Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.

Michio Miwa

Ryosuke Iida

Kazufumi Mizusawa

Toru Kawaguchi

Masao Kato

Shusaku Okamoto

Takashi Yoshida

Yuichi Hirama

Takamasa Oyama

Hironobu Suzuki

Masaki Sato

Tsuyoshi Okada

Satoru Masuda

Katsumasa Onda

Masato Nishizawa

Noritoshi Ogasawara

Hiroyuki Hikita

Ryuichi Mato

Herein disclosed is a camera calibrating apparatus for calibrating an optical parameter of a camera mounted on an automotive vehicle, comprising: a first housing position information storing section () for storing first housing position information, a second housing position information storing section () for storing second housing position information, a first optical position information producing section () for producing first optical position information, a first optical position information storing section () for storing the first optical position information, a second optical position information producing section () for producing second optical position information, a second optical position information storing section () for storing the second optical position information, and a calibrating section () for calibrating the second optical position information stored in the second optical position information storing section () on the basis of image information obtained by a camera () in a second coordination system ().

Camera calibrating apparatus

There is disclosed a picture synthesizing apparatus for superimposing an auxiliary image upon an image converted as if the image were photographed with a virtual viewpoint, displaying the image in a monitor, and providing the image such that an approach to a surrounding solid object can easily be predicted from the monitor image. The picture synthesizing apparatus includes: an image pickup unitdisposed in a car; a viewpoint change image synthesizing unitfor changing a viewpoint of the image obtained by the image pickup unitand synthesizing the image; a car straight locus line generation unitfor generating a locus line at an arbitrary height of the car, when the car linearly advances; and a car locus line drawing unitfor drawing the locus line generated by the car straight locus line generation uniton the image synthesized by the viewpoint change image synthesizing unit

Picture synthesizing apparatus

A picture composing apparatus designed to combine a plurality of images taken by a plurality of image pickup devices. In the apparatus, a first projecting unit projects the plurality of images taken by the image pickup devices onto a projection section in accordance with an image pickup situation of the image pickup devices to generate a plurality of first projected images, and a second projecting unit projects the plurality of first projected images to a three-dimensional projection model to generate a second projected image. Also included in the apparatus are a virtual image pickup device for virtually picking up the second projected image and an image pickup situation determining unit for determining an image pickup situation of the virtual image pickup device, whereby the second projected image is picked up by the virtual image pickup device in the image pickup situation determined by the pickup situation determining unit to combine the plurality of images taken by the plurality of image pickup devices, thus producing a high-quality composite picture. This apparatus can offer a natural composite picture in which joints among the images taken by the image pickup devices do not stand out. In addition, when mounted on a motor vehicle, this apparatus allows a driver to easily seize the surrounding situations and the positional relationship of the motor vehicle with respect to other objects.

Picture composing apparatus and method

A driving aiding system includes a displaying section arranged at a position that can be looked at from a driver's seat of a vehicle, an image picking-up section for picking up an image of a rear portion of the vehicle containing at least a part of a hitch that is provided to the rear portion of the vehicle, and an image processing section for causing the displaying section to display a synthesized image that is obtained by image-processing an image picked up by the image picking-up section. A hitch image of own vehicle in addition to an image of a trailed vehicle and an image of a destination coupler are displayed on a screen of the displaying section. As a result, the relative positional relationship between the hitch and the destination coupler can be checked on the screen and thus the hitch coupling operation can be facilitated.

Driving aiding system

In a driving aiding system for displaying a picked-up image of a rear-view camera equipped onto a rear portion of a vehicle on a screen of a displaying means arranged at a position which can be viewed from a driver's seat when the vehicle is to be backed, a locus estimated line of a hitch which is equipped onto a rear portion of the vehicle is superposed on the picked-up image of the rear-view camera to display when a predetermined instruction input is received.

A three-dimensional data shaping apparatus defines a working region, as a region of specific size and shape within a reference three-dimensional space, with a corresponding display picture being generated. A user can move the working region, using an input device such as a mouse, to select a specific part of a work object that is represented by a set of constituent data elements within the reference space, and execute shaping of the selected part. Determination of a selected part is performed in two judgement stages, i.e. a first stage in which a judgement is made as to interference between the working region and a number of fixed-size small regions into which the three-dimensional space is considered to be divided, and a second stage in which a judgement is made as to interference between the working region and only those constituent elements of the work object which correspond, according to predetermined criteria, with those of the small spaces for which interference has been found in the first judgement stage.

3-dimensional data shaping apparatus

A three-dimensional movement specifying apparatus consists of a track ball member, an annular ring, a first sensor for detecting the rotation of the track ball member about an X-axis, a second sensor for detecting the rotation of the track ball member about a Y-axis, a third sensor for detecting the rotation of the annular ring about a Z-axis, a secondary ball member rolling on an X-Y plane, a fourth sensor for detecting the rolling of the secondary ball member along the X-axis, a fifth sensor for detecting the rolling of the secondary ball member along the Y-axis, a central processing unit for controlling movement of a plane representing a three-dimensional position and orientation of an object according to the rotations and the rolling, and a displaying unit for displaying the plane and the object moved with the plane. The track ball member is rotated to place both a starting position of the object and a target position of the object on the plane, the secondary ball member is rolled to move straight the object placed at the starting position to the target position, and the track ball member and the annular ring are rotated to move the object to a target orientation. Therefore, the object is smoothly moved from a starting position and orientation to a target position and orientation.

Three-dimensional movement specifying apparatus and method and

An apparatus for measuring a figure distance between first and second points of a solid figure with a measuring device having first and second panels and an axis connecting the panels is provided with a measuring device data storing section for storing attribute data and constitutional data of the measuring device, a solid figure data storing section for storing solid figure data, and a display section for displaying the measuring device and the solid figure according to the data stored in the storing sections, a moving section for positioning the first and second panels at the first and second points according to a motion mode, and a renewing section for renewing the data according to an editing mode. In the moving section, the axis is extended or shortened, translation movement is performed for the measuring device, and/or the panels is deformed in a stick shape according to the motion mode. In the renewing section, the measuring device is rotated or jointed to a second measuring device, one of the panels is overlapped with a surface or an edge of the solid figure, and/or the axis is curved to measure a curved outline length of the solid figure according to the editing mode.

Method and apparatus for measuring a distance of a route in a solid

There is disclosed an evaluating apparatus for evaluating a manipulation performance of a commodity with operating parts. Three dimensional position and orientation of a first body like an operator's fingertip is detected to virtually display the first body. Also, configuration and functions of operating parts planned to be attached to a commodity are set, and three dimensional position and orientation of a second body like a commodity model having the same external shape as that of the commodity is detected to virtually display the commodity with the operating parts. When a planned area of the second body is manipulated by the first body, a contact of the second body with the first body is detected, and an operating part Po placed at a position corresponding to the planned area is detected. Thereafter, the operating part Po of which an external shape is virtually changed by the manipulation of the first body is displayed according to the configuration and function of the operating part Po. Accordingly, an operator can actually feel a state that the external shape of the commodity is changed when the operator virtually manipulates the commodity, without making the commodity on an experimental basis.

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Urayasu, Japan

Michio Miwa