Information processing device, storage medium storing computer program for information processing, and information processing method

1 . An information processing device comprising:

a processor configured to

detect a first vanishing point where a first pair of lane marking lines in a front image representing environment ahead of a vehicle intersect,

detect a first moving direction of the vehicle from a predetermined reference location to the first vanishing point in the front image,

detect a second vanishing point where a second pair of lane marking lines in the front image intersect,

detect a second moving direction of the vehicle from the predetermined reference location to the second vanishing point,

determine whether the first moving direction and the second moving direction have a different orientation in excess of a predetermined reference range with respect to a previously detected moving direction,

determine that a branching road that branches from a traveling road in which the vehicle is traveling has appeared in the front image, when it has been determined that the first moving direction and the second moving direction have different orientations in excess of the predetermined reference range with respect to the previously detected moving direction,

generate a driving plan based on the first pair of lane markings, the second pair of lane markings, and the branching road, and

control the vehicle based on the driving plan.

2 . The information processing device according to claim 1 , wherein the processor is further configured to

determine whether or not the vehicle will exit to the branching road based on a driving plan representing a scheduled traveling trajectory of the vehicle, which is generated based on determination results wherein it has been determined that the branching road has appeared, and

ignore the moving direction determined to have a different orientation from the previously detected moving direction, when it has been determined that the vehicle will not exit to the branching road.

3 . The information processing device according to claim 2 , wherein the processor is further configured to set the moving direction determined to have a different orientation to be the previously detected moving direction, when it has been determined that the vehicle will exit to the branching road.

4 . The information processing device according to claim 1 , wherein the processor is further configured to

determine whether or not the vehicle is scheduled to exit to the branching road which branches from the traveling road on which it is traveling based on a vehicle navigation route, within a predetermined range from the current location of the vehicle in a direction of travel, and

remove the second pair of lane marking lines that have the second vanishing point, representing the moving direction determined to have a different orientation, from among the first pair of lane marking lines and the second pair of lane marking detected in the front image, when it has been determined that the branching road has appeared and it has been determined that the vehicle is not scheduled to exit from the traveling road to the branching road.

5 . The information processing device according to claim 1 , wherein the predetermined reference location in the front image represents the location of the vehicle.

6 . A computer-readable, non-transitory storage medium storing a computer program for information processing, which causes a processor to execute a process, and the process comprising:

detecting a first vanishing point where a first pair of lane marking lines in a front image representing environment ahead of a vehicle intersect;

detecting a first moving direction of the vehicle from a predetermined reference location to the first vanishing point in the front image;

detecting a second vanishing point where a second pair of lane marking lines in the front image intersect;

detecting a second moving direction of the vehicle from the predetermined reference location to the second vanishing point;

determining whether the first moving direction and the second moving direction have a different orientation in excess of a predetermined reference range with respect to a previously detected moving direction;

determining that a branching road that branches from a traveling road in which the vehicle is traveling has appeared in the front image, when it has been determined that the first moving direction and the second moving direction have different orientations in excess of the predetermined reference range with respect to the previously detected moving direction;

generating a driving plan based on the first pair of lane markings, the second pair of lane markings, and the branching road; and

controlling the vehicle based on the driving plan.

7 . An information processing method carried out by an information processing device and the method comprising:

detecting a first vanishing point where a first pair of lane marking lines in a front image representing environment ahead of a vehicle intersect;

detecting a first moving direction of the vehicle from a predetermined reference location to the first vanishing point in the front image;

detecting a second vanishing point where a second pair of lane marking lines in the front image intersect,

detecting a second moving direction of the vehicle from the predetermined reference location not the second vanishing point,

determining whether the first moving direction and the second moving direction have a different orientation in excess of a predetermined reference range with respect to a previously detected moving direction;

determining that a branching road that branches from a traveling road in which the vehicle is traveling has appeared in the front image, when it has been determined that the first moving direction and the second moving direction have different orientations in excess of the predetermined reference range with respect to the previously detected moving direction;

generating a driving plan based on the first pair of lane markings, the second pair of lane markings, and the branching road; and

controlling the vehicle based on the driving plan.