IP Library › Granted Patent US 12,627,901
Granted Patent B2
US 12,627,901 · App. 18/796,428 · Granted May 12, 2026

Camera system, vehicle, control method, and storage medium

Inventors: Ikunari Nakahara (Kanagawa, JP); Tomoaki Tsuchiya (Kanagawa, JP)
Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
H04N23/951B60R1/26B60R2300/302B60R2300/8066
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,627,901
App. No.
18/796,428
Granted
May 12, 2026
Kind
B2
Abstract

In a camera system, a captured image of a rear of a vehicle is acquired, an optical image having a high-resolution region and a low-resolution region is formed on an imaging unit, a first image is generated by cutting out a first region from an image region corresponding to the high-resolution region in an image read from the imaging unit, a second image is generated by cutting out a second region from an image region different from the first region, the first image and the second image are generated such that at least a portion of a lower end of the second region is positioned below a lower end of the first region, and at least a portion of an upper end of the second region is positioned below an upper end of the first region, and at least one of the first image and the second image is output for display.

Claims (58)

1 . An image processing apparatus comprising:

at least one processor or circuit configured to function as a plurality of units comprising:

(1) acquiring unit configured to acquire an image from an imaging unit that captures an image of a rear of a vehicle;

(2) an image generation unit configured to (a) generate a first image by cropping a first region from an image region close to a center of a sensor surface and (b) generate a second image by cropping a second region from an image region different from the first region of the sensor surface; and

(3) a display control unit configured to output the first image for displaying, and to output the second image for displaying in a case where the vehicle is backing up,

wherein the image generation unit generates the first image and the second image so that (a) a part of a lower region of the first region overlaps a part of an upper region of the second region and (b) a part of an upper region of the first region does not overlap a part of an upper region of the second region.

2 . The image processing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the image is captured using an optical system that forms an optical image having a high-resolution region close to the center of the sensor surface where the half angle of view is less than the predetermined half angle of view and a low-resolution region of the sensor surface where the half angle of view is equal to or larger than the predetermined half angle of view, and

wherein the image generation unit generates a first image by cropping a first region from an image region corresponding to the high-resolution region and generates a second image by cropping a second region from an image region different from the first region.

3 . The image processing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the image generation unit generates the first image and the second image so that the entire lower end of the second region is positioned below the lower end of the first region, and the entire upper end of the second region is positioned below the upper end of the first region.

4 . The image processing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the image generation unit generates the first image and the second image so that a left end of the second region is positioned on a left side of a left end of the first region, and a right end of the second region is positioned on a right side of a right end of the first region.

5 . The image processing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the image generation unit generates the first image and the second image so that the upper end of the second region is positioned between the upper end and the lower end of the first region.

6 . The image processing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the image generation unit generates the first image and the second image so that the upper end of the second region is positioned on or above a horizon in the captured image.

7 . The image processing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein, when a focal length of the imaging unit is f, a half angle of view is θ, an image height on an image surface is y, and a projection characteristic representing a relationship between the image height y and the half angle of view θ is y(θ), y(θ) in the high-resolution region is larger than f×θ, which is different from a projection characteristic in the low-resolution region.

8 . The image processing apparatus according to claim 7 , wherein the high-resolution region is configured to have a projection characteristic close to a central projection method (y=f×tan θ) or an equidistant projection method (y=f×θ).

9 . The image processing apparatus according to claim 7 , wherein, when θmax is a maximum half angle of view of the optical system, and A is a predetermined constant, the image processing apparatus is configured to satisfy the following equation:

1

<

f

×

sin

⁢

θ

max

y

⁡

(

θ

max

)

≤

A

10 . The image processing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the display control unit outputs the first image without geometric deformation processing, but outputs the second image with a predetermined geometric deformation processing.

11 . The image processing apparatus according to claim 10 , wherein the image generation unit determines whether or not a vehicle traveling speed is higher than a predetermined traveling speed based on traveling speed information of the vehicle which is included in the state information of the vehicle, and sets the upper end of the second region in a case where it is determined that the vehicle traveling speed is higher than the predetermined traveling speed to be positioned above the upper end of the second region in a case where it is not determined that the vehicle traveling speed is higher than the predetermined traveling speed.

12 . The image processing apparatus according to claim 10 , wherein, in a case where it is determined that there is an obstacle based on obstacle information around the vehicle which is included in the state information of the vehicle, the image generation unit makes the second region larger than in a case where it is determined that there is no obstacle, so that the second region includes the obstacle in the second region.

13 . The image processing apparatus according to claim 10 , wherein the image generation unit outputs the second image in a case where it is determined that the vehicle is backing up based on moving direction information of the vehicle included in the state information of the vehicle, and does not output the second image in a case where it is not determined that the vehicle is backing up.

14 . The image processing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the plurality of units further comprises a communication unit configured to acquire state information of the vehicle, and

wherein the image generation unit changes at least the second region according to the state information of the vehicle.

15 . A vehicle comprising:

(A) at least one processor or circuit configured to function as a plurality of units comprising:

(1) acquiring unit configured to acquire an image from an imaging unit that captures an image of a rear of a vehicle;

(2) an image generation unit configured to (a) generate a first image by cropping a first region from an image region close to a center of a sensor surface and (b) generate a second image by cropping a second region from an image region different from the first region of the sensor surface; and

(3) a display control unit configured to output the first image for displaying, and to output the second image for displaying in a case where the vehicle is backing up,

wherein the image generation unit generates the first image and the second image so that (a) a part of a lower region of the first region overlaps a part of an upper region of the second region and (b) a part of an upper region of the first region does not overlap a part of an upper region of the second region; and

(B) at least one processor or circuit configured to function as a display unit configured to display at least one of the first image and the second image output from the display control unit.

16 . A control method for controlling an image processing apparatus, the method comprising:

acquiring an image from an imaging unit that captures an image of a rear of a vehicle;

generating a first image by cropping a first region from an image region close to a center of a sensor surface;

generating a second image by cropping a second region from an image region different from the first region of the sensor surface;

outputting the first image for displaying; and

outputting the second image for displaying in a case where the vehicle is backing up,

wherein the first image and the second image are generated so that (a) a part of a lower region of the first region overlaps a part of an upper region of the second region and (b) a part of an upper region of the first region does not overlap a part of an upper region of the second region.

17 . A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium configured to store a computer program for causing an image processing apparatus to execute steps comprising:

acquiring an image from an imaging unit that captures an image of a rear of a vehicle;

generating a first image by cropping a first region from an image region close to a center of a sensor surface;

generating a second image by cropping a second region from an image region different from the first region of the sensor surface;

outputting the first image for displaying; and

outputting the second image for displaying in a case where the vehicle is backing up,

wherein the first image and the second image are generated so that (a) a part of a lower region of the first region overlaps a part of an upper region of the second region and (b) a part of an upper region of the first region does not overlap a part of an upper region of the second region.

Priority Claims (1)
JP 2021-155237 · Sep 24, 2021 · national
Continuity (2)
Continuation 17942291 · Sep 12, 2022
Related Publication 20240397214A1 · Nov 28, 2024
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