CURVE DRAWING APPARATUS, CURVE DRAWING METHOD, PARKING SUPPORT SYSTEM AND VEHICLE

• US 20090033665A1
• Filed: 05/30/2006
• Published: 02/05/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 06/06/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Panasonic Corporation (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Panasonic Corporation (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Iguchi, Hideyuki
• Application Number:
  US11/916,739
• Publication Number:
  US 20090033665A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/442
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 11/203 Drawing of straight lines or curves

Abstract

To enable the drawing of a curve which is made to have an appropriate width to display scanning through a simple calculation process without using a frame buffer.

A coordinate calculating unit 2 calculates a coordinate to be drawn from an expression of an original curve inputted thereinto. A horizontal broadening unit 4 performs a calculation for horizontal broadening that is implemented on the original curve. A vertical broadening unit 5 performs a calculation for vertical broadening that is implemented on the original curve and conversion to a horizontal vector. A selecting unit 6 switches between the usage of a result of a calculation by the horizontal broadening unit 4 and the usage of a result of a calculation by the vertical broadening unit 5 based on an inclination of a tangent which is calculated in an inclination calculating unit 3. An output unit 8 outputs an image signal of each pixel to scanning of a display screen. With this configuration, it becomes possible to draw a curve which is made to have a width relative to an original curve.

Claims

1. A curve drawing apparatus comprising:

a curve information obtaining unit for obtaining information on a curve to be drawn;

a coordinate calculating unit for obtaining a coordinate to be drawn based on information on the curve;

a horizontal broadening unit for implementing a horizontal broadening process relative to the coordinate of the curve;

a vertical broadening unit for implementing a vertical broadening process relative to the coordinate of the curve;

an inclination calculating unit for calculating an inclination of a tangent to the curve;

a selecting unit for selecting and switching between a broadening by the horizontal broadening unit and a broadening by the vertical broadening unit based on the inclination of the tangent; and

an output unit for outputting a result of the selection by the selecting unit as information for drawing the curve.

5. A parking support system which comprises the curve drawing apparatus set forth in claim 1 or 2, comprising:

a state obtaining unit for obtaining a state of a vehicle;

a traveling path drawing unit for drawing an estimated traveling path of the vehicle based on the state of the vehicle by the curve drawing apparatus; and

a display unit for displaying the estimated traveling path.

6. A vehicle which installs thereon the parking support system set forth in claim 5.

2. A curve drawing apparatus comprising:

a curve information obtaining unit for obtaining information on a curve to be drawn;

a coordinate calculating unit for obtaining a coordinate to be drawn based on information on the curve;

a horizontal broadening unit for implementing a horizontal broadening process relative to the coordinate of the curve;

a vertical broadening unit for implementing a vertical broadening process relative to the coordinate of the curve;

an integrating unit for implementing the integration of broadening by the horizontal broadening unit and broadening by the vertical broadening unit; and

an output unit for outputting a result of the integration by the integrating unit as information for drawing the curve.

3. A curve drawing method comprising:

a step of obtaining information on a curve to be drawn;

a step of obtaining a coordinate to be drawn based on information on the curve;

a step of implementing a horizontal broadening process relative to the coordinate of the curve;

a step of implementing a vertical broadening process relative to the coordinate of the curve;

a step of calculating an inclination of a tangent to the curve;

a step of selecting and switching between the horizontal broadening and the vertical broadening for implementation on the curve based on the inclination of the tangent; and

a step of outputting a result of the selection by the selecting unit as information for drawing the curve.

4. A curve drawing method comprising:

a step of obtaining information on a curve to be drawn;

a step of obtaining a coordinate to be drawn based on information on the curve;

a step of implementing a horizontal broadening process relative to the coordinate of the curve;

a step of implementing a vertical broadening process relative to the coordinate of the curve;

a step of integrating the horizontal broadening and the vertical broadening implemented on the curve; and

a step of outputting a result of the integration as information for drawing the curve.