Image display apparatus and method

• US 7,697,029 B2
• Filed: 07/26/2007
• Issued: 04/13/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 07/26/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Ozaki, Osamu
• Primary Examiner(s): NGUYEN, HUY THANH
• Application Number:
  US11/878,722
• Publication Number:
  US 20080024607A1
• Time in Patent Office: 992 Days
• Field of Search: 348/118, 348/135, 348/148, 348/149
• US Class Current: 348/148
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 17/86 Combinations of lidar systems with systems other than lidar, radar or sonar, e.g. with direction finders
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 17/931 of land vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/497 Means for monitoring or calibrating
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/181 for receiving images from a plurality of remote sources

Abstract

An image display apparatus includes a camera, a laser radar, a depression angle correction calculation device, a three-dimensional object detection device, and a viewpoint conversion device, which are installed in a vehicle. The laser radar detects changes in the condition of a road surface with respect to the camera. The depression angle correction calculation device adds a correction angle to a depression angle of the camera. The viewpoint conversion device reduces the correction angle if the change in road surface condition detected by the laser radar is due to a three-dimensional object detected by the three-dimensional object detection device.

Claims

1. An image display apparatus that converts a viewpoint of an original image of a driving environment obtained with an imaging device based on a depression angle of the imaging device to display a bird'"'"'s eye view image, the image display apparatus comprising:

a road surface condition detection device that detects a distance between the imaging device and a road surface;

a depression angle correction calculation device that adds a correction angle to the depression angle of the imaging device so as to make the distance between the imaging device and the road surface constant in response to a change in distance between the imaging device and the road surface detected by the road surface condition detection device;

a depression angle correction modification device that reduces the correction angle; and

a three-dimensional object detection device that detects a three-dimensional object present on the road surface,

wherein the depression angle correction modification device reduces the correction angle if it is determined that the distance between the imaging device and the road surface detected by the road surface condition detection device is equal to a distance between the three-dimensional object detected by the three-dimensional object detection device and the imaging device.

2. The image display apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the depression angle correction modification device sets the correction angle to 0 if the distance between the imaging device and the road surface detected by the road surface condition detection device is equal to the distance between the three-dimensional object detected by the three-dimensional object detection device and the imaging device.

3. The image display apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the distance between the imaging device and the road surface is calculated based on a plurality of the original images obtained with the imaging device.

4. The image display apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the road surface condition detection device includes a laser radar that measures the distance between the imaging device and the road surface.

5. The image display apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the laser radar emits to secure a predetermined view angle.

6. An image display method for converting a viewpoint of an original image of a driving environment obtained with an imaging device based on a depression angle of the imaging device to display a bird'"'"'s eye view image, comprising:

detecting a distance between the imaging device and a road surface;

detecting a three-dimensional object present on the road surface;

adding a correction angle to the depression angle of the imaging device so as to make the distance between the imaging device and the road surface constant in response to a detected change in distance between the imaging device and the road surface; and

reducing the correction angle if the detected distance between the imaging device and the road surface is equal to a distance between the detected three-dimensional object and the imaging device.

7. The image display method according to claim 6, wherein

the correction angle is set to 0 if the detected distance between the imaging device and the road surface is determined to be equal to the distance between the detected three-dimensional object and the imaging device.

8. The image display method according to claim 7, wherein the distance between the imaging device and the road surface is determined based upon a plurality of the original images acquired by the imaging device.

9. The image display method according to claim 7, wherein the distance between the imaging device and the road surface is measured with a laser radar.

10. The image display method according to claim 9, wherein the laser radar emits to secure a predetermined view angle.

11. An image display apparatus that converts a viewpoint of an original image of a driving environment obtained with an imaging device based on a depression angle of the imaging device to display a bird'"'"'s eye view image, the image display apparatus comprising:

a road surface condition detection device that detects an angle between the imaging device and a road surface;

a depression angle correction calculation device that adds a correction angle to the depression angle of the imaging device so as to make the angle between the imaging device and the road surface constant in response to a change in the angle between the imaging device and the road surface detected by the road surface condition detection device;

a depression angle correction modification device that reduces the correction angle; and

a three-dimensional object detection device that detects a three-dimensional object present on the road surface,

wherein the depression angle correction modification device reduces the correction angle if it is determined that the angle between the imaging device and the road surface detected by the road surface condition detection device is equal to an angle between the three-dimensional object detected by the three-dimensional object detection device and the imaging device.

12. The image display apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the road surface condition detection device includes a laser radar that measures the angle between the imaging device and the road surface.

13. The image display apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the depression angle correction modification device sets the correction angle to 0 if the angle between the imaging device and the road surface detected by the road surface condition detection device is equal to the angle between the three-dimensional object detected by the thee-dimensional object detection device and the imaging device.

14. An image display apparatus that converts a viewpoint of an original image of a surrounding environment of a vehicle obtained with imaging means based on a depression angle of the imaging means to display a birdts eye view image, the image display apparatus comprising:

road surface condition detection means for detecting a distance between the imaging means and a road surface;

depression angle correction calculation means for adding a correction angle to the depression angle of the imaging means so as to make the distance between the imaging means and the road surface constant in response to a change in the distance between the imaging means and the road surface detected by the road surface condition detection means;

depression angle correction modification means for reducing the correction angle of the depression angle correction calculation means; and

three-dimensional object detection means for detecting a three-dimensional object present on the road surface,

wherein the depression angle correction modification means reduces the correction angle of the depression angle correction calculation means if it is determined that the distance between the imaging means and the road surface detected by the road surface condition detection means is equal to a distance between the three-dimensional object detected by the three-dimensional object detection means and the imaging means.

15. The image display apparatus according to claim 14, wherein the road surface condition detection means includes a laser radar that measures the distance between the imaging means and the road surface.

16. The image display apparatus according to claim 14, wherein the depression angle correction modification means sets the correction angle of the depression angle correction calculation means to 0 if the distance between the imaging means and the road surface detected by the road surface condition detection means is equal to the distance between the three-dimensional object detected by the thee-dimensional object detection means and the imaging means.

17. An image display apparatus that converts a viewpoint of an original image of a surrounding environment of a vehicle obtained with imaging means based on a depression angle of the imaging means to display a bird'"'"'s eye view image, the image display apparatus comprising:

road surface condition detection means for detecting an angle between the imaging means and a road surface;

depression angle correction calculation means for adding a correction angle to the depression angle of the imaging means so as to make the angle between the imaging means and the road surface constant in response to a change in the angle between the imaging means and the road surface detected by the road surface condition detection means;

depression angle correction modification means for reducing the correction angle of the depression angle correction calculation means; and

three-dimensional object detection means for detecting a three-dimensional object present on the road surface,

wherein the depression angle correction modification means reduces the correction angle of the depression angle correction calculation means if it is determined that the angle between the imaging means and the road surface detected by the road surface condition detection means is equal to an angle between the three-dimensional object detected by the three-dimensional object detection means and the imaging means.

18. The image display apparatus according to claim 17, wherein the road surface condition detection means includes a laser radar that measures the angle between the imaging means and the road surface.

19. The image display apparatus according to claim 17, wherein the depression angle correction modification means sets the correction angle of the depression angle correction calculation means to 0 if the angle between the imaging means and the road surface detected by the road surface condition detection means is equal to the angle between the three-dimensional object detected by the three-dimensional object detection means and the imaging means.