Image display apparatus and method

• US 20080024607A1
• Filed: 07/26/2007
• Published: 01/31/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 07/26/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Ozaki, Osamu
• Granted Patent: US 7,697,029 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/148
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 17/86 Combinations of lidar systems with systems other than lidar, radar or sonar, e.g. with direction finders
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 17/931 of land vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/497 Means for monitoring or calibrating
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/181 for receiving images from a plurality of remote sources

Abstract

An image display apparatus includes a camera, a laser radar, a depression angle correction calculation device, a three-dimensional object detection device, and a viewpoint conversion device, which are installed in a vehicle. The laser radar detects changes in the condition of a road surface with respect to the camera The depression angle correction calculation device adds a correction angle to a depression angle of the camera. The viewpoint conversion device reduces the correction angle if the change in road surface condition detected by the laser radar is due to a three-dimensional object detected by the three-dimensional object detection device.

Claims

1. An image display apparatus that converts a viewpoint of an original image of a driving environment obtained with an imaging device based on a depression angle of the imaging device to display a bird'"'"'s eye view image, the image display apparatus comprising:

a road surface condition detection device that detects a change in condition of a road surface with respect to the imaging device;

a depression angle correction calculation device that adds a correction angle to the depression angle of the imaging device in response to the change in condition of the road surface detected by the road surface condition detection device;

a depression angle correction modification device that reduces the correction angle; and

a three-dimensional object detection device that detects a three-dimensional object present on the road surface,

wherein the depression angle correction modification device reduces the correction angle if the change in condition of the road surface detected by the road surface condition detection device is due to the three-dimensional object detected by the three-dimensional object detection device.

2. The image display apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the road surface condition detection device measures a distance between the imaging device and the road surface, and

the depression angle correction modification device reduces the correction angle if the distance between the imaging device and the road surface detected by the road surface condition detection device is equal to a distance between the three-dimensional object detected by the three-dimensional object detection device and the imaging device.

3. The image display apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the distance between the imaging device and the road surface is calculated based on a plurality of the original images obtained with the imaging device.

4. The image display apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the road surface condition detection device includes a laser radar that measures the distance between the imaging device and the road surface.

5. The image display apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the laser radar emits to secure a predetermined view angle.

6. An image display method for converting a viewpoint of an original image of a driving environment obtained with an imaging device based on a depression angle of the imaging device to display a bird'"'"'s eye view image, comprising:

detecting a change in condition of a road surface with respect to the imaging device;

detecting a three-dimensional object present on the road surface;

adding a correction angle to the depression angle of the imaging device in response to the detected change in condition of the road surface; and

reducing the correction angle if the detected change in condition of the road surface is due to the detected three-dimensional object.

7. The image display method according to claim 6, wherein

detecting a change in condition of a road surface includes measuring a distance between the imaging device and the road surface, and

the correction angle is reduced if the detected distance between the imaging device and the road surface is determined to be equal to a distance between the detected three-dimensional object and the imaging device.

8. The image display method according to claim 7, wherein the distance between the imaging device and the road surface is determined based upon a plurality of the original images acquired by the imaging device.

9. The image display method according to claim 7, wherein the distance between the imaging device and the road surface is measured with a laser radar.

10. The image display method according to claim 9, wherein the laser radar emits to secure a predetermined view angle.