Imaging device, imaging system, and imaging method

• US 10,110,820 B2
• Filed: 06/19/2015
• Issued: 10/23/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 08/27/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Oba, Eiji
• Primary Examiner(s): Kalapodas, Dramos I
• Application Number:
  US14/744,684
• Publication Number:
  US 20150288886A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,222 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04845 for image manipulation, e.g. dragging, rotation, expansion or change of colour
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/10004 Still image; Photographic image
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/30252 Vehicle exterior; Vicinity of vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 5/70 Denoising; Smoothing
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/00 Cameras or camera modules comprising electronic image sensors; Control thereof
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/635 Region indicators; Field of view indicators
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/80 Camera processing pipelines; Components thereof
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/18 Closed-circuit television [CCTV] systems, i.e. systems in which the video signal is not broadcast

Abstract

An imaging device includes: an image sensor that photoelectrically converts subject light to generate image signals; a storage portion that sets a second area within a first area so as to correspond to a specific area specified by a setting value for setting an extracting range of an image based on the image signals; a timing adjustment unit that adjusts the timing at which the image signals are read from the image sensor and written to the storage portion and the timing at which the image signals are read from the storage portion; an image conversion processor that performs predetermined processing on the image based on the image signals read from the image sensor; an output unit that converts processed image signals with continuous scanning timing into image signals of a predetermined format and outputs the image signals to a display unit.

Claims

1. A display control apparatus for a vehicle comprising:

a control unit configured to control a display of (a) a first wide-angle image captured by a single camera with a wide angle lens, the first wide-angle image including left side region distortion and right side region distortion based on a wide angle lens and (b) a second wide-angle image captured by the single camera, the second wide-angle image including a left-directional image, a right-directional image and a one-directional image based on the first wide-angle image;

a distortion correcting unit configured to correct the left side region distortion and the right side region distortion of the first wide angle image;

an image correcting unit configured to correct distortion in the left-directional image, the right-directional image and the one-directional image of the second wide-angle image; and

an output unit configured to selectively output for display, based on user operation of a selector button, either the first wide angle image with distortion or the corrected second wide angle image;

wherein the left-directional image in the second wide angle image is generated based on the distortion-corrected left side region of the first wide-angle image and is positioned at the left side in the second wide angle image,

the right-directional image in the second wide-angle image is generated based on the distortion-corrected right side region of the first wide angle image and is positioned at the right side in the second wide angle image and

the display of the first wide angle image with distortion is changed over to display the corrected second wide angle image in response to the user operation of the selector button.

2. The display control apparatus for a vehicle according to claim 1,

wherein the control unit is configured to control the display to generate a rectangular image as the one-directional image.

3. The display control apparatus for a vehicle according to claim 2,

wherein the rectangular image exhibits a size that is changeable by a user.

4. The display control apparatus for a vehicle according to claim 1,

wherein the one-directional image is displayed on an upper portion of the display.

5. The display control apparatus for a vehicle according to claim 4,

wherein the one-directional image is displayed as a horizontally expanded image.

6. The display control apparatus for a vehicle according to claim 5,

wherein the left-directional image and the right-directional image are displayed in display areas below a display area of the one-directional image and in a scale relatively enlarged with respect to the scale of the display of the one-directional image.

7. A method for controlling a display for a vehicle, comprising:

controlling the display of (a) a first wide-angle image captured by a single camera with a wide angle lens, the first wide-angle image including left side region distortion and right side region distortion based on a wide angle lens and (b) a second wide-angle image captured by the single camera, the second wide-angle image including a left-directional image, a right-directional image and a one-directional image based on the first wide-angle image;

correcting the left side region distortion and the right side region distortion of the first wide angle image;

correcting distortion in the left-directional image, the right-directional image and the one- directional image of the second wide-angle image; and

selectively outputting for display, based on user operation of a selector button, either the first wide angle image with distortion or the corrected second wide angle image;

wherein the left-directional image in the second wide angle image is generated based on the distortion-corrected left side region of the first wide-angle image and is positioned at the left side in the second wide angle image,

the right-directional image in the second wide-angle image is generated based on the distortion-corrected right side region of the first wide angle image and is positioned at the right side in the second wide angle image and

the display of the first wide angle image with distortion is changed over to display the corrected second wide angle image in response to the user operation of a selector button.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the one-directional image is displayed as a rectangular image.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the rectangular image exhibits a size that is changeable by a user.

10. The method of claim 7, further comprising displaying the one-directional image on an upper portion of the display.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising displaying the one-directional image as a horizontally expanded image.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising displaying the left-directional image and the right-directional image in display areas below a display area of the one-directional image and in a scale relatively enlarged with respect to the scale of the display of the one-directional image.

13. A display control system for a vehicle comprising:

a single camera with a wide angle lens; and

control apparatus, including

a control unit configured to control a display of (a) a first wide-angle image captured by the single camera, the first wide-angle image including left side region distortion and right side region distortion based on a wide angle lens and (b) a second wide-angle image captured by the single camera, the second wide-angle image including a left-directional image, a right-directional image and a one-directional image based on the first wide-angle image;

a distortion correcting unit configured to correct the left side region distortion and the right side region distortion of the first wide angle image;

an image correcting unit configured to correct distortion in the left-directional image, the right-directional image and the one-directional image of the second wide-angle image; and

an output unit configured to selectively output for display, based on user operation of a selector button, either the first wide angle image with distortion or the corrected second wide angle image;

wherein the left-directional image in the second wide angle image is generated based on the distortion-corrected left side region of the first wide-angle image and is positioned at the left side in the second wide angle image,

the right-directional image in the second wide-angle image is generated based on the distortion-corrected right side region of the first wide angle image and is positioned at the right side in the second wide angle image and

the display of the first wide angle image with distortion is changed over to display the corrected second wide angle image in response to the user operation of a selector button.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the control unit is configured to control the display to generate a rectangular image as the one-directional image.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the rectangular image exhibits a size that is changeable by a user.

16. The system of claim 13, wherein the one-directional image is displayed on an upper portion of the display.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the one-directional image is displayed as a horizontally expanded image.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the left-directional image and the right-directional image are displayed in display areas below a display area of the one-directional image and in a scale relatively enlarged with respect to the scale of the display of the one-directional image.

19. A display control apparatus for a vehicle comprising:

an image conversion processor performing the functions of;

(a) control a display of (i) a first wide-angle image captured by a single camera with a wide angle lens, the first wide-angle image including left side region distortion and right side region distortion based on a wide angle lens and (ii) a second wide-angle image captured by the single camera, the second wide-angle image including a left-directional image, a right-directional image and a one-directional image based on the first wide-angle image;

(b) correct the left side region distortion and the right side region distortion of the first wide angle image;

(c) correct distortion in the left-directional image, the right-directional image and the one-directional image of the second wide-angle image; and

(d) selectively output for display, based on user operation of a selector button, either the first wide angle image with distortion correction or the corrected second wide angle image;

wherein the left-directional image in the second wide angle image is generated based on the distortion-corrected left side region of the first wide-angle image and is positioned at the left side in the second wide angle image,

the right-directional image in the second wide-angle image is generated based on the distortion-corrected right side region of the first wide angle image and is positioned at the right side in the second wide angle image and

the display of the first wide angle image with distortion is changed over to display the corrected second wide angle image in response to the user operation of the selector button.