VEHICLE-MOUNTED IMAGE CAPTURING APPARATUS

• US 20090102921A1
• Filed: 10/08/2008
• Published: 04/23/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 10/23/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Alpine Electronics Incorporated (Alps Alpine Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Alpine Electronics Incorporated (Alps Alpine Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Abe, Koichi, Ito, Haruo, Ishii, Hisatoshi
• Granted Patent: US 8,130,270 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 1/23 with a predetermined field of view
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2300/102 using 360 degree surveillance camera system
• 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 2300/607 from a bird's eye viewpoint
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2300/806 for aiding parking
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/181 for receiving images from a plurality of remote sources

Abstract

Images captured by multiple cameras installed on a vehicle are combined, and an image of the ground is projected onto a plane and is displayed around a vehicle display portion. In the vehicle display portion, actual images of portions of the vehicle may be displayed in a front area, a rear area, a left-side area, and/or a right-side area. A vehicle illustration image is displayed in the area surrounded by the actual images of the portions of the vehicle. Since the vehicle actual images are displayed at the perimeter of the vehicle display portion, it is easy for an operator who views a display screen to recognize the positional relationships between the perimeter of the vehicle and obstacles outside the vehicle perimeter.

Claims

1. A vehicle-mounted image capturing apparatus comprising:

cameras provided at multiple locations on a vehicle, each camera being directed to capture an image in a range of an area away from the vehicle to part of the vehicle and being provided with a lens that is configured for focusing light of an image of a wide-angle space area and a photodetector device for detecting the light focused by the lens;

an image processor that performs combination processing for combining the images captured by the respective cameras and fitting an actual image of part of the vehicle into at least one image-absent portion where an image of a surrounding area adjacent to the vehicle is not present in the combined image, wherein the actual image of the part of the vehicle is captured by the camera directed toward the image-absent portion; and

a display device for displaying the combined image generated by the image processor.

2. The vehicle-mounted image capturing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the image processor performs combination processing for combining an illustration border line indicating a contour of the vehicle with the combined image, and the display device displays both the illustration border line and the actual image of the part of the vehicle, with the actual image being fitted into the image-absent portion.

3. The vehicle-mounted image capturing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the actual image of the part of the vehicle fitted into the image-absent portion comprises at least one of an actual image of a front end portion of the vehicle and an actual image of a rear end portion of the vehicle, and the illustration border line indicates a right-side and a left-side of the vehicle.

4. The vehicle-mounted image capturing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the image processor performs combination processing for combining an illustration image of the vehicle with the combined image, and the display device displays both the vehicle illustration image and the actual image of the part of the vehicle, with the actual image being fitted into the image-absent portion.

5. The vehicle-mounted image capturing apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the actual image of the part of the vehicle fitted into the image-absent portion comprises at least one of an actual image of a front end portion of the vehicle and an actual image of a rear end portion of the vehicle, and the display device displays the at least one of the front end portion and the rear end portion of the vehicle and displays a left-side and a right-side of the vehicle illustration image.

6. The vehicle-mounted image capturing apparatus according to claim 4, wherein a vehicle color in the vehicle illustration image and the actual image of the part of the vehicle fitted into the image absent portion have the same hue or hues similar to each other.

7. The vehicle-mounted image capturing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the cameras further comprise other cameras that are configured for capturing images of border portions between the vehicle and surrounding areas outside the vehicle, and the display device displays both the actual images of the border portions captured by the other cameras, and the actual image of the part of the vehicle fitted into at least one image-absent portion.

8. The vehicle-mounted image capturing apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the display device displays an entire perimeter of the vehicle by using the actual images of the border portions captured by the other cameras and the actual image of the part of the vehicle fitted into at least one image-absent portion.

9. The vehicle-mounted image capturing apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the actual images of the border portions captured by the other cameras show a left-side and a right-side of the vehicle, and the actual image of the part of the vehicle fitted into at least one image-absent portion represents an actual image of a front end portion of the vehicle and an actual image of a rear end portion of the vehicle.

10. The vehicle-mounted image capturing apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the actual images of the border portions captured by the other cameras comprise images of the front wheels, and the display device is configured for displaying a steering direction of the front wheels.

11. A vehicle-mounted image capturing apparatus comprising:

cameras provided at multiple locations on a vehicle, each camera being directed to capture an image in a range of an area away from the vehicle to part of the vehicle and being provided with a lens that is configured for focusing light of an image of a wide-angle space area and a photodetector device for detecting the light focused by the lens;

an image processor that performs combination processing for combining the images captured by the respective cameras into an image of the surrounding area outside the vehicle and for combining an illustration image of the vehicle with the combined surrounding-area image, and that performs combination processing for fitting an actual image of part of the vehicle captured by at least one of the cameras into at least part of a border portion between the combined surrounding-area image and the vehicle illustration image; and

a display device for displaying the combined image generated by the image processor.

12. The vehicle-mounted image capturing apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the actual image of the part of the vehicle comprises at least one of a front end portion and a rear end portion of the vehicle.

13. The vehicle-mounted image capturing apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the actual image of the part of the vehicle comprises at least one of a right-side and a left-side of the vehicle.

14. The vehicle-mounted image capturing apparatus according to claim 13, wherein the actual image of the part of the vehicle comprises an image of a front wheel, and the display device is configured for displaying a steering direction of the front wheel.

15. The vehicle-mounted image capturing apparatus according to claim 11, wherein a vehicle color in the vehicle illustration image and the actual image of the part of the vehicle have the same hue or hues similar to each other.

16. A method of operating a vehicle-mounted image capturing apparatus comprising cameras provided at multiple locations on a vehicle, each camera being directed to capture an image in a range of an area away from the vehicle to part of the vehicle and being provided with a lens that is configured for focusing light of an image of a wide-angle space area and a photodetector device for detecting the light focused by the lens, the method comprising;

combining the images captured by the respective cameras into an image of the surrounding area outside the vehicle;

combining an illustration image of the vehicle with the combined surrounding-area image;

fitting an actual image of part of the vehicle captured by at least one of the cameras into at least part of a border portion between the combined surrounding-area image and the vehicle illustration image; and

displaying the resulting image.

17. The method according to claim 16, wherein the actual image of the part of the vehicle comprises at least one of a front end portion and a rear end portion of the vehicle.

18. The method according to claim 16, wherein the actual image of the part of the vehicle comprises at least one of a right-side and a left-side of the vehicle.

19. The method according to claim 18, wherein the actual image of the part of the vehicle comprises an image of a front wheel, and the method further comprises displaying a steering direction of the front wheel.

20. The method according to claim 16, wherein a vehicle color in the vehicle illustration image and the actual image of the part of the vehicle have the same hue or hues similar to each other.