Vehicle Image Processing Edge Strength Control for Guide Point Recognition
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing vehicle navigation systems face challenges in facilitating the visual recognition of guide points on captured images, particularly when intersections are numerous or distant, requiring drivers to spend more time recognizing markers due to the complexity and distance from the camera.
Innovation Solution
An image processing device that obtains captured images from a vehicle-mounted camera, calculates the remaining distance to a guide point, and performs image processing to control the edge strength of subjects in specified regions based on this distance, enhancing visual recognition by applying techniques like edge enhancement, lightness change, blurring, and augmented reality markers.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If guide information is displayed on captured images, then navigation guidance is provided to drivers, but visual recognition of guide points becomes difficult when intersections are numerous or distant
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies different image processing intensities to different regions of the captured image based on distance. Specifically, the specified region corresponding to the remaining distance to the next guide point undergoes stronger edge enhancement and lightness adjustment, while other regions maintain normal or reduced processing intensity. This local differentiation allows guide points at the target distance to stand out clearly without overwhelming the entire image, directly resolving the contradiction between providing reliable navigation guidance and maintaining guide point recognizability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent dynamically adjusts image processing parameters (edge strength, lightness, contrast) based on the remaining distance to the guide point. As the vehicle approaches the guide point, the processing intensity is modulated to optimize visibility. This parameter adaptation ensures that guide information remains reliable across varying distances while preventing recognition difficulty that would arise from uniform high-intensity processing throughout the image.
2Difficulty of detecting and measuring
If image processing intensity is increased to enhance guide point visibility, then visual recognition is improved, but driver workload and processing complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the captured image into a specified region (corresponding to the remaining distance to the guide point) and other regions, applying different processing intensities to each. This segmentation allows the system to concentrate processing resources only where needed - on the region containing the guide point - rather than uniformly processing the entire image. Consequently, guide point recognition is enhanced while overall processing complexity and computational load are reduced.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies image processing selectively and partially - only to the specified region corresponding to the guide point distance, and only to the extent necessary for recognition. This partial action approach avoids the excessive processing that would be required if the entire image were subjected to high-intensity edge enhancement and lightness adjustment, thereby reducing device complexity while still achieving improved guide point visibility.
3Difficulty of detecting and measuring
If edge strength control is applied to specified regions based on remaining distance, then visual recognition of guide points is facilitated, but image processing time increases
Solution Approach 1:
By applying edge strength control only to the specified region corresponding to the remaining distance rather than the entire image, the patent reduces the total amount of processing required. This localized approach facilitates guide point recognition in the critical region while minimizing the time lost to processing unrelated areas of the image.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies partial processing - edge strength control is implemented only to the extent necessary for the specified region at the given remaining distance. This avoids excessive processing of the entire image, thereby reducing image processing time while still achieving the goal of facilitating guide point recognition.
Data Source
AI summary
An image processing device includes: a first obtainer that obtains a captured image from an imaging device that captures a view in front of a vehicle; a second obtainer that obtains a remaining distance to a next guide point; an image processor that performs image processing on a specified region, in the captured image, corresponding to a position distanced by the remaining distance; and an output unit that outputs the captured image processed by the image processor, wherein the image processor controls an edge strength of a subject in the specified region, in accordance with the remaining distance.