US Patent 7592928 Image display device and method

A device and method that allows any differences between the relative position of an obstacle as it appears in a bird's-eye view image and its actual relative position can be checked on the same screen. In order to display the vehicle surroundings to the driver, multiple direct images obtained from multiple pickup devices, preferably cameras, oriented in different directions are used to compose a bird's-eye view image from which the vehicle surroundings can be known at a glance. The bird's-eye view image and a direct image picked up in the direction of an obstacle with respect to the vehicle are simultaneously displayed when the obstacle is detected in the vicinity of the vehicle.