Environment recognition device and environment recognition method

• US 8,670,612 B2
• Filed: 05/01/2012
• Issued: 03/11/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 05/12/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Subaru Corp.
• Original Assignee: Fuji Heavy Industries Limited (Subaru Corp.)
• Inventors: Kido, Shinnosuke
• Primary Examiner(s): Sherali, Ishrat I
• Application Number:
  US13/460,972
• Publication Number:
  US 20120288191A1
• Time in Patent Office: 679 Days
• Field of Search: 382/165, 382103-104, 382/181, 382/224, 340435-439, 340/580, 340/905, 701300-302, 348/148
• US Class Current: 382/165
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 10/56 relating to colour
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/58 Recognition of moving objects or obstacles, e.g. vehicles or pedestrians; Recognition of traffic objects, e.g. traffic signs, traffic lights or roads
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/584 of vehicle lights or traffic lights

Abstract

There are provided an environment recognition device and an environment recognition method. The device obtains luminances of a target portion in a detection area, assigns a color identifier to the target portion according to the luminances thereof based on an association, retained in a data retaining unit, between a color identifier and a luminance range, groups target portions, of which position differences in the width and height directions are within a predetermined range and to which one or more color identifiers corresponding to a same specific object are assigned, into a target object, based on a association, retained in the unit, between a specific object and the color identifier; and determines an outer edge specified by the target portions to which the color identifiers are assigned according to whether or not the detection area is in the environment where light is diffused, as the outer edge of the target object.

Claims

1. An environment recognition device comprising:

a data retaining unit that retains association between a predetermined number of color identifiers and a luminance range, retains association between the color identifiers and each specific object, and retains association between a combination of one or more color identifiers selected from the plurality of color identifiers and each detection result, as to whether a detection area is in an environment where light is diffused;

a luminance obtaining unit that obtains a luminance of a target portion in the detection area of a luminance image;

a color identifier assigning unit that assigns a color identifier to the target portion according to the luminance of the target portion based on the association between the color identifier and the luminance range retained in the data retaining unit;

a grouping unit that groups target portions, which are assigned one of color identifiers corresponding to a same specific object, and of which positions differences in the horizontal direction and in the vertical direction are within a predetermined range, into a target object, based on the association between a specific object and a color identifier retained in the data retaining unit;

an environment determining unit that determines whether or not the detection area is in an environment where light is diffused; and

an outer edge determining unit that selects a combination according to whether the detection area is in the environment where light is diffused and determines that an outer edge specified by a target portion assigned one of the selected color-identifier combination is an outer edge of the target object.

2. The environment recognition device according to claim 1, further comprising:

a rainfall detecting unit that detects rainfall,

wherein the environment determining unit determines that the detection area is in the environment where light is diffused, when the rainfall detecting unit detects rainfall.

3. The environment recognition device according to claim 1, further comprising:

a snowfall detecting unit that detects snowfall,

wherein the environment determining unit determines that the detection area is in the environment where light is diffused, when the snowfall detecting unit detects snowfall.

4. The environment recognition device according to claim 2, further comprising:

a snowfall detecting unit that detects snowfall,

wherein the environment determining unit determines that the detection area is in the environment where light is diffused, when the snowfall detecting unit detects snowfall.

5. The environment recognition device according to claim 1, wherein

the data retaining unit retains association a combination one or more color identifiers selected from the color identifiers and each level of the light diffusion condition,

the environment determining unit determines the light diffusion condition in a stepwise manner, and

the outer edge determining unit selects the combination according to the light diffusion condition, and determines that an outer edge specified by a target portion assigned one of the selected color-identifier combination is the outer edge of the target object.

6. The environment recognition device according to claim 2, wherein

the data retaining unit retains association a combination one or more color identifiers selected from the color identifiers and each level of the light diffusion condition,

the environment determining unit determines the light diffusion condition in a stepwise manner, and

the outer edge determining unit selects the combination according to the light diffusion condition, and determines that an outer edge specified by a target portion assigned one of the selected color-identifier combination is the outer edge of the target object.

7. The environment recognition device according to claim 3, wherein

the data retaining unit retains association a combination one or more color identifiers selected from the color identifiers and each level of the light diffusion condition,

the environment determining unit determines the light diffusion condition in a stepwise manner, and

the outer edge determining unit selects the combination according to the light diffusion condition, and determines that an outer edge specified by a target portion assigned one of the selected color-identifier combination is the outer edge of the target object.

8. An environment, recognition method comprising:

obtaining a luminance of a target portion in a detection area in an luminance image;

assigning a color identifier to the target region according to the luminance of the target portion based on an association between a color identifier and a luminance range retained in a data retaining unit;

grouping target portions, which are assigned one of one or more color identifiers associated with a same specific object, and of which positions differences in the horizontal direction and the vertical direction, are within a predetermined range, based on the association between a specific object and a color identifier retained in the data retaining unit;

determining whether or not the detection area is in an environment where light is diffused;

selecting a combination according to whether or not the detection area is in the environment where light is diffused, based on an association, retained in the data retaining unit, between each detection result as to whether or not the detection area is in the environment where light is diffused and a combination of color identifiers selected from the color identifiers; and

determining that an outer edge of specified by the target portion assigned one of the selected color-identifier combination is the outer edge of the target object.