Abstract: According to one embodiment, an onboard camera automatic calibration apparatus includes at least a road surface point selection unit, an amount-of-rotation-around-Z-axis calculation unit and a coordinate rotation correction unit. The road surface point selection unit selects multiple points not less than three on a road surface in a predetermined image among the multiple images obtained by an onboard camera and selects multiple combinations of two points from among the multiple points. The amount-of-rotation-around-Z-axis calculation unit determines, in a camera coordinate system with an optical axis as a Z axis, an amount of rotation around the Z axis such that the road surface is parallel to an X axis, based on the multiple combinations and motion vectors. The coordinate rotation correction unit performs rotation correction around the Z axis for the images obtained by the onboard camera based on the determined amount of rotation around the Z axis.

Abstract: According to one embodiment, an overhead image generation apparatus includes: a plurality of cameras mounted to a vehicle; an image processor that takes in images of respective cameras, generates, for respective cameras, overhead images that have been subjected to viewpoint conversion processing based on calibration data of the cameras and virtual viewpoint/line-of-sight information, and generates a synthesized overhead view by connecting the overhead images at their boundaries; and a display device that displays the synthesized overhead view generated by the image processor, wherein a proportion of a shape of the overhead image in a height direction is changed in proportion to an arrangement height of each camera.

Abstract: According to one embodiment, a vehicle periphery monitoring apparatus comprises: an outside-view camera; a display; and an image processor. The image processor is to acquire information about the position of a driver's viewpoint, information about the position of the display, information about the position of a virtual mirror for geometrically transforming an image picked up by the outside-view camera to an image viewed from the viewpoint, and to generate a mirror-displaying image to be displayed on the virtual mirror, from the information about the position of the viewpoint, information about the position of the display, information about the position of the virtual mirror and the image picked up by the outside-view camera. The image processor generates data representing a mirror frame surrounding the mirror-displaying image, and causes the display to display the mirror frame and the mirror-displaying image in the mirror frame.

Abstract: According to one embodiment, an image processing apparatus and an image processing method includes a processed image generation unit, a provisional detection unit, and a final detection unit. The processed image generation unit generates a processed image for detection processing from an image around a vehicle taken by a camera provided on the vehicle. The provisional detection unit scans a scanning frame of a predetermined size according to a detection target object on the processed image, and detects a plurality of position candidate regions of the detection target object within the processed image by determining a feature value for respective scanning positions using a dictionary of the detection target object. The final detection unit determines an overlapping region of the plurality of position candidate regions, and determines a final detection position of the detection target object within the processed image based on the overlapping region and the plurality of position candidate regions.

Abstract: A malfunction diagnosis apparatus includes: a first temperature detector; a second temperature detector that is placed in a different location from where the first temperature detector is placed; a difference value calculation device calculates a difference value between a detection value from the first temperature detector and a detection value from the second temperature detector; a mapping device carries out mapping of the difference value and calculates a correction value using the frequency of the difference value; a malfunction diagnosis device diagnoses whether or not there is a malfunction in the first temperature detector and the second temperature detector; and a recovery device calculates, as a detection value of the first or second temperature detector judged to be malfunctioning, a value by adding the correction value to a detection value from the first or second temperature detector judged not to be malfunctioning.

Abstract: According to one embodiment, an overhead image generation apparatus includes: a plurality of cameras mounted to a vehicle; an image processor that takes in images of respective cameras, generates, for respective cameras, overhead images that have been subjected to viewpoint conversion processing based on calibration data of the cameras and virtual viewpoint/line-of-sight information, and generates a synthesized overhead view by connecting the overhead images at their boundaries; and a display device that displays the synthesized overhead view generated by the image processor, wherein a proportion of a shape of the overhead image in a height direction is changed in proportion to an arrangement height of each camera.

Abstract: According to one embodiment, an image processing apparatus includes a processed-image generating unit, a detection unit, and a calculation unit. The processed-image generating unit generates processed images by scaling the image picked up by the camera provided on a vehicle by respective ones of scale factors. The detection unit scans each processed image by a frame, determines likelihood using a dictionary of the detection object, and detects a scan frame having high likelihood. Each processed image is associated with respective image distance which is a predetermined estimated distance from the vehicle. The calculation unit determines an estimated distance from the vehicle to the detection object according to an image distance associated with a processed image to which the detected scan frame belongs, and calculates and outputs, based on a history of determined estimated distances and on the image distances, a time until the vehicle and the detection object collide.

Abstract: According to one embodiment, an image processing apparatus and an image processing method includes a dictionary generation unit, a processed image generation unit, and a detection unit. The dictionary generation unit generates a single dictionary using a plurality of images of a detection target object picked up by a camera. The plurality of images is obtained by arranging the detection target object at a corresponding plurality of positions in a predetermined range such that a predetermined visual axis of the camera is parallel with a normal-line direction of a detection target surface of the detection target object. The processed image generation unit generates a processed image having the predetermined visual axis as a normal-line direction, based on an image picked up by the camera after generation of the dictionary. The detection unit detects the detection target object included in the processed image by determining a feature value using the dictionary.

Abstract: According to one embodiment, an operating device for receiving a selecting operation of a user of an image including a plurality of selection target images includes at least a detection region setting unit. The detection region setting unit sets a detection region for receiving the selection operation to a selection target image for each of the plurality of selection target images based on the information of a specific region. The detection region setting unit sets the detection region such that, for selection target images with specific regions of which are close to each other with an interval less than threshold distance, a region with a width reduced in an approaching direction at least for one of a plurality of close specific regions is set as a detection region of corresponding selection target image, and a region in the approaching direction between set detection regions is set as a non-detection region.

Abstract: According to one embodiment, there is provided an optical disc apparatus of a slot loading type, including a photosensor disposed near a disc insertion port and configured to change an output therefrom when an optical disc is inserted, a memory configured to record an output signal from the photosensor, and a controller configured to estimate a transparent clamp area of the optical disc based on the output signal, estimate a position of a center hole part of the optical disk based on the estimated clamp area, and detect presence of a foreign matter in the center hole part when a light-blocking percentage in the center hole part indicated by the output signal is equal to or higher than a predetermined value.

Abstract: According to one embodiment, an image processing apparatus includes a processed-image generating unit, a detection unit, and a calculation unit. The processed-image generating unit generates processed images by scaling the image picked up by the camera provided on a vehicle by respective ones of scale factors. The detection unit scans each processed image by a frame, determines likelihood using a dictionary of the detection object, and detects a scan frame having high likelihood. Each processed image is associated with respective image distance which is a predetermined estimated distance from the vehicle. The calculation unit determines an estimated distance from the vehicle to the detection object according to an image distance associated with a processed image to which the detected scan frame belongs, and calculates and outputs, based on a history of determined estimated distances and on the image distances, a time until the vehicle and the detection object collide.

Abstract: A motion vector computing device according to one embodiment includes: a difference computing unit that computes inter-frame temporal difference value It, uses horizontal direction inter-pixel difference value Ix and vertical direction inter-pixel difference value Iy in a same frame, the current frame signal and the different frame signals when the pixel moves for a small-time, a variance matrix generating unit computes the variances of the gradient in the horizontal direction, in the vertical direction and in the temporal direction of the luminance value on the basis of the difference values Ix, Iy and It, a coefficient computing unit computes a coefficient of a flat plane formula by calculating a formula for giving a minimum with regard to the square error of the flat plane formula approximating the distribution of luminance gradients of the pixel and a vector computing unit computes the motion vector uses the coefficient.

Abstract: A malfunction diagnosis apparatus includes: a first temperature detector; a second temperature detector that is placed in a different location from where the first temperature detector is placed; a difference value calculation device calculates a difference value between a detection value from the first temperature detector and a detection value from the second temperature detector; a mapping device carries out mapping of the difference value and calculates a correction value using the frequency of the difference value; a malfunction diagnosis device diagnoses whether or not there is a malfunction in the first temperature detector and the second temperature detector; and a recovery device calculates, as a detection value of the first or second temperature detector judged to be malfunctioning, a value by adding the correction value to a detection value from the first or second temperature detector judged not to be malfunctioning.

Abstract: According to one embodiment, a moving object detector includes an image input device and an image processing device. The image input device captures a moving object existing at a close distance to acquire image information of the moving object. The image processing device applies arithmetic processing to the image information to generate a cylindrical binary image and a top view binary image, extracts a region of the moving object by background correlation, estimates an approaching direction of the moving object from the cylindrical binary image, and estimates a motion trajectory of the moving object based on the approaching direction and the top view binary image.

Abstract: According to one embodiment, a camera calibration apparatus includes: a plurality of on-vehicle cameras; a feature point detection section that identifies an image of lines representing a parking frame from each of images by the plurality of cameras and detects two feature points; a viewpoint conversion section that generate an overhead view having a viewpoint from just above the vehicle based on the feature points and two directions crossing each other at each of the feature points; and an adjustment section that determines the boundary position between the vehicle and line image from the overhead view to determine the display frame of a vehicle image and changes the overhead view such that the size ratio and position of the display frame become previously specified values.

Abstract: According to one embodiment, there is provided an optical disc apparatus of a slot loading type, including a photosensor disposed near a disc insertion port and configured to change an output therefrom when an optical disc is inserted, a memory configured to record an output signal from the photosensor, and a controller configured to estimate a transparent clamp area of the optical disc based on the output signal, estimate a position of a center hole part of the optical disk based on the estimated clamp area, and detect presence of a foreign matter in the center hole part when a light-blocking percentage in the center hole part indicated by the output signal is equal to or higher than a predetermined value.

Abstract: According to one embodiment, an onboard camera automatic calibration apparatus includes at least a road surface point selection unit, an amount-of-rotation-around-Z-axis calculation unit and a coordinate rotation correction unit. The road surface point selection unit selects multiple points not less than three on a road surface in a predetermined image among the multiple images obtained by an onboard camera and selects multiple combinations of two points from among the multiple points. The amount-of-rotation-around-Z-axis calculation unit determines, in a camera coordinate system with an optical axis as a Z axis, an amount of rotation around the Z axis such that the road surface is parallel to an X axis, based on the multiple combinations and motion vectors. The coordinate rotation correction unit performs rotation correction around the Z axis for the images obtained by the onboard camera based on the determined amount of rotation around the Z axis.

Abstract: According to one embodiment, an apparatus for calibrating a camera while a vehicle is moving includes a rearward monitoring camera mounted in a vehicle to acquire image information, a memory that stores a camera calibration program for computationally determining and calibrating mounting parameters of the camera while the vehicle is moving, using the image information acquired by the camera, a gear position detector to detect gear positions of the vehicle and generates position signals according to the gear positions and a control unit that receives the image information, and when the gear position detector detects a position signal for other than a reverse gear position, that reads out and executes the camera calibration program stored in the memory.

Abstract: A motion vector computing device according to one embodiment includes: a difference computing unit that computes inter-frame temporal difference value It, uses horizontal direction inter-pixel difference value Ix and vertical direction inter-pixel difference value Iy in a same frame, the current frame signal and the different frame signals when the pixel moves for a small-time, a variance matrix generating unit computes the variances of the gradient in the horizontal direction, in the vertical direction and in the temporal direction of the luminance value on the basis of the difference values Ix, Iy and It, a coefficient computing unit computes a coefficient of a flat plane formula by calculating a formula for giving a minimum with regard to the square error of the flat plane formula approximating the distribution of luminance gradients of the pixel and a vector computing unit computes the motion vector uses the coefficient.

Abstract: According to one embodiment, an imaging unit inputs a camera image of surroundings of a vehicle. The surroundings include at least one of a front side and a back side of the vehicle. A first image generation unit generates a mask image to conceal a protection region of personal information included in a region of a first vehicle on the camera image. The first vehicle exists at the front side or the back side of the user's vehicle. A surroundings-monitoring unit decides whether a second vehicle exists at a front side or a back side of the first vehicle by monitoring the camera image. A second image generation unit generates an identification image of the second vehicle when the second vehicle exists. A processing unit generates a composite image by combining the mask image and the identification image with the camera image, and displays the composite image to present to a user of the vehicle.