Vehicle-mounted image capturing apparatus
First Claim
1. A vehicle-mounted image capturing apparatus comprising:
- cameras provided at multiple locations on a vehicle, each camera being directed to capture an image in a range of an area away from the vehicle to part of the vehicle and being provided with a lens configured for focusing light of an image of a wide-angle space area and a photodetector device for detecting the light focused by the lens;
an image processor performing combination processing for combining the images captured by the respective cameras into an image of a surrounding area outside the vehicle and for combining an image of the vehicle with the image of the surrounding area outside the vehicle, wherein the image of the surrounding area outside the vehicle includes at least one image-absent portion adjacent to the vehicle, the image processor further performing combination processing for fitting an actual image of part of the vehicle captured by at least one of the cameras into at least part of a border portion between the image of the surrounding area outside the vehicle and the image of the vehicle, wherein the border portion contains the at least one image-absent portion; and
a display device for displaying a combined image generated by the image processor.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Images captured by multiple cameras installed on a vehicle are combined, and an image of the ground is projected onto a plane and is displayed around a vehicle display portion. In the vehicle display portion, actual images of portions of the vehicle may be displayed in a front area, a rear area, a left-side area, and/or a right-side area. A vehicle illustration image is displayed in the area surrounded by the actual images of the portions of the vehicle. Since the vehicle actual images are displayed at the perimeter of the vehicle display portion, it is easy for an operator who views a display screen to recognize the positional relationships between the perimeter of the vehicle and obstacles outside the vehicle perimeter.
19 Citations
20 Claims
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1. A vehicle-mounted image capturing apparatus comprising:
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cameras provided at multiple locations on a vehicle, each camera being directed to capture an image in a range of an area away from the vehicle to part of the vehicle and being provided with a lens configured for focusing light of an image of a wide-angle space area and a photodetector device for detecting the light focused by the lens; an image processor performing combination processing for combining the images captured by the respective cameras into an image of a surrounding area outside the vehicle and for combining an image of the vehicle with the image of the surrounding area outside the vehicle, wherein the image of the surrounding area outside the vehicle includes at least one image-absent portion adjacent to the vehicle, the image processor further performing combination processing for fitting an actual image of part of the vehicle captured by at least one of the cameras into at least part of a border portion between the image of the surrounding area outside the vehicle and the image of the vehicle, wherein the border portion contains the at least one image-absent portion; and a display device for displaying a combined image generated by the image processor. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. A vehicle-mounted image capturing apparatus comprising:
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cameras provided at multiple locations on a vehicle, each camera being directed to capture an image in a range of an area away from the vehicle to part of the vehicle and being provided with a lens configured for focusing light of an image of a wide-angle space area and a photodetector device for detecting the light focused by the lens; an image processor performing combination processing for combining the images captured by the respective cameras into an image of a surrounding area outside the vehicle and for combining an illustration image of the vehicle with the image of the surrounding area outside the vehicle, and performing combination processing for fitting an actual image of part of the vehicle captured by at least one of the cameras into at least part of a border portion between the image of the surrounding area outside the vehicle and the illustration image of the vehicle; and a display device for displaying a combined image generated by the image processor. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15)
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16. A method of operating a vehicle-mounted image capturing apparatus comprising cameras provided at multiple locations on a vehicle, each camera being directed to capture an image in a range of an area away from the vehicle to part of the vehicle and being provided with a lens that is configured for focusing light of an image of a wide-angle space area and a photodetector device for detecting the light focused by the lens, the method comprising;
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combining the images captured by the respective cameras into an image of a surrounding area outside the vehicle; combining an illustration image of the vehicle with the image of the surrounding area outside the vehicle; fitting an actual image of part of the vehicle captured by at least one of the cameras into at least part of a border portion between the image of the surrounding area outside the vehicle and the illustration image of the vehicle; and displaying the resulting image. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19, 20)
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Specification