IP Library Granted Patent US 8,792,678
Granted Patent B2
US 8,792,678 · App. 13/471,708 · Granted Jul 29, 2014

Environment recognition device and environment recognition method

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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 8,792,678
App. No.
13/471,708
Granted
Jul 29, 2014
Kind
B2
Abstract

There are provided an environment recognition device and an environment recognition method. The environment recognition device obtains a luminance of each of a plurality of blocks formed by dividing a detection area; derives an edge direction based on a direction in which an edge of the luminance of each block extends; associates the blocks with each other based on the edge direction so as to generate an edge trajectory; groups a region enclosed by the plurality of edge trajectories as a target object; and determines the target object as a specific object.

Claims (19)

1. An environment recognition device comprising:

a luminance obtaining unit that obtains a luminance of each block formed by dividing a detection area in a luminance image;

an edge deriving unit that derives an edge direction based on a direction in which an edge depending on the luminance of each block extends;

a trajectory generating unit that associate the blocks based on the edge direction so as to generate an edge trajectory;

a grouping unit that groups regions enclosed by the edge trajectories as a target object; and

a specific object determining unit that determines the target object as a specific object, wherein

the edge deriving unit derives the edge direction based on a difference between totals of the luminances in two left and right regions formed by dividing the block in a vertical direction, and a difference between totals of the luminances in two upper and lower regions formed by dividing the block in a horizontal direction, and

when the absolute value of the difference between the totals of a direction is not more than a predetermined threshold value, the edge deriving unit derives the edge direction without using the difference between the totals of the direction.

2. The environment recognition device according to claim 1 , wherein the predetermined threshold value is obtained by an increasing function according to an average of all luminances in the block.

3. The environment recognition device according to claim 1 , wherein the trajectory generating unit interpolates an edge direction of any block based on the edge direct ion of each block adjacent to the arbitrary block.

4. The environment recognition device according to claim 1 , further comprising a region limiting unit that limits a region from which a luminance is to be obtained by the luminance obtaining unit to a region that includes an infinity point and is smaller than the detection area.

5. An environment recognition method comprising:

obtaining a luminance of each block formed by dividing a detection area in a luminance image;

deriving an edge direction based on a direction in which an edge depending on the luminance of each block extends;

associating the blocks based on the edge direction so as to generate an edge trajectory;

grouping regions enclosed by the edge trajectories as a target object; and

determining the target object as a specific object, wherein

the edge deriving step derives the edge direction based on a difference between totals of the luminances in two left and right regions formed by dividing the block in a vertical direction, and a difference between totals of the luminances in two upper and lower regions formed by dividing the block in a horizontal direction, and

when the absolute value of the difference between the totals of a direction is not more than a predetermined threshold value, the edge deriving step derives the edge direction without using the difference between the totals of the direction.

Assignments (3)
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded May 12, 2017
From: FUJI JUKOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
To: SUBARU CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 042624/0886 →
CHANGE OF ADDRESS Recorded Nov 12, 2014
From: FUJI JUKOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
To: FUJI JUKOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
Reel/Frame 034215/0580 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded May 15, 2012
From: KASAOKI, SEISUKE
To: FUJI JUKOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
Reel/Frame 028209/0354 →