GUIDANCE DEVICE, GUIDANCE METHOD, AND GUIDANCE PROGRAM

• US 20130170706A1
• Filed: 01/25/2012
• Published: 07/04/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 02/16/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Aisin AW Company Limited (Aisin Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Aisin AW Company Limited (Aisin Corp.)
• Inventors: Mori, Toshihiro, Sato, Yuji
• Granted Patent: US 9,064,155 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 382/103
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3602 Input other than that of destination using image analysis, e.g. detection of road signs, lanes, buildings, real preceding vehicles using a camera
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3644 Landmark guidance, e.g. using POIs or conspicuous other objects
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/56 exterior to a vehicle by using sensors mounted on the vehicle

Abstract

Image recognition is performed based on a surrounding image and a recognition template used for the image recognition of a marker object, and a recognition confidence level used for determining if the marker object can be recognized in the surrounding image is calculated. A determination is made if the recognition confidence level has increased as compared with the recognition confidence level calculated based on the surrounding image acquired at the guidance output point. If it is determined that the recognition confidence level has increased, the image of the marker object, generated based on the surrounding image acquired at the guidance output point, is stored as a new template to be used for the image recognition of the marker object. This increases the possibility to recognize the marker object based on the new template, thus increasing the recognition accuracy of the marker object.

Claims

1-2. -2. (canceled)

3. A guidance device comprising:

a marker object identification unit that identifies a marker object, the marker object being a mark of a guidance target point on a route that is set;

an image acquisition unit that acquires a surrounding image of a vehicle;

a recognition confidence level calculation unit that performs image recognition based on the surrounding image and a template used for image recognition of the marker object, and calculates a recognition confidence level used to determine if the marker object can be recognized in the surrounding image;

an increase determination unit that determines if the recognition confidence level calculated based on the surrounding image acquired between a guidance output point and the guidance target point has increased as compared with the recognition confidence level calculated based on the surrounding image acquired at the guidance output point, the guidance output point being a position located before the guidance target point and provided for outputting guidance on the guidance target point;

a storage unit that stores an image of the marker object, which is generated based on the surrounding image acquired at the guidance output point, as a new template for use in image recognition of the marker object if the increase determination unit determines that the recognition confidence level has increased;

a recognition determination unit that, based on the recognition confidence level, determines whether the marker object can be recognized at the guidance output point; and

a guidance unit that outputs guidance on the guidance target point using the marker object if the recognition determination unit determines that the marker object can be recognized, wherein

if the recognition determination unit determines that the marker object cannot be recognized at the guidance output point, the storage unit stores an image of the marker object, generated based on the surrounding image acquired at the guidance output point, as the new template.

4. The guidance device according to claim 3, wherein

if there is a plurality of the marker objects at the guidance target point and the recognition determination unit determines that the plurality of marker objects is recognized, the guidance unit outputs guidance on the guidance target point using the marker object having the highest recognition confidence level at the guidance output point.

5. The guidance device according to claim 3, wherein

if there is a plurality of the marker objects at the guidance target point and the recognition determination unit determines that the plurality of marker objects is recognized, the guidance unit outputs guidance on the guidance target point using the marker object having the highest priority that is set based on locations of the marker objects at the guidance target point.

6. A guidance method comprising:

a marker object identification step of identifying a marker object, the marker object being a mark of a guidance target point on a route that is set;

an image acquisition step of acquiring a surrounding image of a vehicle;

a recognition confidence level calculation step of performing image recognition based on the surrounding image and a template used for image recognition of the marker object, and calculating a recognition confidence level used to determine if the marker object can be recognized in the surrounding image;

an increase determination step of determining if the recognition confidence level calculated based on the surrounding image acquired between a guidance output point and the guidance target point has increased as compared with the recognition confidence level calculated based on the surrounding image acquired at the guidance output point, the guidance output point being a position located before the guidance target point and provided for outputting guidance on the guidance target point;

a storage step of storing an image of the marker object, which is generated based on the surrounding image acquired at the guidance output point, as a new template for use in image recognition of the marker object if in the increase determination step it is determined that the recognition confidence level has increased;

a recognition determination step of determining, based on the recognition confidence level, whether the marker object can be recognized at the guidance output point; and

a guidance step of outputting guidance on the guidance target point using the marker object if in the recognition determination step it is determined that the marker object can be recognized, wherein

if in the recognition determination step it is determined that the marker object cannot be recognized at the guidance output point, in the storage step an image of the marker object, generated based on the surrounding image acquired at the guidance output point, is stored as the new template.

7. A guidance program causing a computer to function as:

a marker object identification unit that identifies a marker object, the marker object being a mark of a guidance target point on a route that is set;

an image acquisition unit that acquires a surrounding image of a vehicle;

a recognition confidence level calculation unit that performs image recognition based on the surrounding image and a template used for image recognition of the marker object, and calculates a recognition confidence level used to determine if the marker object can be recognized in the surrounding image;

an increase determination unit that determines if the recognition confidence level calculated based on the surrounding image acquired between a guidance output point and the guidance target point has increased as compared with the recognition confidence level calculated based on the surrounding image acquired at the guidance output point, the guidance output point being a position located before the guidance target point and provided for outputting guidance on the guidance target point;

a storage unit that stores an image of the marker object, which is generated based on the surrounding image acquired at the guidance output point, as a new template for use in image recognition of the marker object if the increase determination unit determines that the recognition confidence level has increased;

a recognition determination unit that, based on the recognition confidence level, determines whether the marker object can be recognized at the guidance output point; and

a guidance unit that outputs guidance on the guidance target point using the marker object if the recognition determination unit determines that the marker object can be recognized, wherein

if the recognition determination unit determines that the marker object cannot be recognized at the guidance output point, the storage unit stores an image of the marker object, generated based on the surrounding image acquired at the guidance output point, as the new template.