Onboard imaging device

Abstract

To provide an onboard imaging device capable of optimizing the optical axis adjustment of the onboard camera that performs image processing to make the captured images easier for the vehicle occupant to view on an in-vehicle display.SOLUTION: An onboard imaging device 1 for capturing a situation around a vehicle includes: an onboard camera 2 provided on the vehicle and directed towards a surrounding of the vehicle; and an ECU 10 which controls the on-vehicle camera 2 so as to perform image processing including dynamic range processing and edge enhancement processing applied to an image captured by the onboard camera 2. The onboard camera 2 has an optical axis adjustment mode in which an optical axis is adjusted using the captured image. In the optical axis adjustment mode of the onboard camera 2, the ECU 10 controls the onboard camera 2 so as to relax at least one of the dynamic range processing and the edge enhancement processing compared to when the onboard camera is not in the optical axis adjustment mode.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to an in-vehicle imaging device.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, a color target positioning device that reduces color effects generated in a captured image obtained by capturing a color target composed of different color combinations under a light source is known (for example, Patent Document 1).

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] Generally, image processing including dynamic range processing and edge enhancement processing is performed on a captured image of an in-vehicle camera so that a vehicle occupant can easily view the captured image displayed on, for example, an in-vehicle display. However, when adjusting the optical axis of the in-vehicle camera using the captured image, the results of such image processing may become, for example, noise, and there is a possibility that the optical axis cannot be adjusted appropriately.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0005] An in-vehicle imaging device according to one aspect of the present disclosure is an in-vehicle imaging device for imaging the situation around a vehicle, including an in-vehicle camera provided on the vehicle facing the periphery of the vehicle, and a control unit that controls the in-vehicle camera to perform image processing including dynamic range processing and edge enhancement processing applied to the captured image of the in-vehicle camera. The in-vehicle camera has an optical axis adjustment mode for adjusting the optical axis using the captured image, and the control unit controls the in-vehicle camera so as to relax at least one of the dynamic range processing and the edge enhancement processing in a state where the in-vehicle camera is in the optical axis adjustment mode as compared with a state where the in-vehicle camera is not in the optical axis adjustment mode.

[0006] According to the in-vehicle imaging device according to one aspect of the present disclosure, in the optical axis adjustment mode of the in-vehicle camera, the in-vehicle camera is controlled so as to relax at least one of the dynamic range processing and the edge enhancement processing as compared with a state where it is not in the optical axis adjustment mode. Thereby, in the captured image used when adjusting the optical axis of the in-vehicle camera, the influence received by the image processing for making the captured image displayed on the in-vehicle display easy for the vehicle occupant to see is reduced. Therefore, according to the in-vehicle imaging device according to one aspect of the present disclosure, it is possible to appropriately adjust the optical axis of the in-vehicle camera in the in-vehicle camera that performs image processing for making the captured image displayed on the in-vehicle display easy for the vehicle occupant to see.

[0007] In one embodiment, when the control unit cannot recognize the target position for adjusting the optical axis using the captured image of the image processing in which at least one of the dynamic range processing and the edge enhancement processing is relaxed in the first setting in the optical axis adjustment mode of the in-vehicle camera, the optical axis may be adjusted using the captured image of the image processing in which at least one of the dynamic range processing and the edge enhancement processing is relaxed in the second setting with a smaller degree of relaxation than the first setting. In this case, when, for example, white bleeding or the like occurs in the captured image of the image processing relaxed in the first setting and the target position cannot be recognized, the adjustment of the optical axis can be continued by switching to the second setting with a smaller degree of relaxation than the first setting.

Advantages of the Invention

[0008] According to some aspects of the present disclosure, in an in-vehicle camera that performs image processing to make it easier for a vehicle occupant to view a captured image displayed on an in-vehicle display, it is possible to optimize the optical axis adjustment of the in-vehicle camera.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0009]

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

Figure 4

Modes for Carrying Out the Invention

[0010] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0011] FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of an in-vehicle imaging device according to an embodiment. The in-vehicle imaging device 1 is mounted on a vehicle. The vehicle is, for example, a passenger car. The vehicle may be configured to be capable of executing, for example, autonomous driving control or driving assistance control.

[0012] As shown in FIG. 1, the in-vehicle imaging device 1 includes an ECU [Electronic Control Unit] (control unit) 10 and an in-vehicle camera 2. The ECU 10 is an electronic control unit that controls the in-vehicle camera 2. The ECU 10 is, for example, an electronic control unit for a panoramic view monitor. The ECU 10 is communicably connected to the in-vehicle camera 2.

[0013] The ECU 10 includes a CPU [Central Processing Unit], a ROM [Read Only Memory], a RAM [Random Access Memory], a CAN [Controller Area Network] communication circuit, etc. The ECU 10 controls the hardware based on the signals output by the CPU and realizes the functions of the ECU 10 described below. As an example of a more specific operation, the ECU 10 operates the CAN communication circuit to input and output data, stores the input data in the RAM, loads the program stored in the ROM into the RAM, and executes the program loaded into the RAM. The ECU 10 may be composed of a plurality of electronic units. A part of the functions of the ECU 10 may be executed by a server capable of communicating with the vehicle.

[0014] The in-vehicle camera 2 is an imaging device that images the situation around the vehicle. The in-vehicle camera 2 has, for example, a front camera, a rear camera, and a pair of left and right side view cameras. The front camera is provided, for example, on the front bumper of the vehicle and images the area in front of the vehicle. The rear camera is provided, for example, on the rear bumper of the vehicle and images the area behind the vehicle. The side view cameras are provided, for example, near the door mirrors of the vehicle and image the area on the side of the vehicle. The in-vehicle camera 2 may have, for example, a wide-angle field of view and image the vehicle body.

[0015] The in-vehicle camera 2 has an optical axis adjustment mode for adjusting the optical axis using the captured image. The in-vehicle camera 2 is configured to enable adjustment (calibration) of the optical axis using the captured image of a predetermined target. The optical axis adjustment of the in-vehicle camera 2 is performed, for example, in a state where the vehicle is stopped so as to have a predetermined position and direction with respect to a target installed at a predetermined position in a production factory during vehicle production or in a maintenance factory after sales.

[0016] Figures 2 and 3 illustrate a predetermined target. The target is composed of patterns of two different colors (here, white and black). By detecting the boundary between the two different colors (for example, the point at the center of the pattern) from the captured image, the target position used for optical axis adjustment is detected. The target is arranged at least at two locations within the field of view of the in-vehicle camera 2 on the floor of the work area. The target is arranged such that the coordinates of the target position are known in the world coordinate system. A known method can be used for coordinate conversion between the world coordinate system and the camera coordinate system.

[0017] Two or more targets may include, for example, for the front of the vehicle, a pair of targets arranged at a wide interval compared to the full width of the vehicle, and a target arranged at the front of the vehicle. The arrangement of two or more targets is not limited to this example.

[0018] Here, the captured image of the in-vehicle camera 2 can be displayed on an in-vehicle display (not shown) for the vehicle occupants to view. In this case, it is common to perform image processing including dynamic range processing and edge enhancement processing so that the vehicle occupants can easily view the captured image. Dynamic range processing means image processing that simultaneously captures a captured image with a long shutter speed and a captured image with a short shutter speed, and overlaps them to reduce over-bright white-out portions and over-dark blacked-out portions in the captured image. Dynamic range processing is so-called wide dynamic range (WDR) or high dynamic range (HDR). Edge enhancement processing means image processing that corrects the change in luminance to be larger than the actual value along the boundary (edge) where the luminance changes by a certain amount or more in the captured image.

[0019] FIG. 2(a) is an example of a captured image of a target of normal dynamic range processing and edge enhancement processing (both in an unrelaxed state) for a vehicle occupant to view the captured image. FIG. 2(b) is an enlarged view of the area within the dashed line frame of FIG. 2(a). When the captured image of the target in FIG. 2(a) is displayed on the in-vehicle display, it is easier for the vehicle occupant to view the captured image. However, when adjusting the optical axis of the in-vehicle camera 2 using the captured image, the results of such image processing may become noise, for example. As shown in FIG. 2(b), for example, the boundary between white and black does not have a uniform luminance transition, and shading occurs depending on the position in the captured image, which may become noise in detecting the target position.

[0020] Therefore, the in-vehicle imaging device 1 is configured to relax at least one of the dynamic range processing and the edge enhancement processing in a state where the in-vehicle camera 2 is in the optical axis adjustment mode as compared with a state where the in-vehicle camera 2 is not in the optical axis adjustment mode. The in-vehicle imaging device 1 here is configured to be able to switch between the optical axis adjustment mode and the normal mode. The optical axis adjustment mode is, for example, a mode for adjusting the deviation of the optical axis due to the mounting tolerance of the in-vehicle camera 2 to the vehicle. The normal mode corresponds to a state where it is not in the optical axis adjustment mode and is a mode in which the captured image can be displayed on the in-vehicle display for the vehicle occupant to view.

[0021] The optical axis adjustment mode can be specified by a user, such as an operator for optical axis adjustment, as a type of user-specified mode to the ECU 10 using, for example, an external tool. The user-specified mode means a mode specified by the user to the ECU 10 from a plurality of modes including the optical axis adjustment mode and the normal mode. The external tool is a device connected to the vehicle that can transmit a command signal for selecting the user-specified mode to the ECU 10. The external tool may be communication equipment provided in the vehicle at the production factory during vehicle production. After the vehicle is sold, the external tool may be a service tool deployed at the dealer's maintenance factory. The external tool may be an original navigation device that can be switched to the service mode.

[0022] The ECU 10 controls the in-vehicle camera 2 to perform image processing including dynamic range processing and edge enhancement processing applied to the captured image of the in-vehicle camera 2. In the optical axis adjustment mode of the in-vehicle camera 2, the ECU 10 controls the in-vehicle camera 2 to relax at least one of the dynamic range processing and the edge enhancement processing as compared with the state where it is not in the optical axis adjustment mode. The ECU 10 includes a storage unit 11, a mode recognition unit 12, and a setting information transmission unit 13.

[0023] The storage unit 11 stores setting information for relaxing the dynamic range processing and the edge enhancement processing. The storage unit 11 stores, for example, setting ID numbers corresponding to the optical axis adjustment mode and the normal mode to be transmitted to the in-vehicle camera 2.

[0024] The setting ID numbers may include, for example, ID1 for the normal mode, ID2 corresponding to the first relaxation setting (the first setting), and ID3 corresponding to the second relaxation setting (the second setting). The first relaxation setting and the second relaxation setting are setting information (relaxation settings) for the optical axis adjustment mode. The second relaxation setting has a smaller degree of relaxation than the first relaxation setting. "Having a smaller degree of relaxation" corresponds to being closer to the normal mode than the first relaxation setting.

[0025] The relaxation of the dynamic range processing is, for example, to invalidate the dynamic range processing. The relaxation of the dynamic range processing may be to change the weighting of the overlay of the bright captured image and the dark captured image.

[0026] The relaxation of the edge enhancement processing is, for example, to reduce the magnitude of the gain when correcting so as to make the change in luminance larger than the actual value. The relaxation of the edge enhancement processing may be to invalidate the edge enhancement processing by setting the gain to 0.

[0027] Note that the memory unit 11 may store image processing setting values (e.g., WDR setting values and edge processing setting values) according to the type of the in-vehicle camera 2, instead of storing the setting ID numbers corresponding to the optical axis adjustment mode and the normal mode. The image processing setting values may include the normal WDR setting value and the normal edge processing setting value for the normal mode, the first relaxation WDR setting value and the first relaxation edge processing setting value for the first relaxation setting, and the second relaxation WDR setting value and the second relaxation edge processing setting value for the second relaxation setting.

[0028] The mode recognition unit 12 recognizes the type of the user-specified mode based on the command signal input to the ECU 10.

[0029] The setting information transmission unit 13 determines whether the type of the user-specified mode is the optical axis adjustment mode, and transmits setting information to the in-vehicle camera 2 according to the determination result.

[0030] For example, when the type of the user-specified mode is not the optical axis adjustment mode, the setting information transmission unit 13 transmits, as the setting information for normal use, a setting ID number (e.g., ID1) for the normal mode to the in-vehicle camera 2. When the type of the user-specified mode is the optical axis adjustment mode, the setting information transmission unit 13 transmits, as the setting information for the first relaxation setting, a setting ID number (e.g., ID2) corresponding to the first relaxation setting for the optical axis adjustment mode to the in-vehicle camera 2.

[0031] When the ECU 10 cannot recognize the target position for adjusting the optical axis using the captured image of the image processing in which at least one of the dynamic range processing and the edge enhancement processing is relaxed in the first relaxation setting in the optical axis adjustment mode of the in-vehicle camera 2, the optical axis may be adjusted using the captured image of the image processing in which at least one of the dynamic range processing and the edge enhancement processing is relaxed in the second relaxation setting with a smaller degree of relaxation than the first relaxation setting. For example, when the setting information transmission unit 13 cannot recognize the target position for adjusting the optical axis using the captured image of the image processing in which at least one of the dynamic range processing and the edge enhancement processing is relaxed in the first relaxation setting in the optical axis adjustment mode of the in-vehicle camera 2, the setting information transmission unit 13 may transmit, for example, the setting ID number (e.g., ID3) corresponding to the second relaxation setting for the optical axis adjustment mode as the setting information of the second relaxation setting to the in-vehicle camera 2.

[0032] In addition, the setting information transmission unit 13 may transmit the setting value for relaxing at least one of the dynamic range processing and the edge enhancement processing to the in-vehicle camera 2 based on the type ID number regarding the type of the in-vehicle camera 2 received from the in-vehicle camera 2. In this case, based on the type ID number regarding the type of the in-vehicle camera 2 received from the in-vehicle camera 2, the preset setting value is switched so as to correspond to the type of the in-vehicle camera 2 and then transmitted to the in-vehicle camera 2. Thereby, in order to apply the present disclosure to a plurality of types of in-vehicle cameras 2 having different specifications such as the individual vehicle setting information described later, by previously storing the setting values corresponding to the plurality of types of in-vehicle cameras 2 in one type of ECU 10, the commonization of the ECU can be achieved.

[0033] For example, when the type of the user-specified mode is not the optical axis adjustment mode, the setting information transmission unit 13 may transmit the normal WDR setting value and the normal edge processing setting value for the in-vehicle camera 2 of the type ID number to the in-vehicle camera 2 as the setting information of the normal setting based on the type ID number of the in-vehicle camera 2 received from the in-vehicle camera 2.

[0034] When the type of the user-specified mode is the optical axis adjustment mode, the setting information transmission unit 13 may transmit, as the setting information of the first relaxation setting, the first relaxation WDR setting value and the first relaxation edge processing setting value for the in-vehicle camera 2 with the type ID number to the in-vehicle camera 2 based on the type ID number of the in-vehicle camera 2 received from the in-vehicle camera 2.

[0035] When the setting information transmission unit 13 cannot recognize the target position for adjusting the optical axis using the captured image of the image processing in which at least one of the dynamic range processing and the edge enhancement processing is relaxed by the first relaxation setting in the optical axis adjustment mode of the in-vehicle camera 2, in response to the request from the in-vehicle camera 2, the second relaxation WDR setting value and the second relaxation edge processing setting value for the in-vehicle camera 2 with the type ID number may be transmitted to the in-vehicle camera 2 as the setting information of the second relaxation setting.

[0036] The in-vehicle camera 2 includes a storage unit 21, an imaging unit 22, an image processing unit 23, and an optical axis adjustment unit 24.

[0037] The storage unit 21 stores various setting information of the in-vehicle camera 2. The setting information includes setting values corresponding to the setting ID numbers for image processing including dynamic range processing and edge enhancement processing. The setting information may include vehicle-specific setting information such as the type of the camera, camera constants, the position of the camera, and the orientation of the camera. The vehicle-specific setting information may be determined based on the vehicle model, the fixed position of the in-vehicle camera 2 in the vehicle, or the fixing method of the in-vehicle camera 2. When the setting ID number is transmitted from the ECU 10 as the setting information, the setting values for image processing are read out from the storage unit 21 according to the setting ID number transmitted from the ECU 10. When the setting value is transmitted from the ECU 10 as the setting information, the setting value of the storage unit 21 may not be read out.

[0038] The imaging unit 22 has, for example, a lens and a sensor. The imaging unit 22 images the surroundings of the vehicle with the adjusted optical axis.

[0039] The image processing unit 23 performs the above-described image processing on the captured image of the imaging unit 22 based on the setting information read from the storage unit 21. The image processing unit 23 may also perform the above-described image processing on the captured image of the imaging unit 22 based on the setting information transmitted from the ECU 10.

[0040] In the optical axis adjustment mode, the optical axis adjustment unit 24 recognizes the target position from the captured image of the target and adjusts the optical axis based on the target position. The optical axis adjustment unit 24 has an arithmetic function for recognizing the target position. The optical axis adjustment unit 24 may also have an actuator for adjusting the optical axis.

[0041] FIG. 3(a) is an example of a captured image of a target in a state where the dynamic range processing is relaxed. FIG. 3(b) is an enlarged view of the area within the dashed line frame in FIG. 3(a). As shown in FIGS. 3(a) and 3(b), by relaxing the dynamic range processing, the shading that occurred along the boundary between white and black as in the example of FIG. 2(b) is suppressed, and it can be seen that the noise in the detection of the target position is reduced. By using the captured image with reduced noise, the optical axis adjustment of the in-vehicle camera 2 can be optimized.

[0042] [Processing of In-Vehicle Imaging Device] Next, an example of the processing of the in-vehicle imaging device 1 will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG. 4. FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing an example of the processing of the in-vehicle imaging device of FIG. 1. The processing shown in FIG. 4 is repeatedly executed at a predetermined calculation cycle, for example, while the vehicle is stopped.

[0043] As shown in FIG. 4, in S10, the in-vehicle imaging device 1 recognizes the type of the user-specified mode by the mode recognition unit 12 of the ECU 10. The mode recognition unit 12 recognizes the type of the user-specified mode based on the command signal input to the ECU 10.

[0044] In S11, the in-vehicle imaging device 1 determines, by the setting information transmission unit 13 of the ECU 10, whether the type of the user-specified mode is the optical axis adjustment mode. When the type of the user-specified mode is not the optical axis adjustment mode (S11: NO), the in-vehicle imaging device 1 proceeds to the process of S12.

[0045] In S12, the in-vehicle imaging device 1 transmits, by the setting information transmission unit 13 of the ECU 10, the setting information of the normal setting to the in-vehicle camera. The setting information transmission unit 13 of the ECU 10 transmits, as the setting information of the normal setting, for example, the setting ID number for the normal mode (for example, ID1) to the in-vehicle camera 2. Alternatively, the setting information transmission unit 13 of the ECU 10 may transmit, based on the type ID number of the in-vehicle camera 2 received from the in-vehicle camera 2, the normal WDR setting value and the normal edge processing setting value for the in-vehicle camera 2 of the type ID number to the in-vehicle camera 2 as the setting information of the normal setting. Thereafter, the in-vehicle imaging device 1 ends the process of FIG. 4 in the current calculation cycle.

[0046] On the other hand, when the type of the user-specified mode is the optical axis adjustment mode (S11: YES), the in-vehicle imaging device 1 proceeds to the process of S13. In S13, the in-vehicle imaging device 1 transmits, by the setting information transmission unit 13 of the ECU 10, the setting information of the first relaxation setting to the in-vehicle camera. The setting information transmission unit 13 of the ECU 10 transmits, as the setting information of the first relaxation setting, for example, the setting ID number (for example, ID2) corresponding to the first relaxation setting for the optical axis adjustment mode to the in-vehicle camera 2. Alternatively, the setting information transmission unit 13 of the ECU 10 may transmit, based on the type ID number of the in-vehicle camera 2 received from the in-vehicle camera 2, the first relaxation WDR setting value and the first relaxation edge processing setting value for the in-vehicle camera 2 of the type ID number to the in-vehicle camera 2 as the setting information of the first relaxation setting.

[0047] In S14, the in-vehicle imaging device 1 uses the imaging unit 22 to capture an image of the target in the first relaxation setting by means of the optical axis adjustment unit 24 of the in-vehicle camera 2. The optical axis adjustment unit 24 of the in-vehicle camera 2 reads out the WDR setting value and the edge processing setting value corresponding to the setting ID number for the first relaxation setting from the storage unit 21 of the in-vehicle camera 2, and uses these read setting values to capture an image of the target. Alternatively, the optical axis adjustment unit 24 of the in-vehicle camera 2 may capture an image of the target using the first relaxation WDR setting value and the first relaxation edge processing setting value received from the ECU 10.

[0048] In S15, the in-vehicle imaging device 1 determines, by means of the optical axis adjustment unit 24 of the in-vehicle camera 2, whether it is possible to recognize the target position. If the in-vehicle imaging device 1 can recognize the target position (S15: YES), it proceeds to the process of S16. In S16, the in-vehicle imaging device 1 performs optical axis adjustment by means of the optical axis adjustment unit 24 of the in-vehicle camera 2. In this case, the optical axis adjustment unit 24 performs optical axis adjustment using the captured image of the target captured in the first relaxation setting. Thereafter, the in-vehicle imaging device 1 ends the process of FIG. 4 for the current calculation cycle.

[0049] On the other hand, if the in-vehicle imaging device 1 cannot recognize the target position (S15: NO), it proceeds to the process of S17. In S17, the in-vehicle imaging device 1 transmits the setting information of the second relaxation setting to the in-vehicle camera by means of the setting information transmission unit 13 of the ECU 10. In S17, the in-vehicle imaging device 1 transmits, for example, information requesting the setting information of the second relaxation setting to the setting information transmission unit 13 of the ECU 10 by means of the optical axis adjustment unit 24 of the in-vehicle camera 2. In response to the request from the in-vehicle camera 2, the setting information transmission unit 13 of the ECU 10 transmits, for example, the setting ID number (e.g., ID3) corresponding to the second relaxation setting for the optical axis adjustment mode to the in-vehicle camera 2 as the setting information of the second relaxation setting. Alternatively, in response to the request from the in-vehicle camera 2, the setting information transmission unit 13 of the ECU 10 may transmit the second relaxation WDR setting value and the second relaxation edge processing setting value for the in-vehicle camera 2 of the type ID number to the in-vehicle camera 2 as the setting information of the second relaxation setting.

[0050] In S16 after S17, the in-vehicle imaging device 1 executes optical axis adjustment by the optical axis adjustment unit 24 of the in-vehicle camera 2. In this case, the optical axis adjustment unit 24 executes optical axis adjustment using the captured image of the target captured in the second relaxation setting. Thereafter, the in-vehicle imaging device 1 ends the processing of FIG. 4 in the current calculation cycle.

[0051] According to the in-vehicle imaging device 1 described above, in the optical axis adjustment mode of the in-vehicle camera 2, the in-vehicle camera 2 is controlled so as to relax the dynamic range processing and the edge enhancement processing as compared with the state where it is not in the optical axis adjustment mode. Thereby, in the captured image used when adjusting the optical axis of the in-vehicle camera 2, the influence received by the image processing for making it easier for the vehicle occupant to view the captured image displayed on the in-vehicle display is reduced. Therefore, according to the in-vehicle imaging device 1, it is possible to improve the appropriateness of the optical axis adjustment of the in-vehicle camera 2 in the in-vehicle camera 2 that performs image processing for making it easier for the vehicle occupant to view the captured image displayed on the in-vehicle display.

[0052] In the in-vehicle imaging device 1, when the ECU 10 cannot recognize the target position for optical axis adjustment using the captured image of the image processing in which the dynamic range processing and the edge enhancement processing are relaxed in the first setting in the optical axis adjustment mode of the in-vehicle camera 2, the optical axis is adjusted using the captured image of the image processing in which the dynamic range processing and the edge enhancement processing are relaxed in the second setting with a smaller degree of relaxation than the first setting. Thereby, when, for example, white bleeding or the like occurs in the captured image of the image processing relaxed in the first setting and the target position cannot be recognized, it is possible to switch to the second setting with a smaller degree of relaxation than the first setting and continue the optical axis adjustment.

[0053] As described above, the embodiments of the present disclosure have been described, but the present disclosure is not limited to the above embodiments.

[0054] In the above embodiment, in the description of the flowchart of FIG. 4, both the dynamic range processing and the edge enhancement processing were relaxed, but it is not limited to this example. Specifically, in S13 and S17 of FIG. 4, the setting information transmission unit 13 of the ECU 10 transmitted the setting ID numbers (ID2, ID3), or the first and second relaxed WDR setting values and the first and second relaxed edge processing setting values to the in-vehicle camera 2 as the first relaxation setting and the second relaxation setting, but it is not limited to this example. For example, instead of transmitting both the WDR setting value and the edge processing setting value, it may be possible to transmit either the WDR setting value or the edge processing setting value. The main point is that in the state where the in-vehicle camera 2 is in the optical axis adjustment mode, at least one of the dynamic range processing and the edge enhancement processing may be relaxed compared to the state where the in-vehicle camera 2 is not in the optical axis adjustment mode.

[0055] In the above embodiment, in the description of the flowchart of FIG. 4, the first and second relaxed WDR setting values and the first and second relaxed edge processing setting values were switched according to the availability of recognizing the target position, but it is not limited to this example. For example, the processes of S14, S15, and S17 in the flowchart of FIG. 4 may be omitted.

[0056] In the above embodiment, the in-vehicle camera 2 and the ECU 10 were configured for a panoramic view monitor, but they may be configured for automatic driving control or driving assistance control. In this case, the in-vehicle camera may be provided, for example, on the back side of the front glass of the vehicle.

Description of Reference Numerals

[0057] 1... In-vehicle imaging device, 2... In-vehicle camera, 10... ECU (control unit).

Claims

1. An in-vehicle imaging device for imaging the situation around a vehicle, comprising: an in-vehicle camera provided on the vehicle and directed toward the periphery of the vehicle; a control unit configured to control the in-vehicle camera to perform image processing including dynamic range processing and edge enhancement processing applied to the captured image of the in-vehicle camera; the in-vehicle camera having an optical axis adjustment mode for adjusting the optical axis using the captured image; the control unit controlling the in-vehicle camera in the optical axis adjustment mode of the in-vehicle camera to relax at least one of the dynamic range processing and the edge enhancement processing as compared with a state where the optical axis adjustment mode is not in effect, the in-vehicle imaging device.

2. The in-vehicle imaging device according to claim 1, wherein, in the optical axis adjustment mode of the in-vehicle camera, when the control unit cannot recognize a target position for adjusting the optical axis using the captured image of the image processing in which at least one of the dynamic range processing and the edge enhancement processing is relaxed with a first setting, the control unit adjusts the optical axis using the captured image of the image processing in which at least one of the dynamic range processing and the edge enhancement processing is relaxed with a second setting having a lower degree of relaxation than the first setting.

Images