Time-to-contact estimation device and method for estimating time to contact
US7711147B2 · kind B2 · utility
Assignees
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Jul 28, 2006 |
| Grant date | May 4, 2010 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Nov 6, 2028 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG08G1/16
- WIPO fieldControl
- WIPO sectorInstruments
Abstract
A time-to-contact estimation device for estimating a time to contact of a moving body to an object in surroundings of the moving body, includes: an image sensor provided on the moving body, and continuously capturing time-varying images of the surroundings of the moving body; a brightness change calculation unit calculating brightness changes in pixels between the time-varying images captured one after another; and a time-to-contact calculation unit calculating optimized brightness gradients based on the brightness changes calculated by the brightness change calculation unit, and calculating the time to contact of the moving body to the object based on the optimized brightness gradients.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.