Traffic signal recognition device and autonomous driving system

A traffic signal recognition device that is configured to recognize a traffic signal in front of a host vehicle, comprising:

• a map storage unit configured to store map information including an installed position of the traffic signal and information on a position of a difficulty zone where it is difficult to recognize the traffic signal seen from a traveling lane;
• a vehicle position recognition unit configured to recognize a position of the host vehicle on the map;
• an imaging unit configured to image the front of the host vehicle;
• a traffic signal recognition unit configured to perform the processing for recognizing the traffic signal based on a result of imaging performed by the imaging unit;
• a surrounding vehicle recognition unit configured to recognize a size of a surrounding vehicle at the surroundings of the host vehicle and a position relative to the host vehicle;
• and
• a occluded situation determination unit configured to determine whether or not an area in front of the host vehicle is in a traffic signal occluded situation in which a line of sight from the imaging unit to the traffic signal is blocked by the surrounding vehicle when the host vehicle travels M the area,
• wherein the occluded situation determination unit is configured to predict whether or not the line of sight from the imaging unit to the traffic signal is blocked by the surrounding vehicle when the host vehicle travels in the area in front of the host vehicle, based on the installed position of the traffic signal and the size and position of the surrounding vehicle recognized by the surrounding vehicle recognition unit, and determine whether or not the area in front of the host vehicle is in the traffic signal occluded situation based on the result of prediction, and
• wherein the traffic signal recognition unit is configured
• not to perform the processing for recognizing the traffic signal if the position of the host vehicle recognized by the vehicle position recognition unit is within the difficulty zone, and
• not to perform the processing for recognizing the traffic signal if it is determined byr the occluded situation determination unit that the area in front of the host vehicle is in the traffic signal occluded situation.