Abstract: When a parking assistant assists a driver in carrying out parking operation, the parking assistant takes image of vehicle surroundings to generate vehicle surroundings images, converts coordinates of vehicle surroundings images to generate overhead view image, and sets a parking target area in the overhead view image. On the overhead view image, the parking assistant superposes a parking target area image which denotes the parking target area. The parking assistant generates the parking target area image when a first certain portion where a solid object is present is superposed with the parking target area. The parking target area image is generated in a second certain portion other than the superposed first certain portion. The generating operation is implemented even when another vehicle included in the overhead view image falls in the set parking target area image. The parking assistant displays the overhead view image and the parking target area image.

Abstract: A parking assistant includes: shooting part shooting surroundings; parking target position setter setting parking target position in surroundings image by shooting part; rearward movement starting position calculator calculating rearward movement starting position based on: target position by position setter, and vehicle's movable area, rearward movement starting position denoting position stopping vehicle and starting rearward movement of vehicle, to park vehicle in target position; movement calculator sensing movement direction and movement amount of vehicle; and image generator superposing an information image on surroundings image based on movement direction and amount which are sensed with movement calculator. Information image denotes rearward movement starting position for allowing vehicle to be parked in target position.

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: In a vehicle circumferential image providing device 1, an image converting unit 53 generates an overhead image 205 from images picked up with plural camera modules 10. An image detecting unit 54 performs edge detection in an overhead image 205. Further, the image detecting unit 54 determines continuity of edge lines connecting between connected parts in the overhead image 205, among the detected edge lines. When the edge lines striding over the connected parts in the overhead image 205 are discontinuous, the image detecting unit 54 sets edge lines at the far side of the own vehicle to match edge lines at the near side of the own vehicle, thereby setting the edge lines continuous at the connected parts.

Abstract: There are provided with an image area setting unit which causes each pixel included in a photographed photograph-image to be a correction target pixel in order, and sets an image area including the correction target pixel and plural pixels existing near the correction target pixel, a prescribed value calculation processing unit which calculates a prescribed value based on brightness information of pixels included in the image area for every image area which has been set, and a brightness adjusting processing unit which divides a brightness target value of the whole photograph-image by the prescribed value to calculate a correction value, and multiplies the brightness information of the correction target pixel by the correction value to execute a brightness correction processing.

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: A vehicle periphery monitoring apparatus includes an image capturing device, a display device and an image processing device. The image capturing device is configured and arranged to capture a first original image of a region rearward of a vehicle and a second original image of a region laterally rearward of the vehicle. The display device includes a first display area and a second display area disposed on a lateral side of the first display area. The image processing device is configured to display a first displayed image from the first original image in the first display area and to display a second displayed image from the second original image in the second display area to form a combined image on the display device with the second displayed image being horizontally compressed from the second original image to at least a greater degree than the first displayed image.

Abstract: A vehicle periphery monitoring apparatus includes an image capturing device, a display device, a blind spot determining section, and a processing section. The image capturing device is arranged to capture an image of a region rearward of a host vehicle and an image of a region laterally rearward of the host vehicle. The processing section is configured to switch a displayed image on the display device from a first display image to a second display image upon determination of a following vehicle created blind spot region by the blind spot determining section. The first display image includes the image of the region rearward of the host vehicle, and the second display image includes at least a portion of the image of the region laterally rearward of the host vehicle that encompasses the following vehicle created blind spot region which is absent from the first display image.

Abstract: A video signal processing device, which includes: a plurality of imaging devices outputting mutually asynchronous interlace video signals; input buffers temporarily storing field by field the video signals outputted from the respective imaging devices; and an output image generating device generating field by field video signals of output target images from the video signals stored in the input buffers, wherein each of the video signals of the output target images is generated when all of the latest video signals to be components thereof are stored in the input buffers.

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: When a parking assistant assists a driver in carrying out a parking operation, the parking assistant takes an image of vehicle surroundings to generate vehicle surroundings images, converts coordinates of the vehicle surroundings images to generate an overhead view image, and sets a parking target area in the overhead view image. On the overhead view image, the parking assistant superposes a parking target area image which denotes the parking target area. Thereby, the parking assistant generates the parking target area image denoting a partial area in the parking target area, where a solid object is not present in the partial area even when another vehicle included in the overhead view image falls in the set parking target area image. Then, the parking assistant displays the overhead view image and the parking target area image.

Abstract: A parking assistant includes: shooting part shooting surroundings; parking target position setter setting parking target position in surroundings image by shooting part; rearward movement starting position calculator calculating rearward movement starting position based on: target position by position setter, and vehicle's movable area, rearward movement starting position denoting position stopping vehicle and starting rearward movement of vehicle, to park vehicle in target position; movement calculator sensing movement direction and movement amount of vehicle; and image generator superposing an information image on surroundings image based on movement direction and amount which are sensed with movement calculator. Information image denotes rearward movement starting position for allowing vehicle to be parked in target position.

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: The present invention can finely arrange p+-type diffusion layers and n+-type diffusion layers. A p+-type diffusion layer 2 and an n+-type diffusion layer 3 are simultaneously formed on a back surface 1a of a semiconductor substrate 1 in a state that the p+-type diffusion layer 2 and the n+-type diffusion layer 3 are arranged close to each other, and a back surface 1a side of the semiconductor substrate 1 on which outer end portions of the p+-type diffusion layers 2 and the n+-type diffusion layers 3 are brought into contact with each other is removed thus separating the p+-type diffusion layer 2 and the n+-type diffusion layer 3 from each other and hence, the p+-type diffusion layer 2 and the n+-type diffusion layer 3 can be separately arranged in a state that the p+-type diffusion layer 2 and the n+-type diffusion layer 3 are arranged close to each other.

Abstract: In a vehicle circumferential image providing device 1, an image converting unit 53 generates an overhead image 205 from images picked up with plural camera modules 10. An image detecting unit 54 performs edge detection in an overhead image 205. Further, the image detecting unit 54 determines continuity of edge lines connecting between connected parts in the overhead image 205, among the detected edge lines. When the edge lines striding over the connected parts in the overhead image 205 are discontinuous, the image detecting unit 54 sets edge lines at the far side of the own vehicle to match edge lines at the near side of the own vehicle, thereby setting the edge lines continuous at the connected parts.

Abstract: A vehicle periphery monitoring apparatus includes an image capturing device, a display device, a blind spot determining section, and a processing section. The image capturing device is arranged to capture an image of a region rearward of a host vehicle and an image of a region laterally rearward of the host vehicle. The processing section is configured to switch a displayed image on the display device from a first display image to a second display image upon determination of a following vehicle created blind spot region by the blind spot determining section. The first display image includes the image of the region rearward of the host vehicle, and the second display image includes at least a portion of the image of the region laterally rearward of the host vehicle that encompasses the following vehicle created blind spot region which is absent from the first display image.

Abstract: A vehicle periphery monitoring apparatus includes an image capturing device, a display device and an image processing device. The image capturing device is configured and arranged to capture a first original image of a region rearward of a vehicle and a second original image of a region laterally rearward of the vehicle. The display device includes a first display area and a second display area disposed on a lateral side of the first display area. The image processing device is configured to display a first displayed image from the first original image in the first display area and to display a second displayed image from the second original image in the second display area to form a combined image on the display device with the second displayed image being horizontally compressed from the second original image to at least a greater degree than the first displayed image.

Abstract: The present invention is a method for manufacturing a solar cell by forming a p-n junction in a semiconductor substrate having a first conductivity type, wherein, at least: a first coating material containing a dopant and an agent for preventing a dopant from scattering, and a second coating material containing a dopant, are coated on the semiconductor substrate having the first conductivity type so that the second coating material may be brought into contact with at least the first coating material; and, a first diffusion layer formed by coating the first coating material, and a second diffusion layer formed by coating the second coating material the second diffusion layer having a conductivity is lower than that of the first diffusion layer are simultaneously formed by a diffusion heat treatment; a solar cell manufactured by the method; and a method for manufacturing a semiconductor device.

Abstract: An image conversion device connected to multiple image detection mechanisms generating field image data of the surroundings and having multiple input buffers for each of the multiple image detection mechanisms, which, in parallel, stores, moves, performs conversion processing and displays said field image data in one field units in accordance with a display template in pattern memory, thereby reducing the total delay time from field image generation to display to the driver.