Rendering device for generating a display image for drive assistance

• US 7,304,651 B2
• Filed: 05/22/2001
• Issued: 12/04/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 05/24/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Yoshida, Takashi, Iisaka, Atsushi, Ishida, Akira
• Primary Examiner(s): Wang; Jin-Cheng
• Application Number:
  US09/861,548
• Publication Number:
  US 20010048446A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,387 Days
• Field of Search: 340/461, 340/937, 340/901, 348/148, 345/629
• US Class Current: 345/629
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 1/27 providing all-round vision, e.g. using omnidirectional cameras
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2300/105 using multiple cameras
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2300/30 characterised by the type of image processing
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2300/302 combining image information with GPS information or vehicle data, e.g. vehicle speed, gyro, steering angle data
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2300/304 using merged images, e.g. merging camera image with stored images
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2300/404 triggering from stand-by mode to operation mode
• 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: B60R 2300/802 for monitoring and displaying vehicle exterior blind spot views
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/18 Closed-circuit television [CCTV] systems, i.e. systems in which the video signal is not broadcast
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/181 for receiving images from a plurality of remote sources

Abstract

In a rendering device Urnd1, a processor 1 receives a front-left image Sfl and a front-right image Sfr at regular intervals, and therefrom, cuts out a partial front-left image and a partial front-right image for overlay onto a mask image. The processor 1 then overlays, with a predetermined timing, any one of vehicle model images varying in size onto the mask image. Here, the vehicle model image is overlaid in such manner as to create a moving picture as if the vehicle model image is moving forward. With such vehicle model image, a driver of a vehicle can instantaneously recognize that a drive assistant device is now showing the front side of the vehicle.

Claims

1. A rendering device for generating a display image for drive assistance, said device comprising:

a reception part for receiving, from an image capture device of a vehicle, a surrounding image, which covers an area around the vehicle;

a storing part for storing indicator images, which are different from each other in size;

a counting part;

a selecting part for selecting, based on a counter value of said counting part, one of the indicator images stored in said storing part, and

a first image overlay part for overlaying the indicator image selected by said selecting part on any one of predetermined points, which are different from each other in position in the surrounding image received by said reception part, to provide a generation of the display image that indicates which portion of the area surrounding the vehicle is represented by the surrounding image with reference to the vehicle,

wherein said counting part counts a number of generations of the display image provided by said first image overlay part.

2. The rendering device according to claim 1, further comprising:

a cutout part for cutting out, as a partial surrounding image, a predetermined region from the surrounding image received by said reception part; and

a second image overlay part for generating an intermediate image by overlaying, onto a prepared mask region, the cutout partial surrounding image cutout

wherein said first image overlay part is operable to overlay the indicator image onto the intermediate image generated by said second image overlay part.

3. The rendering device according to claim 1, wherein said indicator images are in the shape of a vehicle model, and

wherein said first image overlay part is operable to overlay each of the indicator onto the surrounding image in such a manner as to create a moving picture of the vehicle.

4. The rendering device according to claim 3, wherein each of said indicator images is in the shape of the vehicle model as viewed from behind.

5. The rendering device according to claim 1, wherein each of said indicator images is in a graphic form, and

wherein said first image overlay part is operable to overlay each of the indicator images in such manner as to create a moving picture of the graphics.

6. The rendering device according to claim 1, wherein

in response to a signal received from a first operation button, said reception part receives, from an image capture device placed on the front side of the vehicle, a front image as the surrounding image of the vehicle,

said first image overlay part is operable to generate a display front image wherein each of the indicator images is overlaid on the front image to indicate that the front portion of the area surrounding the vehicle is represented by the surrounding image,

in response to a signal received from a second operation button, said reception part receives, from an image capture device placed on the rear side of the vehicle, a rear image as the surrounding image of the vehicle, and

said first image overlay part is operable to generate a display rear image wherein each of the indicator images is overlaid on the rear image to indicate that the rear portion of the area surrounding the vehicle is represented by the surrounding image.

7. The rendering device according to claim 6,

wherein each of said indicator images is in the shape of the vehicle model as viewed from behind,

said first image overlay part is operable to overlay each of the indicator images on the surrounding image in such manner as to create a moving picture of the vehicle model, and

said first image overlay part is operable to overlay each of the indicator images on the surrounding image in such manner as to create a moving picture of the vehicle model.

8. The rendering device according to claim 1, wherein

when a signal is received from an operation button, and when it is detected that the vehicle is moving forward said reception part receives a front image from an image capture device on the front side of the vehicle as the surrounding image of the vehicle,

said first image overlay part is operable to generate a display front image wherein each of the indicator images is overlaid on the front image to indicate that the front portion of the area surrounding the vehicle is represented by the surrounding image,

when a signal is received from the operation button, and when it is detected that the vehicle is moving backward said reception part receives a rear image from an image capture device on the rear side of the vehicle as the surrounding image of the vehicle,

said first image overlay part is operable to generate a display rear image wherein each of the indicator images is overlaid on the rear image to indicate that the rear portion of the area surrounding the vehicle is represented by the surrounding image.

9. The rendering device according to claim 8, wherein each of the indicator images is in the shape of a vehicle model as viewed from behind,

said first image overlay part is operable to overlay, in response to a signal from the operation button and a signal indicating that the vehicle is moving forward, each of the indicator images on the surrounding image in such manner as to create a moving picture of the vehicle model moving upward, and

said first image overlay part is operable to overlay, in response to a signal from the operation button and a signal indicating that the vehicle is moving backward, each of the indicator images on the surrounding image in such manner as to create a moving picture of the vehicle model moving downward.

10. A rendering method of generating a display image for assisting a driver of a vehicle in driving, said method comprising:

storing indicator images, which are different from each other in size,

receiving, from an image capture device of a vehicle, a surrounding image which covers an area surrounding the vehicle;

counting a number;

selecting, based on the counted number, one of the stored indicator images, and

overlaying the selected indicator image on any one of predetermined points, which are different from each other in position in the received surrounding image, to provide a generation of the display image that indicates which portion of the area surrounding the vehicle is represented by the surrounding image with reference to the vehicle,

wherein said counting comprises counting a number of generations of the display image provided by said overlaying.

11. A recording medium having system readable instructions recorded thereon, the system readable instructions being capable of instructing a display system to generate a display image for assisting a driver of a vehicle in driving, said system readable instructions being capable of instructing the system to:

store indicator images, which are different from each other in size;

receive, from an image capture device of a vehicle, a surrounding image which covers an area surrounding the vehicle;

count a number;

select, based on the counted number, one of the stored indicator images; and

overlay the selected indicator image on any one of predetermined points, which are different from each other in position in the received surrounding image to provide a generation of the display image that indicates which portion of the area surrounding the vehicle is represented by the surrounding image with reference to the vehicle,

wherein the instructions capable of instructing the system to count comprise instructions capable of instructing the system to count a number of generations of the display image provided where the system overlays.

12. A rendering program for generating a display image for assisting a driver of a vehicle in driving, said program comprising:

storing indicator images, which are different from each other in size;

receiving, from an image capture device of a vehicle, a surrounding image which covers an area surrounding the vehicle;

counting a number;

selecting, based on the counted number, one of the stored indicator images, and

overlaying the selected indicator image on any one of predetermined points, which are different from each other in position in the received surrounding image, to provide a generation of the display image that indicates which portion of the area surrounding the vehicle is represented by the surrounding image with reference to the vehicle,

wherein said counting comprises counting a number of generations of the display image provided by said overlaying.