Vehicle Image Compositing for Arbitrary Viewpoint Driver Visualization

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing image processing technologies lack diversity in applications, particularly in integrating vehicle and driver images for enhanced visualization and interaction.

Innovation Solution

An image processing device and method that acquires vehicle surrounding images, driver images, and vehicle state information to generate composite images, allowing superimposition and display from arbitrary viewpoints, utilizing spherical and 3-dimensional coordinate systems for enhanced processing and visualization.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If existing image processing technologies are used, then basic vehicle surrounding visualization is achieved, but application diversity and detailed state depiction are limited

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveapplication diversityVSAvoidsystem complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The image processing device integrates multiple functions into a single system: acquiring vehicle surrounding images, capturing driver images, obtaining vehicle state information, generating 3D coordinate data, and creating composite images. This multi-functional approach enables diverse applications including drive recorders, theft prevention, and vehicle state monitoring without requiring separate systems for each function.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent merges previously separate image processing functions into a unified system that simultaneously processes vehicle surrounding images, driver images, and vehicle state data. By combining these elements and superimposing them into a single composite image with 3D coordinates, the system achieves application diversity while managing complexity through integration rather than multiplication of separate systems.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

2Loss of information

If detailed vehicle and driver information is superimposed on surrounding images, then comprehensive state depiction is achieved, but processing complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveinformation completenessVSAvoidprocessing complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Loss of informationVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent transforms 2D images and data into a 3D coordinate system, enabling comprehensive information representation in three-dimensional space. By converting vehicle surrounding images, driver images, and vehicle state information into 3D coordinates and superimposing them, the system achieves complete information depiction while simplifying the processing of spatial relationships and viewpoint changes.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

Solution Approach 2:

The 3D coordinate system serves as an intermediary that integrates diverse information sources (vehicle surrounding images, driver images, vehicle state data) into a unified framework. This intermediary structure enables comprehensive information representation while simplifying the complex task of combining multiple data types by providing a common spatial reference system.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

3Ease of operation

If composite images are displayed from arbitrary viewpoints, then user visualization flexibility is improved, but computational requirements increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveviewpoint flexibilityVSAvoidcomputational power
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSPower

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary action by pre-converting all image and data elements into 3D coordinates and organizing them in a unified spatial framework before viewpoint changes are requested. This preliminary transformation enables flexible viewpoint changes without requiring intensive real-time computation during actual viewpoint adjustments, as the spatial relationships are already established.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

By transforming all elements into a 3D coordinate system, the patent enables efficient arbitrary viewpoint rendering. The 3D spatial organization allows the system to compute new viewpoints by applying geometric transformations to pre-organized data, significantly reducing computational requirements compared to generating images from scratch for each viewpoint change.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

Data Source

PatentEP4131945B1Image processing device, vehicle, image processing method, and program
Publication Date: 2025.11.05 HONDA MOTOR CO LTD
  • EP4131945B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP4131945B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP4131945B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

The present invention is an image processing device processing an image of a vehicle, comprising first acquisition means for acquiring an image showing a situation around the vehicle as a vehicle surrounding image, second acquisition means for acquiring information indicating a state of the vehicle, third acquisition means for acquiring an image of a driver of the vehicle as a driver image, and image generation means for generating an image of the vehicle as a vehicle image based on the information acquired by the second acquisition means and generating a composite image by superimposing the vehicle image and the driver image on the vehicle surrounding image.