VEHICLE-MOUNTED DISPLAY DEVICE, METHOD FOR CONTROLLING VEHICLE-MOUNTED DISPLAY DEVICE, AND NON-TRANSITORY COMPUTER READABLE MEDIUM RECORDING PROGRAM

• US 20170024861A1
• Filed: 10/06/2016
• Published: 01/26/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 04/24/2014
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Panasonic Intellectual Property Management Co., Ltd. (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Panasonic Intellectual Property Management Co., Ltd. (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: ARATA, KOJI, NAKAI, WATARU, ARAI, YUKO
• Application Number:
  US15/286,685
• Publication Number:
  US 20170024861A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/176 Camera images
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/191 Highlight information
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/21 using cameras
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2370/152 Displays
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2370/176 Camera images
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2370/191 Highlight information
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2370/193 for improving awareness
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2370/21 using cameras
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/00 Instruments specially adapted for vehicles; Arrangement of instruments in or on vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/22 Display screens
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/28 characterised by the type of the output information, e.g. video entertainment or vehicle dynamics information; characterised by the purpose of the output information, e.g. for attracting the attention of the driver
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/29 Instruments characterised by the way in which information is handled, e.g. showing information on plural displays or prioritising information according to driving conditions
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 1/26 to the rear of the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2300/307 virtually distinguishing relevant parts of a scene from the background of the scene
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2300/8046 for replacing a rear-view mirror system
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/30252 Vehicle exterior; Vicinity of vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 5/20 using local operators
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 5/70 Denoising; Smoothing
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/11 Region-based segmentation
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/194 involving foreground-background segmentation
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/80 : Camera processing pipelines; Components thereof
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/183 : for receiving images from a single remote source

Abstract

A vehicle-mounted display device includes a background identifier, a background processor, and a display unit. The background identifier specifies the background of a camera image captured by a camera mounted in the vehicle based on the vanishing point in the camera image. The background processor performs background processing to reduce the clarity of the background specified by the background identifier. The display unit displays the camera image background-processed by the background processor.

Claims

1. A vehicle-mounted display device comprising:

a background identifier which specifies a background of a camera image based on a vanishing point in the camera image, the camera image being captured by a camera mounted in a vehicle;

a background processor which performs background processing to reduce clarity of the background specified by the background identifier; and

a display unit which displays the camera image background-processed by the background processor.

2. The vehicle-mounted display device according to claim 1,

wherein the background identifier specifies, as the background, an edge existing on a straight line passing through the vanishing point and having a slope agreeing with a slope of the straight line passing through the vanishing point.

3. The vehicle-mounted display device according to claim 1,

wherein a first pixel exists on a straight line passing through a vanishing point in a first camera image captured at a first timing,

a second pixel exists at a position shifted from a position of the first pixel existing on the straight line passing through the vanishing point in a second camera image captured later than the first timing to the vanishing point in the second camera image, and

the background identifier specifies, as the background, the second pixel having a correlation of a given value or more with the first pixel.

4. The vehicle-mounted display device according to claim 3,

wherein the second pixel is one of a plurality of second pixels, and the background identifier specifies, as the background, a certain number of the plurality of second pixels that are in a predetermined range on the straight line passing through the vanishing point in the second camera image.

5. The vehicle-mounted display device according to claim 4,

wherein the background identifier includes a speed information receptor which receives speed information of the vehicle, and the background identifier determines the predetermined range on the straight line based on the speed information of the vehicle received by the speed information receptor.

6. The vehicle-mounted display device according to claim 1,

wherein the display unit is installed in a position inside the vehicle, the position being where a rearview mirror is attached.

7. The vehicle-mounted display device according to claim 1,

wherein the background processor reduces clarity of the background either by reducing high-frequency components using a low-pass filter or by reducing a contrast by adjusting gradation.

8. A method of controlling a vehicle-mounted display device for displaying on a display unit an image captured by a camera mounted in a vehicle, the method comprising:

specifying a background of a camera image based on a vanishing point of the camera image;

reducing clarity of the specified background; and

displaying the camera image with reduced clarity.

9. The method according to claim 8,

wherein the specifying the background of the camera image based on the vanishing point of the camera image includes:

calculating a correlation between a first pixel and a second pixel; and

determining whether the second pixel is the background based on the calculated correlation between the first pixel and the second pixel,

where the first pixel exists on a straight line passing through a vanishing point in a first camera image captured at a first timing, and the second pixel exists at a position shifted from a position of the first pixel existing on the straight line passing through the vanishing point in a second camera image captured later than the first timing to the vanishing point in the second camera image.

10. A non-transitory computer readable medium recording a program for executing the method of controlling the vehicle-mounted display device as defined in claim 8 on a computer.