Patent ID: 9734429
Date: 2017-08-15
CPC Classifications: G06K

Claim:
1. A method performed by at least one device for detecting an obstacle with a camera, the method comprising: automatically receiving a first image as viewed by the camera at a first location during a first time, wherein points on a flat surface would project onto first pixels of the first image if the obstacle is absent between the points and the first pixels; automatically receiving a second image as viewed by the camera at a second location during a second time, wherein the points on the flat surface would project onto second pixels of the second image if the obstacle is absent between the points and the second pixels and if a displacement of the camera between the first and second locations is a pure translation of the camera along an image axis of the camera, wherein the image axis is parallel to the flat surface; automatically identifying coordinates of the second pixels in response to coordinates of the first pixels, and in response to a distance between the camera and the flat surface, and in response to absence of significant deviation between (a) the displacement of the camera between the first and second locations and (b) the pure translation of the camera along the image axis of the camera; automatically determining whether values of the first pixels substantially match respective values of the second pixels; and automatically detecting the obstacle in response to whether the values of the first pixels substantially match the respective values of the second pixels.