Driving simulation apparatus, wide-angle camera video simulation apparatus, and image deforming/compositing apparatus

A wide-angle camera video simulation apparatus comprising:

• a camera information input unit that receives an input of data expressing a viewpoint position and a viewing direction of a wide-angle camera in a virtual environment;
• an intermediate image rendering unit that generates a plurality of intermediate images by, for a plurality of intermediate projection planes that cover a given field of view from the wide-angle camera, performing perspective projection on the virtual environment from both the viewpoint position and the viewing direction of the on-vehicle wide-angle camera that are input by the camera information input unit;
• and
• a video rendering unit that generates a wide-angle camera video by generating a parameter relating to deforming and compositing intermediate images based on a lens characteristic of the wide-angle camera that has been recorded in advance, and deforming and compositing the plurality of intermediate images with use of the parameter.

A computer-readable recording media that stores a program for simulating driving, the program causing a computer to execute:

• input processing in which an input of an operation instruction with respect to a vehicle in a virtual environment is received;
• vehicle state calculation processing in which a position and an orientation of the vehicle in the virtual environment are calculated in real-time in accordance with the input of the operation instruction;
• camera state calculation processing in which a viewpoint position and a viewing direction of a on-vehicle wide-angle camera are obtained based on the position and the orientation of the vehicle;
• intermediate image rendering processing in which a plurality of intermediate images are generated by, for a plurality of intermediate projection planes that cover a given field of view from the on-vehicle wide-angle camera, performing perspective projection on the virtual environment from both the viewpoint position and the viewing direction of the on-vehicle wide-angle camera that are calculated in the camera state calculation processing;
• and
• video rendering processing in which a on-vehicle wide-angle camera video is generated by generating a parameter relating to deforming and compositing intermediate images based on a lens characteristic of the on-vehicle wide-angle camera that has been recorded in advance, and deforming and compositing the plurality of intermediate images.

A computer-readable recording media that stores a program for simulating a wide-angle camera video or deforming and compositing images, the program causing a computer to execute:

• camera information input processing in which an input of data expressing a viewpoint position and a viewing direction of a wide-angle camera in a virtual environment is received;
• intermediate image rendering processing in which a plurality of intermediate images are generated by, for a plurality of intermediate projection planes that cover a given field of view from the wide-angle camera, performing perspective projection on the virtual environment from both the viewpoint position and the viewing direction of the wide-angle camera that are input in the camera information input processing;
• and
• video rendering processing in which a wide-angle camera video is generated by generating a parameter relating to deforming and compositing intermediate images based on a lens characteristic of the wide-angle camera that has been recorded in advance, and deforming and compositing the plurality of intermediate images.

A method for causing a computer to simulate driving, comprising:

• receiving an input of an operation instruction with respect to a vehicle in a virtual environment;
• calculating a position and an orientation of the vehicle in the virtual environment in real-time in accordance with the input of the operation instruction;
• obtaining, with use of mounting position information of a on-vehicle wide-angle camera of the vehicle that has been recorded in advance, a viewpoint position and a viewing direction of the on-vehicle wide-angle camera based on the position and the orientation of the vehicle;
• generating a plurality of intermediate images by, for a plurality of intermediate projection planes that cover a given field of view from the on-vehicle wide-angle camera, performing perspective projection on the virtual environment from both the viewpoint position and the viewing direction of the on-vehicle wide-angle camera that are calculated in the camera state calculating step;
• and
• generating a on-vehicle wide-angle camera video by generating a parameter relating to deforming and compositing intermediate images based on a lens characteristic of the on-vehicle wide-angle camera that has been recorded in advance, and deforming and compositing the plurality of intermediate images with use of the parameter.

A method for causing a computer to simulate a wide-angle camera video or deforming and compositing images, comprising:

• inputting data expressing a viewpoint position and a viewing direction of a wide-angle camera in a virtual environment;
• generating a plurality of intermediate images by, for a plurality of intermediate projection planes that cover a given field of view from the wide-angle camera, performing perspective projection on the virtual environment from both the viewpoint position and the viewing direction of the wide-angle camera that are input in the camera information inputting step;
• and
• generating a wide-angle camera video by generating a parameter relating to deforming and compositing intermediate images based on a lens characteristic of the wide-angle camera that has been recorded in advance, and deforming and compositing the plurality of intermediate images.