Patent ID: 7430305
Filing Date: 2008-09-30
Classification: B60R,G06K,G06T,H04N

Abstract:
1. An image velocity computing device comprising: a camera with an optic axis, having a controllable exposure time and capable of capturing a plurality of images of objects, each of the plurality of images including a low-velocity movement area and a high-velocity movement area, wherein the low-velocity movement area is defined by at least one pixel close to the optic axis and a low-velocity moving object; and wherein the high-velocity movement area is defined by a plurality of pixels farther from the optic axis than the at least one pixel of the low-velocity movement area and a high-velocity moving object, the high-velocity moving object moving in a direction away from the optic axis faster than the low-velocity moving object based on a series of captured images; a microcomputer coupled to the camera, the microcomputer configured to determine an image flow of an object of at least one pixel occurring in images captured by the camera, to determine an exposure time to achieve a predetermined image flow, and to compute an image velocity based on the exposure time of the camera and whether the object is in the low-velocity movement area or the high-velocity movement area; and a camera control, coupled to the microcomputer and to the camera, the camera control configured to receive exposure time information from the microcomputer and control the exposure time of the camera.