Image capture control device and image capture control program

Abstract

To provide an imaging control device and an imaging control program that suppress color indistinguishability and flickering in an image captured by a camera.SOLUTION: In an imaging control device 40, when a second object that is illuminated with a brightness lower than the brightness of a first object that is illuminated and appears in an image captured by a vehicle-mounted camera 20 is not detected, the exposure time Te of the vehicle-mounted camera 20 is set to a first exposure time Te_TL, which is the exposure time Te when the first object is detected, and when a second object is detected, the exposure time is set to a second exposure time Te_ES that is longer than the first exposure time Te_TL.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to an imaging control apparatus and an imaging control program.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, as described in Patent Document 1, an imaging control apparatus including a first setting unit, a detection unit, and a second setting unit is known. The first setting unit sets a first exposure condition for an imaging region corresponding to a first region based on a luminance value of the first region obtained by dividing an image. The detection unit detects a traffic light or a road sign from at least a partial region of the image. The second setting unit sets a second exposure condition for an imaging region corresponding to a second region including the traffic light or the road sign based on blinking information of the traffic light or the road sign. Further, the second setting unit sets an exposure time longer than a lighting period of the traffic light or the road sign.

Prior Art Literature

Patent Literature

[0003]

Patent Literature 1

Summary of Invention

Problem to be Solved by Invention

[0004] Here, since there are a relatively large number of types of road signs, the lighting cycle of road signs may be longer than that of traffic lights. For this reason, in the imaging control device described in Patent Document 1, flicker is suppressed by increasing the exposure time using the second setting means. However, the brightness of traffic lights is higher than the brightness of road signs and other electronic signs. For this reason, in the imaging control device described in Patent Document 1, if the exposure time is increased using the second setting means, the amount of light incident on the camera may exceed the saturation exposure, making it impossible to distinguish the colors in the image captured by the camera. Therefore, it is difficult to suppress both the inability to distinguish colors in the image captured by the camera and flicker with the imaging control device described in Patent Document 1.

[0005] This disclosure aims to provide an imaging control device and an imaging control program that suppress color indistinguishability and flicker in images captured by a camera. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The invention described in claim 1 is, An imaging control device, The system includes a detection unit (S104) that detects a second object (72) that is illuminated at a lower brightness than a first object (71) that is illuminated and appears in the image captured by the camera (20), and a modification unit (S202, S204, S206) that, when the second object is not detected, sets the camera's exposure time (Te) to a first exposure time (Te_TL), which is the exposure time when the first object is detected, and sets the exposure time to a second exposure time (Te_ES), which is longer than the first exposure time, when the second object is detected. The illumination period of the second object is longer than that of the first object, the first exposure time is set to an exposure time at which the color of the first object in the captured image is indistinguishable and no flicker occurs, and the second exposure time is set to an exposure time at which the color of the second object in the captured image is indistinguishable and no flicker occurs. This is an imaging control device. Furthermore, claims 5 The invention described is This is an imaging control program,The imaging control device functions as a detection unit (S104) that detects a second object (72) that is illuminated at a lower brightness than the first illuminated object (71) that appears in the image captured by the camera (20), and as a modification unit (S202, S204, S206) that, when the second object is not detected, sets the camera's exposure time (Te) to the first exposure time (Te_TL), which is the exposure time when the first object is detected, and when the second object is detected, sets the exposure time to the second exposure time (Te_ES), which is longer than the first exposure time. The illumination period of the second object is longer than that of the first object, the first exposure time is set to an exposure time at which the color of the first object in the captured image is indistinguishable and no flicker occurs, and the second exposure time is set to an exposure time at which the color of the second object in the captured image is indistinguishable and no flicker occurs. This is an imaging control program.

[0007] As a result, when a second object is not detected, the exposure time becomes shorter than the second exposure time, making it less likely for the amount of light incident on the camera to exceed the saturation exposure. Therefore, the inability to distinguish colors in the camera's captured image is suppressed. Also, when a second object with low brightness is detected, the exposure time increases, suppressing flicker. Consequently, both the inability to distinguish colors and flicker in the camera's captured image are suppressed.

[0008] Furthermore, claims 4 The invention described is An imaging control device, The system includes an acquisition unit (S200) for acquiring location information of a vehicle (90), and a modification unit (S202, S204, S206) that, when the vehicle is located outside of a highway, sets the exposure time (Te) of a camera (20) mounted on the vehicle to a first exposure time (Te_TL), which is the exposure time when a second object (71) that lights up with a brightness higher than the brightness of a first object (72) that lights up is detected, and sets the exposure time to a second exposure time (Te_ES) that is longer than the first exposure time when the vehicle is located on a highway. The first object is more numerous on the highway than the second object, the second object is less numerous on the highway than the first object, the lighting cycle of the first object is longer than the lighting cycle of the second object, the first exposure time is set to an exposure time at which the color of the second object in the camera's captured image is indistinguishable and no flicker occurs, and the second exposure time is set to an exposure time at which the color of the first object in the captured image is indistinguishable and no flicker occurs. This is an imaging control device. Furthermore, claims 6 The invention described is This is an imaging control program,The imaging control device functions as an acquisition unit (S200) that acquires the position information of the vehicle (90), and as a modification unit (S202, S204, S206) that, when the vehicle is not on a highway, sets the exposure time (Te) of the camera (20) mounted on the vehicle to a first exposure time (Te_TL), which is the exposure time when a second object (71) that lights up with a brightness higher than the brightness of the first object (72) that lights up is detected, and when the vehicle is on a highway, sets the exposure time to a second exposure time (Te_ES) which is longer than the first exposure time. The first object is more numerous on the highway than the second object, the second object is less numerous on the highway than the first object, the lighting cycle of the first object is longer than the lighting cycle of the second object, the first exposure time is set to an exposure time at which the color of the second object in the camera's captured image is indistinguishable and no flicker occurs, and the second exposure time is set to an exposure time at which the color of the first object in the captured image is indistinguishable and no flicker occurs. This is an imaging control program.

[0009] Here, on highways, there are fewer high-brightness second objects and more low-brightness first objects. Therefore, with the above processing, the exposure time on highways becomes longer than the first exposure time, thus suppressing flicker. Also, outside of highways, there are more high-brightness second objects and fewer low-brightness first objects. Therefore, with the above processing, outside of highways, the exposure time becomes shorter than the second exposure time, so the amount of light incident on the camera is less likely to exceed the saturation exposure. Therefore, the inability to distinguish colors in the camera's captured image is suppressed. Thus, the inability to distinguish colors and flicker in the camera's captured image are suppressed.

[0010] The reference numerals in parentheses attached to each component indicate an example of the correspondence between that component and the specific components described in the embodiments described later. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0011] [Figure 1] A diagram showing the configuration of a vehicle system in which an imaging control device of one embodiment is used. [Figure 2] A schematic diagram showing the placement of in-vehicle cameras. [Figure 3] A schematic diagram showing examples of the first and second objects. [Figure 4] A flowchart illustrating the processing steps of the image processing unit of an imaging control device. [Figure 5] A flowchart illustrating the processing of the exposure control unit of an imaging control device. [Figure 6] A flowchart showing processing of an exposure control unit according to a modification. [Figure 7] A flowchart showing processing of an exposure control unit according to a modification. Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[0012] Hereinafter, embodiments will be described with reference to the drawings. In the following embodiments, portions that are identical or equivalent to each other are denoted by the same reference signs, and descriptions thereof are omitted.

[0013] The imaging control device of the present embodiment suppresses color unidentifiability and flicker appearing in a captured image of an in-vehicle camera. Specifically, the imaging control device is used, for example, in a vehicle system 10 as shown in Fig. 1. First, this vehicle system 10 will be described.

[0014] The vehicle system 10 includes an in-vehicle camera 20, a navigation system 25, a display 30, a driving support device 35, and an imaging control device 40.

[0015] The on-vehicle camera 20 includes a complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) image sensor or the like as an image pickup device. The on-vehicle camera 20 is disposed, for example, as shown in FIG. 2, near the windshield 92 in front of the vehicle 90. Furthermore, the on-vehicle camera 20 images a predetermined range in front of the vehicle 90. The on-vehicle camera 20 also repeatedly performs imaging at a preset time interval, for example, 60 times per second. Returning to FIG. 1, the on-vehicle camera 20 outputs a signal corresponding to the captured image to an imaging control device 40 described later. Note that CMOS is an abbreviation for Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor. Additionally, the arrangement, imaging range and imaging period of the on-vehicle camera 20 are arbitrarily determined. Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 2, a hood 94 is disposed below the on-vehicle camera 20. The hood 94 is formed into a plate shape from, for example, a black antireflection material, plastic, or the like. Thereby, the hood 94 suppresses light from below the on-vehicle camera 20 or from the interior of the vehicle 90 from entering the on-vehicle camera 20. Note that it is difficult for the reflectance of the hood 94 to be zero. For this reason, light from the sun 96 may be reflected by the hood 94. Accordingly, in addition to incident light L1 from the subject S, reflected light L2 reflected by the hood 94 also enters the on-vehicle camera 20.

[0016] Returning to FIG. 1, the navigation system 25 includes a GNSS receiver or the like. The navigation system 25 also receives signals from a plurality of positioning satellites not shown in the figure. Furthermore, the navigation system 25 acquires position information of the vehicle 90 based on the received signals. The navigation system 25 also outputs a signal corresponding to the acquired position information of the vehicle 90 to the imaging control device 40 described later. Note that the positioning satellites used in the navigation system 25 are, for example, GPS satellites, GLONASS satellites, Galileo satellites, quasi-zenith satellites, and the like.

[0017] The display 30 displays images captured by the on-vehicle camera 20. The display 30 is also disposed within the field of view of the driver of the vehicle 90, for example, near the windshield 92.

[0018] The driver assistance device 35 is mainly composed of a microcontroller and includes a CPU, ROM, flash memory, RAM, I / O, drive circuits, and bus lines connecting these components. The driver assistance device 35 also executes a program stored in its ROM. Based on the image captured by the onboard camera 20, which has been processed by the image capture control device 40 described later, the driver assistance device 35 performs driving assistance such as warning output control and driving control for the vehicle 90. Warning output control is a control that outputs a warning when the vehicle 90 is about to deviate from its lane. Driving control is a control that performs steering control and brake control of the vehicle 90 so that it drives within its lane.

[0019] The image control device 40 is mainly composed of a microcontroller and includes a CPU, ROM, flash memory, RAM, I / O, drive circuits, and bus lines connecting these components. The image control device 40 also performs image processing on the images captured by the in-vehicle camera 20 and controls the exposure time Te of the in-vehicle camera 20. Specifically, the image control device 40 includes an image processing unit 45 and an exposure control unit 50 as functional blocks.

[0020] The image processing unit 45 executes a program stored in its ROM to calculate the relative positions of objects in the image captured by the on-board camera 20 relative to the vehicle 90. The image processing unit 45 also outputs the image captured by the on-board camera 20, along with signals corresponding to these calculated relative positions, to the driver assistance device 35. The driver assistance device 35 uses these relative positions to perform driving assistance such as warning output control and driving control on the vehicle 90.

[0021] Furthermore, the image processing unit 45 detects illuminated objects in the image captured by the in-vehicle camera 20 by executing a program stored in the ROM of the image processing unit 45. In addition, the image processing unit 45 identifies whether the detected object is a first object 71 or a second object 72 from the image captured by the in-vehicle camera 20 using image recognition, training data, and machine learning. The image processing unit 45 also outputs the image captured by the in-vehicle camera 20 and information about the type of identified object to the exposure control unit 50, which will be described later. The first object 71 is, for example, a traffic light, as shown in Figure 3. The second object 72 is, for example, an electronic sign, which illuminates at a lower brightness than the first object 71. The illumination cycle of the second object 72 is longer than that of the first object 71. The illumination cycle is the time from when the light starts to when it turns off and when it starts to light up again. An electronic sign is an illuminated sign.

[0022] The exposure control unit 50 controls the exposure time Te of the in-vehicle camera 20 based on the identification result of the image processing unit 45 and the vehicle 90 location information from the navigation system 25, by executing a program stored in the ROM of the exposure control unit 50.

[0023] As described above, the vehicle system 10 is configured as follows. In the imaging control device 40 of this vehicle system 10, for example, when the ignition of the vehicle 90 is turned on, the programs of the image processing unit 45 and the exposure control unit 50 are executed. Next, the processing that occurs when the program of the image processing unit 45 is executed will be explained with reference to the flowchart in Figure 4.

[0024] In step S100, the image processing unit 45 acquires information. Specifically, the image processing unit 45 acquires the image captured by the in-vehicle camera 20 from the in-vehicle camera 20.

[0025] Next, in step S102, the image processing unit 45 uses image recognition, training data, and machine learning to determine whether or not a lit object is visible in the image acquired in step S100. This allows the image processing unit 45 to detect a lit object in front of the vehicle 90.

[0026] When a lit object is captured in the image, the lit object in front of the vehicle 90 is detected, and the image processing unit 45 proceeds to step S104 in order to perform object identification as described later. When no lit object is captured in the image, the lit object in front of the vehicle 90 is not detected, and the image processing unit 45 returns to step S100.

[0027] In step S104, following step S102, the image processing unit 45 identifies whether the illuminated object detected in step S102 is the first object 71 or the second object 72.

[0028] As described above, the brightness of the second object 72 is lower than that of the first object 71. Therefore, for example, the image processing unit 45 determines whether the brightness of the object detected in step S102 is below the brightness threshold. Based on this, the image processing unit 45 performs the above identification. The brightness threshold is set through experiments or simulations so that it is possible to distinguish whether the illuminated object is the first object 71 or the second object 72.

[0029] The image processing unit 45 then determines that an object is the second object 72 when its brightness is below the brightness threshold, because its brightness is low. The image processing unit 45 also determines that an object is the first object 71 when its brightness is above the brightness threshold, because its brightness is high. Furthermore, the image processing unit 45 outputs a signal corresponding to this identification result to the exposure control unit 50. After that, the processing of the image processing unit 45 returns to step S100. Note that the above identification is not limited to the above processing. As described above, the first object 71 is a traffic light, etc., and the second object 72 is an electronic sign, etc. For this reason, the image processing unit 45 may perform the above identification using, for example, image recognition, training data, and machine learning.

[0030] As described above, the image processing unit 45 performs the processing. Next, the processing that occurs when the program of the exposure control unit 50 is executed will be explained with reference to the flowchart in Figure 5.

[0031] In step S200, the exposure control unit 50 acquires information. Specifically, the exposure control unit 50 acquires the identification result of the image processing unit 45 from the image processing unit 45. The exposure control unit 50 also acquires the location information of the vehicle 90 from the navigation system 25. However, the exposure control unit 50 is not limited to acquiring the location information of the vehicle 90 from the navigation system 25. For example, the exposure control unit 50 acquires the image captured by the onboard camera 20 from the onboard camera 20. Furthermore, the exposure control unit 50 estimates the toll gates, road structures, etc., that are visible in the captured image from this acquired image using image recognition, training data, and machine learning. As a result, the exposure control unit 50 may estimate the location information of the vehicle 90, for example, that the location of the vehicle 90 is on a highway as described later.

[0032] Next, in step S202, the exposure control unit 50 determines, based on the identification result obtained in step S200, whether the object captured in the image of the in-vehicle camera 20 is the second object 72. The exposure control unit 50 also determines whether the location of the vehicle 90 obtained in step S200 is on a highway. A highway is a main road connecting areas of particular political, economic, and cultural importance, such as large cities, industrial cities, important ports, and airports, and is legally and structurally designed to allow automobiles to travel at high speeds safely and comfortably. In Japan, highways refer to expressways and expressways exclusively for motor vehicles.

[0033] Furthermore, if the object captured in the image taken by the on-board camera 20 is not the second object 72, and the vehicle 90 is not on a highway, the exposure control unit 50 proceeds to step S204. Also, if the object captured in the image taken by the on-board camera 20 is the second object 72, and the vehicle 90 is not on a highway, the exposure control unit 50 proceeds to step S206. Furthermore, if the object captured in the image taken by the on-board camera 20 is not the second object 72, and the vehicle 90 is on a highway, the exposure control unit 50 proceeds to step S206. Also, if the object captured in the image taken by the on-board camera 20 is the second object 72, and the vehicle 90 is on a highway, the exposure control unit 50 proceeds to step S206. In addition, during the processing of the exposure control unit 50, when no object is detected in the image captured by the in-vehicle camera 20, this is included in the case where the object captured in the image captured by the in-vehicle camera 20 is not the second object 72. Furthermore, when both the first object 71 and the second object 72 are captured in the image captured by the in-vehicle camera 20, priority is given to the case where the object captured in the image captured by the in-vehicle camera 20 is the first object 71, and this is included in the case where the object captured in the image captured by the in-vehicle camera 20 is not the second object 72.

[0034] As described above, the brightness of the first object 71, such as a traffic light, is higher than the brightness of the second object 72, such as an electronic sign. Therefore, as the exposure time Te of the in-vehicle camera 20 increases, the amount of light incident on the in-vehicle camera 20 tends to exceed the saturation exposure. When the amount of light incident on the in-vehicle camera 20 exceeds the saturation exposure, the colors captured in the image by the in-vehicle camera 20 become undetectable.

[0035] Furthermore, on expressways, there are fewer first objects 71 such as traffic lights and more second objects 72 such as electronic signs. In addition, in places other than expressways, such as general roads, there are more first objects 71 such as traffic lights and fewer second objects 72 such as electronic signs. Note that general roads refer to roads other than expressways.

[0036] Furthermore, step S204, following step S202, occurs when the object captured in the image of the on-board camera 20 is not the second object 72, and the vehicle 90 is not on a highway. In this case, if an object is captured in the image of the on-board camera 20, the object captured in the image of the on-board camera 20 is the first object 71. Alternatively, since the vehicle 90 is on a public road, the vehicle 90 is located in an area where there are many first objects 71, such as traffic lights.

[0037] Therefore, in step S204, the exposure control unit 50 outputs a signal to the in-vehicle camera 20 to set the exposure time Te to a first exposure time Te_TL, which is an exposure time Te suitable for the first object 71 such as a traffic light. As a result, the exposure time Te of the in-vehicle camera 20 becomes the first exposure time Te_TL. After that, the processing of the exposure control unit 50 returns to step S200. The first exposure time Te_TL is set by experimentation, simulation, etc., to prevent color indistinguishability and flicker in the image captured by the in-vehicle camera 20.

[0038] Furthermore, as mentioned above, the brightness of the second object 72, such as an electronic sign, is lower than the brightness of the first object 71, such as a traffic light. Therefore, even if the exposure time Te of the on-board camera 20 is extended, the amount of light incident on the on-board camera 20 is unlikely to exceed the saturation exposure. Moreover, since there are many types of second objects 72 such as electronic signs, the lighting cycle of the second objects 72 such as electronic signs is often longer than the lighting cycle of the first objects 71 such as traffic lights. This makes flicker more likely to occur. Also, as mentioned above, on expressways, there are fewer first objects 71 such as traffic lights and more second objects 72 such as electronic signs.

[0039] Furthermore, step S206, following step S202, occurs when the object captured in the image of the in-vehicle camera 20 is the second object 72, or when the vehicle 90 is located in a place where there are many second objects 72, such as electronic signs.

[0040] Therefore, in step S206, the exposure control unit 50 outputs a signal to the in-vehicle camera 20 to set the exposure time Te to a second exposure time Te_ES, which is longer than the first exposure time Te_TL. As a result, the exposure time Te of the in-vehicle camera 20 becomes the second exposure time Te_ES. Furthermore, since the second exposure time Te_ES is longer than the first exposure time Te_TL, flicker is suppressed. Although the second exposure time Te_ES is longer than the first exposure time Te_TL, it is also an exposure time Te suitable for the second object 72, such as an electronic sign. The second exposure time Te_ES is set through experiments or simulations to prevent color indistinguishability and flicker in the image captured by the in-vehicle camera 20.

[0041] As described above, the exposure control unit 50 performs the processing. Next, it will be explained that the imaging control device 40 suppresses the inability to distinguish colors and flicker in the image captured by the in-vehicle camera 20.

[0042] In step S104, the image processing unit 45 of the imaging control device 40 acts as a detection unit to detect a second object 72 that is illuminated at a lower brightness than the first object 71 that is illuminated. Furthermore, when the second object 72 is not detected, the exposure control unit 50 of the imaging control device 40 sets the exposure time Te of the on-board camera 20 to the first exposure time Te_TL. In addition, when the second object 72 is detected, the exposure control unit 50 acts as a modification unit to set the exposure time Te to a second exposure time Te_ES, which is longer than the first exposure time Te_TL. The first exposure time Te_TL corresponds to the exposure time Te when the first object 71 is detected. The second exposure time Te_ES corresponds to the exposure time Te when the second object 72 is detected.

[0043] As a result, when a first object 71 with high brightness is detected, the exposure time Te becomes shorter than the second exposure time Te_ES, making it less likely for the amount of light incident on the in-vehicle camera 20 to exceed the saturation exposure. Therefore, the inability to distinguish colors in the image captured by the in-vehicle camera 20 is suppressed. Also, when a second object 72 with low brightness is detected, the exposure time Te becomes longer than the first exposure time Te_TL, suppressing flicker. Consequently, the inability to distinguish colors and flicker in the image captured by the in-vehicle camera 20 are suppressed.

[0044] Furthermore, the imaging control device 40 also provides the following effects.

[0045] [1] The exposure control unit 50 acts as an acquisition unit to acquire location information of the vehicle 90. Furthermore, when the vehicle 90 is located outside of a highway, the exposure control unit 50 sets the exposure time Te of the onboard camera 20 to a first exposure time Te_TL. In addition, when the vehicle 90 is located on a highway, the exposure control unit 50 acts as a modification unit to set the exposure time Te to a second exposure time Te_ES, which is longer than the first exposure time Te_TL.

[0046] As described above, on highways, there are fewer first objects 71 such as traffic lights and more second objects 72 such as electronic signs. Therefore, with the above processing, on highways, the exposure time Te becomes longer than the first exposure time Te_TL, thus suppressing flicker. Also, outside of highways, there are more first objects 71 with high brightness and fewer second objects 72 with low brightness. Therefore, with the above processing, outside of highways, the exposure time Te becomes shorter than the second exposure time Te_ES, so the amount of light incident on the in-vehicle camera 20 is less likely to exceed the saturation exposure. Therefore, the inability to distinguish colors in the image captured by the in-vehicle camera 20 is suppressed. Thus, the inability to distinguish colors and flicker in the image captured by the in-vehicle camera 20 are suppressed.

[0047] [2] When the first object 71 and the second object 72 are captured in the image taken by the onboard camera 20, the exposure control unit 50 sets the exposure time Te to the first exposure time Te_TL.

[0048] As a result, when the first object 71 with high brightness and the second object 72 with low brightness are captured in the image, the exposure time Te becomes shorter than the second exposure time Te_ES. Therefore, the amount of light incident on the in-vehicle camera 20 due to the light from the first object 71 with high brightness is prevented from exceeding the saturation exposure. Consequently, the inability to distinguish colors in the image captured by the in-vehicle camera 20 is suppressed.

[0049] (modified version) In the above embodiment, the exposure control unit 50 determines in step S202 whether the object captured in the image taken by the on-board camera 20 is the second object 72, or whether the vehicle 90 is on a highway. Alternatively, as shown in the flowchart of Figure 6, the exposure control unit 50 may determine in step S202 only whether the object captured in the image taken by the on-board camera 20 is the second object 72. Or, as shown in the flowchart of Figure 7, the exposure control unit 50 may determine in step S202 only whether the vehicle 90 is on a highway.

[0050] (Other embodiments) This disclosure is not limited to the embodiments described above, and modifications can be made to these embodiments as appropriate. Furthermore, it goes without saying that, in each of the embodiments described above, the elements constituting the embodiment are not necessarily essential, except in cases where they are explicitly stated to be particularly essential or where they are clearly considered essential in principle.

[0051] The acquisition unit, detection unit, modification unit and method described in this disclosure may be implemented by a dedicated computer provided by configuring a processor and memory programmed to perform one or more functions embodied by a computer program. Alternatively, the acquisition unit, detection unit, modification unit and method described in this disclosure may be implemented by a dedicated computer provided by configuring a processor by one or more dedicated hardware logic circuits. Alternatively, the acquisition unit, detection unit, modification unit and method described in this disclosure may be implemented by one or more dedicated computers configured by a combination of a processor and memory programmed to perform one or more functions and a processor configured by one or more hardware logic circuits. Furthermore, the computer program may be stored as instructions executed by the computer on a computer-readable non-transitional tangible recording medium.

[0052] In the above embodiment, the exposure control unit 50 controls the exposure time Te of the in-vehicle camera 20 using the identification result of the image processing unit 45. However, the identification result used by the exposure control unit 50 is not limited to that of the image processing unit 45. The identification result used by the exposure control unit 50 may be, for example, a result detected or identified by an external device of the imaging control device 40.

[0053] (Perspective of this disclosure) As will be apparent from the above description of embodiments and modifications, the disclosure herein includes at least the following aspects: [Perspective 1] A detection unit (S104) detects a second object (72) that is illuminated at a lower brightness than the first illuminated object (71) that is captured in the image taken by the camera (20), When the second object is not detected, the camera's exposure time (Te) is set to the first exposure time (Te_TL), which is the exposure time when the first object is detected, and when the second object is detected, the exposure time is set to a second exposure time (Te_ES), which is longer than the first exposure time, (S202, S204, S206) An imaging control device equipped with the following: [Perspective 2] The first object is a traffic light, The second object is an electronic marker, as described in Viewpoint 1, an imaging control device. [Perspective 3] The imaging control device according to viewpoint 1 or 2, wherein the illumination period of the second object is longer than the illumination period of the first object. [Perspective 4] The modification part is an imaging control device according to any one of viewpoints 1 to 3, wherein when the first object and the second object are captured in the captured image, the exposure time is set to the first exposure time. [Perspective 5] A unit (S200) that acquires location information of the vehicle (90), When the vehicle is located outside of a highway, the exposure time (Te) of the camera (20) mounted on the vehicle is set to a first exposure time (Te_TL), which is the exposure time when a second object (71) that lights up with a brightness higher than the brightness of the first object (72) that lights up is detected. When the vehicle is located on a highway, the exposure time is set to a second exposure time (Te_ES), which is longer than the first exposure time. (S202, S204, S206) An imaging control device equipped with the following: [Perspective 6] The imaging control device, A detection unit (S104) detects a second object (72) that is illuminated at a lower brightness than the first illuminated object (71) that is captured in the image taken by the camera (20), and An imaging control program that functions as a modification unit (S202, S204, S206) that, when the second object is not detected, sets the exposure time (Te) of the camera to the first exposure time (Te_TL), which is the exposure time when the first object is detected, and when the second object is detected, sets the exposure time to the second exposure time (Te_ES), which is longer than the first exposure time. [perspective 7] The imaging control device, An acquisition unit (S200) that acquires location information of the vehicle (90), and An imaging control program that functions as a modification unit (S202, S204, S206) that, when the vehicle is located outside of a highway, sets the exposure time (Te) of the camera (20) mounted on the vehicle to a first exposure time (Te_TL), which is the exposure time when a second object (71) that lights up with a brightness higher than the brightness of a first object (72) that lights up is detected, and when the vehicle is located on a highway, sets the exposure time to a second exposure time (Te_ES) that is longer than the first exposure time. [Explanation of symbols]

[0054] 10 Vehicle Systems 20 In-car cameras 25 Navigation System 30 displays 35 Driving assistance systems 40 Imaging control device 45 Image Processing Unit 50 Exposure Control Unit

Claims

1. An imaging control device, A detection unit (S104) detects a second object (72) that is illuminated at a lower brightness than the first illuminated object (71) that is captured in the image taken by the camera (20), When the second object is not detected, the camera's exposure time (Te) is set to a first exposure time (Te_TL), which is the exposure time when the first object is detected, and when the second object is detected, the exposure time is set to a second exposure time (Te_ES), which is longer than the first exposure time, (S202, S204, S206) is a modification unit. Equipped with, The illumination period of the second object is longer than that of the first object. The first exposure time is set to an exposure time at which the color of the first object in the captured image is indistinguishable and no flicker occurs. The imaging control device is set to an exposure time during which the color of the second object in the captured image is indistinguishable and no flicker occurs.

2. The first object is a traffic light, The imaging control device according to claim 1, wherein the second object is an electronic marker.

3. The image capture control device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the modification unit causes the exposure time to be the first exposure time when the first object and the second object are captured in the captured image.

4. An imaging control device, A unit (S200) that acquires location information of the vehicle (90), When the vehicle is located outside of a highway, the exposure time (Te) of the camera (20) mounted on the vehicle is set to a first exposure time (Te_TL), which is the exposure time when a second object (71) that lights up with a brightness higher than the brightness of the first object (72) that lights up is detected. When the vehicle is located on a highway, the exposure time is set to a second exposure time (Te_ES), which is longer than the first exposure time. (S202, S204, S206) Equipped with, The first object is more numerous than the second object on the highway. The second object is less numerous than the first object on the highway. The illumination period of the first object is longer than the illumination period of the second object. The first exposure time is set to an exposure time at which the color of the second object captured in the image of the camera cannot be distinguished and no flicker occurs. The imaging control device is set to an exposure time during which the color of the first object in the captured image cannot be distinguished and no flicker occurs.

5. An imaging control program, The imaging control device, A detection unit (S104) detects a second object (72) that is illuminated at a lower brightness than the first illuminated object (71) that is captured in the image taken by the camera (20), and When the second object is not detected, the camera's exposure time (Te) is set to the first exposure time (Te_TL), which is the exposure time when the first object is detected. When the second object is detected, the exposure time is set to the second exposure time (Te_ES), which is longer than the first exposure time. This is how the modification unit (S202, S204, S206) functions. The illumination period of the second object is longer than that of the first object. The first exposure time is set to an exposure time at which the color of the first object in the captured image is indistinguishable and no flicker occurs. The imaging control program is set so that the second exposure time is such that the color of the second object in the captured image is indistinguishable and no flicker occurs.

6. An imaging control program, The imaging control device, An acquisition unit (S200) that acquires location information of the vehicle (90), and When the vehicle is located outside of a highway, the exposure time (Te) of the camera (20) mounted on the vehicle is set to a first exposure time (Te_TL), which is the exposure time when a second object (71) that lights up with a brightness higher than the brightness of the first object (72) that lights up is detected. When the vehicle is located on a highway, the exposure time is set to a second exposure time (Te_ES), which is longer than the first exposure time. This modification function (S202, S204, S206) is configured to do this. The first object is more numerous than the second object on the highway. The second object is less numerous than the first object on the highway. The illumination period of the first object is longer than the illumination period of the second object. The first exposure time is set to an exposure time at which the color of the second object captured in the image of the camera cannot be distinguished and no flicker occurs. The imaging control program is set to an exposure time during which the color of the first object in the captured image is indistinguishable and flicker does not occur.

Images