Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.

Matsushita Electronic Industrial Co., Ltd

Nobuhiko Yasui

Atsushi Iisaka

Akira Ishida

Takashi Yoshida

Noboru Katta

Yuji Mizuguchi

Takahisa Sakai

Hirotsugu Kawada

Yutaka Takahira

Mamoru Kaneko

Noboru Nomura

Toshihiko Kurosaki

Yoshiki Ueyama

Toshitomo Umei

Kunio Nobori

Atsushi Morimura

Osamu Shibata

Masamichi Nakagawa

Shusaku Okamoto

Nobuyuki Nakano

Takashi Akita

A data transmission system in which normal transmission can be performed irrespectively of the inserting orientation of a connector is provided. A transmitting device transmits to a receiving device a differential transmission signal including polarity decision data for deciding the polarity of the connector. Based on the polarity decision data included in the differential transmission signal transmitted from the transmitting device, the receiving device decides whether the polarity of the connector has been reversed or not. When it is decided that the polarity has not been reversed, the receiving device reads data from the differential transmission signal. When it is decided that the polarity has been reversed, the polarity of the differential transmission signal is reversed for data reading.

Data transmission system

For supporting a complicated driving operation, a synthesized image is presented to the driver. The driver can view this image and thus drive with a sense of security. The synthesized image may include an image of at least one tire and may have an enlargement/reduction ratio that is relatively higher in a nearby area of the vehicle, including a grounding portion of at least one tire of the vehicle, as compared with a peripheral area of the vehicle.

Monitoring system

A ring-shaped network quickly performs initialization even when a plurality of data transmission apparatuses are connected thereto. Each data transmission apparatus outputs received data to a device connected thereto while performing establishment of clock synchronization based on the received data, and when synchronization is established, it resends the received data. Further, when synchronization of the connected device is established, it sends data supplied from the connected device. Further, a master data transmission apparatus outputs data at turn-on of power or immediately after reset, and a next-stage slave data transmission apparatus receives the data to establish synchronization, and resends the received data when synchronization is established. Thus, synchronization of all the data transmission apparatuses is established while making a round of this data, and then synchronization of devices connected to the respective data transmission apparatuses is established.

Ring network and data transmitter

A first initialization pattern signal is a signal in which a maximum signal level and a minimum signal level appear alternately, and a second initialization pattern signal is a signal in which all signal levels appear in a predetermined arrangement. In a ring-shaped network including plural stages of data transmission apparatuses (), a transmission unit () of each data transmission apparatus outputs the first initialization pattern signal successively to a next-stage data transmission apparatus at turn-on of power or immediately after reset, and a reception unit () establishes clock synchronization on the basis of the first initialization pattern signal received. When synchronization is established in all of the data transmission apparatuses, the transmission unit () outputs the second initialization pattern signal successively to the next-stage data transmission apparatus, and the reception unit () sets evaluation levels for the respective signal levels on the basis of the received second initialization pattern signal, and transmission/reception of data is started when evaluation levels are set in all of the data transmission apparatuses.

Initializing method and data transmitter

In a rendering device Urnda CPUreceives a captured image each from two image capture devicesandThe CPUthen receives a steering angle of a steering wheel of a vehicle from a steering angle sensorBased on the steering angle, the CPUderives an estimated trajectory for the vehicle to take in the course of time. Then, with reference to the estimated trajectory, the CPUselects several pixels each from the captured images, and then generates a drive assistant image based on those pixels. In this manner, the drive assistant image generated by the rendering device Urndhardly causes the driver to feel strange.

Image generation for assistance of drivers of vehicles

A receiver includes a noise reduction circuit for eliminating noise from a differential signal transmitted through a differential transmission line, and a data recovery circuit for recovering data from a differential signal outputted from the noise reduction circuit. The noise reduction circuit includes common-mode chokes for reflecting common-mode noise superimposed on an input differential signal, and a common-mode noise reduction circuit for directing the common-mode noise reflected by the common-mode chokes to a low potential point of the common-mode noise reduction circuit.

Receiver

In a rendering device, a processor derives an estimated path to be traced by the left- and right-rear wheels of a vehicle based on a rudder angle that is provided by a rudder angle sensor. The processor then determines positions for overlaying indicators on the derived estimated path. The processor then renders the indicators on the determined points in a captured image which is provided by an image capture device, and generates a display image. In the display image, the indicators move along the estimated path in the direction the vehicle is heading towards. In this manner, the estimated path in the display image that is generated by the rendering device becomes noticeable for a driver of the vehicle.

Rendering device

In an image processing apparatus carried on a vehicle, an image of a scene around the vehicle, which is photographed by an image pick-up, is inputted into a white line failure extractor. Then, outline points of a white line on a road and a guardrail, which is parallel to the white line, are sought. Further, the outline points are detected as a polynomial. Moreover, the image photographed by the image pick-up is also inputted into an intermittent image obtainer. Then, the images from the image pick-up are intermittently obtained at constant periodical intervals, and further the images are compressed using JPEG compression method. Further, in a synthesizer, the feature data from the white line feature extractor and the image data from the intermittent image obtainer are aligned in order of time. Moreover, the image data and feature data, which are aligned in order of time, are conserved within a given constant period by a recorder. Thus, accurate data as to condition of the road can be recorded using a small capacity memory.

Image processing apparatus

An image processing device for a vehicle according to the present invention has an edge extractor for emphasizing edges of a traffic lane in a front road image signal generated by a digital image pick-up device, a threshold setter for setting a threshold to extract the edges of the traffic lane based on the result detected by the edge extractor, an outline extractor for extracting an outline of the traffic lane to generate an outline data based on the result detected by the edge extractor and the threshold set by the threshold setter, a noise eliminator for eliminating noise components from the outline data, a white line detector for detecting lane-indicating lines based on the outline data from which the noise components have been eliminated, an attitude change detector for estimating the attitude of the vehicle based on the detected lane-indicating lines, and a target advance direction detector for detecting a target direction to advance the vehicle based on the result obtained by the white line detector and the estimated attitude of the vehicle. According to the image processing apparatus, the target direction to advance the vehicle can be exactly measured, even if the helix angle (i.e. pitch angle) changes.

Image processing apparatus for vehicle

An apparatus and method for correctly determining the position of a vehicle in a traffic lane by obtaining correct information about the position of the traffic lane without being affected by variations in the road surface, weather, time of day, or such imaging conditions as fixed or moving lighting, are provided. An edge signal of a high spatial frequency component and a luminance signal of a low spatial frequency component of a digital image signal representing the view of the local area to the front of a vehicle are extracted. A road contour signal is then extracted from the edge signal, and a road region signal is extracted from the luminance signal. The position of the lane Sre is then detected with high precision by evaluating the lane contour Sre based on the road region signal Srr and lane contour data Sre.

Local positioning apparatus, and method therefor

A parking assistance system is mounted in a vehicle, and has an image pick-up with a single camera, an image processing device, a display, a steering angle sensor, a wheel speed sensor, and a pulse counter. An A/D converter subjects two analog images picked up by the image pick-up at different locations to A/D conversion, and sends the results to frame memories. A CPU uses the digital image data and the transition data of the vehicle to calculate object data and a distance from the vehicle to the 3D object. An image thus obtained is then converted into a view from the above. The view from the above is stored in a frame memory, and outputted to the display under the control of a controller for display.

Parking assistance system

In a rendering device Urnd, a CPU generates a lower viewpoint image based on captured images captured by image capture devices both securely mounted to a vehicle. Here, the lower viewpoint image shows a region rear of the vehicle viewed from those image capture devices. Then, the CPU executes viewpoint conversion processing onto the captured images, and generates an upper viewpoint image. Here, the upper viewpoint image shows also the region rear of the vehicle but viewed from a camera virtually placed above the vehicle. The CPU then stitches the upper and lower viewpoint images together to generate a drive assistant image. In such manner, the drive assistant image generated by the rendering device Urnd becomes informative enough for a driver of the vehicle.

Rendering device for generating a drive assistant image for drive assistance

In a rendering device , ROM stores a vehicle model. A rudder angle sensor detects a rudder angle of the vehicle, and based thereon, CPU calculates an estimated path for the vehicle. The CPU receives captured images from cameras to . The CPU generates a display image based on those captured images, the estimated path, and the vehicle model. This display image includes the vehicle model arranged on the estimated path, and displayed on a display device placed in the vehicle. In this manner, the display image generated by the rendering device is indicative and helpful for a driver of the vehicle to exactly figure out a parking space available for the vehicle.

A vehicle position calculation unit ( ) calculates a position of a vehicle on a plan view, and an estimate locus calculation unit ( ) calculates an estimate movement locus of a vehicle body when the vehicle is moved at a maximum steering angle with respect to the vehicle position, and a display unit ( ) displays the vehicle position calculated by the vehicle position calculation unit ( ) together with the estimate locus of the vehicle body calculated by the estimate locus calculation unit ( ). Thus, even a beginner driver of the vehicle can easily and quickly park the vehicle with accuracy and safety while monitoring the estimate movement locus of the vehicle on the display screen.

Parking conduct device and parking conduct method

The imaging apparatus of this invention includes: a lens, a half mirror, and a first CCD arranged along a same optical axis; and a second CCD arranged on an axis of light reflected from the half mirror, wherein one of the first and second CCDs outputs a normal image of an input image input via the lens while the other CCD outputs an Inverted image of the input image.

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Moriguchi, Japan

Nobuhiko Yasui