Vehicle-periphery image generating apparatus and method of correcting distortion of a vehicle-periphery image
First Claim
1. A vehicle-periphery image generating apparatus for viewpoint-converting each of a plurality of images captured by a plurality of cameras installed at different positions of a vehicle, and configured to combine the respective viewpoint-converted images to generate a vehicle-periphery image viewed from a virtual point of view above the vehicle, the apparatus comprising:
- a viewpoint conversion processor configured to input a plurality of images captured by the plurality of cameras, and configured to viewpoint-convert the plurality of images using mapping table information, and combine the respective viewpoint-converted images to generate the vehicle-periphery image;
an obstacle detector configured to detect an obstacle around the vehicle and determine a distance from the vehicle to the obstacle; and
an image compression controller configured to control compression when the obstacle having a width greater than a predetermined amount is detected at a distance less than a predetermined distance from the vehicle, the compression based on;
a center direction of the images around the vehicle,a width of an image in the direction in which the obstacle is detected, anda region positioned on the far side of the obstacle as viewed from the vehicle among the images around the vehicle.
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Abstract
A vehicle-periphery image generating apparatus and a method of correcting distortion of vehicle-periphery image corrects distortion of the obstacle image appearing in the vehicle-periphery image after viewpoint conversion, so that visual discomfort experienced by the driver is reduced. Images around the vehicle are captured by a plurality of cameras, and an obstacle around the vehicle is detected by an ultrasonic sensor. When the obstacle is detected, a width of an image in the region positioned on the far side of the obstacle is compressed in the center direction of the images to generate the vehicle-periphery image. As a result, when a three-dimensional obstacle around the vehicle appears in an camera image, the camera image is viewpoint-converted so that enlargement or stretching of the obstacle image can be prevented.
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Citations
12 Claims
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1. A vehicle-periphery image generating apparatus for viewpoint-converting each of a plurality of images captured by a plurality of cameras installed at different positions of a vehicle, and configured to combine the respective viewpoint-converted images to generate a vehicle-periphery image viewed from a virtual point of view above the vehicle, the apparatus comprising:
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a viewpoint conversion processor configured to input a plurality of images captured by the plurality of cameras, and configured to viewpoint-convert the plurality of images using mapping table information, and combine the respective viewpoint-converted images to generate the vehicle-periphery image; an obstacle detector configured to detect an obstacle around the vehicle and determine a distance from the vehicle to the obstacle; and an image compression controller configured to control compression when the obstacle having a width greater than a predetermined amount is detected at a distance less than a predetermined distance from the vehicle, the compression based on; a center direction of the images around the vehicle, a width of an image in the direction in which the obstacle is detected, and a region positioned on the far side of the obstacle as viewed from the vehicle among the images around the vehicle. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
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7. A method of correcting distortion of an obstacle image within a vehicle-periphery image and combining respective viewpoint-converted images, the vehicle-periphery image being viewed from a virtual point of view above the vehicle, the method comprising:
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detecting an obstacle around the vehicle and determining a distance from the vehicle to the obstacle; and performing viewpoint conversion using normal mapping table information for the images around the vehicle for which the obstacle is not detected in the detection step; performing viewpoint conversion processing using compression mapping table information for the images around the vehicle for which the obstacle is detected at a distance greater than a predetermined distance from the vehicle in the detection step, the compression mapping table information corresponding to information for compressing a width of an image in the direction in which the obstacle having a width greater than a predetermined amount is detected, and in the region positioned on the far side of the obstacle, and combining the respective viewpoint-converted images to generate the vehicle-periphery image. - View Dependent Claims (8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
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Specification