Vehicle vicinity image-processing apparatus and recording medium

• US 7,317,813 B2
• Filed: 03/15/2002
• Issued: 01/08/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 06/13/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: DENSO Corporation, Nippon Soken, Inc.
• Original Assignee: DENSO Corporation, Nippon Soken, Inc.
• Inventors: Ishikawa, Tetsuri, Imanishi, Masayuki, Yanagawa, Hirohiko
• Primary Examiner(s): Bella; Matthew C.
• Assistant Examiner(s): MACKOWEY, ANTHONY M
• Application Number:
  US10/333,745
• Publication Number:
  US 20030165255A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,125 Days
• Field of Search: 382/104, 382/284, 348/113, 348/115, 348/118, 348/148, 340/426.22, 340/426.23, 340/426.33, 340435-437, 340/901, 340/937, 701/28
• US Class Current: 382/104
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 1/27 providing all-round vision, e.g. using omnidirectional cameras
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2300/302 combining image information with GPS information or vehicle data, e.g. vehicle speed, gyro, steering angle data
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2300/607 from a bird's eye viewpoint
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2300/806 for aiding parking
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 2201/10 Automatic or semi-automatic parking aid systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 3/00 Geometric image transformations in the plane of the image
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/30 Determination of transform parameters for the alignment of images, i.e. image registration
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/18 Closed-circuit television [CCTV] systems, i.e. systems in which the video signal is not broadcast

Abstract

The present invention provides a vehicle vicinity image-processing apparatus and a recording medium capable of deducing a scene having left the field of vision of a camera mounted on the rear of a vehicle and drawing an image of the area behind the vehicle which includes this deduced part. An image-processing unit 5 first coordinate-converts a picked-up image to create a bird'"'"'s-eye view image. Two chronologically consecutive bird'"'"'s-eye view images are created as the bird'"'"'s-eye view image, and a matching area of the two images is extracted. On the basis of this matching area, a moved area which has left the present field of vision of the camera 1 is extracted. An image of the matching area and the moved area is then drawn on a monitor 3. By this means, it is possible to draw an image including a scene which has left the present field of vision of the camera 1.

Claims

1. A vehicle vicinity image processing apparatus which is applied to a vehicle having image pick-up means for picking up an image of a vehicle vicinity and display means for displaying an image, and which processes the image picked up by said image pick-up means and displays the processed image on said display means the vehicle vicinity image-processing apparatus comprising:

bird'"'"'s eye view image creation means for creating a bird'"'"'s eye view image on the basis of the image picked up by said image pick-up means;

vehicle movement amount detecting means for detecting an amount of vehicle movement on the basis of vehicle signals obtained from the vehicle;

bird'"'"'s-eye view image moving means for moving a first bird'"'"'s-eye view image created by said bird'"'"'s-eye image creation means in correspondence with the amount of vehicle movement and thereby creating a moved bird'"'"'s-eye view image;

composite bird'"'"'s-eye view image creation means for creating a composite bird'"'"'s-eye view image to be displayed on said display means by combining a second bird'"'"'s-eye view image which is picked up and created later than the first bird'"'"'s-eye view image with the moved bird'"'"'s-eye view image,

wherein said composite bird'"'"'s-eye view image is an image in which a part of the moved bird'"'"'s-eye view image that does not overlap with the second bird'"'"'s-eye view image is added to a display area of the second bird'"'"'s-eye view image.

2. A vehicle vicinity image-processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said vehicle signals include a vehicle speed signal and a yaw rate signal.

3. A vehicle vicinity image-processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the second bird'"'"'s-eye view image used in creating the composite bird'"'"'s eye view image includes a latest bird'"'"'s-eye image.

4. A vehicle vicinity image-processing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

a first memory for storing the bird'"'"'s-eye view image created by said bird'"'"'s-eye view image creation means; and

a second memory for storing the composite bird'"'"'s-eye view image created by said composite bird'"'"'s-eye view image creation means.

5. A vehicle vicinity image-processing apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the composite bird'"'"'s-eye view image stored in said second memory is displayed on said display means.

6. A vehicle vicinity image-processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein an image showing the vehicle is added to the composite bird'"'"'s-eye view image when the composite bird'"'"'s-eye view image is displayed on said display means.

7. A vehicle vicinity image-processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein, after a gear shift position is determined to be Reverse, processing carded out by each of said bird'"'"'s-eye view image creation means, vehicle movement amount detecting means, bird'"'"'s-eye view image moving means, and composite bird'"'"'s-eye view creation means is started.

8. A vehicle vicinity image-processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said image pick-up means includes a camera for viewing an area in front of the vehicle.

9. A computer-readable recording medium storing a program for executing a processing of the vehicle vicinity image-processing apparatus of claim 1.