Imaging apparatus, image processing apparatus, display system, and vehicle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11010934-B2
Application number	US-201716467715-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 24, 2017
Priority date	Dec 9, 2016
Publication date	May 18, 2021
Grant date	May 18, 2021

Abstract

An imaging apparatus 20 includes an image sensor 22 and a controller 33. The image sensor 22 is configured to capture a rear area behind a vehicle 50 and generate a first video image. The controller 33 is configured to synthesize a guide wall image 80 that indicates a predicted path of the vehicle in a display region of the first video image.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An imaging apparatus comprising:
an image sensor configured to capture a rear area behind a vehicle and generate a first video image; and
a controller configured to synthesize a guide wall image that indicates a predicted path of the vehicle in a display region of the first video image, wherein
the guide wall image includes a plurality of virtual translucent wall surfaces that extend from a road surface to a predetermined height in a height direction, and
the guide wall image includes:
two side wall images that extend in the height direction and a depth direction and are spaced apart from each other in a horizontal direction by a distance corresponding to a width of the vehicle; and
a plurality of distance wall images that extend in the height direction and the horizontal direction and indicate a distance in the depth direction,

the height direction, the depth direction, and the horizontal direction correspond to three-dimensional directions of a space captured in the first video image, and
transmittance of each of the distance wall images increases as the height from the road surface in the height direction increases.

2. The imaging apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
the guide wall image includes at least one of an auxiliary line extending in the depth direction, an auxiliary line extending in the horizontal direction, and an auxiliary line extending in the height direction.

3. The imaging apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
the plurality of distance wall images includes a first distance wall image positioned closer to the vehicle than other distance wall images and
in a color that is different from that of the other distance wall images of the plurality of distance wall images.

4. The imaging apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein
the plurality of distance wall images includes a first distance wall image positioned closer to the vehicle than other distance wall images and in a color different from colors of the other distance wall images of the plurality of distance wall images, and
an auxiliary line of the first distance wall image is in a color that is the same as that of the auxiliary lines of other distance wall images of the plurality of distance wall images.

5. The imaging apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the controller is further configured to
recognize a detection object in the display region of the first video image, and
synthesize a first recognition wall image on a vehicle side of the detection object.

6. The imaging apparatus according to claim 5 , wherein the controller is further configured to
estimate a first distance in a horizontal direction between the detection object and a position corresponding to the guide wall image, and
change color of the first recognition wall image in accordance with the first distance.

7. The imaging apparatus according to claim 5 , wherein
the controller is configured to estimate a first position of the detection object in the depth direction and partially or entirely change display of the side wall image corresponding to the first position.

8. The imaging apparatus according to claim 5 , wherein the controller is configured to:
estimate a predicted path of the detection object;
estimate a first position where the predicted path of the detection object and the side wall image will intersect with each other; and
at least partially change a display of a side wall image corresponding to the first position.

9. The imaging apparatus according to claim 7 , wherein
the controller is configured to partially or entirely change color of the side wall image corresponding to the first position.

10. The imaging apparatus according to claim 5 , wherein
the controller is configured to change a display of a guide wall image positioned farther in the depth direction from the first recognition wall image.

11. The imaging apparatus according to claim 5 , wherein the controller is configured to:
synthesize a second recognition wall image in an edge region of a second video image on a side where the detection object is located when the detection object is located outside of the display region;
the second video image being a video image corresponding to the display region of the first video image.

12. The imaging apparatus according to claim 11 , wherein
the second recognition wall image includes:
a wall portion that extends in the height direction and the depth direction; and
a floor portion that extends in the depth direction and the horizontal direction.

13. The imaging apparatus according to claim 12 , wherein
the second recognition wall image displays an icon image that indicates a type of the detection object on the floor portion.

14. The imaging apparatus according to claim 13 , wherein the controller is configured to:
estimate a second distance in a horizontal direction between the detection object and a position corresponding to the side wall image, and
change a display position of the icon image in accordance with the second distance.

15. The imaging apparatus according to claim 13 , wherein
the floor portion is positioned on a front side of the guide wall image in the depth direction.

16. An imaging apparatus comprising:
an image sensor configured to capture a rear area behind a vehicle and generate a first video image; and
a controller configured to generate a synthesized image by sequentially superimposing on a display region of the first video image a first image and a second image, the first image including a first semitransparent image in which a transmittance increases from a lower portion to an upper portion of the display region overlapping with a guide wall image and the second image including the guide wall image that indicates a predicted path of the vehicle, wherein
the first semitransparent image gradually changes from a color different from a color of the guide wall image to transparent from the lower portion to the upper portion,
the guide wall image includes a plurality of virtual translucent wall surfaces that extend from a road surface to a predetermined height in a height direction,
the guide wall image includes:
two side wall images that extend in the height direction and a depth direction and are spaced apart from each other in a horizontal direction by a distance corresponding to a width of the vehicle; and
a plurality of distance wall images that extend in the height direction and the horizontal direction and indicate a distance in the depth direction, and

the height direction, the depth direction, and the horizontal direction correspond to three-dimensional directions of a space captured in the first video image.

17. The imaging apparatus according to claim 16 , wherein the controller is further configured to:
recognize a detection object in the display region of the first video image; and
sequentially superimpose on the detection object a third image, the third image including a second semitransparent image in which a transmittance increases from a lower portion to an upper portion of the display region overlapping with a recognition wall image, and a fourth image, the fourth image including the recognition wall image that indicates a presence of the detection object.

18. The imaging apparatus according to claim 17 , wherein
the second semitransparent image gradually changes its color from a color different from a color of the recognition wall image to transparent from a lower portion to an upper portion.

Assignees

• Kyocera Corp

Inventors

• Shimazu Tomohiro
• Takemoto Kazuya

Classifications

• G06T11/10 Primary

  Texturing; Colouring; Generation of textures or colours (retouching, inpainting or scratch removal G06T5/77) · CPC title

• H04N23/54

  Mounting of pick-up tubes, electronic image sensors, deviation or focusing coils · CPC title

• H04N23/00

  Cameras or camera modules comprising electronic image sensors; Control thereof · CPC title

• G06V20/58

  Recognition of moving objects or obstacles, e.g. vehicles or pedestrians; Recognition of traffic objects, e.g. traffic signs, traffic lights or roads · CPC title

• B62D15/0295 Primary

  by overlaying a vehicle path based on present steering angle over an image without processing that image · CPC title