Vehicle image display apparatus and method

A vehicle image display apparatus, comprising:

• means for acquiring a plurality of captured images of an area around a vehicle using a control unit, the plurality of captured images being captured by a plurality of cameras that are mounted on the vehicle at a plurality of positions;
• means for generating a single image that shows a state of the vehicle and a state around the vehicle using the plurality of captured images so acquired;
• means for displaying a composite image on a monitor after an input operation is given to an ignition switch of the vehicle, the composite image including the single image superposed with a first image showing boundary regions between the plurality of captured images in the single image and superposed with a second image showing end regions of the vehicle;
• means for highlighting the first and second images for a time period after a start of display of the composite image;
• and
• means for non-highlighting the first image and for highlighting the second image after the time period elapses.

A vehicle image display method, comprising:

• acquiring a plurality of captured images of an area around a vehicle using a control unit, the plurality of captured images being captured by a plurality of cameras that are mounted on the vehicle at a plurality of positions;
• generating a single image that shows a state of the vehicle and a state around the vehicle using the plurality of captured images so acquired;
• displaying a composite image on a monitor after an input operation is given to an ignition switch of the vehicle, the composite image including the single image superposed with a first image showing boundary regions between the plurality of captured images in the composite image and superposed with a second image showing end regions of the vehicle;
• highlighting the first and second images for a time period after a start of display of the composite image;
• and
• non-highlighting the first image and highlighting the second image after the time period elapses.