Patent ID: 8855367
Filing Date: 2014-10-07
Classification: G06K

Abstract:
1. An environment recognition device comprising: a data retaining unit that retains association between ranges of luminance values and specific objects; a luminance obtaining unit that obtains luminance values of target portions in a detection area of a luminance image; a specific object provisional determining unit that provisionally determines that at least one first target portion, at least one second target portion and at least one third target portion among the target portions correspond to a specific object based on the luminance values of the first, second and third target portions by using the association retained in the data retaining unit; a target portion grouping unit that groups the at least one first target portion and the at least one second target portion into a target object, when the at least one first target portion and the at least one second target portion are adjacent to each other; a target object grouping unit that groups the at least one third target portion and the target object into a grouped target object, when a distance between the at least one third target portion and the target object is in predetermined ranges; and a specific object determining unit that determines that the grouped target object is the specific object when a ratio is equal to or more than a predetermined threshold value and determines that the grouped target object is another specific object when the ratio is less than the predetermined threshold value, wherein the ratio is calculated by: (a number of the target portions within a specific region of the grouped target object, of which luminance values are within a predetermined luminance range)/(a number of all target portions within the specific region of the grouped target object).