Image generation method and device

• US 20060029271A1
• Filed: 08/01/2005
• Published: 02/09/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 08/04/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Olympus Corporation
• Original Assignee: Olympus Corporation
• Inventors: Miyoshi, Takashi, Iwaki, Hidekazu, Kosaka, Akio
• Granted Patent: US 7,457,456 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 382/154
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 3/00 Geometric image transformations in the plane of the image

Abstract

An image generation method for generating a viewpoint-modified image is carried out based on camera information sensed by one or a plurality of image sensing unit sensing an image around an image sensing unit-disposed object. The image generation method comprises displaying an image sensing unit-disposed object model on the viewpoint-modified image, detecting the change of the movable member of the image sensing unit-disposed object and transforming/displaying the relevant part of the image sensing unit-disposed object model in the viewpoint-modified image. The image generation method can also comprise transforming/displaying the virtual viewpoint position of the viewpoint-modified image, according to the amount of change of the movable member of the image sensing unit-disposed object.

Claims

1. An image generation method for generating a viewpoint-modified image based on camera information sensed by one or a plurality of image sensing unit sensing an image around an image sensing unit-disposed object, comprising:

displaying an image sensing unit-disposed object model on the viewpoint-modified image;

detecting a change of a movable member of the image sensing unit-disposed object; and

transforming/displaying the relevant part of the image sensing unit-disposed object model in the viewpoint-modified image.

2. The image generation method according to claim 1, wherein

emergency information displayed is updated based on degree of approach of an obstacle., according to transformation/display of the image sensing unit-disposed object model.

3. The image generation method according to claim 1, wherein

the emergency information is displayed by changing its color.

4. The image generation method according to claim 1, wherein

the setting of a virtual viewpoint of the viewpoint-modified image is modified according to the change of the movable member.

5. An image generation method for generating a viewpoint-modified image, based on image data obtained by one or a plurality of image sensing unit mounted on an image sensing unit-disposed object, comprising:

displaying an image sensing unit-disposed object model on he viewpoint-modified image;

detecting a change of a movable member of the image sensing unit-disposed object; and

changing/displaying a virtual viewpoint position of the viewpoint-modified image, according to amount of change of the movable member of the image sensing unit-disposed object.

6. The image generation method according to claim 5, wherein

the movable member includes a load externally mounted.

7. An image generation device, comprising:

one or a plurality of image sensing unit mounted on an image sensing unit-disposed object for sensing an image around the image sensing unit-disposed object;

a viewpoint-modified image generation unit generating a viewpoint-modified image which is viewed from a set virtual viewpoint, based on image data obtained by the image sensing unit and a space model;

an image sensing unit-disposed object model overlapping unit superimposing/displaying an image sensing unit-disposed object model on the viewpoint-modified image generation unit; and

an image sensing unit-disposed object model update unit transforming/displaying a display form of the relevant part of the image sensing unit-disposed object model, based on change of a movable member of the image sensing unit-disposed object.

8. The image generation device according to claim 7, wherein

the viewpoint-modified image generation unit comprises an emergency information display unit displaying emergency, according to a movable member position updated by said image sensing unit-disposed object model update unit and degree of approach to a displayed obstacle.

9. The image generation device according to claim 7, further comprising

a viewpoint modification unit modifying a virtual viewpoint of the viewpoint-modified image, based on the change of the movable member of the image sensing unit-disposed object.

10. The image generation device according to claim 7, wherein

the image sensing unit-disposed object is a vehicle.