Vehicle periphery viewing apparatus

• US 20050249379A1
• Filed: 04/21/2005
• Published: 11/10/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 04/23/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Autonetworks Technologies, Ltd. (Sumitomo Corporation), Sumitomo Electric Industries Limited (Sumitomo Corporation), Sumitomo Wiring Systems Limited (Sumitomo Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Autonetworks Technologies, Ltd. (Sumitomo Corporation), Sumitomo Electric Industries Limited (Sumitomo Corporation), Sumitomo Wiring Systems Limited (Sumitomo Corporation)
• Inventors: Yoshimura, Akinobu
• Granted Patent: US 7,505,047 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 382/104
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 1/00 Optical viewing arrangements; Real-time viewing arrangements for drivers or passengers using optical image capturing systems, e.g. cameras or video systems specially adapted for use in or on vehicles
• 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 2300/60 characterised by monitoring and displaying vehicle exterior scenes from a transformed perspective
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2300/8066 for monitoring rearward traffic
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 5/80 Geometric correction

Abstract

A vehicle periphery viewing apparatus for capturing a vehicle-peripheral image includes: an image capturing device disposed on predetermined position; a display device disposed within the vehicle; and an image processing device performing an image division of the original image into a first image and a second image. The image capturing device captures an original image from the predetermined position. The display device displays the captured vehicle-peripheral image. The image processing device performs a coordinate conversion into a plan view coordinate by using a geometrical correction for the first image. The image processing device performs a predetermined image synthesis for the first image and the second image. The image processing device displays a synthesized image on the display device.

Claims

1. A vehicle periphery viewing apparatus for capturing a vehicle-peripheral image, comprising:

an image capturing device disposed on predetermined position;

a display device disposed within the vehicle; and

an image processing device performing an image division of the original image into a first image and a second image,

wherein the image capturing device captures an original image from the predetermined position,

wherein the display device displays the captured vehicle-peripheral image,

wherein the image processing device performs a coordinate conversion into a plan view coordinate by using a geometrical correction for the first image,

wherein the image processing device performs a predetermined image synthesis for the first image and the second image, and

wherein the image processing device displays an synthesized image on the display device.

2. The vehicle periphery viewing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first image is a short distance image, and

wherein the second image is a long distance image.

3. The vehicle periphery viewing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the predetermined image synthesis is to arrange the short distance and long distance images one above the other at a point of view from which an object is obliquely seen downward.

4. The vehicle periphery viewing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the image capturing device captures the original image from the predetermined position at a point of view from which an object is obliquely seen downward.

5. The vehicle periphery viewing apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the image processing device performs at least one of a coordinate conversion and a scale change for at least one of the short distance image and the long distance image such that no inconsistency occurs at a boundary between the arranged short and long distance images.

6. The vehicle periphery viewing apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the image processing device performs a first image processing for the short distance image to enlarge a view point conversion image of the short distance image, and

wherein the image processing device performs a second image processing for the long distance image to include an image range which is not included in a range of angle of view by enlarging the short distance image

7. The vehicle periphery viewing apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the short distance image is set to a range required for making the vehicle approach a target stop position from a predetermined position immediately before the vehicle stop.

8. The vehicle periphery viewing apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the image processing device performs the image synthesis after arranging an area in which an image is not displayed between the first image and the second image.

9. The vehicle periphery viewing apparatus according to claim 3,

wherein the image processing device is operable to switches between a first mode for making a scale range at the boundary between the short distance image and the long distance image equal and a second mode for enlarging the short distance image.

10. The vehicle periphery viewing apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the image processing device switches between the first mode and the second mode according to a vehicle condition obtained over at least one of an in-vehicle communication network and operation of an operational input device.

11. The vehicle periphery viewing apparatus according to claim 9,

wherein the image processing device switches between the first mode and the second mode by performing a coordinate conversion using a table selected from a plurality of preset conversion tables.

12. The vehicle periphery viewing apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the image processing device switches between the first mode and the second mode by storing all conversion tables pre-stored in a nonvolatile memory in a conversion table memory, and

wherein the image processing device performs the coordinate conversion using the selected table.

13. The vehicle periphery viewing apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the image processing device performs an image synthesis for the long distance image after enlarging or reducing the long distance image without changing the long distance image included in the original image.