Vehicle exterior monitoring device and vehicle exterior monitoring method

A vehicle exterior monitoring device comprising:

• a position information obtaining unit that obtains position information of a three-dimensional object present in a detected region, the position information including a relative distance with respect to a subject vehicle;
• a first representative distance deriving unit that divides the detected region with respect to an horizontal direction into a plurality of first divided regions, and derives a first representative distance corresponding to a peak in distance distribution of each of the first divided regions based on the position information;
• a first divided region group generating unit that groups the first divided regions based on the first representative distance to generate one or more first divided region groups;
• a second representative distance deriving unit that divides the first divided region group with respect to a vertical direction into a plurality of second divided regions, and derives a second representative distance corresponding to a peak in distance distribution of each of the second divided regions based on the position information;
• and
• a second divided region group generating unit that groups the second divided region groups based on the second representative distance to generate a second divided region group that has a relative distance that is the shortest and whose difference from the first representative distance is equal to or smaller than a first threshold, wherein
• the first representative distance deriving unit limits a target range for which the first representative distance is derived within the first divided region group in which the second divided region group is generated to a vertical range corresponding to the second divided region group.

A vehicle exterior monitoring device comprising:

• a position information obtaining unit configured to obtain position information of a three-dimensional object present in a detected region, the position information including a relative distance with respect to a subject vehicle;
• a first representative distance deriving unit configured to divide the detected region with respect to an horizontal direction into a plurality of first divided regions, and derive a first representative distance corresponding to a peak in distance distribution of each of the first divided regions based on the position information;
• a first divided region group generating unit configured to group the first divided regions based on the first representative distance to generate one or more first divided region groups;
• and
• a second divided region group generating unit configured to divide the first divided region group with respect to the vertical direction into a plurality of second divided regions, and exclusively perform a process of grouping second divided region groups having relative distances close to the first representative distance to generate a second divided region group and a process of grouping the second divided regions based on a second representative distance corresponding to a peak in distance distribution of each of the second divided regions to generate a second divided region group having such a relative distance that is the shortest and that a difference between the first representative distance and the relative distance is equal to or smaller than a first threshold, wherein
• the first representative distance deriving unit limits a target range for which the first representative distance is derived within the first divided region group in which the second divided region group is generated to a vertical range corresponding to the second divided region group.

A vehicle exterior monitoring method comprising:

• obtaining position information of a three-dimensional object present in a detected region, the position information including a relative distance with respect to a subject vehicle;
• dividing the detected region with respect to a horizontal direction into a plurality of first divided regions;
• deriving a first representative distance corresponding to a peak in distance distribution of each of the first divided regions based on the position information;
• grouping the first divided regions based on the first representative distance to generate one or more first divided region groups;
• dividing the first divided region group with respect to the vertical direction into a plurality of second divided regions and grouping second divided region groups having relative distances close to the first representative distance to generate a second divided region group;
• and
• limiting a target region for which the first representative distance is derived within the first divided region group in which the second divided region group is generated to a vertical range corresponding to the second divided region group.

A vehicle exterior monitoring method comprising:

• obtaining position information of a three-dimensional object present in a detected region, the position information including a relative distance with respect to a subject vehicle;
• dividing the detected region with respect to a horizontal direction into a plurality of first divided regions;
• deriving a first representative distance corresponding to a peak in distance distribution of each of the first divided regions based on the position information;
• grouping, the first divided regions based on the first representative distance to generate one or more first divided region groups;
• dividing the first divided region group with respect to a vertical direction into a plurality of second divided regions, and deriving a second representative distance corresponding to a peak in distance distribution of each of the second divided regions based on the position information;
• grouping the second divided region groups based on the second representative distance to generate a second divided region group that has a relative distance that is the shortest and whose difference from the first representative distance is equal to or smaller than a first threshold;
• and
• limiting a target region for which the first representative distance is derived within the first divided region group in which the second divided region group is generated to a vertical range corresponding to the second divided region group.