Image positional relation correction apparatus, steering supporting apparatus provided with the image positional relation correction apparatus, and image positional relation correction method

• US 6,785,404 B1
• Filed: 10/18/2000
• Issued: 08/31/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 10/19/1999
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toyoda Jidoshokki Seisakusho
• Original Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toyoda Jidoshokki Seisakusho
• Inventors: Suzuki, Isao, Ito, Kyoko, Tanaka, Hiroshi, Yamagami, Tomohiro, Shimazaki, Kazunori
• Primary Examiner(s): Johnson, Timothy M.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Choobin, Barry
• Application Number:
  US09/691,716
• Time in Patent Office: 1,413 Days
• Field of Search: 382/104, 382/291, 382/293, 382/294, 340/907, 340/933, 396/188, 348/113, 348/706, 345/8, 701/301, 701/41, 701/42, 180/252, 180/6.28, 180/204, 191/4
• US Class Current: 382/104
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/183 for receiving images from a single remote source

Abstract

An image positional relation apparatus is provided, in which coordinate data of a real targed photographed by a CCD camera and coordinate data of a virtual target logically calculated from the predetermined position of the real target are transmitted to a superimpose circuit, and the real target and the virtual target are superimposed to be displayed on a monitor screen. A user operates a controller so that the real target coincides with the virtual target. An amount of such operation is transmitted to the superimpose circuit as a correction amount, and the positional relation between the real target and the virtual target, i.e., the positional relation between the real image and the virtual image can be properly corrected.

Claims

1. An image positional relation correction apparatus for correcting relative positional relation between a real image taken by a camera and a virtual image to be superimposed to be displayed on a monitor screen together with the real image comprising:

real target providing means provided in an object area of the camera for causing the camera to photograph a plurality of real targets;

virtual target providing means for providing a plurality of virtual targets logically led respectively from coordinates of the plurality of the real targets to the same coordinate system as the virtual image; and

correcting means for correcting the relative positional relation between the real image and the virtual image based on deviation between the real targets and the virtual targets respectively corresponding to the real targets, wherein

said correcting means calculates the coordinates of the real target photographed by the camera in the same coordinate system as the virtual image, stores in advance standard parameters including a standard position and angle of a camera mounted on a vehicle, calculates the coordinates of the virtual target logically led from the real target by the standard parameters, calculates real mounting parameters including the real position and angle of the camera based on the deviation between the coordinates of the virtual target and the coordinates of the real target and the standard parameters, and corrects the relative positional relation between the real image and the virtual image based on the real mounting parameters.

2. An image positional relation correction apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said correcting means calculates the real mounting parameters of the camera by the Newton-Raphson method based on the deviation between the coordinates of the virtual target and the coordinates of the real target and the standard parameters.

3. An image positional relation correction apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said correcting means is provided with a controller for shifting one of the real target and the virtual target on the monitor screen and superimposing one on the other.

4. An image positional relation correction apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said correcting means is provided with a touch panel for shifting one of the real target and the virtual target on the monitor screen and superimposing one on the other.

5. An image positional relation correction apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said correcting means is provided with an image processing circuit for detecting the deviation between the real target and the virtual target by image processing.

6. An image positional relation correction apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said virtual target providing means provides a rectangular figure as the virtual target displayed on the monitor screen.

7. An image positional relation correction apparatus according to claim 6, wherein said correcting means corrects the coordinates for each vertex of said rectangular figure.

8. A steering supporting apparatus provided with an image positional relation correcting apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the real image and the virtual image are a rear image of the vehicle and a steering supporting guide, respectively.

9. A steering supporting apparatus according to claim 8 wherein said real target providing means is a member which is mounted on the rear part of the vehicle and has a real target on a surface.

10. A steering supporting apparatus according to claim 8, wherein said real target providing means is a member which is disposed on a road surface backward of the vehicle and has a real target on the surface.

11. An image positional relation correction apparatus according to claim 8 wherein the real target is a rectangular figure.

13. An image positional relation correction apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the standard parameters and the real mounting parameters include parameters in the camera itself which include at least one of a focal length and distortion of the camera lens, and amount of deviation and inclination of the CCD sensor in relation to the optical axis of the lens.

14. An image positional relation correction apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the controller independently shifts one of the plurality of real targets and the plurality of virtual targets respectively corresponding to the real targets on the monitor screen and superimposes one on the other.

12. An image positional relation correcting method for correcting relative positional relation between a real image taken by the camera and a virtual image to be superimposed to be displayed on a monitor screen together with the real image comprising the steps of:

causing said camera to photograph a plurality of real targets;

setting the plurality of virtual targets logically led respectively from the coordinates of the plurality of the real targets on the same coordinate system as said virtual image; and

correcting the relative positional relation between said real image and said virtual image based on the deviation between the real targets and the virtual targets respectively corresponding to the real targets, wherein

said step of correcting the relative positional relation calculates the coordinates of the real target photographed by the camera in the same coordinate system as the virtual image, stores in advance standard parameters including a standard position and angle of a camera mounted on a vehicle, calculates the coordinates of the virtual target logically led from the real target by the standard parameters, calculates real mounting parameters including the real position and angle of the camera based on the deviation between the coordinates of the virtual target and the coordinates of the real target and the standard parameters, and corrects the relative positional relation between the real image and the virtual image based on the real mounting parameters.