Vehicle top view image display method and display device

Abstract

To provide a method and a device for displaying a top view image of a vehicle, capable of replacing a non-obtainable image area (or a photographing blind area) of a top view image of a vehicle with a replacement image area to harmonize with a surrounding image of the vehicle.SOLUTION: A method of displaying a top view image of a vehicle includes the steps of: extracting, by a controller, a location of maximum resolution of a top view image of a vehicle generated by cameras; setting, by the controller, a replacement image area that is larger than an image area of the vehicle included in the top view image of the vehicle by a reference value at the location of the maximum resolution of the top view image of the vehicle; and replacing, by the controller, a non-obtainable mage area of the top view image of the vehicle with the replacement image area, the reference value being a value larger than the non-obtainable image area.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a vehicle driver assistance system (DAS), and more particularly to a method for displaying a top-view image of a vehicle and a display device thereof. [Background technology]

[0002] In recent years, vehicles have been equipped with Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) to improve driving safety.

[0003] Such ADAS include a Lane Departure Warning System (LDWS), a Forward Collision Warning System (FCWS), a Driver Drowsiness Detection system, a Pedestrian Detection (PD) system, a Traffic Sign Recognition (TSR) system, a Blind-spot View Monitoring (BVM) system, or a Surround View Monitoring (SVM) system.

[0004] The SVM system (Surround View Monitoring System) is a video system that allows you to monitor the surroundings in 360 degrees at a glance, and is used to capture the surroundings and check them with the naked eye.

[0005] The matters described in this Background Art section are created to enhance understanding of the background of the invention, and may include matters that are not prior art already known to those having ordinary skill in the art to which this technology pertains. Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] The technical problem (objective) that the present invention aims to solve is to provide a method and a display device for displaying a top-view image of a vehicle, which can replace unacquired areas (or blind spots) of the top-view image of the vehicle with an alternative image area that harmonizes with the surrounding image of the vehicle. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] In order to solve (achieve) the above problem, a method for displaying a top view image of a vehicle according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a step of a controller extracting a position of a maximum resolution of a top view image of the vehicle generated by a camera, a step of the controller setting a substitute image area at the position of the maximum resolution of the top view image of the vehicle, the substitute image area being larger than an image area of ​​the vehicle included in the top view image of the vehicle by a reference value, and a step of the controller replacing an image non-acquired area of ​​the top view image of the vehicle with the substitute image area, wherein the reference value may be a value larger than the image non-acquired area.

[0008] The method for displaying a top-view image of a vehicle may further include a step of the controller replacing an image-unacquired area of ​​the top-view image of the vehicle with the substitute image area according to a movement of an image of the vehicle caused by a movement of the vehicle.

[0009] The controller can determine a moving direction of the image of the vehicle based on a moving distance of the vehicle detected by a distance sensor and a steering angle of a steering wheel of the vehicle detected by a steering angle sensor.

[0010] The controller can replace the image-unacquired area of ​​the top view image of the vehicle with the alternative image area using position coordinates of the image of the vehicle, position coordinates of the image-unacquired area of ​​the top view image of the vehicle, and position coordinates of the alternative image area.

[0011] The cameras may include a first camera for acquiring a front image of the vehicle, a second camera for acquiring a rear image of the vehicle, a third camera for acquiring a left image of the vehicle, and a fourth camera for acquiring a right image of the vehicle.

[0012] When the third camera fails, the controller can generate a left side image of the vehicle using the front image of the vehicle from the first camera and the rear image of the vehicle from the second camera.

[0013] The controller may generate a shadow image at a boundary of an image of the vehicle surrounded by the alternate image area.

[0014] In order to solve the above problem, a top view image display device for a vehicle according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a camera that captures an image of the surroundings of a vehicle, and a controller that extracts a position of maximum resolution of the top view image of the vehicle generated by the camera, wherein the controller sets a substitute image area that is larger than an image area of ​​the vehicle included in the top view image of the vehicle by a reference value at the position of the maximum resolution of the top view image of the vehicle, the reference value being a value larger than an image unacquired area of ​​the top view image of the vehicle, and the controller can control the display device to replace the image unacquired area of ​​the top view image of the vehicle with the substitute image area and display the substituted top view image of the vehicle on the display device.

[0015] The controller may control the display device to replace an image-unacquired area of ​​the top view image of the vehicle with the substitute image area in accordance with a movement of the image of the vehicle due to the movement of the vehicle, and to display the replaced top view image of the vehicle on the display device.

[0016] The controller can determine a moving direction of the image of the vehicle based on a moving distance of the vehicle detected by a distance sensor and a steering angle of a steering wheel of the vehicle detected by a steering angle sensor.

[0017] The controller can replace the image-unacquired area of ​​the top view image of the vehicle with the alternative image area using position coordinates of the image of the vehicle, position coordinates of the image-unacquired area of ​​the top view image of the vehicle, and position coordinates of the alternative image area.

[0018] The cameras may include a first camera for acquiring a front image of the vehicle, a second camera for acquiring a rear image of the vehicle, a third camera for acquiring a left image of the vehicle, and a fourth camera for acquiring a right image of the vehicle.

[0019] When the third camera fails, the controller can generate a left side image of the vehicle using the front image of the vehicle from the first camera and the rear image of the vehicle from the second camera.

[0020] The controller may generate a shadow image at a boundary of an image of the vehicle surrounded by the alternate image area. Effect of the Invention

[0021] The above-described method for displaying a top view image of a vehicle and the display device thereof according to the embodiment of the present invention can replace an unacquired area (or a blind spot area) of the top view image of the vehicle with a substitute image area to harmonize with the surrounding image of the vehicle. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0022] In order to more fully understand the drawings used in the detailed description of the present invention, a brief description of each of the drawings is provided.

[0023] [Figure 1] 2 is a flowchart illustrating a method for displaying a top-view image of a vehicle according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 2] 2 is a diagram illustrating a top-view image display device for a vehicle to which the method for displaying a top-view image for a vehicle shown in FIG. 1 is applied. [Diagram 3]2 is a diagram for explaining the alternative image area setting step shown in FIG. 1; FIG. [Figure 4] 2 is a diagram for explaining an image non-acquired region replacement process shown in FIG. 1; FIG. [Diagram 5] 2 is a diagram for explaining an image non-acquired region replacement process shown in FIG. 1; FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0024] For a fuller understanding of the invention and the objects attained by its practice, reference should be made to the accompanying drawings in which an embodiment of the invention is illustrated and illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

[0025] Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in detail by describing the embodiments of the present invention with reference to the accompanying drawings. In describing the present invention, if it is determined that a detailed description of related known configurations or functions may obscure the gist of the present invention, the detailed description will be omitted. The same reference numerals in each drawing may indicate the same components.

[0026] The terms used in this specification are merely used to describe certain embodiments and are not intended to limit the present invention. A singular expression includes a plural expression unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. In this specification, the terms "include" or "have" are intended to specify the presence of features, numbers, steps, operations, components, parts, or combinations thereof described in the specification, and should be understood not to preclude the presence or additional possibility of one or more other features, numbers, steps, operations, components, parts, or combinations thereof.

[0027] Throughout the specification, when a part is said to be "connected" to another part, this includes not only "directly connected" but also "electrically or mechanically connected" with another component in between.

[0028] Unless otherwise defined, terms used herein, including technical or scientific terms, have the same meaning as commonly understood by a person of ordinary skill in the art to which the present invention belongs (a person of ordinary skill in the art). Terms as defined in commonly used dictionaries should be interpreted as having a meaning consistent with the meaning they have in the context of the relevant art, and should not be interpreted as having an ideal or overly formal meaning unless expressly defined in this specification.

[0029] Due to the vehicle body including the bumper, there are areas in the top view image of the vehicle where the camera of the SVM system (Surround View Monitoring System) cannot capture images. Related technologies display a vehicle image having image-uncaptured areas (or shaded areas) expressed in a specific color (e.g., black) in the top view image of the vehicle, or display a vehicle image that is larger in size than the vehicle image that should be displayed in the top view image.

[0030] When an area where an image has not been acquired is displayed in a particular color, the particular color may not blend in with the image of the vehicle's surroundings.When a vehicle image that is larger than the vehicle image that should be displayed in the top view image is displayed, the width of the vehicle may be displayed exaggerated.

[0031] FIG 1 is a flowchart illustrating a method for displaying a top-view image of a vehicle according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG 2 is a diagram illustrating a top-view image display device for a vehicle to which the method for displaying a top-view image of a vehicle shown in FIG 1 is applied. FIG 3 is a diagram illustrating a substitute image area setting process shown in FIG 1. FIG 4 is a diagram illustrating a non-acquired image area substitution process shown in FIG 1. FIG 5 is a diagram illustrating a non-acquired image area substitution process shown in FIG 1.

[0032] 1 to 5, in the extraction process 100, a controller 260 may extract a position (or position coordinates) of maximum resolution of a top-view image of the vehicle generated by a camera capturing the surroundings of the vehicle (surrounding image or surrounding conditions). The top-view image of the vehicle may be a two-dimensional image of a virtual surroundings of the vehicle viewed from above the vehicle. For example, the controller 260 may extract a position of maximum resolution of the top-view image of the vehicle based on the positions, types (or specifications (performance)), or optical axis directions of the first to fourth cameras 200, 210, 220, 230, which are cameras for generating a top-view image of the vehicle.

[0033] The vehicle's top view image display device may include a first camera 200, such as a wide-angle camera, a second camera (e.g., a wide-angle camera) 210, a third camera (e.g., a wide-angle camera) 220, a fourth camera (e.g., a wide-angle camera) 230, a distance sensor 230, a steering angle sensor (SAS) 250, a controller 260, and a display device 270.

[0034] The first camera 200 is a front camera located in front of the vehicle and can be used to grab an image of the front of the vehicle. For example, the front camera 200 can be disposed in the center between the headlamps on both sides of the vehicle.

[0035] The second camera 210 is a rear camera located at the rear of the vehicle and can be used to capture a rear image of the vehicle. For example, the rear camera 210 can be disposed in the center between the rear lamps on both sides of the vehicle.

[0036] The third camera 220 is a left camera and is located on the left side of the vehicle to obtain a left side image (left side image) of the vehicle. For example, the left camera 220 may be disposed on the left side mirror of the vehicle. For example, when the third camera 220 is out of order, the controller 260 may synthesize or generate a left side image of the vehicle using the front image of the vehicle captured by the first camera 200 and the rear image of the vehicle captured by the second camera 210. When the controller 260 displays a top view image of the vehicle using the left side image of the vehicle, the controller 260 may display through the display device 270 that the left side image of the vehicle is a virtual image.

[0037] The fourth camera 230 is a right camera and is located on the right side of the vehicle to capture a right side image of the vehicle (right side image). For example, the right camera 230 may be disposed on the right side mirror of the vehicle.

[0038] The controller 260 is an electronic control unit (ECU) and can control the overall operation of the top-view image display device for a vehicle. The controller 260 can be, for example, one or more microprocessors operated by a program (control logic) or hardware including the microprocessor (e.g., a microcomputer), and the program can include a series of instructions for performing the method for displaying a top-view image for a vehicle according to an embodiment of the present invention. The instructions can be stored in a memory of the top-view image display device for a vehicle or the controller 260.

[0039] The controller 260 can combine (synthesize) the front image of the vehicle from the first camera 200, the rear image of the vehicle from the second camera 210, the left image of the vehicle from the third camera 220, and the right image of the vehicle from the fourth camera 230 to generate a top view image of the vehicle.

[0040] The display device 270 displays a top view image of the vehicle, and may display a front image of the vehicle taken by the first camera 200, a rear image of the vehicle taken by the second camera 210, a left image of the vehicle taken by the third camera 220, or a right image of the vehicle taken by the fourth camera 230. For example, the display device 270 may be a cluster of the vehicle.

[0041] The first camera 200, the second camera 210, the third camera 220, the fourth camera 230, the controller 260, and the display device 270 may constitute a Surround View Monitor (SVM) system. The Surround View Monitor (SVM) system is a parking assistance system that provides a 360-degree situation around the vehicle in real time as if it were viewed from above the vehicle, and can be a device that allows the driver to see the front, rear, left, or right side through four cameras mounted on the vehicle.

[0042] According to the process 120, as shown in FIG. 3, the controller 260 may set an alternative image area 320 larger than an area (e.g., width) of the image 310 of the vehicle included in the top view image of the vehicle at a position of the maximum resolution of the top view image of the vehicle. The area (e.g., width) of the alternative image area 320 may be larger than the width of the image 310 of the vehicle by a reference value. The reference value is a value larger than an image unacquired area (or a blind spot area) 300 (e.g., a value obtained by adding up the left and right widths of the image unacquired area) of the top view image of the vehicle, and may be determined by a test (or an experiment). The image unacquired area 300 is a shaded area represented in a specific color (e.g., black) in which the camera cannot capture an image due to the body of the vehicle including the bumper, and may surround the image 310 of the vehicle. In FIG. 3, reference numeral 330 may be a parking line. The controller 260 can extract position coordinates of the image 310 of the vehicle, position coordinates of the alternative image area 320, and position coordinates of the image unacquired area 300 of the top view image of the vehicle from the top view image of the vehicle.

[0043] According to step 140, as shown in Figures 4 and 5, the controller 260 can substitute (or replace) the image unacquired region 300 of the top view image of the vehicle with an alternative image region 320 in response to the movement of the vehicle image 310, and control the display device 270 to display the substituted top view image of the vehicle. The controller 260 can generate a shadow image on a boundary (e.g., a left boundary of the vehicle image) of the vehicle image 310 surrounded by the alternative image region 320. The shadow image can blend the vehicle image 310 with the surrounding images of the vehicle image.

[0044] The image 310 of the vehicle surrounded by the substitute image area 320 can be stored in the memory for future use. The controller 260 can substitute (replace) the image unacquired area 300 of the top view image of the vehicle with the substitute image area 320 using the position coordinates of the image 310 of the vehicle, the position coordinates of the image unacquired area 300 of the top view image of the vehicle, and the position coordinates of the substitute image area 320.

[0045] The controller 260 can determine or calculate the moving direction of the image 310 of the vehicle based on the moving distance of the vehicle detected by the distance sensor 240 and the steering angle of the steering wheel (or handle) of the vehicle detected by the steering angle sensor 250. The distance sensor 240 can detect the moving distance of the vehicle using the speed of the vehicle.

[0046] In another embodiment of the present invention, the controller 260 may control the display device to replace the unacquired image area 300 of the vehicle's top view image with the substitute image area 320 even when the vehicle image 310 is not moving, and to display the replaced top view image of the vehicle on the display device 270.

[0047] The embodiment of the present invention may also be applied to a 3D view image of a vehicle that may be generated by the first camera 200, the second camera 210, the third camera 220, the fourth camera 230, and the controller 260. For example, the first camera 200, the second camera 210, the third camera 220, and the fourth camera 230 may include a 3D camera. The 3D view image of the vehicle may be a 3D image of a virtual vehicle surroundings viewed from above the vehicle.

[0048] The components or "units" or blocks or modules used in the embodiments of the present invention may be realized by software such as a task, class, subroutine, process, object, execution thread, or program executed in a specific area on memory, or by hardware such as a field-programmable gate array (FPGA) or application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), or may be a combination of the above software and hardware. The components or "units" may be included in a computer-readable storage medium, or may be distributed in part across multiple computers.

[0049] As above, the drawings and the specification disclose the embodiments. Although specific terms are used herein, they are used only for the purpose of describing the present invention, and are not used to limit the meaning or the scope of the present invention described in the claims. Therefore, a person having ordinary skill in the art should understand that various modifications and equivalent embodiments are possible from the present invention. Therefore, the true technical scope of protection of the present invention should be determined by the technical ideas of the appended claims. [Explanation of symbols]

[0050] 200: 1st camera 210: Second camera 220: Third camera 230: 4th camera 260:Controller 270: Display device

Claims

1. A controller extracting a position of full resolution of a top view image of the vehicle generated by the camera; a step of the controller setting an alternative image area that is larger in a width direction than an image area of ​​the vehicle included in the top-view image of the vehicle by a reference value at a position where the top-view image of the vehicle has a maximum resolution and is forward in a moving direction of the vehicle; and replacing an image non-acquired area of ​​a top view image of the vehicle, the image non-acquired area surrounding the image of the vehicle, with the substitute image area by the controller in response to a movement of the image of the vehicle due to a movement of the vehicle; A method for displaying a top view image of a vehicle, wherein the reference value is greater than the sum of the width of a portion of the image non-acquired area that is located to the left of the image of the vehicle and the width of a portion of the image non-acquired area that is located to the right of the image of the vehicle.

2. 2. The method of claim 1, wherein the controller determines a moving direction of the image of the vehicle based on a moving distance of the vehicle detected by a distance sensor and a steering angle of a steering wheel of the vehicle detected by a steering angle sensor.

3. 2. The method of claim 1, wherein the controller replaces the image-unacquired area of ​​the top view image of the vehicle with the alternative image area using position coordinates of the image of the vehicle, position coordinates of the image-unacquired area of ​​the top view image of the vehicle, and position coordinates of the alternative image area.

4. 2. The method of claim 1, wherein the cameras include a first camera for acquiring a front image of the vehicle, a second camera for acquiring a rear image of the vehicle, a third camera for acquiring a left side image of the vehicle, and a fourth camera for acquiring a right side image of the vehicle.

5. 5. The method of claim 4, wherein when the third camera is malfunctioning, the controller generates a left side image of the vehicle using the front image of the vehicle captured by the first camera and the rear image of the vehicle captured by the second camera.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the controller generates a shadow image on a boundary of the image of the vehicle surrounded by the alternative image area.

7. A camera that captures the surroundings of the vehicle; a controller for extracting a position of full resolution of a top view image of the vehicle generated by the camera; the controller sets an alternative image area that is larger in a width direction than an image area of ​​the vehicle included in the top view image of the vehicle by a reference value at a position of maximum resolution of the top view image of the vehicle and forward in a moving direction of the vehicle, the reference value being a value larger than a sum of a width of a portion of an image unacquired area of ​​the top view image of the vehicle that is located on the left side of the image of the vehicle and a width of a portion of the image unacquired area of ​​the top view image of the vehicle that is located on the right side of the image of the vehicle; The controller controls the display device to replace an image non-acquired area of ​​the top view image of the vehicle, the image non-acquired area surrounding the image of the vehicle, with the alternative image area in response to a movement of the image of the vehicle due to the movement of the vehicle, and to display the replaced top view image of the vehicle.

8. The top-view image display device for a vehicle according to claim 7, characterized in that the controller determines a moving direction of the image of the vehicle based on a moving distance of the vehicle detected by a distance sensor and a steering angle of a steering wheel of the vehicle detected by a steering angle sensor.

9. 8. The top view image display device for a vehicle according to claim 7, wherein the controller replaces the image-unacquired area of ​​the top view image of the vehicle with the alternative image area using position coordinates of the image of the vehicle, position coordinates of the image-unacquired area of ​​the top view image of the vehicle, and position coordinates of the alternative image area.

10. 10. The top view image display device for a vehicle according to claim 7, wherein the cameras include a first camera for acquiring a front image of the vehicle, a second camera for acquiring a rear image of the vehicle, a third camera for acquiring a left image of the vehicle, and a fourth camera for acquiring a right image of the vehicle.

11. 11. The top-view image display device for a vehicle according to claim 10, wherein, when the third camera is out of order, the controller generates a left side image of the vehicle using the front image of the vehicle captured by the first camera and the rear image of the vehicle captured by the second camera.

12. The device according to claim 7, wherein the controller generates a shadow image on a boundary of the image of the vehicle surrounded by the alternative image area.

Images