Traffic Signal Detection Device and Traffic Signal Detection Method

• US 20180150705A1
• Filed: 06/05/2015
• Published: 05/31/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 06/05/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Yamanoi, Daiki, Matsuo, Haruo, Oki, Takahiko
• Granted Patent: US 10,055,656 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2300/105 using multiple cameras
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 40/04 Traffic conditions
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/584 of vehicle lights or traffic lights
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/095 Traffic lights
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/09623 Systems involving the acquisition of information from passive traffic signs by means mounted on the vehicle G08G1/0967 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/16 Anti-collision systems road vehicle drive control systems for predicting or avoiding probable or impending collision otherwise than by control of a particular sub-unit B60W30/08
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/18 Closed-circuit television [CCTV] systems, i.e. systems in which the video signal is not broadcast
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/181 for receiving images from a plurality of remote sources

Abstract

A traffic signal detection device includes a narrow-angle camera, a wide-angle camera having an angle of view wider than the narrow-angle camera, and a traffic signal detector configured to detect a traffic signal from at least any of a narrow-angle image captured by the narrow-angle camera and a wide-angle image captured by the wide-angle camera. The traffic signal detector selects, as a detection result, any of a traffic signal detected from the narrow-angle image and a traffic signal detected from the wide-angle image, on the basis of a deceleration start region in which a vehicle should start deceleration, the deceleration start region calculated from a position of a traffic signal with respect to the vehicle and a speed of the vehicle in order to stop the vehicle at a stop position with respect to the traffic signal.

Claims

1. A traffic signal detection device, comprising:

a narrow-angle camera that captures an image ahead of a vehicle;

a wide-angle camera that captures an image ahead of the vehicle and has an angle of view wider than the narrow-angle camera; and

a traffic signal detector configured to detect a traffic signal from at least any of a narrow-angle image captured by the narrow-angle camera and a wide-angle image captured by the wide-angle camera,

wherein the traffic signal detector selects, as a detection result, any of a traffic signal detected from the narrow-angle image and a traffic signal detected from the wide-angle image, on the basis of a deceleration start region in which the vehicle should start deceleration in order to stop the vehicle at a stop position with respect to the traffic signal, the deceleration start region being calculated from a position of the traffic signal with respect to the vehicle and a speed of the vehicle.

2. The traffic signal detection device according to claim 1, wherein the traffic signal detector selects, as a detection result, a traffic signal detected from the wide-angle image when the position of the traffic signal with respect to the vehicle is in a region where the traffic signal deviates from the angle of view of the narrow-angle camera.

3. The traffic signal detection device according to claim 2, wherein the traffic signal detector selects, as the detection result, the traffic signal detected from the wide-angle image when the position of the traffic signal with respect to the vehicle is not equal to or greater than a predetermined value set on the basis of a distance in which the traffic signal deviates from the angle of view of the narrow-angle camera and when the detected traffic signal is a green light.

4. The traffic signal detection device according to claim 1, wherein the traffic signal detector selects, as a detection result, the traffic signal detected from the wide-angle image when a distance from the vehicle to the traffic signal is in a distance region in which the traffic signal can be detected from the wide-angle image.

5. The traffic signal detection device according to claim 4, wherein the traffic signal detector selects, as the detection result, the traffic signal detected from the wide-angle image when a detected traffic signal is not a green light, or a traffic signal cannot be detected, and when a distance from the vehicle to the traffic signal is in a distance region in which the traffic signal can be detected from the wide-angle image.

6. The traffic signal detection device according to claim 1, wherein the traffic signal detector continues to select, as a detection result, the traffic signal detected from the wide-angle image until it is determined that the vehicle passes through an intersection when the traffic signal detected from the wide-angle image is selected as the detection result.

7. A traffic signal detection method, comprising:

detecting a traffic signal from at least any of a narrow-angle image captured by a narrow-angle camera that captures an image ahead of a vehicle and a wide-angle image captured by a wide-angle camera that captures an image ahead of the vehicle and has an angle of view wider than the narrow-angle camera;

calculating, from a position of the traffic signal with respect to the vehicle and a speed of the vehicle, a deceleration start region in which the vehicle should start deceleration in order to stop the vehicle at a stop position with respect to the traffic signal; and

selecting any of a traffic signal detected from the narrow-angle image and a traffic signal detected from the wide-angle image, on the basis of the deceleration start region.