System and stereoscopic range determination method for a roadway lighting system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9927253-B2
Application number	US-201615152227-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 11, 2016
Priority date	May 11, 2016
Publication date	Mar 27, 2018
Grant date	Mar 27, 2018

Abstract

Provided is a system that includes a first camera and a second camera each configured to capture image data from respective viewing angles, and a data processor coupled with the first camera and the second camera, that receives the image data, calculates a range based on the image data received and validates the calculated range for a parking space.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A system comprising:
a first camera and a second camera each configured to capture image data from respective viewing angles; and
a processor electrically coupled to the first camera and the second camera, and configured to: (i) receive the image data, (ii) calculate a range based on the image data received, and (iii) validate the calculated range, wherein the validating is performed in accordance with a stereoscopic range validation operation, and wherein the image data captured by the first camera includes a maximum distance of the range and the image data captured by the second camera includes a minimum distance of the range.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the first camera and the second camera are disposed a predetermined distance apart; and
wherein the validated range is associated with a parking space.

3. The system of claim 2 , further comprising:
a power supply configured to supply power;
a data communication unit coupled with the processor and configured to perform communication via an antenna; and
a memory configured to store the image data from the first camera and the second camera.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the range validation operation is a function of variables (I), wherein (I) is the predetermined distance between the first camera and the second camera,
(dZ h ) is a depth resolution between the images captured by the first camera and the second camera,
(Z) is the range, and
(ΔT) is a horizontal instantaneous field of view (HIFOV) of a lens for each of the first camera and the second camera.

5. The system of claim 4 , wherein a relationship between the variables is expressed in the equation:

dZ
h

=

Z
2

⁢
Δ
⁢

⁢
T

I

.

6. The system of claim 2 , wherein the predetermined distance ranges from approximately 5 inches to 20 inches.

7. The system of claim 3 , wherein the data communication is wirelessly performed.

8. A method for performing range determination, the method comprising:
disposing a first camera and a second camera a predetermined distance apart within a roadway lighting system;
capturing image data from respective viewing angles using the first camera and the second camera; and
receiving, at a data processor, the image data;
calculating a range based on the image data; and
validating the calculated range for a parking space, wherein the validating is performed in accordance with a stereoscopic range validation operation, and wherein the image data captured by the first camera includes a maximum distance of the range and the image data captured by the second camera includes a minimum distance of the range.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the stereoscopic range validation operation is performed as a function of variables (I), wherein (I) is the predetermined distance between the first camera and the second camera,
(dZ h ) is a depth resolution between the images captured by the first camera and the second camera,
(Z) is the range, and
(ΔT) is a horizontal instantaneous field of view (HIFOV) of a lens for each of the first camera and the second camera.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein a relationship between the variables is expressed in the equation:

dZ
h

=

Z
2

⁢
Δ
⁢

⁢
T

I

.

Assignees

• Ge Lighting Solutions Llc

Inventors

• Clynne Thomas
• Dureiko Rick Dean
• MEYER Jonathan Robert
• Saha Koushik Babi

Classifications

• G06T7/593 Primary

  from stereo images · CPC title

• G01C21/3647 Primary

  Guidance involving output of stored or live camera images or video streams · CPC title

• G06T2207/10021

  Stereoscopic video; Stereoscopic image sequence · CPC title

• G08G1/14

  indicating individual free spaces in parking areas · CPC title

• G06T2207/30264

  Parking · CPC title