Vehicle Panoramic Image Processor Using Pre-calculated Error Correction
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing vehicle image processors require high processing power to detect and correct camera installation errors, leading to increased processing loads when forming panoramic images from multiple camera inputs, as precise alignment is necessary to avoid seams and distortions between images.
Innovation Solution
An image processor with input and output buffers, a reconfigured address conversion table, and a controller that adjusts for camera installation errors by shifting input addresses in the address conversion table to generate a panoramic image with reduced processing load.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If address conversion table is recomputed to correct camera installation errors, then panoramic image quality is improved, but processing load increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent pre-calculates and stores correction values for camera installation errors (pitch, yaw, roll angles) in lookup tables during system initialization. When generating panoramic images, the system simply retrieves these pre-computed correction values instead of performing complex error detection and address conversion table recomputation, thereby maintaining high image quality while significantly reducing processing load during actual operation.
2Measurement precision
If high processing power is used to detect and correct camera installation errors, then panoramic image accuracy is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces complex real-time error detection algorithms with simple lookup table retrieval operations. Instead of using high-processing-power devices to compute error corrections during operation, the system uses pre-computed correction data stored in memory, effectively trading computational complexity for simple data retrieval that can be performed by low-power processors.
3Manufacturing precision
If address conversion table is reconfigured to adjust for installation errors, then image distortion is reduced, but processing time increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs address conversion table reconfiguration and error correction parameter calculation during system initialization or calibration phase, storing the results in lookup tables. During actual panoramic image generation, the system directly applies these pre-configured correction parameters without performing time-consuming recomputation, thus achieving distortion correction while minimizing processing time for each image output.
Data Source
AI summary
An image processor is disclosed for a vehicle having a plurality of cameras and a monitor that displays a panoramic image derived from multiple images generated by the plurality of cameras. The processor includes input buffers for storing camera image data captured through respective camera modules and output buffer for storing a panoramic image. The camera image data for generating the panoramic image are retrieved from input buffers. The camera image data are stored in an output buffer using an reconfigured address conversion table. The reconfigured address conversion table is an address conversion table which is obtained by reconfiguring an address conversion table when camera modules are assumed to be free of vehicle installation errors. The reconfiguration is performed on the basis of parameters which are used to correct vehicle installation errors of camera modules.