Information processing device, information processing method, and program

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2018266830-A1
Application number	US-201615761252-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Sep 16, 2016
Priority date	Sep 30, 2015
Publication date	Sep 20, 2018
Grant date	—

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to an information processing device, an information processing method, and a program that are capable of estimating the self-position by accurately and continuously estimating the self-movement. The information processing device according to an aspect of the present disclosure includes a downward imaging section and a movement estimation section. The downward imaging section is disposed on the bottom of a moving object traveling on a road surface and captures an image of the road surface. The movement estimation section estimates the movement of the moving object in accordance with a plurality of images representing the road surface and captured at different time points by the downward imaging section. The present disclosure can be applied, for example, to a position sensor mounted in an automobile.

First claim

1 . An information processing device comprising:
a downward imaging section that is disposed on the bottom of a moving object traveling on a road surface and captures an image of the road surface; and a movement estimation section that estimates the movement of the moving object in accordance with a plurality of images representing the road surface and captured at different time points by the downward imaging section.

2 . The information processing device according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a road surface estimation section that estimates the distance to the road surface.

3 . The information processing device according to claim 2 , wherein the downward imaging section includes stereo cameras, and the road surface estimation section estimates the distance to the road surface in accordance with a pair of images representing the road surface and captured at the same time point by the stereo cameras.

4 . The information processing device according to claim 2 , wherein the road surface estimation section includes a ToF sensor.

5 . The information processing device according to claim 2 , further comprising:
a light projection section that projects a texture pattern onto the road surface; wherein the road surface estimation section estimates the distance to the road surface in accordance with an image of the texture pattern projected onto the road surface imaged by the downward imaging section.

6 . The information processing device according to claim 5 , wherein the light transmitting section doubles as an illumination section that illuminates the imaging range of the downward imaging section.

7 . The information processing device according to claim 2 , further comprising:
an illumination section that illuminates the imaging range of the downward imaging section.

8 . The information processing device according to claim 2 , further comprising:
a first self-position estimation section that estimates the self-position of the moving object in accordance with the movement of the moving object that is estimated by the movement estimation section.

9 . The information processing device according to claim 8 , further comprising:
an outward imaging section that is disposed on a moving object traveling on a road surface and captures an image of the surroundings of the moving object; and a second self-position estimation section that estimates the self-position of the moving object in accordance with the image of the surroundings of the moving object that is captured by the outward imaging section.

10 . The information processing device according to claim 9 , further comprising:
a correction section that corrects a first self-position estimated by the first self-position estimation section by using a second self-position estimated by the second self-position estimation section.

11 . The information processing device according to claim 10 , wherein the correction section performs weighted averaging of the first self-position estimated by the first self-position estimation section and the second self-position estimated by the second self-position estimation section.

12 . The information processing device according to claim 10 , wherein the correction section adopts, in accordance with the vehicle speed of the moving object, the second self-position estimated by the second self-position estimation section instead of the first self-position estimated by the first self-position estimation section.

13 . The information processing device according to claim 10 , wherein the correction section adopts, in accordance with the number of landmarks derived from the image of the road surface that is captured by the downward imaging section, the second self-position estimated by the second self-position estimation section instead of the first self-position estimated by the first self-position estimation section.

14 . An information processing method that is used in an information processing device including a downward imaging section and a movement estimation section, the downward imaging section being disposed on the bottom of a moving object traveling on a road surface and captures an image of the road surface, the movement estimation section estimating the movement of the moving object in accordance with a plurality of images representing the road surface and captured at different time points by the downward imaging section, the information processing method comprising:
an acquisition step of acquiring, by the movement estimation section, the image of the road surface that is captured by the downward imaging section; and a movement estimation step of estimating, by the movement estimation section, the movement of the moving object in accordance with the plurality of acquired images representing the road surface and captured at different time points.

15 . A program that controls an information processing device including a downward imaging section and a movement estimation section, the downward imaging section being disposed on the bottom of a moving object traveling on a road surface and captures an image of the road surface, the movement estimation section estimating the movement of the moving object in accordance with a plurality of images representing the road surface and captured at different time points by the downward imaging section, the program causing a computer in the information processing device to perform a process comprising:
an acquisition step of acquiring the image of the road surface that is captured by the downward imaging section; and a movement estimation step of estimating the movement of the moving object in accordance with the plurality of acquired images representing the road surface and captured at different time points.

Assignees

• Sony Corp

Inventors

• Kato Takaaki
• Tsurumi Shingo
• Eshima Masashi
• Kaino Akihiko
• Fukuchi Masaki

Classifications

• H04N23/60

  Control of cameras or camera modules · CPC title

• H04N23/56

  provided with illuminating means · CPC title

• G06F18/25

  Fusion techniques · CPC title

• G01C21/28 Primary

  with correlation of data from several navigational instruments · CPC title

• H04N2013/0085

  Motion estimation from stereoscopic image signals · CPC title