Abstract: A vehicle exterior environment recognition device includes a traffic light identifying module that identifies one or more traffic lights located ahead of a vehicle, and traffic light colors of the traffic lights, and a control input identifying module that identifies, when multiple traffic lights exist, traffic lights to be used as control inputs based on whether the multiple traffic lights are located on both the left and right sides of a traveling path of the vehicle, and whether the multiple traffic lights are same in color.

Abstract: A vehicle exterior environment recognition device includes a traveling path predicting module that predicts a traveling path on which a vehicle travels, based on a current traveling condition of the vehicle, a traveling path restricting module that restricts the predicted traveling path in the width direction of the vehicle, according to at least one or more parameters selected from the group consisting of a traveling speed of the vehicle, an indicating state of a blinker, an angular speed of the vehicle, and a steering angle, and a control input identifying module that identifies a traffic indicator that exists ahead of the vehicle based on the restricted traveling path and that is to be used as the control input.

Abstract: There are provided an environment recognition device and an environment recognition method. The environment recognition device obtains luminances of a target portion in a detection area of a luminance image, assigns a color identifier to the target portion according to the luminances of the target portion, based on association between a color identifier and a luminance range retained in a data retaining unit, and groups target portions assigned one of one or more color identifiers associated with a same specific object, and of which position differences in the width direction and in the height direction are within a predetermined range, based on association between the color identifier and the luminance range retained in the data retaining unit.

Abstract: There are provided an environment recognition device and an environment recognition method. The environment recognition device obtains luminances of a target portion in a detection area of a luminance image, assigns a color identifier to the target portion according to the luminances of the target portion, based on association between a color identifier and a luminance range retained in a data retaining unit, and groups target portions assigned one of one or more color identifiers associated with a same specific object, and of which position differences in the width direction and in the height direction are within a predetermined range, based on association between the color identifier and the luminance range retained in the data retaining unit.

Abstract: An exterior environment recognition device includes: a specific object detection unit to detect a specific object on the basis of a color image; a data retaining unit to associate and retain the specific object and a luminance range indicating the color of the specific object; and a transparency reduction determination unit to compare a luminance of the color image of the specific object and a luminance range associated with the specific object, and to determine a reduction in transparency of a transparent body located in an image-capturing direction of the onboard camera.

Abstract: There are provided an environment recognition device and an environment recognition method. The environment recognition device provisionally determines a specific object corresponding to a target portion from a luminance of a target portion, groups adjacent target portions provisionally determined to correspond to a same specific object as a target object, derives a representative distance that is a representative value of the relative distance of target portions in the target object, and grouping the target portions as the target object, the target portions corresponding to the same specific object with respect to the target object and the luminance, when a difference in horizontal distance from the target object of the target portions and a difference in height from the target object of the target portions fall within a first predetermined range, a difference between the relative distance and the representative distance of target portions falls within a second predetermined range.

Abstract: There are provided an environment recognition device and an environment recognition method. An environment recognition device 130 provisionally determines a specific object corresponding to a target portion from a luminance of the target portion, groups target portions of which differences in the width direction, and the height direction are within a first predetermined range and which are provisionally determined to correspond to a same specific object into a target object, sequentially detects, from any target objects, target objects of which differences in the width direction, in the height direction, and in the relative distance are within a second predetermined range, and which are provisionally determined to correspond to a same specific object, thereby specifying a target object group, and determines whether or not the target object group is the specific object according to the number of the target objects in the target object group.

Abstract: A vehicle exterior environment recognition device includes a traveling path predicting module that predicts a traveling path on which a vehicle travels, based on a current traveling condition of the vehicle, a traveling path restricting module that restricts the predicted traveling path in the width direction of the vehicle, according to at least one or more parameters selected from the group consisting of a traveling speed of the vehicle, an indicating state of a blinker, an angular speed of the vehicle, and a steering angle, and a control input identifying module that identifies a traffic indicator that exists ahead of the vehicle based on the restricted traveling path and that is to be used as the control input.

Abstract: A vehicle exterior environment recognition device includes a traffic light identifying module that identifies one or more traffic lights located ahead of a vehicle, and traffic light colors of the traffic lights, and a control input identifying module that identifies, when multiple traffic lights exist, traffic lights to be used as control inputs based on whether the multiple traffic lights are located on both the left and right sides of a traveling path of the vehicle, and whether the multiple traffic lights are same in color.

Abstract: There are provided an environment, recognition device and an environment recognition method. The environment, recognition device obtains a luminance of a target portion in a detection area; obtains a height of the target portion; derives a white balance correction value, assuming that white balancing is performed to the obtained luminance; derives the corrected luminance by subtracting the white balance correction value and a color correction value based upon a color correction intensity indicating a degree of an influence of environment light from the obtained luminance; and provisionally determines a specific object corresponding to the target portion from the corrected luminance of the target portion based on an association of a luminance range and the specific object retained in a data retaining unit.

Abstract: There are provided an environment recognition device and an environment recognition method. The environment recognition device provisionally determines a specific object corresponding to a target portion from a luminance of a target portion, groups, as a target object, adjacent target portions provisionally determined to correspond to a same specific object, groups, as the target object, the target portions corresponding to a same specific object with respect to the target object and the luminance, when differences in horizontal distance and in height from the target object of target portions fall within a first predetermined range, and determines that the target object is the specific object when a ratio of target portion of which luminance is included in a predetermined luminance range with respect to all target portions in a specific region in the target object is equal to or more than a predetermined threshold value.

Abstract: A environment recognition device obtains luminances of a target portion existing in an area specifies a road surface luminance and a reference portion luminance; when the road surface luminance changes by a predetermined value or more, the reference portion luminance does not change by another predetermined value or more, and the changed road surface luminance is not a predetermined color, maintains a white balance correction value prior to the change until the road surface luminance returns to the predetermined color, and, in other cases, derives a white balance correction value to recognize the road surface luminance as the predetermined color; derives a corrected luminance by performing a white balance correction using the white balance correction value on the obtained luminance; and provisionally determines a object corresponding to the target portion from a corrected luminance of the target portion based on an association of a luminance range and the specific object.

Abstract: An exterior environment recognition device includes: a specific object detection unit to detect a specific object on the basis of a color image; a data retaining unit to associate and retain the specific object and a luminance range indicating the color of the specific object; and a transparency reduction determination unit to compare a luminance of the color image of the specific object and a luminance range associated with the specific object, and to determine a reduction in transparency of a transparent body located in an image-capturing direction of the onboard camera.

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.

Abstract: There are provided an environment recognition device and an environment recognition method. The environment recognition device obtains luminances of a target portion in a detection area of a luminance image, assigns a color identifier to the target portion according to the luminances of the target portion, based on association between a color identifier and a luminance range retained in a data retaining unit, an groups target portions assigned one of one or more color identifiers associated with a same specific object, and of which position differences in the width direction and in the height direction are within a predetermined range, based on association between the color identifier and the luminance range retained in the data retaining unit.

Abstract: There are provided an environment recognition device and an environment recognition method. The environment recognition device provisionally determines a specific object corresponding to a target portion from a luminance of a target portion, groups adjacent target portions provisionally determined to correspond to a same specific object as a target object, derives a representative distance that is a representative value of the relative distance of target portions in the target object, and grouping the target portions as the target object, the target portions corresponding to the same specific object with respect to the target object and the luminance, when a difference in horizontal distance from the target object of the target portions and a difference in height from the target object of the target portions fall within a first predetermined range, a difference between the relative distance and the representative distance of target portions falls within a second predetermined range.

Abstract: There are provided an environment, recognition device and an environment recognition method. The environment, recognition device obtains a luminance of a target portion in a detection area; obtains a height of the target portion; derives a white balance correction value, assuming that white balancing is performed to the obtained luminance; derives the corrected luminance by subtracting the white balance correction value and a color correction value based upon a color correction intensity indicating a degree of an influence of environment light from the obtained luminance; and provisionally determines a specific object corresponding to the target portion from the corrected luminance of the target portion based on an association of a luminance range and the specific object retained in a data retaining unit.

Abstract: There are provided an environment recognition device and an environment recognition method. The environment recognition device provisionally determines a specific object corresponding to a target portion from a luminance of a target portion, groups, as a target object, adjacent target portions provisionally determined to correspond to a same specific object, groups, as the target object, the target portions corresponding to a same specific object with respect to the target object and the luminance, when differences in horizontal distance and in height from the target object of target portions fall within a first predetermined range, and determines that the target object is the specific object when a ratio of target portion of which luminance is included in a predetermined luminance range with respect to all target portions in a specific region in the target object is equal to or more than a predetermined threshold value.

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.

Abstract: There are provided an environment recognition device and an environment recognition method. An environment recognition device 130 provisionally determines a specific object corresponding to a target portion from a luminance of the target portion, groups target portions of which differences in the width direction, and the height direction are within a first predetermined range and which are provisionally determined to correspond to a same specific object into a target object, sequentially detects, from any target objects, target objects of which differences in the width direction, in the height direction, and in the relative distance are within a second predetermined range, and which are provisionally determined to correspond to a same specific object, thereby specifying a target object group, and determines whether or not the target object group is the specific object according to the number of the target objects in the target object group.