Virtual Viewpoint Image Obstacle Position Notification
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional obstacle detection systems for vehicles primarily present the detection range but not the position of obstacles, leading to a risk of users overlooking obstacles.
Innovation Solution
An image processing device that captures vehicle surroundings, generates a virtual viewpoint image, and composites a notification image indicating the obstacle's position with the vehicle image, allowing for clearer obstacle recognition by displaying the composite image on a user interface.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If a detection range is merely presented to the user without obstacle position information, then the system complexity is reduced, but the user's ability to recognize obstacles is deteriorated
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transforms 2D captured images into a 3D virtual viewpoint image by synthesizing multiple camera views. This dimensional transformation allows obstacle position information to be presented in a three-dimensional space that matches the user's spatial understanding, resolving the contradiction between system complexity and information completeness.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a virtual viewpoint image as an intermediary representation between the raw sensor data and the user interface. This intermediary synthesizes obstacle position information from multiple sources and presents it in a form that is both information-rich and computationally manageable, addressing the contradiction between information completeness and system complexity.
2Loss of energy
If obstacle position information is not presented to the user, then the information processing load is reduced, but the reliability of obstacle detection is deteriorated
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts obstacle position information from the virtual viewpoint image and presents it separately as overlay graphics. This extraction allows the system to process only the essential position data rather than entire images, reducing information processing load while maintaining detection reliability through precise position marking.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses color-coded overlay graphics to indicate obstacle positions and types. By encoding position information visually through color and graphical markers, the system reduces the need for complex textual or numerical processing while enhancing detection reliability through intuitive visual cues that are immediately recognizable.
3Ease of operation
If a virtual viewpoint image is generated and composited with notification images, then the ease of recognizing obstacle position is improved, but the device complexity is increased
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the virtual viewpoint image with notification images into a single composite display. By combining the three-dimensional spatial context with obstacle position markers in one unified view, the system improves ease of recognizing obstacle position while managing processing complexity through efficient image composition techniques.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a virtual copy of the vehicle's surrounding environment from multiple camera perspectives. This virtual viewpoint image serves as a simplified representation that preserves essential spatial relationships without requiring the user to mentally process multiple separate images, thereby improving recognition ease while controlling processing complexity through selective synthesis.
Data Source
AI summary
An image processing device according to an embodiment includes an image acquisition unit, an information acquisition unit, a generation unit, and a composition unit. The image acquisition unit acquires a captured image where an image of an environment of a vehicle is captured by an image-capturing device. The information acquisition unit acquires information regarding a detected position of an obstacle that exists in an environment of the vehicle. The generation unit generates a virtual viewpoint image where an environment of the vehicle is viewed from a virtual viewpoint, based on the captured image that is acquired by the image acquisition unit. The composition unit composites a notification image that provides notification of existence of the obstacle at the detected position with the virtual viewpoint image and composites a vehicle image with the virtual viewpoint image.