Image processing device and method that captures the surroundings of a vehicle

An image processing device for capturing surroundings of a vehicle, comprising:

• a camera module that is installed in the vehicle and includes a plurality of cameras equipped with wide-angle lenses,
• wherein the plurality of cameras include:
• a first camera installed on a left side mirror of the vehicle;
• a second camera installed on a right side mirror of the vehicle;
• a third camera configured to capture a front area of the vehicle;
• and
• a fourth camera configured to capture a rear area of the vehicle;
• and
• an electronic device that processes an image acquired through the camera module,
• wherein the electronic device includes:
• a communication circuit;
• an image input unit that receives captured vehicle surrounding images through the communication circuit;
• an image conversion unit that corrects the vehicle surrounding images received by the image input unit;
• and
• a control unit that controls the communication circuit, the image input unit, and the image conversion unit,
• wherein the image conversion unit is controlled through the control unit so that an overview screen in a circularly curved shape captured by the camera module is corrected into a flat image,
• wherein the image conversion unit is controlled through the control unit to divide the received vehicle surrounding images into a plurality of images according to a captured area of the vehicle,
• wherein the vehicle surrounding images are divided into a front area, a rear area, a left side area, and a right side area of the vehicle based on mounting points of the wide-angle lenses installed on the side mirrors of the vehicle,
• wherein the left side area and the right side area are further divided into a top area and a bottom area, respectively, in accordance with positions of the left side mirror and the right side mirror,
• wherein the top area and the bottom area of each of the left side area and the right side area are defined based on a vertical reference axis passing through a corresponding side mirror mounting point and a horizontal reference plane corresponding to a side mirror mounting height,
• wherein the top area corresponds to an image region above the horizontal reference plane, and
• wherein the bottom area corresponds to an image region below the horizontal reference plane.