Method and apparatus for image processing

• US 20100134519A1
• Filed: 11/27/2009
• Published: 06/03/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 12/01/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Fujitsu Ten Limited (DENSO Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Fujitsu Ten Limited (DENSO Corporation)
• Inventors: Yamada, Masahiro
• Granted Patent: US 8,648,881 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/672
• 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 2300/304 using merged images, e.g. merging camera image with stored images
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2300/70 characterised by an event-triggered choice to display a specific image among a selection of captured images
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 11/00 2D [Two Dimensional] image generation

Abstract

An image processing apparatus has stored therein in advance, as image conversion parameters to coordinate-convert images acquired by in-vehicle cameras incorporated at different positions in an own vehicle, directions connecting between a sight-line starting position of a driver and predetermined positions of the own vehicle, values of a depression angle from the sight-line starting position of the driver, and a range that the driver is caused to visualize, for each of the in-vehicle cameras, corresponding to a state of the own vehicle. The image processing apparatus receives from the driver an input of a display output condition, and determines a current state of the own vehicle. The image processing apparatus acquires the image conversion parameters based on the display output condition and the current state of the own vehicle, and converts images captured by the in-vehicle cameras, by using the acquired image conversion parameters, and outputs the images.

Claims

1. An image processing apparatus comprising:

an image-conversion-parameter storage unit having stored therein in advance, as image conversion parameters to coordinate-convert images of in-vehicle cameras incorporated in an own vehicle, a plurality of directions connecting between a sight-line starting position of a driver and a plurality of predetermined positions of the own vehicle, values of a depression angle from the sight-line starting position of the driver, and a range that the driver is caused to visualize corresponding to a positioned state of the own vehicle, for each of the in-vehicle cameras incorporated at different positions of the own vehicle;

a state determining unit that determines a current state of the own vehicle;

an image converting unit that coordinate-converts an image captured by each in-vehicle camera, based on a result of a state determined by the state determining unit and the image conversion parameters stored in the image-conversion-parameter storage unit; and

a display and output unit that outputs and displays an image converted by the image converting unit.

2. The image processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the state determining unit determines a current state of the own vehicle by using one or a plurality of pieces of information concerning a driving operation of the vehicle, vehicle speed information, and navigation information.

3. The image processing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

a display-output-condition-input receiving unit that receives from a driver an input of a display output condition for outputting and displaying an image captured by each in-vehicle camera; and

an overhead-image display unit that temporarily displays an overhead image of entirety of the own vehicle when the display-output-condition-input receiving unit receives an input of the display output condition different from that of last time, wherein

the display and output unit outputs and displays an image converted by the image converting unit when the overhead-image display unit ends displaying the overhead image.

4. The image processing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a parameter-setting changing unit that changes a setting of the image conversion parameters stored in the image-conversion-parameter storage unit, based on a size of the own vehicle, a setting position of a steering wheel, a body frame of a driver, and a seat position.

5. The image processing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a parameter-setting-change receiving unit that receives from a driver a setting change of the image conversion parameters stored in the image-conversion-parameter storage unit.

6. The image processing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising an own-vehicle-information inserting unit that inserts information indicating a positional relationship of the own vehicle into an image converted by the image converting unit, wherein

the display and output unit outputs and displays an image into which information indicating a positional relationship of the own vehicle is inserted by the own-vehicle-information inserting unit.

7. An image processing method applied to an image processing apparatus, comprising:

determining a current state of an own vehicle;

coordinate-converting images captured by in-vehicle cameras incorporated at different positions of the own vehicle, based on image conversion parameters for coordinate-converting images acquired by the in-vehicle cameras and based on a state determination result at the determining, for each of the in-vehicle cameras, corresponding to a positioned scene of the own vehicle, the image conversion parameters being directions connecting between a sight-line starting position of a driver and a plurality of predetermined positions of the own vehicle, values of a depression angle from the sight-line starting position of the driver, and a range that the driver is caused to visualize; and

outputting and displaying an image converted at the converting.

8. An image processing apparatus comprising:

an own-vehicle-information inserting unit that inserts information indicating an outline of an own vehicle into images captured by a plurality of in-vehicle cameras incorporated at different positions of the own vehicle; and

a display and output unit that outputs and displays an image into which information indicating an outline of the own vehicle is inserted by the own-vehicle-information inserting unit.

9. The image processing apparatus according to claim 8, further comprising:

a tire-information generating unit that generates information of tires of which a current tire angle is reflected based on information of steering operation of the own vehicle, wherein

the own-vehicle-information inserting unit inserts into the captured images tire information generated by the tire-information generating unit together with information indicating an outline of the own vehicle; and

a display and output unit that outputs and displays an image into which information indicating an outline of the own vehicle and tire information are inserted by the own-vehicle-information inserting unit.