Patent · US Expired

Process for estimating the distance between a stationary object and a moving vehicle and device for using this process

US5195144A · kind A · utility

26Cited by
2References
5Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateFeb 12, 1992
Grant dateMar 16, 1993
Priority date
Expiry dateFeb 12, 2012

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC G)Physics
  • CPC primaryG01S11/12
  • WIPO fieldMeasurement
  • WIPO sectorInstruments

Abstract

A process for estimating the distance between a stationary object and a vehicle by providing the processing of images from the speed of enlargement of an image of an object seen from a vehicle. Images of the object are analyzed by an image speed sensor mounted on a vehicle and these images are centered relative to the speed vector of the vehicle. The luminance values of the pixels of the images successively analyzed by the sensor and the luminance value of pixels of a series of predicted images are integrated in a plurality of image memories corresponding respectively to a plurality of predetermined values for the distance. The luminance value of each pixel of a predicted image is determined as a function of the integrated luminance value for a pixel being considered, as a function of the speed of the vehicle, as a function of the position of the pixel in the predicted image and as a function of the distance value corresponding to the particular memory being considered. As a result the predicted image is affected by an increasing enlargement of the image of the object as a function of time.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.