Positioning method and image capturing device thereof

Positioning method and its image capturing device

POSITIONING METHOD AND IMAGE CAPTURING DEVICE THEREOF

The disclosure relates to a positioning method and an image capturing device thereof, and more particularly to a positioning method assisted by an image capturing device.

The global positioning system (GPS) is currently widely used in various transportation devices. For example, the navigation system needs to use GPS coordinates. However, in environments with complex surrounding terrain or poor weather, it takes a while for the GPS to converge its error value to an acceptable range. For example, in a downtown area surrounded by high-rise buildings, it may take a minute or even a few minutes for the global positioning system to converge the error of the positioning coordinates to be suitable for use by the navigation system. Therefore, how to provide an auxiliary positioning method for the global positioning system to shorten the time spent in positioning is a problem to be overcome.

In view of the above-mentioned problems, this disclosure aims to provide a positioning method and an image capturing device thereof. With the aid of the image and the conversion matrix, the GPS coordinates of the object to be positioned can be quickly calculated.

The positioning method according to an embodiment of the disclosure includes: capturing a positioning image with an image capturing device. Determine a pixel coordinate of an object in the positioning image in the positioning image. According to the pixel coordinates and a conversion matrix, a global positioning system coordinate of the object is judged.

A method for obtaining positioning coordinates according to an embodiment of the present disclosure includes: obtaining a first global positioning system coordinate and an error radius by using a global positioning system. When the error radius is greater than a threshold value, a request is made to a cloud server to obtain a second GPS coordinate using the method of the above-mentioned embodiment.

An image capturing device according to an embodiment of the disclosure includes: a camera for capturing a positioning image. A storage medium stores a conversion matrix. A processor electrically connected to the camera and the storage medium respectively for determining a first pixel coordinate of a to-be-positioned object in the positioning image, and generating according to the first pixel coordinate and the conversion matrix A global positioning system coordinate about the object to be positioned.

The above description of the content of the disclosure and the description of the following embodiments are used to demonstrate and explain the spirit and principle of the disclosure, and to provide a further explanation of the scope of the patent application of the disclosure.

The detailed features and advantages of the present disclosure are described in detail in the following embodiments, and the content is sufficient to enable anyone familiar with the relevant art to understand the technical content of the present disclosure and implement them accordingly, and in accordance with the content of the invention, the scope of patent application and the drawings in this specification Anyone who is familiar with relevant skills can easily understand the purpose and advantages of this disclosure. The following examples illustrate the viewpoints of the disclosure in further detail, but do not limit the scope of the disclosure with any viewpoints.

Please refer to FIG. 1, which is a configuration diagram of a positioning system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in FIG. 1, the positioning system 1000 implemented according to the present disclosure first uses one of the image capturing devices 1100 to 1300 (for example, the image capturing device 1100) to capture images toward the target area. Among them, the global positioning system coordinates (latitude and longitude coordinates) of the three positions A, B, and C in the captured image have been built in the image capturing device 1100. Using the global positioning system coordinates of these three locations and the pixel coordinates of these three locations in the image, the pixel coordinates in the image captured by the image capturing device 1100 can be converted to the global positioning system coordinates. matrix. In one embodiment, the global positioning system coordinates of location A are (x1, y1), and the pixel coordinates of the image captured by the image capturing device 1100 are (r1, c1). The global positioning system coordinates of position B are (x2, y2), and the pixel coordinates of the image captured by the image capturing device 1100 are (r2, c2). The global positioning system coordinates of the position C are (x3, y3), and the pixel coordinates of the image captured by the image capturing device 1100 are (r3, c3). Then, by using the above six information, a coordinate conversion matrix can be obtained that maps the triangular area defined by the three pixel coordinates of the position A, the position B, and the position C in the image to the corresponding triangular area in the global positioning system coordinates. And assuming that the ground in the image captured by the image capturing device 1100 is flat, the image capturing device 1100 can use extrapolation or interpolation to estimate any point on the ground in the captured image. GPS coordinates of.

In an embodiment, please refer to FIG. 2, which is a flowchart of a positioning method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in Fig. 2, the positioning method according to the present disclosure can be implemented in the following steps. In step S210, in the calibration stage, an image is captured by the image capturing device 1100. There are at least three images of positioning calibration objects in the captured images. Taking three positioning calibration objects as an example, the three positioning calibration objects C1~C3 need to be identifiable, and the first positioning calibration object C1 corresponds to the first global positioning system coordinate G1, and the second positioning calibration object C2 corresponds to the second The global positioning system coordinates G2, and the third positioning correction C3 corresponds to the third global positioning system coordinates G3. Specifically, the first positioning correction C1 is located at the position A, that is, the value of the first global positioning system coordinate G1 is (x1, y1). Then, as shown in step S220, the captured image is processed to obtain the first pixel coordinate P1 corresponding to the first positioning calibration object C1, the second pixel coordinate P2 corresponding to the second positioning calibration object C2, and the second pixel coordinate P2 corresponding to the third positioning calibration object C2. Position the third pixel coordinate P3 of the calibrator C3. Since the positioning calibration objects C1~C3 are recognizable, that is to say, the processor of the image capturing device 1100 can distinguish the differences of the three. Therefore, the three positioning calibration objects in the image can be identified separately, and their corresponding pictures Prime coordinates can also be calculated.

Then, as shown in step S230, the processor uses the corresponding relationship between the first pixel coordinate P1 and the first global positioning system coordinate G1, the corresponding relationship between the second pixel coordinate P2 and the second global positioning system coordinate G2, and the third pixel The corresponding relationship between the coordinates P3 and the third global positioning system coordinates G3 establishes a coordinate conversion matrix, that is, a perspective projection conversion matrix.

In the positioning stage, as in step S240, the image capturing device 1100 captures an image. And in step S250, the processor of the image capturing device 1100 determines the pixel coordinates of the object to be positioned in the captured image, and converts the corresponding global positioning system coordinates through the matrix obtained in the calibration stage to obtain the object to be positioned GPS coordinates of.

In one embodiment, when the pixel coordinates of the object to be positioned in the image are to be calculated, its tire is selected as the basis for judgment. In such an embodiment, during the calibration phase, the bottom edge (contact point with the ground) of the calibration object is positioned as the basis for judging its pixel coordinates. In another embodiment, when the pixel coordinates of the object (vehicle) to be positioned in the image are to be calculated, the roof of the vehicle is selected as the basis for judgment. In such an embodiment, during the calibration phase, the top of the positioning calibration object is used as the basis for determining the pixel coordinates, and the height of the positioning calibration object can be borrowed from 1 meter to 2.5 meters. More specifically, if a large car is usually the object to be positioned in a field, the height of the positioning correction object should be 2.5 meters. Conversely, if there is usually a small passenger car as the object to be positioned in a field, the height of the positioning correction object should be selected from 1.3 meters to 1.6 meters.

In another embodiment, please refer to FIG. 3, which is a flowchart of a positioning method according to another embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in FIG. 3, the positioning method according to the present disclosure can be implemented in the following steps. In step S310, in the calibration stage, at least three images are captured by the image capturing device, and each captured image has an image of the positioning calibration object C4. Take three images as an example. In the first image, the positioning correction C4 has the first GPS coordinates G1, in the second image, the positioning correction C4 has the second GPS coordinates G2, and the third In the image, the positioning calibrator C4 has the third global positioning system coordinates G3. Then, as shown in step S320, the processor processes the three captured images to obtain the first pixel coordinates P1 of the positioning correction object C4 in the first image, and the second image of the positioning correction object C4 in the second image. The third pixel coordinate P3 of the pixel coordinate P2 and the positioning calibration object C4 in the third image. Then in step S330, the processor of the image capturing device 1100 is based on the corresponding relationship between the first pixel coordinate P1 and the first GPS coordinate G1, the corresponding relationship between the second pixel coordinate P2 and the second GPS coordinate G2, and The correspondence between the third pixel coordinate P3 and the third global positioning system coordinate G3 establishes a coordinate conversion matrix. In the positioning phase, the GPS coordinates of the object to be positioned can be obtained in the same manner as steps S240 to S250 in FIG. 2.

In another embodiment, please refer to FIG. 4, which is a flowchart of a positioning method according to another embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in FIG. 4, the positioning method according to the present disclosure can be implemented in the following steps. In step S410, in the calibration stage, an image is captured by the image capturing device. The captured image contains images of three positioning calibration objects C5 to C7, and the three positioning calibration objects C5 to C7 are identifiable. Wherein, the first positioning correction object C5 to the third positioning correction object C7 are all fixed reference objects (for example, traffic lights, corners of fixed buildings). And the three positioning calibration objects C5~C7 correspond to the three pixel coordinates P5~P7 respectively in the image. In step S420, an aerial image with global positioning coordinates is provided, and at least three position points in the aerial image have global positioning system coordinates GC1 to GC3. As shown in step S430, the processor may use three GPS coordinates to infer the GPS coordinates corresponding to each pixel in the aerial image. As shown in step S440, the processor finds (or is marked by the personnel) the positions of the three positioning calibration objects in the aerial image, and then the global positioning system coordinates G5~G7 of the three positioning calibration objects C5~C7 can be obtained. . Then in step S450, according to the three global positioning system coordinates G5~G7 and the three pixel coordinates P5~P7, the processor obtains a coordinate conversion matrix. In the positioning phase, the global positioning system coordinates of the object to be positioned can be obtained in the same manner as steps S240 to S250 in FIG. 2.

In this embodiment, calibration and positioning can be performed at the same time. In this way, the image capturing device can be prevented from being moved due to earthquakes or man-made causes, resulting in positioning deviation. More specifically, a new conversion matrix can be regenerated every time the image is captured. For positioning use.

In one embodiment, if the positioning system equipped with the vehicle also has network connection capability, the vehicle obtains a first GPS coordinate from its matched GPS, and requests a second GPS from the cloud server coordinate. The coordinates stored in the cloud server are obtained by the method of this disclosure through image recognition. Since the GPS equipped on the vehicle will give an error value (error radius), when the error value is judged to be greater than the threshold value, the coordinates presented by the vehicle on the interface are the second GPS coordinates.

In another embodiment, the vehicle first requests the GPS coordinates of the first GPS, and when the GPS returns the coordinates of the first GPS, the vehicle obtains the corresponding error value at the same time. The on-board computer on the vehicle determines whether the error value is greater than the threshold value. For example, the threshold can be set to 0.3 meters. When the error value is not greater than the threshold value (or less than the threshold value), the vehicle computer directly displays the coordinates of the first GPS. In one embodiment, when the error value is greater than the threshold value, the car computer obtains a network connection with the closest image capturing device through the Internet of Things. And the vehicle computer requests the second global positioning system coordinates from the image capturing device.

In another embodiment, the vehicle may not be equipped with a global positioning system. Instead, the vehicle may request its global positioning system coordinates from the cloud server through the Internet or directly from the nearest image capturing device through the Internet of Things. In another embodiment, the vehicle is still equipped with a global positioning system, only when the coordinates cannot be obtained from the cloud server or the nearest image capture device, or the coordinates recorded by the cloud server have not been updated for more than one time With a preset value (for example, 1 minute), the vehicle uses the global positioning system to obtain the positioning coordinates.

In one embodiment, please refer to FIG. 5, which is a functional block diagram of the image capturing device in FIG. 1. As shown in FIG. 5, the image capturing device 1100 of FIG. 1 has a camera 1110, a storage medium 1120, and a processor 1130. The camera 1110 is configured to capture positioning images. In other words, when the object (vehicle) to be positioned enters the field set by the camera 1110, the camera 1110 is capable of capturing images including the object to be positioned. The storage medium 1120 stores the transformation matrix created in the previous step S210 to S230 of FIG. 2, for example. The processor 1130 is electrically connected to the camera 1110 and the storage medium 1120, respectively, for determining the first pixel coordinates of the object to be positioned in the positioning image, and generates global information about the object to be positioned according to the first pixel coordinates and the conversion matrix Positioning system coordinates. The method is based on the foregoing and a person with ordinary knowledge in the relevant technical field should be able to implement it according to the description of the foregoing embodiment, and will not be repeated here. The storage medium 1120 in this embodiment can be a volatile or non-volatile storage medium, and this disclosure is not limited.

In one embodiment, the image capturing device 1100 further has a communication circuit 1140. In one embodiment, the global positioning system coordinates of the object to be positioned obtained by the processor 1130 are transmitted to the cloud server 2000 through the communication circuit 1140. Therefore, the object (vehicle) to be located can request the cloud server for its own global positioning system coordinates at any time. In another embodiment, the global positioning system coordinates of the object to be positioned obtained by the processor 1130 are stored in a storage medium, and when the object to be positioned is connected to the communication circuit 1140 via the Internet of Things, the processor is based on the request of the object to be positioned , The GPS coordinates of the object to be positioned are sent back to the object to be positioned.

Therefore, when the object to be located enters the field where the image capture device is located, the object to be located does not even need to turn on the global positioning system. It only needs to communicate with the image capture device through the network or other means to obtain its own global positioning system. coordinate.

Although the present disclosure is invented by the aforementioned embodiments as above, it is not intended to limit the present disclosure. Without departing from the spirit and scope of this disclosure, all changes and modifications made are within the scope of patent protection of this disclosure. For the scope of protection defined by this disclosure, please refer to the attached scope of patent applications.

<p>1000Positioning system</p><p>1100~1300Image capture device</p><p>1110Camera</p><p>1120Storage medium</p><p>1130Processor</p><p>1140Communication circuit</p><p>2000Cloud Server</p>

FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram of a positioning system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 2 is a flowchart of a positioning method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 3 is a flowchart of a positioning method according to another embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 4 is a flowchart of a positioning method according to another embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 5 is a functional block diagram of the image capturing device in FIG. 1.

<bio-deposit />

<sequence-list-text />