Rearview Image Cropping and Expansion for Lens Distortion
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing image display systems face challenges in displaying high-quality rearview images on electronic rearview mirrors without increasing circuit size, cost, or causing processing delays due to distortion correction, which can impair usability.
Innovation Solution
An image processing apparatus that acquires images with high and low distortion regions, cuts out a partial image region from the high distortion area, and expands it at an appropriate magnification to reduce distortion, primarily in the horizontal direction, for display on the rearview mirror.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If distortion correction processing is performed on the image to be displayed on the electronic rearview mirror, then the image quality is improved, but the processing time increases and frame rate decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts only the necessary portion of the image (the region corresponding to the electronic rearview mirror display area) from the full distortion-corrected image. By cutting out only the required region after distortion correction is applied to the entire image, the system avoids performing expensive distortion correction on all image data, thereby reducing processing time while maintaining image quality for the displayed region.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent segments the image processing into distinct stages: first performing distortion correction on the entire captured image, then cutting out the specific region needed for the electronic rearview mirror. This segmentation allows the system to optimize processing by applying heavy computational operations only where necessary.
2Manufacturing precision
If dedicated distortion correction processing is provided for the image of the region cut out to be displayed on the electronic rearview mirror, then the image quality is improved, but the circuit size increases and cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs a universal distortion correction unit that processes the entire captured image regardless of the specific display device. This single multi-functional unit serves both the in-vehicle display and the electronic rearview mirror, eliminating the need for separate dedicated distortion correction circuits for each display device, thereby reducing circuit size and cost.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent performs distortion correction on the entire image in advance before the image is divided for different display devices. This preliminary action allows subsequent display processing to simply cut and display pre-corrected image regions without requiring additional distortion correction operations, simplifying the overall system architecture.
3Adaptability or versatility
If the distortion correction method is switched based on the switching of the region of interest, then the adaptability is improved, but the image consistency deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs distortion correction on the entire image in advance, before determining which region will be displayed. This preliminary distortion correction ensures that regardless of which region is subsequently selected for display (center region, lower region, or other areas), the image consistency is maintained because all regions have already been corrected using the same distortion correction parameters.
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses a universal distortion correction approach that works for all possible display regions. Instead of having different distortion correction methods for different regions of interest, a single distortion correction process is applied to the entire image, making the system adaptable to any display region switching while maintaining image consistency.
Data Source
AI summary
An image processing apparatus includes an acquisition unit that acquires a first image obtained by capturing an optical image by an optical system including a high distortion region in which distortion is large and a low distortion region in which distortion is small, a cutout unit that cuts out a partial image region from the first image to acquire a second image, and an expansion processing unit that expands the second image at an expansion magnification corresponding to distortion of the optical system, wherein the second image subjected to the expansion by the expansion processing unit is output to a display device.