Abstract: A drive assistance device has an imaging device (1) mounted on a vehicle body and imaging a region surrounding the vehicle body, lens distortion correction means (2) for performing lens distortion correction for an inputted image taken by the imaging device (1), and a display (3) for displaying the image obtained by the lens distortion correcting means (2). The lens distortion correction means (2) divides the inputted image into multiple regions and performs lens distortion correction for each of the regions with different distortion correction level.

Abstract: A driving assistance system that projects images imaged by multiple vehicle cameras onto a plane, and synthesizes projection images from images obtained at different times to accurately determine whether the vehicle cameras have moved out of their proper positions or imaging directions. The system includes: first and second in-vehicle cameras that capture first and second images, respectively. The cameras capture overlapping regions respectively in different directions. An image converter converts the first and second images into first and second projection images projected onto a plane. A solid object detection unit determines whether a solid object exists in the overlapping region. When no solid object exists, the images of the overlapping regions within the first and second projection images are compared to generate a comparison value. The comparison value is in turn compared with a threshold value for the determination of vehicle camera movement out of its proper position.

Abstract: A congestion degree measuring apparatus includes a reproducer. A reproducer reproduces a reference image representing a state in which a plane is overlooked. A taker repeatedly takes a scene image outputted from a camera having an imaging surface that captures the plane. An allocator allocates one or at least two second areas respectively corresponding to one or at least two first areas designated on the reference image reproduced by the reproducer to the scene image taken by the taker. A measurer executes a process of measuring a congestion degree of one or at least two dynamic objects existing on the plane at each second area allocated by the allocator, based on the scene image taken by the taker.

Abstract: A laser irradiator L_N (N: 1 to 4) is arranged in an automobile and radiates a laser beam obliquely downward. A camera C_N arranged on the automobile has a viewing field VW_N corresponding to a radiating direction of the laser irradiator L_N. A CPU determines whether or not a change amount of a reflection position of the laser beam radiated by the laser irradiator L_N exceeds a reference, based on output of the camera C_N. The radiating direction of the laser irradiator L_N is changed by the CPU when a determined result is updated from a negative result to a positive result. A manner of changing in the reflection position of the laser beam radiated by the laser irradiator L_N is detected by the CPU based on the output of the camera C_N parallel to a changing process for the radiating direction. The CPU outputs a different notification corresponding to the detected result toward a driver of the automobile.

Abstract: An object detection apparatus for detecting a specific object in an input image includes a specific object detection module for performing a specific object detecting process of setting the input image or a reduced image of the input image as a target image, and of determining whether or not the specific object exists in a determination region while scanning the determination region in an edge feature image of the target image. The specific object detection module includes a determination module for determining whether the specific object exists in the determination region, based on an edge feature amount of the edge feature image corresponding to the determination region, and a previously determined relationship between an edge feature amount and a weight indicating object likelihood for each predetermined feature pixel in an image having the same size as the determination region.

Abstract: One camera having a horizontally wide view angle is installed at each of the left and right rear ends of a tractor. The visual field of the left camera includes the road surface located to the left side of the tractor and a trailer, and the like. The visual field of the right camera includes the road surface located to the right side of the tractor and the trailer, and the like. The left and right cameras have a common visual field at the rear side of the trailer. A panorama image obtained by synthesizing images respectively obtained by the left and right cameras is displayed on a display device located in the interior of the tractor.

Abstract: While extracting four feature points from a camera image obtained from a camera installed in a vehicle, an image processing device sets the positions of four reference points on an offset correction image to be generated from the camera image and performs a coordinate conversion based on a homography matrix so that the coordinate values of the four feature points are converted to the coordinate values of the four reference points. The image processing device sets each of the coordinate values so that an image center line and a vehicle center line are matched with each other on the offset correction image. The image processing device determines whether or not an image lacking area in which image data based on the image data of the camera image is not present is included within the entire area of the generated offset correction image.

Abstract: A driving support system performs a viewpoint conversion, generates, from a camera image obtained from an in-vehicle camera, an extended bird's-eye view image corresponding to a synthesized image of first and second element images, and displays the generated image. The first element image is a bird's-eye view image showing the condition around a vehicle. The second element image is a far image showing the condition far away from the vehicle. The extended bird's-eye view image is obtained by converting the camera image to an image viewed from the viewpoint of a virtual camera. When the first and second element images are generated, the depression angles of the virtual camera are 90 degrees and 90 degrees or less, respectively. When the extended bird's-eye view image is generated corresponding to the tilt angle or the like of an actual camera, it is automatically determined whether the lack of an image occurs or not.

Abstract: A maneuver assisting apparatus is arranged on a vehicle that moves on a road surface, and includes a plurality of cameras that capture the road surface from diagonally above. A CPU repeatedly creates a complete-surround birds-eye view image relative to a road surface, based on a plurality of object scene images repeatedly outputted from the plurality of cameras. The created complete-surround bird's-eye view image is reproduced on a monitor screen. The CPU determines whether or not there is a three-dimensional object such as an architectural structure in a side portion of a direction orthogonal to a moving direction of the vehicle, based on the complete-surround bird's-eye view image created as described above. Also, the CPU adjusts a ratio of a partial image equivalent to a side portion noticed for a determining process, to the complete-surround bird's-eye view image reproduced on the monitor screen, based on a determination result.

Abstract: A camera is fixed in the mirror case of a door mirror downwardly in such a way that the front-rear wheels of a vehicle and the bottom edges of the sides of the vehicle (bottom portion) fit in view regardless of the state in which the door mirror is placed. The lower ends of the sides of the vehicle on a distortion corrected image is detected and a direction (121) in which the lower ends extend is estimated as the vehicle direction on the distortion corrected image by applying an edge extraction processing to the distortion corrected image after the application of a lens distortion correction to an original image acquired by the camera. A direction corrected image is generated by correcting the distortion corrected image so that the estimated vehicle direction faces the vertical direction on the image and an image in which part of the direction corrected image is clipped is displayed on a display.

Abstract: A drive assistance device has an imaging device (1) mounted on a vehicle body and imaging a region surrounding the vehicle body, lens distortion correction means (2) for performing lens distortion correction for an inputted image taken by the imaging device (1), and a display (3) for displaying the image obtained by the lens distortion correcting means (2). The lens distortion correction means (2) divides the inputted image into multiple regions and performs lens distortion correction for each of the regions with different distortion correction level.

Abstract: Disclosed is a driving support system. With this system, a vehicle including a camera installed thereon is arranged at the center of a parking lot defined by two parallel white lines. End points of the respective white lines are included in the field of view of the camera. While the vehicle is moving forward, first and second editing images are obtained respectively at first and second points different from each other. Two end points of each of the editing images are detected as four feature points in total. Image transformation parameters for causing the center line of the vehicle and the center line of the image to coincide with each other are found on the basis of coordinate values of the four feature points on each of the editing images. An output image is obtained by use of the found image transformation parameters.

Abstract: A vehicle surroundings monitoring apparatus has: a point-of-view converter that converts an image shot with a camera installed on a vehicle into a bird's-eye-view image through point-of-view conversion; a position adjuster that performs position adjustment between two bird's-eye-view images produced from two images shot at different time points, the position adjuster performing the position adjustment based on the two bird's-eye-view images; and a three-dimensional object detector that detects a three-dimensional object around the vehicle based on differences between the two bird's-eye-view images having undergone the position adjustment.

Abstract: A vehicle operation support system is provided in which a captured image or a guide displayed on a display device can be adjusted easily by a simple operation. In adjusting misalignment between the image and the guide displayed as an oblique captured image on the display device, the user converts the displayed image and guide to a so-called high-angle display (which is displayed as if looked down directly from the above), and the converted high-angle image is then corrected or adjusted so that the image and the guide are displayed in correct alignment as desired.

Abstract: A camera posture estimation device includes: a generator configured to generate overhead view image data by transforming a viewpoint of captured image data obtained by the camera, on the basis of a posture parameter indicative of the posture of the camera; a calculator configured to calculate parallelism between lines in an overhead view image indicated by the overhead view image data generated by the generator; and a posture estimator configured to estimate the posture parameter from the parallelism calculated by the calculator.

Abstract: A driving assistance system that projects images imaged by multiple vehicle cameras onto a plane, and synthesizes projection images from images obtained at different times to accurately determine whether the vehicle cameras have moved out of their proper positions or imaging directions. The system includes: first and second in-vehicle cameras that capture first and second images, respectively. The cameras capture overlapping regions respectively in different directions. An image converter converts the first and second images into first and second projection images projected onto a plane. A solid object detection unit determines whether a solid object exists in the overlapping region. When no solid object exists, the images of the overlapping regions within the first and second projection images are compared to generate a comparison value. The comparison value is in turn compared with a threshold value for the determination of vehicle camera movement out of its proper position.

Abstract: A driving support system includes a rotation amount setting means and a bird's eye view image generating means. The rotation amount setting means sets a previously-set inclination angle of the image pickup device to a horizontal plane at a rotation angle during coordinate transformation for the image within a range where a distance from the vehicle is not more than a predetermined threshold in the taken image, while computing and setting the rotation angle during the coordinate transformation based on the previously-set inclination angle of the image pickup device to the horizontal plane and the distance from the vehicle for the image within a range where the distance from the vehicle is more than the predetermined threshold in the taken image.

Abstract: One camera having a horizontally wide view angle is installed at each of the left and right rear ends of a tractor. The visual field of the left camera includes the road surface located to the left side of the tractor and a trailer, and the like. The visual field of the right camera includes the road surface located to the right side of the tractor and the trailer, and the like. The left and right cameras have a common visual field at the rear side of the trailer. A panorama image obtained by synthesizing images respectively obtained by the left and right cameras is displayed on a display device located in the interior of the tractor.

Abstract: An object detection apparatus according to an aspect of the invention which detects a specific object in an input image includes specific object detection means for performing a specific object detecting process of setting the input image or a reduced image of the input image as a target image, and of determining whether or not the specific object exists in a determination region while scanning the determination region in the target image or an edge feature image of the target image. In the object detection apparatus, the specific object detection means includes determination means for determining whether or not the specific object exists in the determination region, based on an edge feature amount of the edge feature image corresponding to the determination region, and a previously determined relationship between an edge feature amount and a weight indicating object likelihood for each predetermined feature pixel in an image having the same size as the determination region.

Abstract: A vehicle drive assistant system which converts, into birds' eye images, images photographed by a plurality of image pickup devices loaded on a vehicle and for photographing the surrounding of the vehicle, generates a synthesized bird's-eye view by synthesizing each of the obtained bird's-eye images and displays a generated synthesized bird's-eye view on a display unit, the vehicle drive assistant system comprising a means for, when each overlapping portion in which two bird's-eye views overlap each other is synthesized, setting a border line which allows two regions to be alternately disposed with respect to the overlapping portion and adopting a bird's-eye view in a region separated by the border line in the overlapping portion while adopting the other bird's-eye view in the other region separated by the border line so as to synthesize the overlapping portion.