Off-Center Camera Image Extraction for Vehicle Rear View
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Solution Overview
Problem
Wide angle cameras installed off-center in vehicles produce distorted images, making it difficult for drivers to recognize objects farther from the camera center, especially when the camera is significantly deviated from the vehicle's center line, leading to reduced image resolution and recognition challenges.
Innovation Solution
An image processing system that adjusts the extraction position and size of the display image based on the camera's position relative to the vehicle's center line and the degree of size reduction, ensuring the display center line aligns with the vehicle center line and maintaining an adequate enlargement factor to enhance image recognition.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Area of stationary object
If a wide angle camera is arranged at a position deviated from the vehicle center line, then the camera can capture a wider field of view, but the degree of size reduction of objects increases as they are farther from the image center, making it difficult for occupants to recognize objects
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the captured image into multiple regions and applies different processing to each region. Specifically, it extracts a first image region containing the vehicle rear end and a second image region containing other objects, then processes them differently to optimize both vehicle identification and object recognition accuracy
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies different quality standards to different parts of the image. The first image region (vehicle rear end) is processed to ensure proper vehicle identification, while the second image region (other objects) is processed to maintain recognition accuracy despite size reduction, allowing each region to have optimized quality characteristics
2Device complexity
If a part of the captured image is extracted and displayed without distortion correction, then the processing is simpler, but objects farther from the center appear smaller and are harder to recognize
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs preliminary extraction of the first image region containing the vehicle rear end before distortion correction is applied to the second image region. This preliminary action ensures that the vehicle rear end is properly identified and positioned, and allows subsequent processing to focus on maintaining object recognition accuracy in the second region
3Measurement precision
If distortion correction is applied to the extracted image, then object size accuracy is improved, but the image resolution decreases making it harder to recognize objects
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the image processing into two distinct paths: one for the first image region (vehicle rear end) and one for the second image region (other objects). This segmentation allows distortion correction to be applied selectively to the second region while preserving the resolution-critical first region, thus resolving the contradiction between size accuracy and resolution
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies different quality characteristics to different regions: the first image region maintains high resolution for vehicle identification, while the second image region undergoes distortion correction to improve object size accuracy. This local quality approach allows each region to be optimized for its specific purpose without compromising the other
4Area of stationary object
If the camera installation position is more greatly deviated from the center line, then the field of view is wider, but the region around the vehicle center line is farther from the image center and recognition becomes more difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs asymmetric image extraction and processing strategies. The first image region is specifically positioned to capture the vehicle rear end, while the second image region is adjusted to account for the camera's off-center position. This asymmetric approach compensates for the deviation from the center line, ensuring that the vehicle center line region remains properly represented despite the camera's lateral offset
Data Source
AI summary
An image processing apparatus extracts, as a display image, a part of an image captured by a wide angle camera, the wide angle camera being arranged at a position deviated from a vehicle center line that is a center line of a vehicle in a longitudinal direction and being configured to increase a degree of size reduction of an object as being farther from a center of the captured image. The image processing apparatus includes a control circuit that extracts the display image. The control circuit includes an extraction determination portion. The extraction determination portion determines an extraction position of the display image in the captured image according to a center position of the display image to the vehicle center line and the degree of size reduction of the object represented at a pixel of a specific position in the display image.