Patent ID: 8670034

Claim:
A vehicular image processor for a vehicle to carry out mask processing to an image of an area adjacent to a rear side of the vehicle from a rear-view camera of the vehicle, the image processor comprising: an image interface that receives a single image captured by the rear-view camera of the vehicle as an image signal, the single image including a rear-side-vehicle-body of the vehicle; a mask information storage unit; and an image processing unit cooperatively operable with the image interface and the mask information storage unit, the image processing unit being programmed to facilitate: reading a mask from the mask information storage unit, inputting the single image from the image interface, and carrying out mask processing on the single image onto which the mask read from the mask information storage unit is superimposed, to define an unmasked area of the single image, wherein: a shape of the single image is substantially rectangular having a left side, a right side, a top side, and a bottom side, the mask superimposed onto the single image includes simultaneously an upper mask along the top side of the single image and a lower mask along the bottom side of the single image, the upper mask and the lower mask being spaced apart in a top-bottom direction, the upper mask being concave on a lower side thereof, the lower mask having a first slope and a second slope on an upper side thereof, the first slope descending toward the second slope, the second slope descending toward the first slope, the lower mask being disposed on the single image to position the rear-side-vehicle-body to an area defined between the first slope and the second slope, each of the upper mask and the lower mask having a top-bottom width that is narrower as approaching from each of the left side and the right side toward a central part of the single image that masks a peripheral portion of the single image that is prone to be distorted, the unmasked area of the single image having a top-bottom width which is broader as approaching from each of the left side and the right side towards a central part, the rear-view camera includes a wide view angle lens having a horizontal angle of view of 180 degrees or more, and due to a distortion of the captured single image in the horizontal angle of view, the area of the single image captured by the rear-view camera between the first slope and the second slope displays the rear-side-vehicle-body of the vehicle with a horizontal angle of view that is reduced to less than 180 degrees.