information, retina-scan information, hand geo-metry information, facial recognition information, Voice recognition information. The biometric information sensing unit may include a sensor that senses the passenger's biometric information. Here, the monitoring unit 725 and the microphones 723 may operate as sensors. The biometric information sensing unit can acquire the hand shape information and the face recognition information through the monitoring unit 725.

The output unit 740 may include a display unit 741, an acoustic output unit 742, and a haptic output unit 743 as components for outputting information processed by the ECU 770. [

The display unit 741 can display information processed by the ECU 770. [ For example, the display unit 741 can display the vehicle-related information. Here, the vehicle-related information may include vehicle control information for direct control of the vehicle, or vehicle driving assistance information for a driving guide to the vehicle driver. Further, the vehicle-related information may include vehicle state information indicating the current state of the vehicle or vehicle driving information related to the driving of the vehicle.

The display unit 741 may be a liquid crystal display (LCD), a thin film transistor-liquid crystal display (TFT LCD), an organic light-emitting diode (OLED) display, a 3D display, and an e-ink display.

The display unit 741 may have a mutual layer structure with the touch sensor or may be integrally formed to realize a touch screen. This touch screen may function as a user input 724 that provides an input interface between the vehicle 700 and the user and may provide an output interface between the vehicle 700 and the user. In this case, the display unit 741 may include a touch sensor that senses a touch with respect to the display unit 741 so that a control command can be received by a touch method. When a touch is made to the display unit 741, the touch sensor senses the touch, and the ECU 770 generates a control command corresponding to the touch based on the touch. The content input by the touch method may be a letter or a number, an instruction in various modes, a menu item which can be designated, and the like.

Meanwhile, the display unit 741 may include a cluster so that the driver can check the vehicle state information or the vehicle driving information while driving. Clusters can be located on the dashboard. In this case, the driver can confirm the information displayed in the cluster while keeping the line of sight ahead of the vehicle.

Meanwhile, according to the embodiment, the display unit 741 may be implemented as a Head Up Display (HUD). When the display unit 741 is implemented as a HUD, information can be output through a transparent display provided in the windshield. Alternatively, the display unit 741 may include a projection module to output information through an image projected on the windshield.

The sound output unit 742 converts an electric signal from the ECU 770 into an audio signal and outputs it. For this purpose, the sound output unit 742 may include a speaker or the like. The sound output section 742 may output a sound corresponding to the operation input by the user input section 724. [

The haptic output unit 743 generates a tactile output. For example, the haptic output section 743 may vibrate the steering wheel, the seat belt, and the seat so that the user can operate to recognize the output.

The vehicle drive unit 750 can control the operation of various devices and components included in the vehicle 700. [ The vehicle driving unit 750 includes a power source driving unit 751, a steering driving unit 752, a brake driving unit 753, a lamp driving unit 754, an air conditioning driving unit 755, a window driving unit 756, an airbag driving unit 757, A driving unit 758 and a suspension driving unit 759.

The power source driving unit 751 can perform electronic control on the power source in the vehicle 700. [

For example, when a fossil fuel-based engine (not shown) is a power source, the power source drive unit 751 can perform electronic control of the engine. Thus, the output torque of the engine and the like can be controlled. When the power source driving unit 751 is an engine, the speed of the vehicle can be limited by limiting the engine output torque under the control of the ECU 770. [

As another example, when the electric motor (not shown) is a power source, the power source driving unit 751 can perform control on the motor. Thus, the rotation speed, torque, etc. of the motor can be controlled.

The steering driver 752 may perform electronic control of a steering apparatus in the vehicle. Thus, the traveling direction of the vehicle can be changed.

The brake driver 753 can perform electronic control of a brake apparatus (not shown) in the vehicle. For example, the operation of the brake disposed on the wheel can be controlled to reduce the wheel speed of the vehicle. As another example, it is possible to adjust the traveling direction of the vehicle to the left or right by differently operating the brakes respectively disposed on the left wheel and the right wheel.

The lamp driving unit 754 can control the turn-on / turn-off of the lamp disposed inside and outside the vehicle. Also, the intensity, direction, etc. of the light of the lamp can be controlled. For example, it is possible to perform control on a direction indicating lamp, a brake lamp, and the like.

The air conditioning driving unit 755 can perform electronic control on an air conditioner (not shown) in the vehicle. For example, when the temperature inside the vehicle is high, it is possible to control the air conditioner to operate so that the cool air is supplied to the interior of the vehicle 700.

The window driving unit 756 may perform electronic control of the window apparatus in the vehicle. For example, it may control the opening or closing of left and right windows of side 700 of the vehicle.

The airbag driving unit 757 can perform electronic control of the airbag apparatus in the vehicle. For example, in the event of an accident, the airbag can be controlled to fire.

The sunroof driving unit 758 can perform electronic control of a sunroof device (not shown) in the vehicle. For example, the opening or closing of the sunroof can be controlled.

The suspension driving unit 759 can perform electronic control on a suspension device (not shown) in the vehicle 700. [ For example, when there is a curvature on the road surface, it is possible to control the suspension device so as to reduce the vibration of the vehicle.

The memory 730 is electrically connected to the ECU 770. The memory 770 may store basic data for the unit, control data for controlling the operation of the unit, and input / output data. The memory 730 may be, in hardware, various storage media such as ROM, RAM, EPROM, flash drive, hard drive, and the like. The memory 730 may store various data for operation throughout the vehicle, such as a program for processing or controlling the ECU 770. [

The interface unit 780 may serve as a pathway to various kinds of external devices connected to the vehicle 700. For example, the interface unit 780 may include a port that can be connected to the mobile terminal 600, and may be connected to the mobile terminal 600 through the port. In this case, the interface unit 780 can exchange data with the mobile terminal 600.

Meanwhile, the interface unit 780 may serve as a channel for supplying electrical energy to the connected mobile terminal 600. The interface unit 780 provides electric energy supplied from the power supply unit 790 to the mobile terminal 600 under the control of the ECU 770 when the mobile terminal 600 is electrically connected to the interface unit 780 .

The ECU 770 can control the overall operation of each component in the vehicle 700. [ The ECU 770 may be referred to as an ECU (Electronic Control Unit).

The ECU 770 can perform a function corresponding to the delivered signal in accordance with the execution signal transfer of the surrounding view providing apparatus 100. [

ECU 770 may be implemented in hardware as application specific integrated circuits (ASICs), digital signal processors (DSPs), digital signal processing devices (DSPDs), programmable logic devices (PLDs), field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs) Controllers, micro-controllers, microprocessors, and other electronic units for performing other functions.

The power supply unit 790 can supply power necessary for the operation of each component under the control of the ECU 770. [ In this case, the power supply unit 790 can receive power from a battery (not shown) or the like inside the vehicle.

AVN (Audio Video Navigation) device 400 can exchange data with ECU 770. ECU 770 can receive navigation information from AVN device 400 or a separate navigation device (not shown). Here, the navigation information may include set destination information, route information according to the destination, map information related to driving the vehicle, or vehicle location information.

Fig. 2 shows a state in which the camera device according to the embodiment is disposed in the vehicle.

The camera device (722 in Figure 1) can be mounted at multiple locations on the vehicle.

For example, the camera device 722 may be disposed at positions of at least one of the front, back, right, left, and ceiling of the vehicle body.

A distance sensor may also be fitted with the camera device 722, but this is not limiting.

The front, rear, left and right sides of the vehicle can be monitored by the camera device 722 mounted at each position of the vehicle body.

Specifically, the camera device mounted on the front of the vehicle body is the front camera device 160a, the camera device mounted on the rear side of the vehicle body is the rear camera device 160c, and the camera device mounted on the right- The camera device 160c, and the camera device mounted on the left side of the vehicle body may be the left camera device 160d.

Each of the front camera device 160a, the right camera device 160b, the rear camera device 160c and the left camera device 160d may be referred to as first to fourth camera devices.

Alternatively, among the plurality of camera devices 160a, 160b, 160c, and 160d, the first-mentioned camera device may be referred to as a first camera device, and the next-mentioned camera device may be referred to as a second camera device.

The front camera device 160a may be disposed in the vicinity of the ambulance or in the vicinity of the radiator grill. The front camera device 160a may generate a forward control signal for capturing a forward image by capturing a forward direction in the driving direction, monitoring a forward object from the forward image, and preventing collision with the forward object according to the monitoring result have. Here, the action may be warning, decelerating, or stopping.

The right camera device 160b may be disposed in a case surrounding the right side mirror. The right camera device 160b may be disposed outside the case surrounding the right side mirror, or may be disposed in one area outside the right front door, the right rear door, or the right fender. The right camera device 160b may generate a right control signal for capturing a right image to acquire a right image and monitoring the right object from the right image to prevent collision with the right object according to the monitoring result have.

The rear camera device 160c may be disposed in the vicinity of a rear license plate or a trunk switch. The rear camera device 160c may generate a rear control signal for capturing a backward image in the driving direction to acquire a backward image and monitoring a rearward object from the rearward image to prevent collision with the rearward object according to the monitoring result have.

The left camera device 160d may be disposed in a case surrounding the left side mirror. According to the embodiment, the left camera device 160d may be disposed outside the case surrounding the left side mirror, or may be disposed in one area outside the left front door, the left rear door, or the left fender. The left camera device 160d may generate a left control signal to capture a left side image to acquire a left side image and to monitor a left side object from the left side image and to prevent a collision with the left side object according to a monitoring result have.

Although not shown, an additional camera device may be installed in the ceiling of the vehicle. The ceiling camera device can photograph both forward, backward and leftward and rightward directions of the vehicle.

Further, in addition to the front, right, rear and left camera devices 160a, 160b, 160c, and 160d, a camera device may be additionally provided if necessary.

3 is a block diagram showing an anti-collision apparatus according to an embodiment.

Referring to FIG. 3, the anti-collision apparatus according to the embodiment may include a camera apparatus 722, an ECU 770, and a display unit 741.

The camera device 722 is at least one of the plurality of cameras 160a, 160b, 160c, and 150d shown in FIG.

In the following description, the camera device 722 is assumed to be the rear camera device 160c shown in Fig. 2, but the present invention is not limited thereto.

The camera device 722 can acquire a video signal in real time. For example, the camera device 722 can photograph an image of an object seen behind the vehicle in real time. The camera device 722 may process or analyze the acquired image to generate a control signal.

More specifically, the camera device 722 may include a sensor 10 and a camera control unit 20. [

The sensor is an element for capturing an image in real time, and may be, for example, an image sensor. The image sensor may be a CCD (Charge-Coupled Device) image sensor or a CMOS (Complementary Metal-Oxide Semiconductor) image sensor.

An image photographed from the sensor 10 may be transmitted to the camera controller 20. [

The camera control unit 20 can acquire a video signal based on the photographed image and process or analyze the obtained video signal to generate a control signal.

The control signal may be a control signal for preventing collision. For example, the control signal may be a warning sound output control signal for outputting a warning sound. For example, the control signal may be a deceleration control signal to reduce the vehicle's wheel speed. For example, the control signal may be a stop control signal that causes the vehicle to stop.

Various control signals may be generated and transmitted to the ECU 770.

The camera control unit 20 can generate a control signal that can be taken in advance to prevent the vehicle and the object extracted from the image from colliding with each other through processing or analysis of the video signal.

The image signal obtained by the camera control unit 20 can be transmitted to the display unit 741. [ The display unit 741 can display the corresponding video signal. The driver (or user) can grasp the rear state of the camera device 722 through the image displayed on the display unit 741. [

Ethernet communication is possible between the sensor 10 of the camera device 722 and the display unit 741. [ Therefore, the image photographed from the sensor 10 of the camera device 722 can be transmitted to the display unit 741 using the Ethernet communication as a video signal.

The control signal generated by the camera control unit 20 may be transmitted to the ECU 770. [ The camera control unit 20 and the ECU 770 are capable of CAN (Controller Area Network) communication. Therefore, the control signal generated by the camera control unit 20 can be transmitted to the ECU 770 using the CAN communication.

CAN communication is a message-based protocol, a standard communication standard designed for the ECU 770 or devices to communicate with each other without a host computer in the vehicle.

ECU 770 can control so that a corresponding action is taken in response to the control signal transmitted from camera device 722. [

For example, when a warning sound output control signal is transmitted from the camera apparatus 722, the ECU 770 may control the sound output section (742 in FIG. 1) to output a warning sound.

For example, when the deceleration control signal is transmitted from the camera device 722, the ECU 770 can control the brake driver (753 in Fig. 1) to forcibly reduce the vehicle's wheel speed. As another example, the ECU 770 can transmit a video display, an audio output, or the like to the user in response to the deceleration control signal so that the user can apply a brake.

For example, when the stop control signal is transmitted from the camera device 722, the ECU 770 can control the brake driver (753 in Fig. 1) to forcibly stop the vehicle. As another example, the ECU 770 can transmit the image display, the audio output, or the like to the user in response to the stop control signal so that the user can stop the vehicle.

The ECU 770, as described in FIG. 1, controls the overall operation of each component in the vehicle 700, and can be broadly termed a control device.

The input unit, the communication unit, the output unit, and the vehicle driving unit shown in Fig. 1 may be operated under the control of the ECU 770. [

Hereinafter, the camera control unit 20 shown in FIG. 3 will be described in more detail.

4 is a block diagram showing the camera controller of FIG.

Referring to FIG. 4, the camera control unit 20 may include an image acquisition unit 30, an image processing unit 40, and a transmission unit 50.

The image acquiring unit 30 can acquire a video signal based on the image photographed from the sensor 10. [

The image processing unit 40 may analyze or process the acquired image signal to generate a control signal. The control signal may be at least one of a warning sound output control signal, a deceleration control signal, and a stop control signal, as described above.

5 is a block diagram showing the image processing unit of FIG.

5, the image processing unit 40 includes a distortion correction unit 41, an image conversion unit 43, a feature extraction unit 45, an object detection unit 47, an object distance calculation unit 48, (49).

The distortion correction unit 41 can correct the distortion in the image signal obtained from the image acquisition unit 30 (hereinafter, referred to as the first image signal). The corrected video signal can be named as a second video signal.

If there is no probability that distortion occurs in the first video signal, the distortion correction unit 41 may be omitted.

The image converting unit 43 may convert the second video signal into a video signal that is vertically viewed from the top to the bottom using viewpoint conversion. The converted image signal may be named as a third image signal. In other words, the second video signal is a video signal viewed in the horizontal direction. Thus, by converting the viewpoint in the horizontal direction to the viewpoint in the vertical direction, the second video signal can be converted into a third video signal viewed in the vertical direction.

A polar coordinate system or a Cartesian coordinate system can be used for the conversion of the second video signal. Such a coordinate system is a method of expressing the position of a point by a numerical value.

For example, the polar coordinate system can be expressed by (r,?) Using the distance r from the origin and the magnitude? Of the angle formed by the point with the X axis. Therefore, when the polar coordinate system is converted into the third video signal, the distance r and the magnitude? Can be calculated and set for each point in the third video signal.

For example, the Cartesian coordinate system can represent the position of a plane or a space by X, Y or X, Y, Z.

6A, when the first video signal obtained from the camera device 722 is transformed using, for example, a polar coordinate system, as shown in FIG. 6B, a third video signal Lt; / RTI > At this time, each point of the third video signal may include information on the distance r and the angle?.

Thus, the object shown in the third video signal can be an object having a height, and the object having no height can not be included in the third video signal.

For example, even if there are objects having colors or edges different from each other on the floor, such objects are not included in the third video signal because there is no height.

Therefore, the embodiment can prevent a detection error that determines an object having a color or an edge different from each other on the floor as a risk element object.

The feature extracting unit 45 can extract features such as edges that can be candidates of the object based on the object from the third video signal. At this time, the edge may include the strength and direction of the edge. The characteristics of these objects can be determined as objects.

As shown in FIG. 6C, only the portion detected as an edge in the third video signal has a white color, and all other regions may have a black color. The extracted edge may be an edge in the vertical direction within the third video signal, but it is not limited thereto.

The object detecting unit 47 can detect the object by determining whether the object is an object in consideration of features within a predetermined section, that is, distribution of edges, based on the extracted feature.

Referring to the detected edges, as shown in FIG. 6D, objects existing in the corresponding video signal can be extracted in consideration of the distribution state of the edges and the like.

The object distance calculating unit 48 may calculate the distance between the object and the vehicle based on the detected object.

As described above, each point in the third video signal converted from the second video signal may include distance information with respect to the vehicle.

Therefore, the object distance calculating unit 48 can calculate the distance to the vehicle based on the distance information in the detected object.

Since there are a plurality of points in the object, the distance to the vehicle can be calculated by averaging the distances of all of these points or by averaging the distances from the points of the few selected from the plurality of points. The distance between the detected object and the vehicle can be calculated in various ways.

The control signal generator 49 can generate a control signal based on the calculated distance information.

For example, when the distance between the object and the vehicle is equal to or less than a predetermined value, the control signal generator 49 can generate a control signal.

The control signal may include at least one of a warning sound output control signal, a deceleration control signal, and a stop control signal.

This control signal is transmitted to the ECU 770, and a measure corresponding to the control signal can be taken under the control of the ECU 770. [

Referring again to FIG. 4, the transmitting unit 50 may transmit the image image obtained by the image obtaining unit 30 and / or the control signal generated by the image processing unit 40. FIG.

Although not shown, the transfer unit 50 may include a first transfer unit and a second transfer unit. The first transmission unit is set to enable Ethernet communication with the display unit 741, and the second transmission unit can be set to enable CAN communication with the ECU 770. [

In this case, the image obtained from the image acquisition unit 30 is transmitted to the first transmission unit, and the first transmission unit can transmit the image image to the display unit 741 using the Ethernet communication as a video signal.

In addition, the control signal generated from the image processing unit 40 is transmitted to the second transmission unit, and the second transmission unit can transmit the control signal to the ECU 770 via the CAN communication.

The foregoing detailed description should not be construed in all aspects as limiting and should be considered illustrative. The scope of the embodiments should be determined by rational interpretation of the appended claims, and all changes within the equivalents of the embodiments are included in the scope of the embodiments.

10: Sensor
20: camera control section
30: Image acquisition unit
40:
41: Distortion correction unit
43:
45: Feature extraction unit
47:
48: object distance calculating unit
49: control signal generating unit
50:
722: Camera device
741:
770: Control device

Claims (12)

A camera device mounted on a vehicle,
A sensor for photographing an image in a specific direction of the vehicle; And
And a camera controller for acquiring a first image signal based on the photographed image and generating a control signal based on distance information about the object in the obtained first image signal,
Wherein the control signal includes at least one of a warning sound output control signal, a deceleration control signal, and a stop control signal. The method according to claim 1,
The camera control unit,
An image converter for converting the obtained first image signal into a second image signal that is vertically viewed from the top to the bottom using a viewpoint conversion;
A feature extraction unit for extracting a feature that can be a candidate of an object from the converted second video signal;
An object detection unit detecting an object based on the extracted feature; And
And a control signal generator for generating the control signal based on distance information of the detected object. 3. The method of claim 2,
Wherein the second video signal is transformed using one of a polar coordinate system and an orthogonal coordinate system. 3. The method of claim 2,
The feature is an edge,
Wherein the edge is an edge in the vertical direction within the converted second video signal. 3. The method of claim 2,
Wherein the detected object has a height. The method of claim 3,
Wherein the object detection unit comprises:
And detects the object based on distribution of edges within a predetermined period. 3. The method of claim 2,
The distance information,
And when the second video signal is converted into the second video signal using the polar coordinate system, at each point in the converted second video signal. An anti-collision apparatus mounted on a vehicle,
Acquiring a first image signal based on an image photographed in a specific direction of the vehicle and converting the obtained first image signal into a second image signal vertically viewed from the top to the bottom using a conversion of a viewpoint, A camera device for generating a control signal based on distance information about an object in the converted second video signal; And
And a control device for controlling the associated device to take an action corresponding to the control signal,
Wherein the control signal includes at least one of a warning sound output control signal, a deceleration control signal, and a stop control signal. 9. The method of claim 8,
Wherein the associated device comprises an acoustic output or a brake driver. 10. The method of claim 9,
The control device includes:
Wherein the control unit controls the sound output unit in response to the alarm output control signal to output a warning sound. 10. The method of claim 9,
The control device includes:
And controls the brake driving unit in response to one control signal of the deceleration control signal and the stop control signal to adjust the wheel speed of the vehicle. A method for preventing a collision in a vehicle including a camera device and a control device connected to the camera device,
In the camera device, acquiring a first image signal based on an image photographed in a specific direction of the vehicle;
Converting the obtained first video signal into a second video signal which is vertically viewed from the top to the bottom using the conversion of viewpoints in the camera apparatus;
Generating a control signal in the camera apparatus based on distance information on an object in the converted second video signal; And
Controlling, in the control device, an associated device to take an action corresponding to the control signal,
Wherein the control signal includes at least one of a warning sound output control signal, a deceleration control signal, and a stop control signal.

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