Abstract: Provided is an omni-wheel including an annular core member for rotatively supporting a plurality of free roller that is light, economical and strong. The omni-wheel comprises an annular core member having at least one junction defined by mutually circumferentially opposing ends thereof, a plurality of sleeve members defining an inner bore and passed onto the core member and a free roller rotatably supported on an outer surface of each sleeve member in a coaxial relationship, wherein the mutually opposing ends of the annular core member at each junction are fitted into either end of the inner bore of the corresponding sleeve member.

Abstract: Provided is an omni-wheel including an annular core member for rotatively supporting a plurality of free roller that is light, economical and strong. The omni-wheel comprises an annular core member having at least one junction defined by mutually circumferentially opposing ends thereof, a plurality of sleeve members defining an inner bore and passed onto the core member and a free roller rotatably supported on an outer surface of each sleeve member in a coaxial relationship, wherein the mutually opposing ends of the annular core member at each junction are fitted into either end of the inner bore of the corresponding sleeve member.

Abstract: An information providing system (1) for providing a passenger with information includes an in-vehicle device (30) installed in an electric vehicle (EVn), wherein the passenger is provided with the information via the in-vehicle device (30). The in-vehicle device (30) includes a notifier (38) for notifying the passenger of a congested state of a charge station candidate (CS1). The notifying is implemented by estimating (42) of the congested state of the charge station candidate (CS1) at a time point when an own electric vehicle (EV1) reaches the charge station candidate (CS1) which is a charge station (CS) reachable with a state-of-charge (SOC) of the own electric vehicle (EV1), and the estimating (42) is implemented based on: position information and the state-of-charge (SOC) of the own electric vehicle (EV1), and position information and a state-of-charge (SOC) of another electric vehicle (EV2-EVn) which is present around the charge station candidate (CS1).

Abstract: An apparatus for displaying an image of a blind spot area to which driver's view is obstructed by a pillar, includes: an monitor on the pillar; a camera to take an image of a peripheral area including the blind spot area; and an image converting device to convert the camera image and create an output image to be displayed on the monitor. The image converting device sets in the peripheral area a reference surface defined as a surface of a sphere around a reference point at which the driver's eye point is assumed to exist; obtains positions of intersecting points at which half-lines extending from the reference point and passing through respective screen pixels of the monitor intersect with the reference surface; identifies pixels of the camera image corresponding to the respective intersecting points based on the camera's parameters; and creates the output image using data of the identified pixels.

Abstract: A system which provides a driver with an image obtained by photographing an area around a vehicle, the system comprising: a photographing unit which photographs an area around the vehicle which is out of the driver's line of sight because of a structure of the vehicle; an image processing unit which processes an image of the area around the vehicle photographed by the photographing unit; and a display unit which displays the image processed by the image processing unit, wherein the image processing unit performs coordinate transformation for the image photographed by the photographing unit based on information of a point-of-sight position of the driver and information of a setting state of the display unit to display an image the same as a view of the outside of the vehicle as is directly seen from the point-of-sight position of the driver through a setting area of the display unit.

Abstract: A vehicle periphery video providing apparatus performs coordinate conversion for a video shot by a shooting device so that the same video as in a case where a vehicle outside is visible from an eye point position of a driver in such a manner that an installed area of a liquid crystal display becomes transparent can be displayed on the liquid crystal display.

Abstract: An information providing system (1) for providing a passenger with information includes an in-vehicle device (30) installed in an electric vehicle (EVn), wherein the passenger is provided with the information via the in-vehicle device (30). The in-vehicle device (30) includes a notifier (38) for notifying the passenger of a congested state of a charge station candidate (CS1). The notifying is implemented by estimating (42) of the congested state of the charge station candidate (CS1) at a time point when an own electric vehicle (EV1) reaches the charge station candidate (CS1) which is a charge station (CS) reachable with a state-of-charge (SOC) of the own electric vehicle (EV1), and the estimating (42) is implemented based on: position information and the state-of-charge (SOC) of the own electric vehicle (EV1), and position information and a state-of-charge (SOC) of another electric vehicle (EV2-EVn) which is present around the charge station candidate (CS1).

Abstract: A battery charge amount increase facility information provision device provides information relating to a battery charge amount increase facility to a vehicle installed with a battery (60) that is charged using an external power supply. The device includes a current position sensor (51) which detects a current position of the vehicle, a charge amount sensor (52) which detects a battery charge amount (SOC), a database (20) which registers the formation relating to the battery charge amount increase facility, and a controller (10). The controller (10) registers the current position of the vehicle in the database (20) as a location of a battery charge amount increase facility when the SOC has increased under a predetermined condition (S113). As a result, an amount of information relating to the locations of usable battery charge amount increase facilities is increased.

Abstract: An aspect of the present invention provides an apparatus for converting images of vehicle surroundings that includes, at least one camera configured to start, upon receiving a synchronizing signal, photographing the surroundings of a vehicle and outputting image data representative of the photographs, an output memory configured to store image data to be displayed on a display installed in the vehicle, a pattern memory configured to store destination addresses of the output memory, and an image converter configured to generate the synchronizing signal, obtain the image data from the camera, and transfer part or the whole of the image data to the output memory according to the destination addresses stored in the pattern memory.

Abstract: An image generating apparatus for a vehicle which includes: a camera; a brightness adjusting device which adjusts brightness of pixel data obtained by encoding a video signal from the camera; a rearranging device that rearranges the pixel data; and a control device that controls the brightness adjusting device, wherein the brightness adjusting device is controlled to adjust the brightness of the pixel data based on brightness of the pixel data which have been or to be rearranged by the rearranging device.

Abstract: An image processor is disclosed for a vehicle having a plurality of cameras and a monitor that displays a panoramic image derived from multiple images generated by the plurality of cameras. The processor includes input buffers for storing camera image data captured through respective camera modules and output buffer for storing a panoramic image. The camera image data for generating the panoramic image are retrieved from input buffers. The camera image data are stored in an output buffer using an reconfigured address conversion table. The reconfigured address conversion table is an address conversion table which is obtained by reconfiguring an address conversion table when camera modules are assumed to be free of vehicle installation errors. The reconfiguration is performed on the basis of parameters which are used to correct vehicle installation errors of camera modules.

Abstract: A device and method for easy correction of camera installation errors in a vehicle. A device comprises an input frame buffer receiving pixel data representing camera-generated images, a rearrangement table describing rules for rearrangement of the pixel data, an error-correction table describing rules for adjusting the pixel data to correct an installation error of the cameras, an output frame buffer receiving rearranged pixel data for display and a controller reading the pixel data from the input frame buffer, rearranging the pixel data based on the rearrangement and/or the error-correction table and storing rearranged pixel data in the output frame buffer. The method includes preparing plural error-correction tables corresponding to a magnitude of an installation error, displaying the composite image and correcting the installation error using at least one of the error-correction tables as a reference for a respective image used to create the composite image.

Abstract: A picture frame input from an electronic camera is stored in an input-end buffer frame, and read therefrom in a CPU, where it is processed, using a reconstruction table defining a pixelwise image reconstruction and using a correction parameter defining a pixelwise brightness correction, having resultant data stored in an output-end frame buffer, where a corresponding picture frame is reconstructed to be output to a display.

Abstract: A device and method that allows any differences between the relative position of an obstacle as it appears in a bird's-eye view image and its actual relative position can be checked on the same screen. In order to display the vehicle surroundings to the driver, multiple direct images obtained from multiple pickup devices, preferably cameras, oriented in different directions are used to compose a bird's-eye view image from which the vehicle surroundings can be known at a glance. The bird's-eye view image and a direct image picked up in the direction of an obstacle with respect to the vehicle are simultaneously displayed when the obstacle is detected in the vicinity of the vehicle.

Abstract: To provide an image pickup device and image pickup method for displaying the optimum range of observation without relying on the conditions in which the vehicle enters the road or the installation situation of the plurality of cameras. To provide a plurality of periphery image pickup means 10 and 11 that obtain images of the periphery of a vehicle wherein periphery image pickup means 10 and 11 that obtain the images displayed for the driver of the vehicle and the image range of the images obtained by periphery image pickup means 10 and 11 that are displayed to the driver of the vehicle are selected.

Abstract: An apparatus for displaying an image of a blind spot area to which driver's view is obstructed by a pillar, includes: an monitor on the pillar; a camera to take an image of a peripheral area including the blind spot area; and an image converting device to convert the camera image and create an output image to be displayed on the monitor. The image converting device sets in the peripheral area a reference surface defined as a surface of a sphere around a reference point at which the driver's eye point is assumed to exist; obtains positions of intersecting points at which half-lines extending from the reference point and passing through respective screen pixels of the monitor intersect with the reference surface; identifies pixels of the camera image corresponding to the respective intersecting points based on the camera's parameters; and creates the output image using data of the identified pixels.

Abstract: A vehicle periphery video providing apparatus performs coordinate conversion for a video shot by a shooting device so that the same video as in a case where a vehicle outside is visible from an eye point position of a driver in such a manner that an installed area of a liquid crystal display becomes transparent can be displayed on the liquid crystal display.

Abstract: A system which provides a driver with an image obtained by photographing an area around a vehicle, the system comprising: a photographing unit which photographs an area around the vehicle which is out of the driver's line of sight because of a structure of the vehicle; an image processing unit which processes an image of the area around the vehicle photographed by the photographing unit; and a display unit which displays the image processed by the image processing unit, wherein the image processing unit performs coordinate transformation for the image photographed by the photographing unit based on information of a point-of-sight position of the driver and information of a setting state of the display unit to display an image the same as a view of the outside of the vehicle as is directly seen from the point-of-sight position of the driver through a setting area of the display unit.

Abstract: A device and method for easy correction of camera installation errors in a vehicle. A device comprises an input frame buffer receiving pixel data representing camera-generated images, a rearrangement table describing rules for rearrangement of the pixel data, an error-correction table describing rules for adjusting the pixel data to correct an installation error of the cameras, an output frame buffer receiving rearranged pixel data for display and a controller reading the pixel data from the input frame buffer, rearranging the pixel data based on the rearrangement and/or the error-correction table and storing rearranged pixel data in the output frame buffer. The method includes preparing plural error-correction tables corresponding to a magnitude of an installation error, displaying the composite image and correcting the installation error using at least one of the error-correction tables as a reference for a respective image used to create the composite image.

Abstract: A device and method that allows any differences between the relative position of an obstacle as it appears in a bird's-eye view image and its actual relative position can be checked on the same screen. In order to display the vehicle surroundings to the driver, multiple direct images obtained from multiple pickup devices, preferably cameras, oriented in different directions are used to compose a bird's-eye view image from which the vehicle surroundings can be known at a glance. The bird's-eye view image and a direct image picked up in the direction of an obstacle with respect to the vehicle are simultaneously displayed when the obstacle is detected in the vicinity of the vehicle.