Imaging device, imaging system, and imaging method

• US 10,462,372 B2
• Filed: 09/27/2018
• Issued: 10/29/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 08/27/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Oba, Eiji
• Primary Examiner(s): Kalapodas, Dramos
• Application Number:
  US16/144,222
• Publication Number:
  US 20190028651A1
• Time in Patent Office: 397 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04845 for image manipulation, e.g. dragging, rotation, expansion or change of colour
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/10004 Still image; Photographic image
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/30252 Vehicle exterior; Vicinity of vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 5/70 Denoising; Smoothing
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/00 Cameras or camera modules comprising electronic image sensors; Control thereof
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/635 Region indicators; Field of view indicators
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/80 Camera processing pipelines; Components thereof
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/18 Closed-circuit television [CCTV] systems, i.e. systems in which the video signal is not broadcast

Abstract

An imaging device includes: an image sensor that photoelectrically converts subject light to generate image signals; a storage portion that sets a second area within a first area so as to correspond to a specific area specified by a setting value for setting an extracting range of an image based on the image signals; a timing adjustment unit that adjusts the timing at which the image signals are read from the image sensor and written to the storage portion and the timing at which the image signals are read from the storage portion; an image conversion processor that performs predetermined processing on the image based on the image signals read from the image sensor; an output unit that converts processed image signals with continuous scanning timing into image signals of a predetermined format and outputs the image signals to a display unit.

Claims

1. A display control system for a vehicle having a camera comprising:

a distortion correcting unit configured to correct a left side region distortion and a right side region distortion of a first wide-angle image derived from a captured image captured by a single camera of the vehicle with a wide angle lens, the first wide-angle image including the left side region distortion and the right side region distortion based on the wide angle lens;

an image generating unit configured to generate a second wide-angle image derived from the captured image, the second wide-angle image including a left-directional image, a right-directional image and a one-directional image based on the first wide-angle image; and

a control unit configured to selectively display either (a) the first wide-angle image with distortion or (b) the second wide-angle image;

wherein the left-directional image in the second wide-angle image is generated based on the distortion-corrected left side region of the first wide-angle image and is positioned at the left side in the display of the second wide angle image;

wherein the right-directional image in the second wide-angle image is generated based on the distortion-corrected right side region of the first wide-angle image and is positioned at the right side in the display of the second wide angle image; and

the display on a display device in the vehicle of the first wide angle image with distortion is changed over to display on the display device the second wide angle image in response to a selection input.

2. The display control system according to claim 1, wherein the control unit is configured to control the display to display a rectangular image as the one-directional image.

3. The display control system according to claim 1, wherein the one-directional image is displayed on an upper portion of the display.

4. The display control system according to claim 3, wherein the one-directional image is displayed as a horizontally expanded image.

5. The display control system according to claim 1, wherein the left-directional image, the right-directional image and the one-directional image are displayed in respective display areas on the display device;

wherein at least one of the display area of the left-directional image or the right-directional image is larger than the display area of the one-directional image.

6. The display control system according to claim 1, wherein the captured image is a rearward image of the vehicle and includes an image of the exterior of the vehicle.

7. The display control system according to claim 1, wherein the camera exhibits a viewing angle of about 180 degrees.

8. The display control system according to claim 1, further including the camera.

9. The display control system according to claim 1, further including the display device.

10. A display control apparatus for a vehicle having a camera comprising circuitry configured to:

correct a left side region distortion and a right side region distortion of a first wide-angle image derived from a captured image captured by a single camera of the vehicle with a wide angle lens, the first wide-angle image including the left side region distortion and the right side region distortion based on the wide angle lens;

generate a second wide-angle image derived from the captured image, the second wide-angle image including a left-directional image, a right-directional image and a one-directional image based on the first wide-angle image; and

selectively display either (a) the first wide-angle image with distortion or (b) the second wide-angle image;

wherein the left-directional image in the second wide-angle image is generated based on the distortion-corrected left side region of the first wide-angle image and is positioned at the left side in the display of the second wide angle image;

wherein the right-directional image in the second wide-angle image is generated based on the distortion-corrected right side region of the first wide-angle image and is positioned at the right side in the display of the second wide angle image; and

the display on a display device in the vehicle of the first wide angle image with distortion is changed over to display on the display device the second wide angle image in response to a selection input.

11. The display control apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the one-directional image is a rectangular image.

12. The display control apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the left-directional image, the right-directional image and the one-directional image are displayed in respective display areas on the display device;

wherein at least one of Gall the display area of the left-directional image or the right-directional image is larger than flail the display area of the one-directional image.

13. The display control apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the captured image is a rearward image of the vehicle and includes an image of the exterior of the vehicle.

14. The display control apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the camera exhibits a viewing angle of about 180 degrees.

15. A method for controlling a display for a vehicle having a camera, comprising:

correcting a left side region distortion and a right side region distortion of a first wide-angle image derived from a captured image captured by a single camera of the vehicle with a wide angle lens, the first wide-angle image including the left side region distortion and the right side region distortion based on the wide angle lens;

generating a second wide-angle image derived from the captured image, the second wide-angle image including a left-directional image, a right-directional image and a one-directional image based on the first wide-angle image; and

selectively displaying either (a) the first wide-angle image with distortion or (b) the second wide-angle image;

wherein the left-directional image in the second wide-angle image is generated based on the distortion-corrected left side region of the first wide-angle image and is positioned at the left side in the display of the second wide angle image;

wherein the right-directional image in the second wide-angle image is generated based on the distortion-corrected right side region of the first wide-angle image and is positioned at the right side in the display of the second wide angle image; and

the display on a display device in the vehicle of the first wide angle image with distortion is changed over to display on the display device the second wide angle image in response to a selection input.

16. The method according to claim 15, wherein the one-directional image is a rectangular image.

17. The method according to claim 15, wherein the left-directional image, the right-directional image and the one-directional image are displayed in respective display areas on the display device;

wherein at least one of the display area of the left-directional image or the right-directional image is larger than the display area of the one-directional image.

18. The method according to claim 15, wherein the captured image is a rearward image of the vehicle and includes an image of the exterior of the vehicle.

19. The method according to claim 15, wherein the camera exhibits a viewing angle of about 180 degrees.