Traffic Light Image Processing With Background Pixel Exclusion
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional image processing systems for detecting traffic light colors are prone to errors due to insufficient consideration of background regions, leading to incorrect determinations and reduced accuracy, especially in environments not covered by training samples.
Innovation Solution
An image processing apparatus that identifies a traffic light region, divides it into sub-regions, calculates representative pixel values, and excludes background regions based on color component analysis to accurately determine the light color of the traffic light.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If template matching is performed on the entire traffic light region including background, then the detection process is simple, but detection accuracy deteriorates due to background color interference
Solution Approach 1:
The traffic light region is divided into multiple sub-regions, and background regions are identified and excluded from the template matching process. This segmentation allows the system to focus only on relevant areas (traffic light) while ignoring irrelevant areas (background), thereby improving detection accuracy without significantly complicating the overall process.
Solution Approach 2:
Background regions are extracted and removed from the traffic light region before template matching. By taking out the background components, the system eliminates the interference that would otherwise cause false detections, achieving higher measurement precision while maintaining operational simplicity.
2Productivity
If template matching is performed without excluding background regions, then the processing is fast and simple, but false detection increases in environments with similar colors
Solution Approach 1:
The region is segmented into sub-regions, and background areas are identified through color analysis. By segmenting and isolating background regions, the system maintains processing efficiency while significantly improving reliability, as the template matching is then performed only on the traffic light portion.
Solution Approach 2:
Background regions are extracted and removed from the analysis area. This extraction ensures that only relevant pixels (traffic light) are considered for color detection, preventing false positives in environments with similar colors while keeping the overall detection process fast and simple.
3Quantity of substance
If all pixels in the traffic light region are used for color detection, then the analysis is comprehensive, but background color components cause erroneous detections
Solution Approach 1:
The pixel data is segmented by identifying and separating background regions from the traffic light region. By analyzing only the relevant pixels (traffic light) and excluding background pixels, the system achieves higher measurement precision without the need to analyze all pixels, thus improving detection accuracy while maintaining comprehensive analysis of relevant areas.
Solution Approach 2:
Background pixels are extracted and removed from the set of pixels used for color detection. This extraction ensures that only pixels belonging to the traffic light are analyzed, eliminating the influence of background color components and achieving accurate detection without requiring comprehensive analysis of all pixels in the region.
Data Source
AI summary
An image processing apparatus includes a controller configured to: (i) perform image recognition of the camera image to identify a signal region in which a traffic light exists in the camera image; (ii) divide the signal region into a plurality of sub-regions; (iii) calculate a first representative pixel value related to a color component for each of a predetermined number of the sub-regions; (iv) identify as same color regions each of the predetermined number of the sub-regions that have more than a predetermined number of pixels with pixel values within a predetermined range of the first representative pixel value; (v) calculate a second representative pixel value related to a color component in the same color regions; and (vi) exclude the pixels having the pixel values within a predetermined range of the second representative pixel value from the signal region for subsequent determination of the light color of the traffic light.