Parking assistant and parking assisting method

摘要

When a parking assistant assists a driver in carrying out parking operation, the parking assistant takes image of vehicle surroundings to generate vehicle surroundings images, converts coordinates of vehicle surroundings images to generate overhead view image, and sets a parking target area in the overhead view image. On the overhead view image, the parking assistant superposes a parking target area image which denotes the parking target area. The parking assistant generates the parking target area image when a first certain portion where a solid object is present is superposed with the parking target area. The parking target area image is generated in a second certain portion other than the superposed first certain portion. The generating operation is implemented even when another vehicle included in the overhead view image falls in the set parking target area image. The parking assistant displays the overhead view image and the parking target area image.

主权项

1. A parking assistant, comprising:
a camera for taking a vehicle surroundings image comprising color information; an overhead view image generator for generating, with a viewpoint conversion, an overhead view image from the vehicle surroundings image taken by the camera; a parking target area setter for setting a parking target area in the overhead view image generated by the overhead view image generator; a parking target area image generator for generating a parking target area image when a first certain portion of the parking target area is superposed by a solid object present in the overhead view image, the parking target area image being newly generated as a second certain portion of the parking target area other than the superposed first certain portion; a display for displaying the overhead view image generated by the overhead view image generator and displaying the parking target area image newly generated by the parking target area image generator; and a movement sensor for sensing a movement direction of a vehicle and a movement amount of the vehicle, wherein based on the movement direction and the movement amount of the vehicle which are sensed by the movement sensor, the overhead view image generator generates the overhead view image where a position of the parking target area in the overhead view image is renewed, and wherein the parking target area image generator compares:
the color information of the parking target area in the overhead view image, where the color information is obtained when the parking target area is set by the parking target area setter, with
the color information of the renewed parking target area, where the color information is obtained when the position of the parking target area is renewed,sets a new parking target area on the overhead view image where the above two pieces of color information are determined substantially equivalent,sets no new parking target area on the overhead view image where the above two pieces of color information are determined not substantially equivalent,to thereby newly generate the parking target area image in the second certain portion other than the superposed first certain portion.