JPWO2012086053A1 - Image adjustment apparatus, control method, program, and storage medium - Google Patents

Abstract

The image adjustment apparatus includes an acquisition unit, a display control unit, a positioning unit, an extraction unit, and an adjustment unit. The acquisition unit acquires an image from the imaging unit mounted on the moving body. The acquisition unit acquires an image from the imaging unit mounted on the moving body. The positioning means measures the position of the moving body. Based on the map information and the position of the moving body, the extracting means extracts an attention area in which an object to be noted in driving is displayed from the image. The adjusting means adjusts the image characteristics so as to fall within a predetermined range based on the attention area.

Description

  The present invention relates to a technique for adjusting an image obtained from an imaging unit mounted on a moving body.

  2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, there is a technique for installing a camera on a moving body such as a vehicle and adjusting the image according to the purpose. For example, in Patent Document 1, in a driving assistance device that recognizes a lane position, an image in front of a vehicle captured by a camera is divided into an empty area, a road surface area, and a bumper area, and the exposure of the camera is corrected. A technique is disclosed in which the side light area is set to a road surface area when the speed is low, and set to the entire image when the speed is high. Patent Document 2 discloses a technique for performing guidance display using a live-action image captured by a camera as an example of guidance display displayed when performing navigation.

JP-A-2005-135203 JP 2008-020288 A

  When displaying guidance using images taken with a camera, it is necessary to make it easy to see the area that should be noted in driving, and adjusting the exposure etc. based on the entire area may make it difficult to see the area There is sex.

  The present invention has been made to solve the above-described problems, and it is possible to adjust an image obtained from an imaging unit mounted on a moving body so that an area to be noticed in driving can be easily seen. The main object is to provide a simple image adjustment apparatus.

  The invention according to claim 1 is an image adjustment apparatus, wherein an acquisition unit that acquires an image from an imaging unit mounted on a moving body, a display control unit that displays the image on a display unit, Based on the positioning means for positioning the position, the map information, and the position of the moving body, the extracting means for extracting the attention area in which the target to be noticed in driving is displayed from the image, and the attention area. Adjusting means for adjusting the characteristics of the image to be within a predetermined range.

  The invention according to claim 10 is a control method executed by the image adjustment apparatus, wherein an acquisition step of acquiring an image from an imaging unit mounted on a moving body, and a display control step of displaying the image on a display unit And a positioning step for positioning the position of the moving body, an extraction step for extracting an attention area in which an object to be noted in driving is displayed from the image based on the map information and the position of the moving body; And an adjusting step for adjusting the characteristics of the image so as to fall within a predetermined range based on the attention area.

  The invention according to claim 11 is a program executed by the image adjustment apparatus, the acquisition unit acquiring an image from the imaging unit mounted on the moving body, the display control unit displaying the image on the display unit, Positioning means for positioning the position of the moving object, map information, and extraction means for extracting an attention area in which an object to be noted in driving is displayed from the image, and the attention area On the basis of this, the image adjustment apparatus is caused to function as an adjustment unit that adjusts the image characteristics to be within a predetermined range.

It is an example of schematic structure of the navigation apparatus concerning a present Example. It is an example of the functional block of the navigation apparatus which concerns on a present Example. (A) shows an example of the picked-up image image | photographed at the time of route guidance. (B) is the figure which expanded and displayed only the intersection in the picked-up image of (a). (A) is the figure which represented the intersection by the node and the link based on map data. (B) shows the figure which looked down at three-dimensional virtual space from the top after arrange | positioning an object on three-dimensional virtual space. (A) shows an overhead view when a camera is arranged in a three-dimensional virtual space. (B) shows the rendered camera view image. (A) is the figure which superimposed the camera visual field image on the picked-up image. (B) is the figure which superimposed the camera visual field image on the picked-up image in case the vehicle advances the predetermined distance from the state of (a). (A) shows an example of the camera visual field image when the display area of the destination is set as the attention area. (B) is a diagram of an overhead view of the three-dimensional virtual space when each object corresponding to a road, an object corresponding to an intersection, and a camera are arranged on the three-dimensional virtual space. It is an example of the flowchart which shows the process sequence of a present Example.

  According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, an image adjustment device includes an acquisition unit that acquires an image from an imaging unit mounted on a moving body, a display control unit that displays the image on a display unit, Based on the positioning means for positioning the position, the map information, and the position of the moving body, the extracting means for extracting the attention area in which the target to be noticed in driving is displayed from the image, and the attention area. Adjusting means for adjusting the characteristic of the image to be within a predetermined range.

  The image adjustment apparatus includes an acquisition unit, a display control unit, a positioning unit, an extraction unit, and an adjustment unit. The acquisition unit acquires an image from the imaging unit mounted on the moving body. The display control means displays the image on the display means. The positioning means measures the position of the moving body. Based on the map information and the position of the moving body, the extracting unit extracts an attention area in which an object to be noted in driving is displayed from the image. The adjusting means adjusts the image characteristics so as to fall within a predetermined range based on the attention area. Here, “image characteristics” include, for example, brightness, contrast, magnification, and the like. Further, the “predetermined range” is a range of each characteristic of the image in which the attention area is clarified.

  According to this embodiment, the image adjustment apparatus can extract the attention area based on the map information and the position of the moving body, and can adjust the image based on the attention area. Therefore, the image adjustment apparatus can present an image in which the attention area is easy to see to the user, and can improve convenience.

  In one aspect of the above image adjustment apparatus, the object to be noted is an intersection or / and a facility. Thereby, the image adjustment apparatus can make a user visually recognize the intersection etc. which need to be recognized in a driving | operation on an image.

  In another aspect of the image adjustment apparatus, the image processing apparatus further includes guide means for guiding the moving body to a destination, and the notable object is an intersection, a facility, a guide point, a destination or a stopover, a destination or One of the roads corresponding to the route to the stop-off place, or a combination thereof. Thereby, the image adjustment apparatus can make a driver | operator clearly visually recognize the object which should pay attention on the driving | running | working in the route | route to a destination or a stopover.

  In another aspect of the image adjustment device, when there are a plurality of types of the target to be noted, a priority is set for each of the types, and the extraction unit is configured to select the target of interest with a high priority. The attention area where is displayed is extracted. By doing in this way, the image adjustment apparatus can give a user a clear visual recognition on the image, giving priority to a part that needs to be particularly visually recognized in driving.

  In another aspect of the above-described image adjustment apparatus, the priority is set higher as the distance from the position of the moving body to the target of interest is shorter. By doing in this way, the image adjustment apparatus can give the user a clear visual recognition on the image, giving priority to the nearest object that needs to be particularly visually recognized in the driving.

  In another aspect of the image adjustment apparatus, a control signal is transmitted to the camera based on the attention area so that the characteristics of the image are within a predetermined range. By doing in this way, the image adjustment apparatus can acquire the image adjusted based on the attention area from the camera.

  In another aspect of the image adjustment apparatus, the adjustment unit adjusts exposure, focus, or zoom of the camera based on the area of interest. Thereby, the image adjustment device can preferably adjust the generated image of the camera so that the attention area is clarified.

  In another aspect of the image adjustment apparatus, the adjustment unit performs image processing on the image based on the attention area so that the characteristics of the image are within a predetermined range, and the display control unit includes the display control unit, The image that has undergone image processing is displayed on the display means. Also according to this aspect, the image adjustment apparatus can preferably display an image in which the attention area is clarified.

  In another aspect of the above image adjustment apparatus, the photographing unit photographs the front direction of the moving body, and the display control unit superimposes a guidance display on the image photographed by the photographing unit on the display unit. indicate. According to this aspect, the image adjustment device can make the user clearly see on the image the part that needs to be recognized in driving when performing the guidance display using the captured image, and is convenient. Can be improved.

  According to another embodiment of the present invention, there is provided a control method executed by an image adjustment apparatus, an acquisition step of acquiring an image from an imaging unit mounted on a moving body, and a display for displaying the image on a display unit Based on the control step, the positioning step for measuring the position of the moving body, the map information, and the position of the moving body, extraction for extracting an attention area in which an object to be noticed in driving is displayed among the images. And an adjustment step for adjusting the characteristics of the image within a predetermined range based on the attention area. By executing this control method, the image adjustment apparatus can clearly make the user visually recognize the part that needs to be recognized in the driving.

  According to still another embodiment of the present invention, there is provided a program executed by the image adjustment device, the acquisition unit acquiring an image from the imaging unit mounted on the moving body, and the display control for displaying the image on the display unit Means, positioning means for positioning the position of the moving body, extraction means for extracting an attention area in which an object to be noted in driving is displayed from the image based on map information and the position of the moving body, The image adjustment apparatus is caused to function as an adjustment unit that adjusts the characteristics of the image to be within a predetermined range based on the attention area. By installing and executing this program, the image adjustment apparatus can clearly make the user visually recognize the part that needs to be recognized in the driving. Preferably, the above program is stored in a storage medium.

  Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. Hereinafter, the “stop-by place” refers to a point set by the user as a stop point in the middle of the destination. In addition, when there is no particular distinction between the destination and the stop-off place, these are called “destination etc.”.

[Schematic configuration]
FIG. 1 shows a schematic configuration of a navigation device 1 which is an example of an image adjustment device according to the present invention. The navigation device 1 is mounted on a vehicle and is connected to the camera 5 illustrated in FIG. 2 to perform route guidance based on a destination or the like and to adjust the camera 5. As shown in FIG. 1, the navigation device 1 includes a self-supporting positioning device 10, a GPS receiver 18, a system controller 20, a disk drive 31, a data storage unit 36, a communication interface 37, a communication device 38, a display unit 40, an audio output. A unit 50 and an input device 60 are provided.

  The autonomous positioning device 10 includes an acceleration sensor 11, an angular velocity sensor 12, and a distance sensor 13. The acceleration sensor 11 is made of, for example, a piezoelectric element, detects vehicle acceleration, and outputs acceleration data. The angular velocity sensor 12 is composed of, for example, a vibrating gyroscope, detects the angular velocity of the vehicle when the direction of the vehicle is changed, and outputs angular velocity data and relative azimuth data. The distance sensor 13 measures a vehicle speed pulse composed of a pulse signal generated with the rotation of the vehicle wheel.

  The GPS receiver 18 receives radio waves 19 carrying downlink data including positioning data from a plurality of GPS satellites. The positioning data is used to detect the absolute position of the vehicle (hereinafter also referred to as “current location”) from latitude and longitude information.

  The system controller 20 includes an interface 21, a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 22, a ROM (Read Only Memory) 23, and a RAM (Random Access Memory) 24, and controls the entire navigation apparatus 1.

  The interface 21 performs an interface operation with the acceleration sensor 11, the angular velocity sensor 12, the distance sensor 13, and the GPS receiver 18. From these, vehicle speed pulses, acceleration data, relative azimuth data, angular velocity data, GPS positioning data, absolute azimuth data, and the like are input to the system controller 20. The CPU 22 controls the entire system controller 20. The ROM 23 includes a nonvolatile memory (not shown) in which a control program for controlling the system controller 20 is stored. The RAM 24 stores various data such as route data preset by the user via the input device 60 so as to be readable, and provides a working area to the CPU 22. The specific processing executed by each element of the system controller 20 will be described in detail in the section [Control Method] described later.

  A system controller 20, a disk drive 31 such as a CD-ROM drive or a DVD-ROM drive, a data storage unit 36, a communication interface 37, a display unit 40, an audio output unit 50, and an input device 60 are mutually connected via a bus line 30. It is connected to the.

  The disk drive 31 reads and outputs content data such as music data and video data from a disk 33 such as a CD or DVD under the control of the system controller 20. The disk drive 31 may be either a CD-ROM drive or a DVD-ROM drive, or may be a CD and DVD compatible drive. The data storage unit 36 is configured by, for example, an HDD and stores various data used for navigation processing such as map data. The communication device 38 includes, for example, an FM tuner, a beacon receiver, a mobile phone, a dedicated communication card, and the like, and is distributed from a VICS (Vehicle Information Communication System) center or the like (hereinafter referred to as “VICS information”). Is acquired from the radio wave 39. The interface 37 performs an interface operation of the communication device 38 and inputs the VICS information to the system controller 20 or the like.

  The display unit 40 displays various display data on a display device such as a display under the control of the system controller 20. Specifically, the system controller 20 reads map data from the data storage unit 36. The display unit 40 is an example of the “display unit” in the present invention, and displays the map data read from the data storage unit 36 by the system controller 20 on the display screen. The display unit 40 includes a graphic controller 41 that controls the entire display unit 40 based on control data sent from the CPU 22 via the bus line 30 and a memory such as a VRAM (Video RAM), and can display image information that can be displayed immediately. A buffer memory 42 that temporarily stores, a display control unit 43 that controls display of a display 44 such as a liquid crystal display or a CRT (Cathode Ray Tube) based on image data output from the graphic controller 41, and a display 44 are provided. . The display 44 functions as an image display unit, and includes, for example, a liquid crystal display device having a diagonal size of about 5 to 10 inches and is mounted near the front panel in the vehicle.

  The audio output unit 50 performs D / A (Digital to Analog) conversion of audio digital data sent from the CD-ROM drive 31, DVD-ROM 32, RAM 24, or the like via the bus line 30 under the control of the system controller 20. A D / A converter 51 to perform, an amplifier (AMP) 52 that amplifies the audio analog signal output from the D / A converter 51, and a speaker 53 that converts the amplified audio analog signal into sound and outputs the sound into the vehicle. It is prepared for.

  The input device 60 includes keys, switches, buttons, a remote controller, a voice input device, and the like for inputting various commands and data. The input device 60 is disposed around the front panel and the display 44 of the main body of the in-vehicle electronic system mounted in the vehicle. When the display 44 is a touch panel system, the touch panel provided on the display screen of the display 44 also functions as the input device 60.

  Note that the CPU 22 and the like in FIG. 1 correspond to an acquisition unit, display control unit, positioning unit, extraction unit, and adjustment unit in the present invention.

[Control method]
FIG. 2 is a functional block configuration diagram according to the present embodiment. As shown in FIG. 2, the navigation device 1 is connected to the camera 5. The system controller 20 includes a route search unit 211, a route guide unit 212, a vehicle position recognition unit 213, a 3D image generation unit 214, and an exposure area determination unit 215.

  The camera 5 has a predetermined angle of view by default, and generates an image (also simply referred to as “captured image”) captured based on light incident on the image sensor. The camera 5 is directed in the forward direction of the vehicle. The camera 5 adjusts exposure (exposure) based on the control signal “S1” transmitted from the system controller 20. The camera 5 is an example of the “imaging unit” in the present invention.

  The route search unit 211 searches for a route to a destination set by the user. Specifically, the route search unit 211 is traveling based on the destination set by the user, the current location of the vehicle detected by the vehicle position recognition unit 213 (also referred to as “own vehicle position”), map data 360, and the like. And a route scheduled to travel (also referred to as a “travel route”).

  The route guidance unit 212 performs route guidance to a destination set by the user. For example, the route guidance unit 212 continuously superimposes a guidance display indicating the travel route specified by the route search unit 211 on the captured image and causes the display unit 40 to display the guidance display. In addition, the route guidance unit 212 causes the voice output unit 50 to output voice guidance based on the travel route.

  The own vehicle position recognition unit 213 identifies the own vehicle position based on detection signals from the GPS receiver 18 and the self-supporting positioning device 10.

  The 3D image generation unit 214 is based on the vehicle position and the map data 360 and in a three-dimensional coordinate space (also referred to as “three-dimensional virtual space”) of a predetermined size virtually generated with reference to the vehicle position. A road, a predetermined point, and a facility are virtually arranged in accordance with the actual arrangement, and an image conforming to the field of view of the camera 5 (Field of View) based on the position, orientation, and angle of view of the camera 5 from the three-dimensional virtual space. (Also referred to as “camera view image Iv”).

  In addition, when generating the camera view image Iv, the 3D image generation unit 214 generates an area of interest (also referred to as “attention area Tr”) that has a high importance in driving with a color different from other areas. To do. Here, the attention area Tr is, for example, a mark when performing route guidance such as intersections, points for guidance of turning left and right (also referred to as “guidance points”), destinations and stops, convenience stores, gas stations, and the like. To be displayed (also referred to as “marking facility”) or an arbitrary combination thereof (collectively, collectively referred to as “target object”). A specific method for generating the camera view image Iv and the like will be described in the [Specific Example] section.

  The exposure area determination unit 215 determines whether or not the attention area Tr exists based on the pixel value of each pixel of the camera visual field image Iv generated by the 3D image generation unit 214. When the attention area Tr exists, A control signal S1 indicating that the exposure should be adjusted based on Tr is transmitted to the camera 5. As a result, the exposure area determination unit 215 prevents the pixel value corresponding to the attention area Tr in the photographed image from reaching the upper limit value or the lower limit value, that is, does not cause color saturation. Or / and adjust sensitivity. That is, the exposure area determination unit 215 changes the center value while maintaining the dynamic range (width) of the camera 5 so that the pixel value corresponding to the attention area Tr is included in the dynamic range of the camera 5.

[Concrete example]
FIG. 3A shows an example of a captured image taken at the time of route guidance. FIG. 3B is an enlarged view of only the intersection “PI” in the photographed image of FIG. The photographed image shown in FIG. 3 (a) was photographed immediately before the vehicle exited the tunnel. The photographed image corresponds to the inner wall portion of the tunnel, corresponds to the portion surrounded by the low luminance region 71 having low luminance, the inverted U-shaped shape at the exit of the tunnel, and the broken line 73, and is caused by sunlight. And a high luminance region 72 having high luminance. In addition, the high luminance area 72 includes a display area of the intersection PI that is a target of attention. Further, the vehicle turns right at the intersection PI as shown by an arrow Y1 in FIG.

  As shown in FIG. 3A, in this example, when the camera 5 determines the exposure in consideration of the entire captured image, the camera occupies a large area occupied by the low-luminance region 71 in the captured image. 5 is increased, and the high-intensity area 72 including the display area of the intersection PI, which is the target of attention, is saturated with white. Therefore, when the camera 5 determines the exposure in consideration of the entire captured image, the intersection PI that is the guide point is displayed in a state that is difficult to visually recognize, which is not preferable.

  Considering the above, the navigation device 1 controls the camera 5 so that the exposure is determined based on the display area of the intersection PI that is the target of attention, as described below. Hereinafter, in the case of the above-described example, the process in which the 3D image generation unit 214 determines the attention area Tr will be specifically described.

  First, the 3D image generation unit 214 uses an object (polygon) corresponding to a road that is in front of the vehicle and within a predetermined distance from the vehicle position in the three-dimensional virtual space based on the map data 360 and the vehicle position. Place. The above-mentioned predetermined distance is determined in advance as, for example, the upper limit value of the distance that the camera 5 can shoot, that is, the distance from the current location that may be displayed in the captured image.

  The object arrangement method will be specifically described with reference to FIG. FIG. 4A is a diagram showing the intersection PI in terms of nodes and links based on the map data 360. As shown in FIG. 4A, the intersection PI has a node “Nd1” indicating a point where the roads intersect and links “Lk1” to “Lk4” indicating four roads connected at the intersection PI. The map data 360 includes information such as position information, road shape, and road width of the links Lk1 to Lk4.

  Then, the 3D image generation unit 214 three-dimensionally displays planar objects “PLk1” to “PLk4” that represent the links Lk1 to Lk4 in three dimensions based on the information of the links Lk1 to Lk4 included in the map data 360. Place in the virtual space. Further, the 3D image generation unit 214 arranges the object “PNd1” representing the node Nd1 in three dimensions in a portion where all the intersecting objects PLk1 to PLk4 overlap, and sets a predetermined color (“attention area color”). Also called). The attention area color is, for example, red.

  FIG. 4B shows a view overlooking the three-dimensional virtual space after arranging the objects PLk1 to PLk4 and PNd1 on the three-dimensional virtual space. As illustrated in FIG. 4B, the 3D image generation unit 214 excludes the objects PLk1 and PLk4 of the links Lk1 and Lk4 that do not correspond to the travel route. The object PNd1 is colored in the attention area color, and the other objects PLk1 to PLk4 are colored in a color other than the attention area color.

  Next, the 3D image generation unit 214 virtually arranges the camera 5 in the three-dimensional virtual space. FIG. 5A shows an overhead view when the camera 5 is arranged in a three-dimensional virtual space. In FIG. 5A, line segments “Lc1” and “Lc2” indicate boundary lines of the field of view of the camera 5. In this case, the camera 5 in the three-dimensional virtual space is arranged according to the vehicle position and orientation of the vehicle, and the field of view is set according to the angle of view of the actual camera 5.

  Then, the 3D image generation unit 214 generates (renders) a camera view image Iv corresponding to a captured image of the camera 5 in the three-dimensional virtual space by three-dimensional calculation. That is, the 3D image generation unit 214 renders a three-dimensional virtual space in accordance with the visual field of the camera 5 from the direction of the arrow “Y2”. FIG. 5B shows the rendered camera view image Iv. In FIG. 5B, since the object PNd1 is colored in the attention area color in the three-dimensional virtual space, the display area of the object PNd1 is colored in the attention area color.

  Then, the exposure area determination unit 215 searches the camera view image Iv generated by the 3D image generation unit 214 for an attention area color area, and pays attention to the display area of the object PNd1 colored in the attention area color. Determined in area Tr. Then, the exposure area determination unit 215 transmits to the camera 5 a control signal S1 indicating that the exposure should be adjusted based on the attention area Tr.

  FIG. 6A is a diagram in which the camera view image Iv is superimposed on the captured image. As shown in FIG. 6A, the display area of the intersection PI is overlaid on the attention area Tr. Therefore, in this case, the camera 5 adjusts the exposure with reference to the display area of the intersection PI. Thereby, the navigation apparatus 1 can prevent the high-intensity area 72 including the display area of the intersection PI from being saturated in white, and can accurately display an area necessary for navigation.

  In addition, the navigation device 1 regenerates the camera view image Iv based on a predetermined or indefinite period, and updates the attention area Tr. This will be described with reference to FIG.

  FIG. 6B is a diagram in which the camera field-of-view image Iv generated by the 3D image generation unit 214 is superimposed on the captured image again when the vehicle moves forward by a predetermined distance from the state of FIG. As shown in FIG. 6B, as compared with the case of FIG. 6A, the display area of the intersection PI in the captured image becomes larger as the vehicle approaches the intersection PI. On the other hand, the area occupied by the attention area Tr also increases in the camera view image Iv generated by the 3D image generation unit 214 accordingly.

  Thus, the navigation device 1 regenerates the camera view image Iv based on a predetermined or indefinite period, and updates the attention area Tr, thereby appropriately changing the range of the attention area Tr according to the traveling of the vehicle. be able to. Therefore, the navigation apparatus 1 can continue to suppress the high-intensity area 72 including the display area of the intersection PI from being saturated with white and display the target object accurately.

  Next, a method for determining the display area of the destination as the attention area Tr when the destination is the attention target will be described. In this case, in addition to the road, the 3D image generation unit 214 sets the destination as a target for placing the object in the three-dimensional virtual space, and colors the destination object in the attention area color.

  FIG. 7A shows an example of the camera view image Iv when the destination display area is set to the attention area Tr. In this case, based on the map data 360, the 3D image generation unit 214 adds a destination object color to the attention area color in the 3D virtual space, in a planar or three-dimensional shape (here, planar). The camera view field image Iv is generated. Then, the exposure area determination unit 215 sets the display area of the destination as the attention area Tr from the camera view image Iv, and transmits a control signal S1 indicating that the exposure should be adjusted with the attention area Tr as a reference. Thereby, the navigation apparatus 1 can display a destination clearly in a picked-up image.

  Further, the 3D image generation unit 214 may add these objects in addition to or instead of the intersection or / and the destination even if the stopover, the guide point, and the landmark facility are set as the target of attention. Are arranged in the three-dimensional virtual space, and the object is colored to the attention area color.

  Next, two examples of the processing method when a plurality of target display areas exist in the camera view image Iv will be described.

  In the first example, the exposure area determination unit 215 causes the camera 5 to adjust the exposure based on all the attention areas Tr displayed in the camera view image Iv. In this case, when arranging the object in the three-dimensional virtual space, the 3D image generation unit 214 colors the object corresponding to the target of attention with a single target area color. Then, the exposure area determination unit 215 determines a set of pixels having the attention area color from the generated camera view image Iv as the attention area Tr, and causes the camera 5 to adjust the exposure based on the attention area Tr.

  In the second example, the exposure area determination unit 215 determines the attention area display area with the highest priority as the attention area Tr based on the priority (priority order) of each attention object. Here, the priority may be determined in advance for each type of target of interest, or may be determined dynamically according to the running state. Here, the former case and the latter case will be specifically described.

  In the former case, the 3D image generation unit 214 colors each attention target object with a different attention area color for each type of attention target based on predetermined priorities of various attention targets. Then, when there are a plurality of types of attention area colors in the camera view image Iv, the exposure area determination unit 215 determines the attention area color area corresponding to the attention object with the highest priority as the attention area Tr. For example, when the destination and the intersection are set as the target of attention, and the destination is set with a higher priority than the intersection, the 3D image generation unit 214 uses the target area color for the destination and the intersection. Then, when the two attention area colors are detected from the camera view image Iv, the exposure area determination unit 215 sets a region having the attention area color corresponding to the destination as the attention area Tr, and the attention area Tr The exposure is adjusted by the camera 5 with reference to.

  In the latter case, for example, the exposure area determination unit 215 sets a higher priority as the distance from the vehicle position to each target of interest is shorter. Specifically, the 3D image generation unit 214 determines that the target of interest closest to the vehicle position has the highest priority, and colors only the target target object with the target area color. Then, the exposure area determination unit 215 determines a pixel having the attention area color in the camera view image Iv as the attention area Tr. Thereby, the navigation apparatus 1 can set the display area of the attention object most important in driving | operation to the attention area Tr, and can display this clearly.

  Next, a supplementary description will be given of processing in the case where there is no attention area Tr in the camera view image Iv. In this case, the navigation device 1 causes the camera 5 to adjust the exposure based on the entire shooting range of the camera 5.

  FIG. 7B shows the three-dimensional virtual space when the objects “PLk10” to “PLk15” corresponding to the road, the object “PNd10” corresponding to the intersection, and the camera 5 are arranged on the three-dimensional virtual space. FIG. As shown in FIG. 7B, in this case, there is no object colored with the attention area color in the field of view of the camera 5. Therefore, when the 3D image generation unit 214 generates the camera view image Iv, the exposure area determination unit 215 cannot detect the pixel having the attention area color from the camera view image Iv. In this case, the exposure area determination unit 215 controls the camera 5 to adjust the exposure based on the entire captured image without being limited to a specific area.

[Processing flow]
Next, a processing procedure executed by the system controller 20 in this embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 8 is an example of a flowchart showing a processing procedure executed by the system controller 20 in this embodiment. The system controller 20 repeatedly executes the processing of the flowchart shown in FIG. 8 according to a predetermined cycle.

  First, the host vehicle position recognition unit 213 performs positioning of the host vehicle position (step S101). Specifically, the vehicle position recognition unit 213 identifies the vehicle position based on detection signals from the GPS receiver 18 and the autonomous positioning device 10.

  Next, the 3D image generation unit 214 arranges an object such as a road in the three-dimensional virtual space, and colors the object of interest with the attention area color (step S102). Specifically, the 3D image generation unit 214 generates objects corresponding to roads, intersections, destinations, landmark facilities, and the like that are within a predetermined distance from the vehicle position based on the map data 360. Arranged in the three-dimensional virtual space, the attention area color is colored to the object of attention.

  Next, the 3D image generation unit 214 generates a camera view image Iv (step S103). Specifically, the 3D image generation unit 214 generates a camera view image Iv from the three-dimensional virtual space based on information such as the measured vehicle position, the orientation of the camera 5, and the angle of view.

  Then, the exposure area determination unit 215 determines whether or not there is an attention area Tr in the camera view image Iv (step S104). Specifically, the exposure area determination unit 215 determines whether or not a pixel having the attention area color exists in the camera visual field image Iv.

  Then, when the exposure area determination unit 215 determines that there is an attention area Tr in the camera view image Iv (step S104; Yes), the exposure area determination unit 215 adjusts the exposure of the camera 5 based on the attention area Tr (step S105). Thereby, the navigation apparatus 1 can prevent the display area of the attention object, which is an important part in driving, from being difficult to see due to color saturation when performing guidance display using a captured image.

  On the other hand, when the exposure area determination unit 215 determines that there is no attention area Tr in the camera view image Iv (step S104; No), the exposure area determination unit 215 adjusts the exposure of the camera 5 based on the entire area (step S106).

[Modification]
Hereafter, each modification of a present Example is demonstrated. Each of these modified examples can be applied to the above-described embodiments in any combination.

(Modification 1)
The system controller 20 places an object such as a road in the three-dimensional virtual space, and generates the camera view image Iv in real time based on the vehicle position, thereby specifying the range of the attention area Tr in the captured image. However, the configuration to which the present invention is applicable is not limited to this. Instead, the system controller 20 may uniquely determine the range of the attention area Tr based on the distance from the vehicle position to the attention target. .

  For example, the system controller 20 creates a map of the distance from the vehicle position to the target of interest and the range of the target area Tr in the captured image corresponding to the distance based on the experiment, and stores it in a memory such as the ROM 23 in advance. Keep it. Then, the system controller 20 calculates the distance between the target object existing in the travel route and the vehicle position while the vehicle is traveling, and determines the range of the attention area Tr with reference to the above-described map based on the distance. . For example, the system controller 20 uses the range of the attention area Tr shown in FIG. 6A when the distance from the vehicle position to the intersection of interest is 100 m, and when the distance is 50 m, The range of the attention area Tr shown in FIG. 6B is used.

  Even in this case, the navigation apparatus 1 can preferably define the attention area Tr and clearly display the attention object.

(Modification 2)
When the attention area Tr exists in the camera view image Iv, the system controller 20 adjusts the exposure of the camera 5 based on the attention area Tr. However, the method to which the present invention is applicable is not limited to this, and the camera 5 may adjust the captured image based on other characteristics.

  For example, in addition to or instead of adjusting the exposure, when the attention area Tr exists in the camera view image Iv, the system controller 20 adjusts the focus of the camera 5 to the attention area Tr. The camera 5 may be controlled. Specifically, in this case, the system controller 20 causes the camera 5 to adjust the setting of the focus adjustment lens so that the contrast between each pixel of the attention area Tr is maximized by a so-called contrast AF (Auto Focus) function. .

  In another example, the system controller 20 may cause the camera 5 to perform zooming so that the attention area Tr occupies a predetermined size in the captured image. For example, when the attention area Tr is smaller than a predetermined area, the system controller 20 sets the attention area Tr in the captured image so that the attention area Tr in the captured image becomes larger according to a predetermined magnification or the size of the attention area Tr. Perform zooming. For example, the system controller 20 performs zooming by adjusting the focal length of the camera 5 by optical correction or mechanical correction.

(Modification 3)
In the description of FIG. 4B, the system controller 20 arranges the objects Lk1 to Lk4 in the three-dimensional virtual space, and then excludes the objects Lk1 and Lk4 corresponding to roads not included in the travel route. Instead, when the system controller 20 arranges a road object in the three-dimensional virtual space, the system controller 20 arranges only the road object corresponding to the travel route, and the object Lk1 corresponding to the road not included in the travel route. , Lk4 may not be generated and arranged.

(Modification 4)
The navigation device 1 may store the captured image in the data storage unit 36 as a moving image or a still image. In this case, the navigation device 1 also functions as a drive recorder.

(Modification 5)
In the above description, the system controller 20 adjusts the camera 5 by specifying the attention area Tr during route guidance. However, the method to which the present invention is applicable is not limited to this, and the system controller 20 may adjust the camera 5 by specifying the attention area Tr even when route guidance is not being performed.

  In this case, the navigation apparatus 1 determines an intersection or / and a landmark facility as a target of attention. For example, the 3D image generation unit 214 generates and arranges an object such as a road within a predetermined distance from the vehicle position in the three-dimensional virtual space, and includes objects corresponding to intersections and / or landmark facilities. The attention area color is colored, and the camera view image Iv is generated. Then, the exposure area determination unit 215 specifies the attention area Tr based on the pixel value of each pixel of the camera view image Iv, and causes the camera 5 to perform exposure adjustment based on the attention area Tr.

  As described above, even when the navigation apparatus 1 is not accompanied by route guidance, when displaying a captured image, it is possible to clearly display an attention target important for driving and improve convenience. Note that the present embodiment can be executed in a display device that displays an image captured by the camera 5, even if the navigation device is not a route guidance function.

(Modification 6)
In the description of FIG. 2, the system controller 20 transmits the control signal S <b> 1 to the camera 5 to adjust the exposure based on the attention area Tr. Instead, after specifying the attention area Tr, the system controller 20 corrects the captured image corresponding to the attention area Tr so that the attention area Tr is clear, and causes the display unit 40 to display the corrected captured image. Also good. For example, the system controller 20 performs image processing on the captured image so that the luminance of the attention area Tr falls within a predetermined range. In another example, based on the second modification, the system controller 20 performs image processing on a captured image so that the contrast or size of the attention area Tr falls within a predetermined range. Then, the system controller 20 causes the display unit 40 to display the captured image after image processing on the guidance display.

  Also according to this aspect, the system controller 20 can appropriately make the user visually recognize the target of attention.

(Modification 7)
The target of attention is not limited to an intersection, a landmark facility, a destination, or a stopover, but may be a road corresponding to a travel route to the destination or stopover in addition to or instead of this. Even in this case, the navigation device 1 can clearly display the road on which the vehicle travels when performing navigation based on the captured image, and can improve the convenience of the driver.

  The present invention can be suitably applied to an in-vehicle navigation device, a PND (Personal Navigation Device), and other devices that adjust an image acquired from a camera.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Navigation apparatus 10 Self-supporting positioning apparatus 12 GPS receiver 20 System controller 22 CPU
36 Data storage unit 38 Communication device 40 Display unit 44 Display

The invention according to claim 1 is an image adjustment apparatus, wherein an acquisition unit that acquires an image from an imaging unit mounted on a moving body, a display control unit that displays the image on a display unit, Based on the positioning means for positioning the position, the map information, and the position of the moving body, the extracting means for extracting the attention area in which the target to be noticed in driving is displayed from the image, and the attention area. And adjusting means for adjusting the luminance or / and contrast characteristics of the image to fall within a predetermined range.

The invention according to claim 10 is a control method executed by the image adjustment apparatus, wherein an acquisition step of acquiring an image from an imaging unit mounted on a moving body, and a display control step of displaying the image on a display unit And a positioning step for positioning the position of the moving body, an extraction step for extracting an attention area in which an object to be noted in driving is displayed from the image based on the map information and the position of the moving body; And an adjustment step of adjusting the luminance or / and contrast characteristics of the image to be within a predetermined range based on the attention area.

The invention according to claim 11 is a program executed by the image adjustment apparatus, the acquisition unit acquiring an image from the imaging unit mounted on the moving body, the display control unit displaying the image on the display unit, Positioning means for positioning the position of the moving object, map information, and extraction means for extracting an attention area in which an object to be noted in driving is displayed from the image, and the attention area On the basis of this, the image adjustment device is made to function as an adjustment means for adjusting the luminance or / and contrast characteristics of the image to be within a predetermined range.

Claims (12)

Obtaining means for obtaining an image from an imaging means mounted on a moving body;
Display control means for displaying the image on a display means;
Positioning means for positioning the position of the moving body;
Based on the map information and the position of the moving body, an extracting means for extracting an attention area in which an object to be noted in driving is displayed from the image;
Adjusting means for adjusting the characteristics of the image to be within a predetermined range based on the attention area;
An image adjustment apparatus comprising:   The image adjustment apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the notable object is an intersection or / and a facility. Further comprising guide means for guiding the mobile body to a destination;
The object to be noted is an intersection, a facility, a guide point, a destination or a stop-off place, any of roads corresponding to a route to the destination or a stop-off place, or a combination thereof. The image adjustment apparatus described. When there are a plurality of types of the target to be noted, a priority is set for each type,
4. The image adjustment apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the extraction unit extracts an attention area in which the attention target with a high priority is displayed. 5.   The image adjustment apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the priority is set higher as the distance from the position of the moving body to the target of interest is shorter.   6. The image adjustment according to claim 1, wherein the adjustment unit transmits a control signal to the camera based on the attention area so that a characteristic of the image falls within a predetermined range. apparatus.   The image adjusting apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the adjusting unit adjusts exposure, focus, or zoom of the camera based on the attention area. The adjusting means performs image processing of the image based on the attention area so that the characteristic of the image falls within a predetermined range,
The image adjustment apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the display control unit displays the image subjected to the image processing on a display unit. The photographing means photographs the forward direction of the moving body,
The terminal holding device according to claim 1, wherein the display control unit displays a guidance display on the image captured by the image capturing unit so as to overlap the image. A control method executed by the image adjustment apparatus,
An acquisition step of acquiring an image from the imaging means mounted on the moving body;
A display control step of displaying the image on a display means;
A positioning step of positioning the position of the moving body;
Based on the map information and the position of the moving body, an extraction step of extracting an attention area in which an object to be noted in driving is displayed among the images;
An adjustment step for adjusting the characteristics of the image to be within a predetermined range based on the attention area;
A control method comprising: A program executed by the image adjustment device,
Obtaining means for obtaining an image from an imaging means mounted on a moving body;
Display control means for displaying the image on a display means;
Positioning means for positioning the position of the moving body;
Extraction means for extracting an attention area in which an object to be noted in driving is displayed from the image based on map information and the position of the moving body;
A program that causes the image adjustment apparatus to function as an adjustment unit that adjusts the characteristics of the image to be within a predetermined range based on the area of interest.   A storage medium storing the program according to claim 11.

Images