IMAGE PROCESSOR AND VISUAL FIELD SUPPORT DEVICE

• US 20080043113A1
• Filed: 08/21/2007
• Published: 02/21/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 08/21/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sanyo Electric Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Sanyo Electric Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: ISHII, Yohei
• Granted Patent: US 7,728,879 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/218.1
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/10012 Stereo images
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/30261 Obstacle
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 3/4038 Image mosaicing, e.g. composing plane images from plane sub-images
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 10/16 using multiple overlapping images; Image stitching
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/56 exterior to a vehicle by using sensors mounted on the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/181 for receiving images from a plurality of remote sources

Abstract

Photographed images from a front camera and a side camera respectively installed at the front and left side of a vehicle are respectively converted into bird'"'"'s-eye view images, and a synthetic bird'"'"'s-eye view image is displayed which is obtained by synthesizing the bird'"'"'s-eye view images. Based on a difference image between the front and side cameras, a difference region where a solid object is drawn is detected from a common region where the both bird'"'"'s-eye view images overlap. Then, based on position of each pixel forming the difference region, it is evaluated which of the front and side cameras captures the solid object better, and an image of the common region in the synthetic bird'"'"'s-eye view image is formed based on the image obtained from one of the cameras.

Claims

1. An image processor

comprising:

a visual point conversion section respectively converting images photographed by an n-number of photographing apparatuses (where n is an integer of 2 or larger) into bird'"'"'s-eye view images as viewed from a virtual visual point; and

an image synthesis section synthesizing the obtained bird'"'"'s-eye view images to generate a synthetic bird'"'"'s-eye view image, and

generating a video signal for displaying the synthetic bird'"'"'s-eye view image on a display device,

wherein the image synthesis section

compares, between a plurality of the bird'"'"'s-eye view images, images of a common region where the plurality of the bird'"'"'s-eye view images overlap upon the synthesis to thereby specify a difference region between the plurality of the bird'"'"'s-eye view images in the common region,

selects, in accordance with position of the difference region in the common region, one bird'"'"'s-eye view image from among the plurality of the bird'"'"'s-eye view images as an image to be adopted, and

adopts, as an image of the common region in the synthetic bird'"'"'s-eye view image, the image of the common region in the image to be adopted.

2. The image processor according to claim 1,

wherein weight values corresponding to respective pixel positions of the image in the common region are set for each of the plurality of the bird'"'"'s-eye view images,

wherein part or all of the set weight values differ between the plurality of the bird'"'"'s-eye view images,

wherein the image synthesis section sums up the weight values corresponding to pixels included in the difference region to thereby calculate a summed value for each of the plurality of the bird'"'"'s-eye view images, and selects, based on the summed values, the image to be adopted.

3. The image processor according to claim 2,

wherein the image synthesis section compares the summed values between the plurality of the bird'"'"'s-eye view images to thereby select the image to be adopted.

4. The image processor according to claim 2,

wherein the n-number of photographing apparatuses are installed at a vehicle and photograph surrounding of the vehicle, and

wherein the image synthesis section, based on driving condition of the vehicle in addition to the summed values, selects the image to be adopted.

5. The image processor according to claim 2,

wherein the weight values are set based on installation positions of a plurality of the photographing apparatuses corresponding to the plurality of the bird'"'"'s-eye view images.

6. A visual field support device comprising:

the image processor according to claim 1; and

at least one of the n-number of photographing apparatuses and the display device.

7. A visual support method for respectively converting images photographed by an n-number of photographing apparatuses (where n is an integer of 2 or larger) into bird'"'"'s-eye view images as viewed from a virtual visual point and displaying on a display device a synthetic bird'"'"'s-eye view image obtained by synthesizing the obtained bird'"'"'s-eye view images, the visual support method

comparing, between a plurality of the bird'"'"'s-eye view images, images of a common region where the plurality of the bird'"'"'s-eye view images overlap upon the synthesis to thereby specify a difference region between the plurality of the bird'"'"'s-eye view images in the common region,

selecting, in accordance with position of the difference region in the common region, one bird'"'"'s-eye view image from among the plurality of the bird'"'"'s-eye view images as an image to be adopted, and

adopting, as an image of the common region in the synthetic bird'"'"'s-eye view image, the image of the common region in the image to be adopted.

8. An image processor

comprising:

a visual point conversion section respectively converting images photographed by an n-number of photographing apparatuses (where n is an integer of 2 or larger) into bird'"'"'s-eye view images as viewed from a virtual visual point; and

an image synthesis section synthesizing the obtained bird'"'"'s-eye view images to generate a synthetic bird'"'"'s-eye view image, and

generating a video signal for displaying the synthetic bird'"'"'s-eye view image on a display device,

wherein the image synthesis section,

when a solid object having some height is present in a common visual field photographed in common by a plurality of the photographing apparatuses, detects a solid object reflecting region corresponding to a synthetic region of regions where the solid object is drawn in a plurality of the bird'"'"'s-eye view images obtained from the plurality of the photographing apparatuses, and

adopts, as an image of the solid object reflecting region in the synthetic bird'"'"'s-eye view image, an image of the solid object reflecting region in one of the plurality of the bird'"'"'s-eye view images.

9. The image processor according to claim 8,

wherein the image synthesis section compares, between the plurality of the bird'"'"'s-eye view images, images of a common region where the plurality of the bird'"'"'s-eye view images overlap upon the synthesis to thereby detect the solid object reflecting region.

10. The image processor according to claim 8,

wherein the image synthesis section compares, between the plurality of the bird'"'"'s-eye view images, images of a common region where the plurality of the bird'"'"'s-eye view images overlap upon the synthesis to thereby specify a difference region between the plurality of the bird'"'"'s-eye view images in the common region, and detects the difference region as the solid object reflecting region.

11. A visual field support device comprising:

the image processor according to claim 8; and

at least one of the n-number of photographing apparatuses and the display device.

12. A visual support method for respectively converting images photographed by an n-number of photographing apparatuses (where n is an integer of 2 or larger) into bird'"'"'s-eye view images as viewed from a virtual visual point and displaying on a display device a synthetic bird'"'"'s-eye view image obtained by synthesizing the obtained bird'"'"'s-eye view images, the visual support method

when a solid object having some height is present in a common visual field photographed in common by a plurality of the photographing apparatuses, detects a solid object reflecting region corresponding to a synthetic region of regions where the solid object is drawn in a plurality of the bird'"'"'s-eye view images obtained from the plurality of the photographing apparatuses, and adopts, as an image of the solid object reflecting region in the synthetic bird'"'"'s-eye view image, an image of the solid object reflecting region in one of the plurality of the bird'"'"'s-eye view images.