Patent ID: 9141870
Filing Date: 2015-09-22
Classification: G06K,G08G,H04N

Abstract:
1. A three-dimensional object detection device comprising: an image-capturing unit arranged to capture images rearward of a host vehicle, which is equipped with the three-dimensional object detection device; an image conversion unit programmed to convert images obtained by the image-capturing unit into bird's-eye view images; a three-dimensional object detection unit programmed to detect a presence of a three-dimensional object within a detection area of the bird's-eye view images, which is set on at least one of a right rearward side and a left rearward side of the host vehicle, based on differential waveform information that is obtained by aligning the bird's-eye view images obtained at different times by the image conversion unit, and generating the differential waveform information by creating a frequency distribution from frequency-distributed values obtained by counting a number of pixels along a direction of collapse of the three-dimensional object that indicate a predetermined difference in a differential image of the bird's-eye view images that were positionally aligned to detect the presence of the three-dimensional object within the detection area; a stationary object assessment unit programmed to calculate a periodicity evaluation value for evaluating a periodicity of the differential waveform information based on the differential waveform information, to calculate an irregularity evaluation value for evaluating the irregularity of the differential waveform information based on the differential waveform information, and to assess that the three-dimensional object detected by the three-dimensional object detection unit is a shadow of a tree present along a road traveled by the host vehicle when the periodicity evaluation value is equal to or greater than a first periodicity evaluation threshold value and less than a second periodicity evaluation threshold value and the irregularity evaluation value is less than a predetermined irregularity evaluation threshold value; a three-dimensional object assessment unit programmed to assess whether the three-dimensional object detected by the three-dimensional object detection unit is another vehicle present in the detection area; and a control unit programmed to suppress determination by the three-dimensional object assessment unit of the detected three-dimensional object as another vehicle when the detected three-dimensional object was determined by the stationary object assessment unit as a shadow of a tree present along the road traveled by the host vehicle.