Patent ID: 8077203

Claim:
A vehicle-periphery image generating apparatus for viewpoint-converting each of a plurality of images captured by a plurality of cameras installed at different positions of a vehicle, and configured to combine the respective viewpoint-converted images to generate a vehicle-periphery image viewed from a virtual point of view above the vehicle, the apparatus comprising: a viewpoint conversion processor configured to input a plurality of images captured by the plurality of cameras, and configured to viewpoint-convert the plurality of images using mapping table information, and combine the respective viewpoint-converted images to generate the vehicle-periphery image; an obstacle detector configured to detect an obstacle around the vehicle and determine a distance from the vehicle to the obstacle; and an image compression controller configured to control compression when the obstacle having a width greater than a predetermined amount is detected at a distance less than a predetermined distance from the vehicle, the compression based on: a center direction of the images around the vehicle, a width of an image in the direction in which the obstacle is detected, and a region positioned on the far side of the obstacle as viewed from the vehicle among the images around the vehicle.