Patent ID: 11900690
Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
Field: Computer technology (Electrical engineering)
Classification: CPC G  B | IPC B  G

Claim 0:
1. An apparatus for identifying the state of a signal light, comprising:
a processor configured to: input time series images into a first classifier to detect object regions each including a vehicle equipped with a signal light in the respective images, the first classifier having been trained to detect the vehicle;
chronologically input characteristics obtained from pixel values of the object regions detected in the respective images into a second classifier to calculate confidence scores of possible candidate states of the signal light of the vehicle, the second classifier having a recursive structure or performing a convolution operation in a temporal direction; and
identify the state of the signal light, based on the preceding state of the signal light, information indicating whether transitions between the candidate states are allowed, and the confidence scores of the respective candidate states;

wherein the information indicates candidate states to which the respective candidate states are allowed to change, and of the candidate states to which the preceding state of the signal light is allowed to change, the processor identifies the state of the signal light as a candidate state having a maximum confidence score; and
wherein the candidate states include a turn-on state in which the signal light is turned on, a turn-off state in which the signal light is turned off, an ON state during which the signal light is on, and an OFF state during which the signal light is off.