Signal identification device and signal identification method

Abstract

Equipped with: a camera (11) that captures images around the vehicle, a map information acquisition unit (17) that acquires map information around the vehicle, a vehicle current position detection unit (12) that detects the current position of the vehicle on the map, A traffic signal position estimating unit (21) for estimating the position of the traffic signal on the image from the map information. Also possess: based on the position of the signal on the image and the future moving direction of the signal on the image, an imaging posture setting part (23) for setting the imaging direction of the camera, changing the imaging direction of the camera to be set by the imaging direction A camera posture control unit (24) that determines the camera direction set by the unit, and a signal recognition unit (14) that recognizes the signal based on an image captured by the camera in the camera direction. The lighting state of the traffic signal can be detected with high precision without affecting the posture of the camera.

Description

technical field [0001] The present invention relates to a signal recognition device and a signal recognition method mounted on a vehicle to recognize a signal. Background technique [0002] For example, in a vehicle equipped with an automatic driving function, driving such as stopping and driving is controlled by recognizing a signal provided on the driving route of the vehicle and detecting the lighting state such as the lighting color of the signal. [0003] As a conventional traffic signal identification device, for example, a device disclosed in Patent Document 1 (JP Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 11-306489) is known. In Cited Document 1, a camera is mounted on a vehicle to photograph a traffic signal ahead. At this time, the angle of the horizontal direction and the angle of the vertical direction of the camera are controlled so that the traffic signal is positioned at the center of the image captured by the camera. Then, the enlargement ratio is contro...

AI Technical Summary

Problems solved by technology

[0007] However, in the conventional example disclosed in Patent Document 1, while changing the imaging direction of the camera, the image captured by the camera is blurred (confused), making it difficult to perform image recognition.

As a result, while changing the imaging direction of the camera, the detection accuracy of the lighting state of the traffic signal may decrease.

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