Composite image-generating device and computer-readable medium storing program for causing computer to function as composite image-generating device

• US 8,094,170 B2
• Filed: 09/08/2008
• Issued: 01/10/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 09/10/2007
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Kato, Kozo, Ohta, Mitsuhiko
• Primary Examiner(s): HARRISON, CHANTE E
• Application Number:
  US12/206,135
• Publication Number:
  US 20090066726A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,219 Days
• Field of Search: 345/629, 345/647, 345/639, 345/641, 348/148, 348/231.3
• US Class Current: 345/647
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2300/305 merging camera image with lines or icons
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2300/306 using a re-scaling of images
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2200/28 involving image processing hardware
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 3/18 Image warping, e.g. rearranging pixels individually
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 3/4007 based on interpolation, e.g. bilinear interpolation image demosaicing G06T3/4015; edge-driven or edge-based scaling G06T3/403
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2340/10 Mixing of images, i.e. displayed pixel being the result of an operation, e.g. adding, on the corresponding input pixels

Abstract

A composite image-generating device includes: a geometric transformation table that assigns coordinates corresponding to positions of pixels of an output image on an input image received from a capturing section; and an output image-generating section that generates the output image by superimposing an overlay image based on overlay data associated with the positions of the pixels of the output image in the geometric transformation table on an image obtained by geometrically transforming the input image according to the geometric transformation table.

Claims

1. A composite image-generating device comprising:

a geometric transformation table that assigns coordinates corresponding to positions of pixels of an output image on an input image received from a capturing section; and

an output image-generating section that generates the output image by performing interpolation using pixel values of pixels of the input image that surround a point that corresponds with the coordinates assigned on the input image in the geometric transformation table, wherein

the output image-generating section generates the output image by replacing, based on overlay data, at least part of the pixel values of the pixels that surround the point that corresponds with the coordinates assigned on the input image and then performing the interpolation, with regard to the pixel of the output image for which the overlay data is provided,

the geometric transformation table includes a selection flag that corresponds to the positions of the pixels of the output image, and

the selection flag indicates which of the pixels of the output image are replaced by the output image-generating section based on the overlay data.

2. The composite image-generating device according to claim 1, further comprising:

a coordinate conversion section that converts a fractional part of coordinates of a row direction of the coordinates assigned on the input image in the geometric transformation table, in accordance with a blending coefficient that affects the opacity of the at least part of the pixel values replaced based on the overlay data,

wherein the output image-generating section generates the output image by performing a blending operation based on the fractional part of the coordinate of the row direction converted by the coordinate conversion section, with regard to the pixel of the output image for which the overlay data is provided by an overlay data section.

3. The composite image-generating device according to claim 1, further comprising:

a coordinate conversion section that converts a fractional part of coordinates of a column direction of the coordinates assigned on the input image in the geometric transformation table, in accordance with a blending coefficient that affects the opacity of the at least part of the pixel values replaced based on the overly data,

wherein the output image-generating section generates the output image by performing a blending operation based on the fractional part of the coordinate of the column direction converted by the coordinate conversion section, with regard to the pixel of the output image for which the overlay data is provided by an overlay data section.

4. The composite image-generating device according to claim 1, wherein:

the geometric transformation table includes a displayed color,

when the selection flag indicates that the pixels of the output image are replaced by the output image-generating section based on the overlay data, the output image-generating section generates the displayed color at the respective pixels of the output image, and

when the selection flag indicates that the pixels of the output image are not replaced by the output image-generating section, the output image-generating section generates the interpolated pixel values of the pixels of the input image that surround the points that correspond to the respective pixels of the output image.

5. The composite image-generating device according to claim 4, wherein:

the geometric transformation table includes a blending coefficient, and

the pixels of the output image that are replaced by the displayed color are weighted with the blending coefficient.

6. The composite image-generating device according to claim 1, the overlay data corresponds to extension lines indicating a vehicle width.