Apparatus and method for preprocessing a picked-up image, lane mark recognizing system, related vehicle traveling control system, and recording media

摘要

An image filter 1 produces an emphasized output in response to a brightness change between a dark portion and a bright portion of a picked-up image, with a sign of the emphasized output reversing according to a transitional direction of the brightness change between the dark portion and the bright portion. An image filter 2 produces an output representing an angular momentum of respective pixels about a central pixel in a predetermined processing zone set on the picked-up image. The angular momentum is defined by vectorial quantities of pixel values. An image filter 3 produces an output representing an accumulative absolute value of the respective pixels in the predetermined processing zone. An output difference between the image filters 2 and 3 is obtained as an index representing a lane mark.