Nissan Motor Company Limited

Toshiyuki Andou

Hiroshi Satoh

Hidekazu Nishiuchi

Haruo Matsuo

Daiki Yamanoi

Naoki Kojo

Seigo Watanabe

A traffic signal recognition apparatus acquires image data by imaging the surroundings of a vehicle, detects a self-position of the vehicle, and detects, in the image, a traffic signal around the vehicle. The traffic signal recognition apparatus identifies two or more of the traffic signal predicted to be captured in the image, based on information on the self-position and map information containing positional information on the traffic signals, and assigns a priority level to each of the two or more traffic signals thus identified, based on a possibility of the traffic signal being blocked out of sight. When the two or more traffic signals are identified, the traffic signal detected in the image is a traffic signal with a highest priority level among the two or more traffic signals.

Traffic signal recognition apparatus and traffic signal recognition method

A target detection apparatus acquires an image by imaging the surroundings of a vehicle, detects a self-position of the vehicle based on an amount of movement of the vehicle from an initial position thereof, and estimates a relative position of a target, located around the vehicle, with respect to the vehicle based on the self-position and information on a position of the target on a map. The target detection apparatus sets a detection area for the target within the image based on the relative position of the target with respect to the vehicle, and detects the target from the detection area. The target detection apparatus estimates error contained in the self-position based on the amount of movement of the vehicle from the initial position, and adjusts the size of the detection area for the target according to the error.

Target detection apparatus and target detection method

Based on an image imaged by an imaging unit (), feature points of a plurality of objects present around a vehicle are detected by a feature point detecting unit (). A first distance from the feature point to the imaging unit () is calculated based on a temporal change of the feature point. A second distance from a certain object included in the plurality of objects present in the image to the imaging unit is calculated using some pixels of the certain object. The first distance of the plurality of feature points, other than the certain feature point, simultaneously detected by the feature point detecting unit () is modified based on a ratio of the first distance and the second distance.

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Kanagawa, Japan

Toshiyuki Andou