Image processing apparatus, image processing system, and image processing method for generating a vehicle see-through rear view image

1. An image processing apparatus comprising:

a memory; and

a processor coupled to the memory and configured to

obtain a first image taken by a first camera disposed on a vehicle such that an imaging range of the first camera includes a portion of a vehicle body of the vehicle and a second image taken by a second camera and a third image taken by a third camera that image an area of a blind spot caused by the portion of the vehicle body in the image taken by the first camera, the first image including a portion of the first vehicle, and the second image and the third image each including a first region corresponding to a blind spot within the first image caused by the portion of the first vehicle,

combine the first image with the first region in the second image to compensate for the blind spot,

continue to obtain, successively, first data with use of the second image and the third image, the first data representing three-dimensional coordinate information of a second vehicle, and

store second data to the memory when the first data includes an entire view of the second vehicle, the second data representing a three-dimensional shape of the second vehicle,

wherein the processor, when three-dimensional information corresponding to a portion of the second vehicle is missing in the first data, determine the missing three-dimensional information by using the first data and the stored second data and generate three-dimensional coordinate information of the second vehicle.

2. The image processing apparatus as claimed in claim 1 , wherein, when the portion of the second vehicle is missing in the first data, the processor combines the second image with the first image, with changing a viewpoint of the second image to a viewpoint of the first image by using the first data and the determined missing three-dimensional information.

3. The image processing apparatus as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the three-dimensional information of the second vehicle includes distance information to a plurality of points on the second vehicle, or three-dimensional coordinate information of the plurality of points based on the distance information to the plurality of points.

4. The image processing apparatus as claimed in claim 3 , wherein the second information includes the three-dimensional information of the second vehicle obtained when the first data includes the entire view of the second vehicle.

5. The image processing apparatus as claimed in claim 1 , comprising a display controller configured to cause a display device to display an image combined by the processor, the display device displaying a rear image of the first vehicle.

6. The image processing apparatus as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the first camera is a camera imaging an area behind the vehicle from a side of the vehicle, the second camera is a wide-angle camera imaging the area behind the vehicle from a rear of the vehicle, and the third camera is a camera imaging the area behind the vehicle from the rear of the vehicle at an angle narrower than the second camera.

7. An image processing system comprising:

a first camera disposed on a first vehicle such that an imaging range of the first camera includes a portion of a vehicle body of the first vehicle;

a second camera and a third camera that image an area of a blind spot caused by the portion of the vehicle body in the image taken by the first camera; and

an image processing apparatus configured to combine a blind spot image corresponding to the area of the blind spot in the image taken by the second camera with the image taken by the first camera on the area of the blind spot of the image taken by the first camera, wherein the image processing apparatus includes

a memory, and

a processor coupled to the memory and configured to

continue to obtain, successively, first data with use of the second image and the third image, the first data representing three-dimensional coordinate information of a second vehicle,

store second data to the memory when the first data includes an entire view of the second vehicle, the second data representing a three-dimensional shape of the second vehicle,

determine, when three-dimensional information corresponding to a portion of the second vehicle is missing in the first data, the missing three-dimensional information by using the first data and the stored second data and generate three-dimensional coordinate information of the second vehicle, and

combine the blind spot image with the image taken by the first camera on the area of the blind spot using the determined missing three-dimensional information.

8. An image processing method comprising:

obtaining a first image taken by a first camera disposed on a vehicle such that an imaging range of the first camera includes a portion of a vehicle body of the vehicle and a second image taken by a second camera and a third image taken by a third camera that image an area of a blind spot caused by the portion of the vehicle body in the image taken by the first camera, the first image including a portion of the first vehicle, and the second image and the third image each including a first region corresponding to a blind spot within the first image caused by the portion of the first vehicle;

combining the first image with the first region in the second image to compensate for the blind spot;

continuing to obtain, successively, first data with use of the second image and the third image, the first data representing three-dimensional coordinate information of a second vehicle;

storing second data to the memory when the first data includes an entire view of the second vehicle, the second data representing a three-dimensional shape of the second vehicle; and

determining, when three-dimensional information corresponding to a portion of the second vehicle is missing in the first data, the missing three-dimensional information by using the first data and the stored second data and generating three-dimensional coordinate information of the second vehicle.