1. A system that facilitates detecting an object in a surround-view image of a vehicle and superimposing a semi-symbolic graphical representation of the object in the surround-view image, comprising:
a first camera that captures a first image of an object from a first vantage point;
a second camera that captures a second image of the object from a second vantage point;
a processor configured to:
generate a composite image by merging the first and second images;
analyze the composite image to detect one or more features indicative of the object in the composite image;
replace object pixels with corresponding background pixels;
generate a semi-symbolic graphical representation of the object that comprises one or more object features detected in the first and second images;
insert the semi-symbolic graphical representation of the object into the composite image at a calculated position of the object relative to the vehicle; and
output the composite image with the semi-symbolic representation to a display.
2. The system according to claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to replace object pixels corresponding to the object in the first image with background pixels from the second image, and replace object pixels corresponding to the object in the second image with background pixels from the first image.
3. The system according to claim 1, wherein the object is a pedestrian and the one or more object features comprise one or more of:
pedestrian clothing color;
and
pedestrian height in pixels.
4. The system according to claim 1, wherein the object is a pedestrian and the processor is further configured to superimpose an image of the pedestrian’s face, or a similar face, on the semi-symbolic graphical representation.
5. The system according to claim 1, further comprising a disagreement calculation module configured to analyze the composite image to identify an area of disagreement D between the first and second images.
6. The system according to claim 5, further comprising a ray calculation module configured to calculate at least one ray emanating from each camera through its field of view to a boundaries of a more distant half, relative to each camera, of the area of disagreement D.
7. The system according to claim 6, wherein the object is a pedestrian and further comprising a ray intersection identification module configured to identify an intersection R of camera rays, wherein the intersection corresponds to a highest point of the pedestrian, and wherein the processor is configured to execute a tracking module configured to track the highest point of the pedestrian and to adjust the position of the semi-symbolic graphical representation to correspond to the tracked point.
8. The system according to claim 1, wherein the object is a pedestrian and the processor is further configured to execute an object shape identification module that identifies a shape formed by each of a front view representation and a rear view representation of the pedestrian in the composite image, wherein the position of the pedestrian relative at the vehicle is determined to be at the point of intersection of the front and rear view representations of the pedestrian in the composite image.
9. The system according to claim 8, wherein the object is a pedestrian and the processor is further configured to determine a height of the head of the pedestrian above the ground in the composite image, and wherein the processor is configured to execute a tracking filter that tracks the location of the head of the pedestrian and to adjust the position of the semi-symbolic graphical representation to correspond to the location of the head of the pedestrian.
10. A method of detecting an object in a surround-view image of a vehicle and superimposing a semi-symbolic graphical representation of the object in the surround-view image, comprising:
capturing a first image, from a first vantage point, of an object;
capturing a second image, from a second vantage point, of the object;
generating a composite image by merging the first and second images;
analyzing the composite image to detect one or more features indicative of the object in the composite image;
replacing object pixels with corresponding background pixels;
generating a semi-symbolic graphical representation of the object that comprises one or more object features detected in the first and second images;
inserting the semi-symbolic graphical representation of the object into the composite image at a calculated position of the object relative to the vehicle; and
outputting the composite image with the semi-symbolic representation to a display.
11. The method according to claim 10, further comprising replacing replace object pixels corresponding to the object in the first image with background pixels from the second image, and replace object pixels corresponding to the object in the second image with background pixels from the first image.
12. The method according to claim 10, wherein the object is a pedestrian and the one or more object features comprise one or more of:
pedestrian clothing color; and
pedestrian height in pixels.
13. The method according to claim 10, the object is a pedestrian and further comprising superimposing an image of the pedestrian’s face on the semi-symbolic graphical representation.
14. The method according to claim 10, wherein the object is a pedestrian and further comprising:
analyzing the composite image to identify an area of disagreement D between the first and second images;
calculating at least one ray emanating from each camera through its field of view to a boundaries of a more distant half, relative to each camera, of the area of disagreement D; and
identifying an intersection R of camera rays, wherein the intersection corresponds to a highest point of the pedestrian, and tracking the highest point of the pedestrian as it moves past the vehicle.
15. The method according to claim 10, wherein the object is a pedestrian and further comprising identifying a shape formed by each of a front view representation and a rear view representation of the object in the composite image, wherein the pedestrian is determined to be positioned where the front and rear view representations intersect in the composite image.
16. The method according to claim 15, further comprising determining a height of the head of the pedestrian above the ground in the composite image, and tracking the location of the head of the pedestrian as it moves past the vehicle.
17. A processor configured to execute computer-executable instructions for detecting an object in a surround-view image of a vehicle and superimposing a semi-symbolic graphical representation of the object in the surround-view image, the instructions comprising:
capturing a first image, from a first vantage point, of an object;
capturing a second image, from a second vantage point, of the object;
generating a composite image by merging the first and second images;
analyzing the composite image to detect one or more features indicative of the object in the composite image;
replacing object pixels with corresponding background pixels;
generating a semi-symbolic graphical representation of the object that comprises one or more object features detected in the first and second images;
inserting the semi-symbolic graphical representation of the object into the composite image at a calculated position of the object relative to the vehicle; and
outputting the composite image with the semi-symbolic representation to a display.
18. The processor according to claim 17, the instructions further comprising replacing object pixels corresponding to the object in the first image with background pixels from the second image, and replace object pixels corresponding to the object in the second image with background pixels from the first image.
19. The processor according to claim 17, wherein the object is a pedestrian and the one or more object features comprise one or more of:
pedestrian clothing color;
and
pedestrian height in pixels.
20. The processor according to claim 17, wherein the object is a pedestrian, the instructions further comprising superimposing an image of the pedestrian’s face on the semi-symbolic graphical representation.
21. The processor according to claim 17, wherein the object is a pedestrian, the instructions further comprising:
analyzing the composite image to identify an area of disagreement D between the first and second images;
calculating at least one ray emanating from each camera through its field of view to a boundaries of a more distant half, relative to each camera, of the area of disagreement D; and
identifying an intersection R of camera rays, wherein the intersection corresponds to a highest point of the pedestrian, and tracking the highest point of the pedestrian as it moves past the vehicle.
22. The processor according to claim 17, wherein the object is a pedestrian, the instructions further comprising identifying a shape formed by each of a front view representation and a rear view representation of the object in the composite image, wherein the pedestrian is determined to be positioned where the front and rear view representations intersect in the composite image.
23. The processor according to claim 22, wherein the object is a pedestrian, the instructions further comprising determining a height of the head of the pedestrian above the ground in the composite image, and tracking the location of the head of the pedestrian as it moves past the vehicle.
24. An apparatus that facilitates detecting an object in a surround-view image of a vehicle and superimposing a semi-symbolic graphical representation of the object in the surround-view image, comprising:
means for capturing a first image, from a first vantage point, of an object;
means for capturing a second image, from a second vantage point, of the object;
means for generating a composite image by merging the first and second images;
means for analyzing the composite image to detect one or more features indicative of the object in the composite image;
means for replacing object pixels with corresponding background pixels;
means for generating a semi-symbolic graphical representation of the object that comprises one or more object features detected in the first and second images;
means for inserting the semi-symbolic graphical representation of the object into the composite image at a calculated position of the object relative to the vehicle; and
means for outputting the composite image with the semi-symbolic representation to a display.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
1. A flue baffle for use in a hot water tank flue pipe wherein said flue pipe is adapted to be in contact with water to be contained in an inner tank having a burner chamber at a lower end thereof, said flue baffle comprising an elongated rectangular metal strip having a plurality of spaced metal discs disposed substantially transverse to said strip and dimensioned to be spaced closely to an inner surface of the flue pipe, and two or more spacers protruding from a circumferential outer edge of said metal discs and are spaced apart from one another for frictional engagement with the inner surface of the flue pipe to maintain a substantially constant passage between said outer edge of said metal discs and the inner surface of the flue pipe.
2. A flue baffle as claimed in claim 1 wherein said metal discs are circular metal discs integrally formed with said elongated rectangular metal strip and disposed at right angles to said metal strip.
3. A flue baffle as claimed in claim 2 wherein said circular metal discs are each formed by two semi-circular disc sections cut from said metal strip, each disc section being disposed on a respective side of a transverse diametrical rib section, each disc section being bent at right angles from a respective edge of said rib section and on a respective one of opposed sides of said metal strip, said disc sections forming a substantially circumferential and constant passage about each said discs.
4. A flue baffle as claimed in claim 3 wherein said spacers are spacing nipples integrally formed with said semi-circular disc sections, there being two of said spacing nipples projecting from each said two semi-circular disc sections.
5. A flue baffle as claimed in claim 2 wherein said elongated rectangular metal strip has a stiffening rib formed along opposed elongated side edges thereof by a folded-over edge strip section, said edge strip sections and said transverse diametrical rib section forming a rigid support frame.
6. A flue baffle as claimed in claim 2 wherein said elongated rectangular metal strip has opposed support flanges projecting from opposed elongated side edges thereof at a top end of said elongated rectangular metal strip.
7. A flue baffle as claimed in claim 5 wherein said folded-over edge strip section extends from a bottom end of said elongated rectangular metal strip and terminates a short distance from a top end thereof to define an outwardly projecting flange section at said top end, said outwardly projecting flange section constituting a support flange for suspending said strip in the flue pipe.
8. A flue baffle as claimed in claim 2 wherein said flue baffle is a one-piece flue baffle constructed entirely from said elongated rectangular metal strip.
9. A flue baffle as claimed in claim 3 wherein said semi-circular disc sections are cut from said elongated rectangular metal strip by one of metal stamping or laser cutting.
10. A flue baffle as claimed in claim 1 wherein said elongated rectangular metal strip is constructed from 18 gauge steel sheet material.