Traffic signal recognition device, traffic signal recognition method, vehicle control device, and storage medium

A vehicle control device comprising:

• a traffic signal recognition device including
• an imaging unit configured to capture a front-view image from a host vehicle,
• a traffic signal detecting unit configured to detect a traffic signal area including a target traffic signal from the front-view image captured by the imaging unit at intervals of a predetermined period,
• a blinking determining unit configured to determine whether the target traffic signal included in the traffic signal area is blinking, and
• a lamp color determining unit configured to determine a lamp color state indicating a turn-off color or a turn-on color of the target traffic signal included in the traffic signal area detected by the traffic signal detecting unit at intervals of the predetermined period,
• wherein the blinking determining unit determines whether the target traffic signal is blinking on the basis of a turn-off maintenance time which is a time in which turning-off of the target traffic signal is maintained and a turn-on maintenance time which is a time in which turning-on of the target traffic signal is maintained and outputs blinking information indicating a blinking state or a non-blinking state and determines whether the target traffic signal is blinking on the basis of a pre-turn-off lamp color which is a lamp color immediately before the target traffic signal is turned off when the target traffic signal changes from a turn-on state to a turn-off state and a current turn-on color determined by the lamp color determining unit;
• and
• a notification unit configured to notify an occupant of the host vehicle that the host vehicle is to stop when the lamp color determining unit determines that the turn-on color of the target traffic signal is a turn-on color indicating caution, the blinking determining unit outputs blinking information indicating a blinking state, another traffic participant is detected at a crossing correlated with the target traffic signal from the front-view image captured by the imaging unit, and the host vehicle is going to enter the crossing.

A vehicle control device comprising:

• a traffic signal recognition device including
• an imaging unit configured to capture a front-view image from a host vehicle,
• a traffic signal detecting unit configured to detect a traffic signal area including a target traffic signal from the front-view image captured by the imaging unit at intervals of a predetermined period,
• a blinking determining unit configured to determine whether the target traffic signal included in the traffic signal area is blinking, and
• a lamp color determining unit configured to determine a lamp color state indicating a turn-off color or a turn-on color of the target traffic signal included in the traffic signal area detected by the traffic signal detecting unit at intervals of the predetermined period,
• wherein the blinking determining unit determines whether the target traffic signal is blinking on the basis of a turn-off maintenance time which is a time in which turning-off of the target traffic signal is maintained and a turn-on maintenance time which is a time in which turning-on of the target traffic signal is maintained and outputs blinking information indicating a blinking state or a non-blinking state and determines whether the target traffic signal is blinking on the basis of a pre-turn-off lamp color which is a lamp color immediately before the target traffic signal is turned off when the target traffic signal changes from a turn-on state to a turn-off state and a current turn-on color determined by the lamp color determining unit;
• and
• a notification unit configured to notify an occupant of the host vehicle that the host vehicle is to stop when the lamp color determining unit determines that the lamp color of the target traffic signal is a turn-on color indicating stop, the blinking determining unit outputs blinking information indicating a blinking state, and the host vehicle is going to enter a crossing.

A vehicle control device comprising:

• a traffic signal recognition device including
• an imaging unit configured to capture a front-view image from a host vehicle,
• a traffic signal detecting unit configured to detect a traffic signal area including a target traffic signal from the front-view image captured by the imaging unit at intervals of a predetermined period,
• a blinking determining unit configured to determine whether the target traffic signal included in the traffic signal area is blinking, and
• a lamp color determining unit configured to determine a lamp color state indicating a turn-off color or a turn-on color of the target traffic signal included in the traffic signal area detected by the traffic signal detecting unit at intervals of the predetermined period,
• wherein the blinking determining unit determines whether the target traffic signal is blinking on the basis of a turn-off maintenance time which is a time in which turning-off of the target traffic signal is maintained and a turn-on maintenance time which is a time in which turning-on of the target traffic signal is maintained and outputs blinking information indicating a blinking state or a non-blinking state and determines whether the target traffic signal is blinking on the basis of a pre-turn-off lamp color which is a lamp color immediately before the target traffic signal is turned off when the target traffic signal changes from a turn-on state to a turn-off state and a current turn-on color determined by the lamp color determining unit, and
• wherein the host vehicle is controlled such that the host vehicle stops temporarily at a stop line of a crossing when the lamp color determining unit determines that the turn-on color of the target traffic signal is a turn-on color indicating stop, the blinking determining unit outputs blinking information indicating a blinking state, and the host vehicle is going to enter the crossing and the host vehicle enters the crossing when another traffic participant is not detected at the crossing correlated with the target traffic signal from the front-view image captured by the imaging unit.

A traffic signal recognition method that is performed by a computer, the traffic signal recognition method comprising:

• detecting a traffic signal area including a target traffic signal from a front-view image captured by an imaging unit configured to capture a front-view image from a host vehicle at intervals of a predetermined period;
• determining whether the target traffic signal included in the traffic signal area is blinking;
• determining whether the target traffic signal is blinking on the basis of a turn-off maintenance time which is a time in which turning-off of the target traffic signal is maintained and a turn-on maintenance time which is a time in which turning-on of the target traffic signal is maintained;
• and
• outputting blinking information indicating a blinking state or a non-blinking state.

A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing a program, the program causing a computer to perform:

• detecting a traffic signal area including a target traffic signal from a front-view image captured by an imaging unit configured to capture a front-view image from a host vehicle at intervals of a predetermined period;
• determining whether the target traffic signal included in the traffic signal area is blinking;
• determining whether the target traffic signal is blinking on the basis of a turn-off maintenance time which is a time in which turning-off of the target traffic signal is maintained and a turn-on maintenance time which is a time in which turning-on of the target traffic signal is maintained;
• and
• outputting blinking information indicating a blinking state or a non-blinking state.