Image Display Apparatus

• US 20080143835A1
• Filed: 11/27/2007
• Published: 06/19/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 12/15/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Alpine Electronics Incorporated (Alps Alpine Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Alpine Electronics Incorporated (Alps Alpine Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Abe, Koichi, Nomura, Tsubasa
• Granted Patent: US 8,760,515 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/148
• 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 2300/102 using 360 degree surveillance camera system
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2300/105 using multiple cameras
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2300/302 combining image information with GPS information or vehicle data, e.g. vehicle speed, gyro, steering angle data
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2300/303 using joined images, e.g. multiple camera images
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2300/304 using merged images, e.g. merging camera image with stored images
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2300/402 Image calibration
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2300/607 from a bird's eye viewpoint
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2300/8013 for child monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2300/806 for aiding parking
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/2624 for obtaining an image which is composed of whole input images, e.g. splitscreen
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/77 between a recording apparatus and a television camera
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/181 for receiving images from a plurality of remote sources

Abstract

An image display apparatus combines vehicle-surroundings images photographed by cameras and displays a top view image. The image display apparatus includes image memories for storing images of landscapes ahead of the vehicle, at the left side of the vehicle, at the right side of the vehicle, and behind the vehicle which are photographed by the corresponding cameras, a mapping-table determining unit for determining a mapping table to be used by detecting the number of passengers in back seats, and a mapping unit for reading image data from the image memories by using the mapping table corresponding to the number of passengers and mapping the read image data to a frame memory to display a top view image.

Claims

1. An image display apparatus that captures surrounding images of a vehicle by using multiple cameras, combines the captured images to draw, in a frame memory, a composite image viewed from a viewpoint located above the vehicle, reads image data from the frame memory, and displays the composite image, the image display apparatus comprising:

image memories configured to store images of a first landscape ahead of the vehicle, a second landscape at a left side of the vehicle, a third landscape at a right side of the vehicle, and a fourth landscape behind the vehicle, each of the landscapes being photographed by respective cameras;

a mapping memory configured to store mapping tables indicating relationships between pixel positions in the image memories and pixel positions in a frame memory, each mapping table being provided for a corresponding predetermined number of passengers located in seats exclusive of vehicle front seats;

a mapping-table determining unit configured to determine a mapping table to be used based upon a number of passengers detected; and

a mapping unit configured to (1) read image data from the image memories by using the mapping table corresponding to the number of passengers detected and (2) map the image data read to the frame memory.

2. The image display apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising an image processor configured to retrieve a composite image drawn in the frame memory and detect an amount of white-line displacement at a connection of image portions read from a predetermined two of the image memories, wherein the mapping-table determining unit corrects the number of passengers based on the amount of white-line displacement, and determines the mapping table to be used according to the corrected number of passengers.

3. The image display apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the mapping-table determining unit comprises:

a detector configured to detect the number of passengers in the seats exclusive of the vehicle front seats;

a storage unit configured to store the mapping table to be used that corresponds to a predetermined number of passengers; and

a mapping-table determination controller configured to determine the mapping table to be used according to the number of passengers in the vehicle and send a notification indicating the determined mapping table to the mapping unit.

4. The image display apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the detector is configured by embedding, in the seats, pressure-sensitive sensors configured to detect the seating of passengers.

5. The image display apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the detector comprises a camera provided on the ceiling of the vehicle to photograph an image of the cabin of the vehicle and an image processor configured to perform image processing on the photographed image to detect the number of passengers.

6. The image display apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the detector comprises infrared sensors configured to detect the passengers.

7. An image display apparatus that captures surrounding images of a vehicle by using multiple cameras, combines the captured images to draw, in a frame memory, a composite image viewed from a view point located above the vehicle, reads image data from the frame memory, and displays the composite image, the image display apparatus comprising:

image memories configured to store images of a first landscape ahead of the vehicle, a second landscape at a left side of the vehicle, a third landscape at a right side of the vehicle, and a fourth landscape behind the vehicle, the landscapes being photographed by respective cameras;

a mapping memory configured to store mapping tables indicating relationships between pixel positions in the image memories and pixel positions in a frame memory, each mapping table being provided for a corresponding predetermined range of a total weight of passengers in seats exclusive of vehicle front seats;

a mapping-table determining unit configured to determine the mapping table to be used based upon a total weight of the passengers detected; and

a mapping unit configured to (1) read image data from the image memories by using the mapping table corresponding to the total weight of the passengers detected and (2) map the image data read to the frame memory.

8. The image display apparatus according to claim 7, further comprising an image processor configured to retrieve a composite image drawn in the frame memory and detect an amount of white-line displacement at a connection of two image portions read from a predetermined two of the image memories, wherein the mapping-table determining unit corrects the total weight based on the amount of white-line displacement, and determines the mapping table to be used according to the corrected total weight.

9. The image display apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the mapping-table determining unit comprises:

a detector configured to detect the total weight of the passengers in the seats exclusive of the vehicle front seats;

a storage unit configured to store the mapping table to be used that corresponds to a range of the total weight of the passengers; and

a mapping-table determination controller configured to determine the mapping table to be used according to the total weight of the passengers and send a notification indicating the determined mapping table to the mapping unit.

10. The image display apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the detector is configured by embedding, in the seats, weight-detecting sensors configured to detect individual weights of passengers.

11. The image display apparatus according to claim 9, wherein a trunk of the vehicle comprises a baggage-weight detecting sensor and the weight of baggage is included in the total weight of the passengers.

12. An image display apparatus that captures surrounding images of a vehicle by using multiple cameras, combines the captured images to draw, in a frame memory, a composite image viewed from a view point located above the vehicle, reads image data from the frame memory, and displays the composite image, the image display apparatus comprising:

image memories configured to store images of a first landscape ahead of the vehicle, a second landscape at a left side of the vehicle, a third landscape at a right side of the vehicle, and a fourth landscape behind the vehicle, the landscapes being photographed by respective cameras;

a mapping memory configured to store mapping tables indicating relationships between pixel positions in the image memories and pixel positions in a frame memory, each mapping table being provided for a corresponding predetermined vehicle height, each predetermined vehicle height being a distance between a vehicle body and a vehicle shaft;

a mapping-table determining unit configured to determine the mapping table to be used by detecting the vehicle height; and

a mapping unit configured to (1) read image data from the image memories by using the mapping table corresponding to the detected vehicle height and (2) map the image data read to the frame memory.

13. The image display apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the mapping-table determining unit comprises:

a detector configured to detect the vehicle height;

a storage unit configured to store the mapping table to be used that corresponds to a range of the vehicle height; and

a mapping-table determination controller configured to determine the mapping table to be used according to the vehicle height and send a notification indicating the determined mapping table to the mapping unit.

14. An image display apparatus that captures surroundings images of a vehicle by using multiple cameras, combines the captured images to draw, in a frame memory, a composite image viewed from a view point located above the vehicle, reads image data from the frame memory, and displays the composite image, the image display apparatus comprising:

image memories configured to store images of a first landscape ahead of the vehicle, a second landscape at a left side of the vehicle, a third landscape at a right side of the vehicle, and a fourth landscape behind the vehicle, the landscapes being photographed by respective cameras;

a mapping memory configured to store mapping tables indicating relationships between pixel positions in the image memories and pixel positions in a frame memory;

a mapping unit configured to read image data from the image memories by using a predetermined one of the mapping tables and map the image data read to the frame memory;

an image processor configured to retrieve a composite image drawn in the frame memory and detect an amount of white-line displacement at a connection of two image portions read from a predetermined two of the image memories; and

a mapping-table determining unit configured to determine the mapping table to be used based on the amount of white-line displacement detected and send a notification indicating the determined mapping table to the mapping unit.

15. The image display apparatus according to claim 14, wherein the mapping-table determining unit comprises:

a storage unit configured to store the mapping table to be used that corresponds to the amount of white-line displacement; and

a mapping-table determination controller configured to determine the mapping table to be used according to the amount of white-line displacement and send a notification indicating the determined mapping table to the mapping unit.

16. The image display apparatus according to claim 14, wherein, when the vehicle is traveling straight at a predetermined speed or more, the image processor detects the amount of white-line displacement.