External environment recognition device and external environment recognition method

An external environment recognition device comprising

• a computer processing unit (CPU) configured to:
• calculate parallax from images captured by an in-vehicle camera device including a plurality of cameras;
• obtain from the parallax a distance to an object outside a vehicle;
• record response characteristics and luminance characteristics of each lens of the plurality of cameras, wherein the response characteristics of the lens further includes data depending on a temperature;
• determine whether the distance to the object is necessary to be corrected using the temperature dependence in addition to the response characteristics of the lens, and the luminance characteristics of the lens;
• and
• correct the distance to the object based on the temperature dependence in addition to the response characteristics of the lens, and the luminance characteristics of the lens when it is determined that the correction is necessary,
• wherein the CPU is further configured to determine that the distance to the object is necessary to be corrected when brightness of the object is a predetermined value or more.

A method for monitoring an external environment comprising:

• performing parallax calculation of calculating parallax from an image captured by an in-vehicle camera device including a plurality of cameras;
• performing ranging of obtaining from the parallax a distance to an object outside a vehicle;
• recording response characteristics and luminance characteristics of each lens of the plurality of cameras, wherein the response characteristics of the lens further include data depending on a temperature;
• performing ranging correction necessity determination of determining whether the distance to the object is necessary to be corrected based on the temperature dependence in addition to the response characteristics of the lens, and luminance characteristics of each lens of the plurality of cameras;
• and
• performing ranging correction of correcting the distance to the object based on the temperature dependence in addition to the response characteristics of the lens, and the luminance characteristics of the lens when it is determined that the correction is necessary,
• wherein the method further comprises:
• inspecting the response characteristics and the luminance characteristics of the lens at the time of manufacturing the in-vehicle camera device, and
• recording the response characteristics and the luminance characteristics of the lens.