Vehicle drive assistant system

• US 20070085901A1
• Filed: 10/16/2006
• Published: 04/19/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 10/17/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Sanyo Electric Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Sanyo Electric Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Hongo, Hitoshi, Yang, Changhui
• Application Number:
  US11/580,859
• Publication Number:
  US 20070085901A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/47
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 1/00 Optical viewing arrangements; Real-time viewing arrangements for drivers or passengers using optical image capturing systems, e.g. cameras or video systems specially adapted for use in or on vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 1/27 providing all-round vision, e.g. using omnidirectional cameras
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2300/303 using joined images, e.g. multiple camera images
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2300/607 from a bird's eye viewpoint
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 3/4038 Image mosaicing, e.g. composing plane images from plane sub-images
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/181 for receiving images from a plurality of remote sources

Abstract

A vehicle drive assistant system which converts, into birds'"'"' eye images, images photographed by a plurality of image pickup devices loaded on a vehicle and for photographing the surrounding of the vehicle, generates a synthesized bird'"'"'s-eye view by synthesizing each of the obtained bird'"'"'s-eye images and displays a generated synthesized bird'"'"'s-eye view on a display unit, the vehicle drive assistant system comprising a means for, when each overlapping portion in which two bird'"'"'s-eye views overlap each other is synthesized, setting a border line which allows two regions to be alternately disposed with respect to the overlapping portion and adopting a bird'"'"'s-eye view in a region separated by the border line in the overlapping portion while adopting the other bird'"'"'s-eye view in the other region separated by the border line so as to synthesize the overlapping portion.

Claims

1. A vehicle drive assistant system which converts, into bird'"'"'s-eye images, images photographed by a plurality of image pickup devices loaded on a vehicle and for photographing the surrounding of the vehicle, generates a synthesized bird'"'"'s-eye view by synthesizing each of the obtained bird'"'"'s-eye images and displays a generated synthesized bird'"'"'s-eye view on a display unit, the vehicle drive assistant system comprising

a means for, when each overlapping portion in which two bird'"'"'s-eye views overlap each other is synthesized, setting a border line which allows two regions to be alternately disposed with respect to the overlapping portion and adopting a bird'"'"'s-eye view in a region separated by the border line in the overlapping portion while adopting the other bird'"'"'s-eye view in the other region separated by the border line so as to synthesize the overlapping portion.

2. The vehicle drive assistant system according to claim 1 further comprising:

a determining means for determining whether or not an object having a height exists by comparing two bird'"'"'s-eye views in each overlapping portion in which two bird'"'"'s-eye views overlap each other; and

a means for displaying a mark indicating the object having the height in the synthesized bird'"'"'s-eye view if it is determined that the object having the height exists in at least one overlapping portion by the determining means.

3. The vehicle drive assistant system according to claim 1 further comprising:

a determining means for determining whether or not an object having a height exists by comparing two bird'"'"'s-eye views in each overlapping portion in which two bird'"'"'s-eye views overlap each other; and

a means for producing an alarm sound if it is determined that the object having the height exists in at least one overlapping portion by the determining means.

4. A vehicle drive assistant system which converts, into bird'"'"'s-eye images, images photographed by a plurality of image pickup devices loaded on a vehicle and for photographing the surrounding of the vehicle, generates a synthesized bird'"'"'s-eye view by synthesizing each of the obtained bird'"'"'s-eye images and displays a generated synthesized bird'"'"'s-eye view on a display unit, the vehicle drive assistant system comprising

a means for, when each overlapping portion in which two bird'"'"'s-eye views overlap each other is synthesized, setting a pectinate border line with respect to the overlapping portion, and adopting a bird'"'"'s-eye view in a region separated by the pectinate border line in the overlapping portion while adopting the other bird'"'"'s-eye view in the other region separated by the pectinate border line so as to synthesize the overlapping portion.

5. The vehicle drive assistant system according to claim 4 further comprising:

a determining means for determining whether or not an object having a height exists by comparing two bird'"'"'s-eye views in each overlapping portion in which two bird'"'"'s-eye views overlap each other; and

a means for displaying a mark indicating the object having the height in the synthesized bird'"'"'s-eye view if it is determined that the object having the height exists in at least one overlapping portion by the determining means.

6. The vehicle drive assistant system according to claim 4 further comprising:

a determining means for determining whether or not an object having a height exists by comparing two bird'"'"'s-eye views in each overlapping portion in which two bird'"'"'s-eye views overlap each other; and

a means for producing an alarm sound if it is determined that the object having the height exists in at least one overlapping portion by the determining means.

7. A vehicle drive assistant system which converts, into bird'"'"'s-eye images, images photographed by a plurality of image pickup devices loaded on a vehicle and for photographing the surrounding of the vehicle, generates a synthesized bird'"'"'s-eye view by synthesizing each of the obtained bird'"'"'s-eye images and displays a generated synthesized bird'"'"'s-eye view on a display unit, the vehicle drive assistant system comprising:

a first synthesized bird'"'"'s-eye view generating means for, when each bird'"'"'s-eye view is synthesized, generating a first synthesized bird'"'"'s-eye view obtained by adopting only a bird'"'"'s-eye view preliminarily set in each overlapping portion in which two bird'"'"'s-eye views overlap;

a second synthesized bird'"'"'s-eye view generating means for, when each bird'"'"'s-eye view is synthesized, generating a second synthesized bird'"'"'s-eye view obtained by adopting only the other bird'"'"'s-eye view preliminarily set in each overlapping portion in which two bird'"'"'s-eye views overlap; and

a control means for displaying the first synthesized bird'"'"'s-eye view and the second synthesized bird'"'"'s-eye view alternately on the display unit by changing over the first synthesized bird'"'"'s-eye view generating means and the second synthesized bird'"'"'s-eye view generating means alternately.

8. The vehicle drive assistant system according to claim 7 further comprising:

a determining means for determining whether or not an object having a height exists by comparing two bird'"'"'s-eye views in each overlapping portion in which two bird'"'"'s-eye views overlap each other; and

a means for displaying a mark indicating the object having the height in the synthesized bird'"'"'s-eye view if it is determined that the object having the height exists in at least one overlapping portion by the determining means.

9. The vehicle drive assistant system according to claim 7 further comprising:

a determining means for determining whether or not an object having a height exists by comparing two bird'"'"'s-eye views in each overlapping portion in which two bird'"'"'s-eye views overlap each other; and

a means for producing an alarm sound if it is determined that the object having the height exists in at least one overlapping portion by the determining means.

10. A vehicle drive assistant system which converts, into bird'"'"'s-eye images, images photographed by a plurality of image pickup devices loaded on a vehicle and for photographing the surrounding of the vehicle, generates a synthesized bird'"'"'s-eye view by synthesizing each of the obtained bird'"'"'s-eye images and displays a generated synthesized bird'"'"'s-eye view on a display unit, the vehicle drive assistant system comprising:

a first synthesized bird'"'"'s-eye view generating means for, when each bird'"'"'s-eye view is synthesized, generating a first synthesized bird'"'"'s-eye view obtained by adopting only a bird'"'"'s-eye view preliminarily set in each overlapping portion in which two bird'"'"'s-eye views overlap;

a second synthesized bird'"'"'s-eye view generating means for, when each bird'"'"'s-eye view is synthesized, generating a second synthesized bird'"'"'s-eye view obtained by adopting only the other bird'"'"'s-eye view preliminarily set in each overlapping portion in which two bird'"'"'s-eye views overlap;

a determining means for determining whether or not an object having a height exists by comparing two bird'"'"'s-eye views in each overlapping portion in which two bird'"'"'s-eye views overlap each other;

a first control means which, if it is determined that the object having the height exists in at least one overlapping portion by the determining means, displays the first synthesized bird'"'"'s-eye view and the second synthesized bird'"'"'s-eye view alternately on the display unit by changing over the first synthesized bird'"'"'s-eye view generating means and the second synthesized bird'"'"'s-eye view generating means alternately; and

a second control means which, if it is determined that no object having a height exists in any overlapping portion by the determining means, generates a synthesized bird'"'"'s-eye view by any one synthesized bird'"'"'s-eye view generating means preliminarily set among the first synthesized bird'"'"'s-eye view generating means and the second synthesized bird'"'"'s-eye view generating means and displays a generated synthesized bird'"'"'s-eye view on the display unit.

11. The vehicle drive assistant system according to claim 10 further comprising:

a determining means for determining whether or not an object having a height exists by comparing two bird'"'"'s-eye views in each overlapping portion in which two bird'"'"'s-eye views overlap each other; and

a means for displaying a mark indicating the object having the height in the synthesized bird'"'"'s-eye view if it is determined that the object having the height exists in at least one overlapping portion by the determining means.

12. The vehicle drive assistant system according to claim 10 further comprising:

a determining means for determining whether or not an object having a height exists by comparing two bird'"'"'s-eye views in each overlapping portion in which two bird'"'"'s-eye views overlap each other; and

a means for producing an alarm sound if it is determined that the object having the height exists in at least one overlapping portion by the determining means.

13. A vehicle drive assistant system which converts, into bird'"'"'s-eye images, images photographed by a plurality of image pickup devices loaded on a vehicle and for photographing the surrounding of the vehicle, generates a synthesized bird'"'"'s-eye view by synthesizing each of the obtained bird'"'"'s-eye images and displays a generated synthesized bird'"'"'s-eye view on a display unit, the vehicle drive assistant system comprising:

a first synthesized bird'"'"'s-eye view generating means for, when each bird'"'"'s-eye view is synthesized, generating a first synthesized bird'"'"'s-eye view obtained by adopting only a bird'"'"'s-eye view preliminarily set in each overlapping portion in which two bird'"'"'s-eye views overlap;

a second synthesized bird'"'"'s-eye view generating means for, when each bird'"'"'s-eye view is synthesized, generating a second synthesized bird'"'"'s-eye view obtained by adopting only the other bird'"'"'s-eye view preliminarily set in each overlapping portion in which two bird'"'"'s-eye views overlap;

a selecting means for selecting any one of the first synthesized bird'"'"'s-eye view generating means and the second synthesized bird'"'"'s-eye view generating means depending on the advancement condition of the vehicle; and

a control means for generating a synthesized bird'"'"'s-eye view by the synthesized bird'"'"'s-eye view generating means selected by the selecting means and displaying a generated synthesized bird'"'"'s-eye view on the display unit.

14. The vehicle drive assistant system according to claim 13 further comprising:

a determining means for determining whether or not an object having a height exists by comparing two bird'"'"'s-eye views in each overlapping portion in which two bird'"'"'s-eye views overlap each other; and

a means for displaying a mark indicating the object having the height in the synthesized bird'"'"'s-eye view if it is determined that the object having the height exists in at least one overlapping portion by the determining means.

15. The vehicle drive assistant system according to claim 13 further comprising:

a determining means for determining whether or not an object having a height exists by comparing two bird'"'"'s-eye views in each overlapping portion in which two bird'"'"'s-eye views overlap each other; and

a means for producing an alarm sound if it is determined that the object having the height exists in at least one overlapping portion by the determining means.

16. A vehicle drive assistant system which converts, into bird'"'"'s-eye images, images photographed by a plurality of image pickup devices loaded on a vehicle and for photographing the surrounding of the vehicle, generates a synthesized bird'"'"'s-eye view by synthesizing each of the obtained bird'"'"'s-eye images and displays a generated synthesized bird'"'"'s-eye view on a display unit, the vehicle drive assistant system comprising:

a preference bird'"'"'s-eye view determining means for determining a bird'"'"'s-eye view in which an object having a height appears larger among two bird'"'"'s-eye views in each overlapping portion in which two bird'"'"'s-eye views overlap as a preference bird'"'"'s-eye view;

a synthesized bird'"'"'s-eye view generating means for, when each bird'"'"'s-eye view is synthesized, generating a synthesized bird'"'"'s-eye view by adopting only the preference bird'"'"'s-eye view determined by the preference bird'"'"'s-eye view determining means in each overlapping portion in which two bird'"'"'s-eye views overlap; and

a means for displaying, on the display unit, the synthesized bird'"'"'s-eye view generated by the synthesized bird'"'"'s-eye view generating means.

17. The vehicle drive assistant system according to claim 16 wherein the preference bird'"'"'s-eye view determining means comprises:

a means which picks up a difference between a bird'"'"'s-eye view and other bird'"'"'s-eye view in the overlapping portion in which two bird'"'"'s-eye views overlap and determines a region in which a difference amount is larger than a predetermined amount as a difference region; and

a means which calculates an integrated value of an edge intensity within the difference region between the two bird'"'"'s-eye views and determines the bird'"'"'s-eye view in which the integrated value of the edge intensity is larger as the preference bird'"'"'s-eye view.

18. The vehicle drive assistant system according to claim 16 further comprising:

a determining means for determining whether or not an object having a height exists by comparing two bird'"'"'s-eye views in each overlapping portion in which two bird'"'"'s-eye views overlap each other; and

a means for displaying a mark indicating the object having the height in the synthesized bird'"'"'s-eye view if it is determined that the object having the height exists in at least one overlapping portion by the determining means.

19. The vehicle drive assistant system according to claim 16 further comprising:

a determining means for determining whether or not an object having a height exists by comparing two bird'"'"'s-eye views in each overlapping portion in which two bird'"'"'s-eye views overlap each other; and

a means for producing an alarm sound if it is determined that the object having the height exists in at least one overlapping portion by the determining means.