Image monitoring device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12131549-B2
Application number	US-202318104962-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 2, 2023
Priority date	Mar 29, 2022
Publication date	Oct 29, 2024
Grant date	Oct 29, 2024

Abstract

An image monitoring device includes a hardware processor. An image of the outside of a vehicle is captured by a camera. The hardware processor notifies that dirt adheres to a lens of the camera when a ratio of a smooth region in the image is more than a threshold. In the smooth region, differences in luminance value between pixels are small. The hardware processor does not notify that dirt adheres to the lens of the camera when: a ratio of the smooth region in a sky region in the image is more than a threshold, a ratio of the smooth region in a ground region in the image is more than a threshold, and a difference between an average of luminance values of the smooth region in the sky region and an average of luminance values of the smooth region in the ground region is more than a threshold.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An image monitoring device comprising
a hardware processor connected to a memory, the hardware processor being configured to:
acquire an image of an outside of a vehicle captured by a camera;
make a notification that dirt adheres to a lens of the camera in a case where a ratio of a smooth region in the image is equal to or larger than a threshold, the smooth region being a region in which differences in luminance value between pixels are small; and
make no notification that dirt adheres to the lens of the camera in a case where
a ratio of the smooth region in a sky region is equal to or larger than a threshold, the sky region being a region of a sky included in the image,
a ratio of the smooth region in a ground region is equal to or larger than a threshold, the ground region being a region of a ground surface included in the image, and
a difference between an average of luminance values of the smooth region in the sky region and an average of luminance values of the smooth region in the ground region is equal to or larger than a threshold.

2. The image monitoring device according to claim 1 , wherein the hardware processor is configured to make the notification that dirt adheres to the lens of the camera in a case where
a ratio of the smooth region in the sky region is smaller than a threshold, or a ratio of the smooth region in the ground region is smaller than a threshold, and
a ratio of the smooth region in a combined region of the sky region and the ground region is equal to or larger than a threshold.

3. The image monitoring device according to claim 1 , wherein the hardware processor is configured to make no notification that dirt adheres to the lens of the camera in a case where
a ratio of the smooth region in the sky region is smaller than a threshold, or a ratio of the smooth region in the ground region is smaller than a threshold, and
a ratio of the smooth region in a combined region of the sky region and the ground region is smaller than a threshold.

4. The image monitoring device according to claim 1 , wherein the hardware processor is configured to make no notification that dirt adheres to the lens of the camera in a case where
a ratio of the smooth region in the sky region, excluding a region where a luminance value is equal to or larger than a threshold, is equal to or larger than a threshold,
a ratio of the smooth region in the ground region is equal to or larger than a threshold, and
a difference between an average of luminance values of the smooth region in the sky region and an average of luminance values of the smooth region in the ground region is equal to or larger than a threshold.

5. The image monitoring device according to claim 1 , wherein the hardware processor is further configured to detect the sky region and the ground region on the basis of a horizon line included in the image captured by the camera.

6. The image monitoring device according to claim 5 , wherein the hardware processor performs the detection of the horizon line on the basis of an angle of the camera with respect to a horizontal direction.

7. An image monitoring device comprising
a hardware processor connected to a memory, the hardware processor being configured to:
acquire an image of an outside of a vehicle captured by a camera;
make a notification that dirt adheres to a lens of the camera in a case where a ratio of a smooth region in the image is equal to or larger than a threshold, the smooth region being a region in which differences in luminance value between pixels are small; and
make no notification that dirt adheres to the lens of the camera in a case where
a smooth region in a region of a sky included in the image is detected,
a smooth region in a region of a ground surface included in the image is detected, and
a difference between a luminance value of a smooth region in the region of the sky and a luminance value of a smooth region in the region of the ground surface is equal to or larger than a threshold.

8. The image monitoring device according to claim 7 , wherein a luminance value of a smooth region in the region of the sky or in the region of the ground surface is an average luminance value of a corresponding smooth region.

Assignees

• Panasonic Ip Man Co Ltd
• Panasonic Automotive Systems Co Ltd

Inventors

• Tsurube Tomoyuki

Classifications

• G06T7/0002

  Inspection of images, e.g. flaw detection · CPC title

• G06T2207/30252

  Vehicle exterior; Vicinity of vehicle · CPC title

• G06T2207/30181

  Earth observation · CPC title

• G06V20/10

  Terrestrial scenes (scenes under surveillance with static cameras G06V20/52; scenes perceived from the exterior of a vehicle G06V20/56; scenes perceived from the interior of a vehicle G06V20/59) · CPC title

• G06V20/56 Primary

  exterior to a vehicle by using sensors mounted on the vehicle · CPC title