Vehicle exterior environment recognition apparatus
First Claim
1. A vehicle exterior environment recognition apparatus comprising a computer, wherein the computer is configured to:
- capture, using an image-capturing device, an image of an environment surrounding an own vehicle;
determine whether an object in the image is irradiated with a low beam of a headlamp of the own vehicle or a high beam of the headlamp of the own vehicle;
when the object in the image is irradiated with the low beam of the headlamp of the own vehicle, identify the object as a tail lamp of a preceding vehicle traveling in front of the own vehicle based on determining that luminance of the object satisfies a first luminance threshold; and
when the object in the image is irradiated with the high beam of the headlamp of the own vehicle, identify the object as the tail lamp of the preceding vehicle traveling in front of the own vehicle based on determining that the luminance of the object satisfies a second luminance threshold, wherein the second luminance threshold differs from the first luminance threshold.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A vehicle exterior environment recognition apparatus includes a computer and an illumination mechanism. The computer serves as a vehicle extractor that extracts a tail lamp of a preceding vehicle, a preceding vehicle recognizer that recognizes the preceding vehicle on a basis of the extracted tail lamp, and a light-distribution controller that determines light distribution of a headlamp. The illumination mechanism switches between a low beam and a high beam on a basis of instruction issued by the light-distribution controller. The vehicle extractor determines, on a basis of an angle of view and a depth distance of a block in the image, and a cut-off line angle of the high beam, whether the block is irradiated with the high beam, and changes, on a basis of a result of the determination as to whether the block is irradiated, thresholds that determine whether the tail lamp is the tail lamp.
38 Citations
20 Claims
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1. A vehicle exterior environment recognition apparatus comprising a computer, wherein the computer is configured to:
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capture, using an image-capturing device, an image of an environment surrounding an own vehicle; determine whether an object in the image is irradiated with a low beam of a headlamp of the own vehicle or a high beam of the headlamp of the own vehicle; when the object in the image is irradiated with the low beam of the headlamp of the own vehicle, identify the object as a tail lamp of a preceding vehicle traveling in front of the own vehicle based on determining that luminance of the object satisfies a first luminance threshold; and when the object in the image is irradiated with the high beam of the headlamp of the own vehicle, identify the object as the tail lamp of the preceding vehicle traveling in front of the own vehicle based on determining that the luminance of the object satisfies a second luminance threshold, wherein the second luminance threshold differs from the first luminance threshold. - View Dependent Claims (5, 6, 7, 8)
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2. A vehicle exterior environment recognition apparatus comprising a computer, wherein the computer is configured to:
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capture, using an image-capturing device, an image of an environment surrounding an own vehicle; determine whether an object in the image is irradiated with a low beam of a headlamp of the own vehicle or a high beam of the headlamp of the own vehicle; when the object in the image is irradiated with the low beam of the headlamp of the own vehicle, identify the object as a headlamp of an oncoming vehicle approaching the own vehicle based on determining that luminance of the object satisfies a first luminance threshold; and when the object in the image is irradiated with the high beam of the headlamp of the own vehicle, identify the object as a headlamp of the oncoming vehicle approaching the own vehicle based on determining that luminance of the object satisfies a second luminance threshold, wherein the second luminance threshold differs from the first luminance threshold. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 11, 12)
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3. A vehicle exterior environment recognition apparatus comprising:
circuitry that receives a first image from a first image capturing device and a second image from a second image capturing device, the first image capturing device and the second image capturing device being mounted on an own vehicle, the first image capturing device being different from the second image capturing device, the first image and the second image capturing an environment surrounding the own vehicle; determines whether an object in both the first image and the second image is irradiated with a low beam of a headlamp of the own vehicle or a high beam of the headlamp of the own vehicle; when the object in both the first image and the second image is irradiated with the low beam of the headlamp of the own vehicle, identifies the object as a tail lamp of a preceding vehicle traveling in front of the own vehicle based on determining that luminance of the object satisfies a first luminance threshold; and when the object in both the first image and the second image is irradiated with the high beam of the headlamp of the own vehicle, identifies the object as the tail lamp of the preceding vehicle traveling in front of the own vehicle based on determining that the luminance of the object satisfies a second luminance threshold, wherein the second luminance threshold differs from the first luminance threshold. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15, 16)
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4. A vehicle exterior environment recognition apparatus comprising:
circuitry that receives a first image from a first image capturing device and a second image from a second image capturing device, the first image capturing device and the second image capturing device being mounted on an own vehicle, the first image capturing device being different from the second image capturing device, the first image and the second image comprising a surrounding environment of the own vehicle; determines whether an object is irradiated with a low beam of a head lamp of the own vehicle or a high beam of a headlamp of the own vehicle; when the object in the image is irradiated with the low beam of the headlamp of the own vehicle, identifies the object as a headlamp of an oncoming vehicle approaching the own vehicle based on determining that luminance of the object satisfies a first luminance threshold; and when the object in the image is irradiated with the high beam of the headlamp of the own vehicle, identifies the object as the headlamp of the oncoming vehicle approaching the own vehicle based on determining that the luminance of the object satisfies a second luminance threshold, wherein the second luminance threshold differs from the first luminance threshold. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19, 20)
Specification