# US 10,121,083 B2 · Vehicle exterior environment recognition apparatus

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- Number: US 10,121,083 B2
- Document ID: US10121083B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 15/175,746
- Filed: 2016-06-07
- Published: 2016-12-29
- Granted: 2018-11-06
- Earliest claimed: 2015-06-26
- Assignees: Subaru Corporation
- Applicants: Subaru Corporation
- Inventors: Seisuke Kasaoki
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10121083B2

## CPC

- G06V 20/584: {of vehicle lights or traffic lights}
- B60Q 9/008: {for anti-collision purposes}
- G06T 7/70: Determining position or orientation of objects or cameras (camera calibration G06T7/80)
- G06V 10/255: {Detecting or recognising potential candidate objects based on visual cues, e.g. shapes}
- G06V 10/50: by performing operations within image blocks; by using histograms, e.g. histogram of oriented gradients [HoG]; by summing image-intensity values; Projection analysis
- G06V: IMAGE OR VIDEO RECOGNITION OR UNDERSTANDING
- B60Q: ARRANGEMENT OF SIGNALLING OR LIGHTING DEVICES, THE MOUNTING OR SUPPORTING THEREOF OR CIRCUITS THEREFOR, FOR VEHICLES IN GENERAL
- G06T: IMAGE DATA PROCESSING OR GENERATION, IN GENERAL

## Abstract

A vehicle exterior environment recognition apparatus includes a computer configured to serve as a vehicle identifier, a candidate identifier, a shift amount deriving unit, a candidate remover, and a lamp determiner. The vehicle identifier identifies, from respective captured images, a preceding vehicle and a vehicle region occupied by the preceding vehicle. The candidate identifier identifies, as a light-emission source candidate, a candidate determinable as a light-emission source in the identified vehicle region. The shift amount deriving unit derives a shift amount in a predetermined period of the light-emission source candidate in the vehicle region. The candidate remover removes, from the light-emission source candidate identified by the candidate identifier, the light-emission source candidate in which the shift amount is equal to or greater than a predetermined shift amount threshold. The lamp determiner determines whether the light-emission source candidate, unremoved by the candidate remover, is a lighted lamp.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A vehicle exterior environment recognition apparatus, comprising a computer, wherein the computer
identifies, from respective images that are continuously captured by an image-capturing unit, a preceding vehicle and a vehicle region occupied by the preceding vehicle;
identifies, as light-emission source candidates, candidates determinable as light-emission sources in the identified vehicle region;
derives position shift amounts, with respect to the identified vehicle region, of the light light-emission source candidates in a predetermined period, by comparing two among the respective images captured at an interval of the predetermined period;
removes, from the light-emission source candidates, a light-emission source candidate having the position shift amount equal to or greater than a predetermined shift amount threshold; and
determines that one or more light-emission source candidates which are not removed from the light-emission source candidates and which have the position shift amounts less than the predetermined shift amount threshold are one or more lighted lamps of the preceding vehicle.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The vehicle exterior environment recognition apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the computer derives the position shift amounts of geometric center-of-gravity positions of the light-emission source candidates, with respect to the identified vehicle region.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The vehicle exterior environment recognition apparatus according to claim 1,
wherein the computer further removes, from the light-emission source candidates, a light-emission source candidate excluding one or more pairs of light-emission source candidates, after the removal of the light-emission source candidate having the position shift amount equal to or greater than the predetermined shift amount threshold, and
wherein each of the one or more pairs of light-emission source candidates comprises a first light-emission source candidate and a second light-emission source candidate having a predetermined positional relationship with the first light-emission source candidate.