Volume Estimation Device and Work Machine Using Same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2017328032-A1
Application number	US-201415527027-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Dec 12, 2014
Priority date	Dec 12, 2014
Publication date	Nov 16, 2017
Grant date	—

Abstract

The invention improves volume estimation accuracy of an object in a container using a captured image in a case where a blind spot region exists in a captured image of the object in the container. A blind spot estimation portion for estimating the blind spot region of the object in the bucket; a blind spot region shape estimation portion for estimating a shape of the object in the blind spot region; and a volume estimation portion for estimating a volume of the object in the blind spot region are included, the blind spot estimation portion estimates the blind spot region by mesh disparity data obtained from a captured image of the object in the bucket imaged by a plurality of cameras, the blind spot region shape estimation portion estimates the shape of the object in the blind spot region by the mesh disparity data, and the volume estimation portion estimates the volume of the object in the blind spot region based on the shape of the object in the blind spot region estimated by the blind spot region shape estimation portion and a shape of a bottom of the bucket.

First claim

1 . A volume estimation device, comprising:
a blind spot estimation portion for estimating a blind spot region of an object in a container; a blind spot region shape estimation portion for estimating a shape of the object in the blind spot region; and a volume estimation portion for estimating a volume of the object in the blind spot region, wherein the blind spot estimation portion estimates the blind spot region by mesh disparity data obtained from a captured image of the object in the container imaged by a plurality of cameras, the blind spot region shape estimation portion estimates the shape of the object in the blind spot region by the mesh disparity data, and the volume estimation portion estimates the volume of the object in the blind spot region based on the shape of the object in the blind spot region estimated by the blind spot region shape estimation portion and a shape of a bottom of the container.

2 . The volume estimation device according to claim 1 ,
wherein a blind spot region determination mesh is included in a mesh group divided into two-dimension in the container, the blind spot estimation portion determines a region between the blind spot region determination mesh and a first upper mesh from the blind spot region determination mesh as the blind spot region in a case where a difference between the mesh disparity data of the blind spot region determination mesh and the mesh disparity data of the first upper mesh from the blind spot region determination mesh is equal to or greater than a blind spot region determination value, using the mesh disparity data, and the blind spot region determination value is determined by the mesh disparity data of the blind spot region determination mesh.

3 . The volume estimation device according to claim 2 ,
wherein the blind spot estimation portion estimates an area of the blind spot region by a size of the difference between the mesh disparity data.

4 . The volume estimation device according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a reliability calculation portion for determining the reliability of the volume of the object by the area of the blind spot region, wherein the reliability of the volume of the object is displayed on a displaying portion.

5 . The volume estimation device according to claim 1 ,
wherein the blind spot region shape estimation portion estimates the shape of the object in the blind spot region imaged by the plurality of cameras based on the captured image in a case where the area of the blind spot region is minimized from the plurality of captured images imaged by the plurality of cameras.

6 . The volume estimation device according to claim 2 , further comprising:
a protrusion determination portion for determining a protrusion region of the object, wherein the protrusion determination mesh is included in the mesh group, and the protrusion determination portion determines the protrusion determination mesh as a protrusion region in a case where differences between the mesh disparity data of the protrusion determination mesh and the mesh disparity data of previous and after meshes of the protrusion determination mesh are respectively equal to or greater than a protrusion region determination value.

7 . The volume estimation device according to claim 6 ,
wherein the protrusion region determination value is determined by the mesh disparity data of the protrusion determination mesh.

8 . A work machine using the volume estimation device according to claim 1 .

Assignees

• Hitachi Ltd

Inventors

• Matsuo Shigeru
• HASEJIMA Noriyasu
• Kurata Kenichirou

Classifications

• E02F3/43

  Control of dipper or bucket position; Control of sequence of drive operations · CPC title

• H04N13/0207

  Electricity · mapped topic

• E02F9/262 Primary

  with follow-up actions to control the work tool, e.g. controller · CPC title

• H04N2013/0081

  Depth or disparity estimation from stereoscopic image signals · CPC title

• H04N13/271

  wherein the generated image signals comprise depth maps or disparity maps · CPC title