Patent Publication Number: US-2021182621-A1

Title: Vehicle control apparatus and operating method thereof

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application claims priority under 35 U.S.C. § 119 to Korean Patent Application No. 10-2019-0164963 filed on Dec. 11, 2019 and No. 10-2020-0120243 filed on Sep. 18, 2020, in the Korean Intellectual Property Office, the disclosures of which are incorporated by reference herein in their entireties. 
     BACKGROUND 
     Embodiments of the disclosure described herein relate to a vehicle control apparatus, and more particularly, relate to a vehicle control apparatus that controls the autonomous driving of a vehicle based on object detection, and an operating method thereof 
     For the convenience of users employing vehicles, various sensors, electronic devices, and the like have been recently provided. In particular, an advanced driver assistance system (ADAS) has been actively researched for a user&#39;s driving convenience. Furthermore, autonomous vehicles have been actively developed. 
     The ADAS may use a variety of sensors. Such the sensors include radar, LiDAR, a camera, and the like. The representative sensor thereof is a camera, which is used to detect objects such as other vehicles, pedestrians, lines, signs, and the like in an image outside a vehicle. However, in the case of cameras, the reliability of object detection may be reduced depending on a driving environment. For example, the light emitted from the headlamps of a vehicle, the taillights of a vehicle, the brake lights of a vehicle, streetlights, and traffic lights is reflected by wet or snow-covered roads, in rainy or snowy weather, especially at night. The camera may not correctly detect objects due to the reflected light. 
     SUMMARY 
     Embodiments of the disclosure provide a vehicle control apparatus that provides highly-reliable object information regardless of a driving environment and controls the autonomous driving of a vehicle based on the highly-reliable object information, and an operating method thereof. 
     According to an embodiment, an operating method of a vehicle control apparatus controlling autonomous driving of a vehicle based on a vehicle external object includes performing primary object detection based on a first vehicle external image received from a camera to obtain first object information, setting a first reflective area for reflection light based on the first object information, generating a second vehicle external image, in which a reflective image inside the first reflective area is removed from the first vehicle external image, using pixel values inside the first reflective area, performing secondary object detection based on the second vehicle external image to obtain second object information, determining reliability of the second object information based on information about the reflective image and the second object information, and controlling the autonomous driving of the vehicle based on the second object information when the reliability of the second object information is higher than a setting value. 
     In an embodiment, the operating method of the vehicle control apparatus further includes obtaining driving environment information including at least one of driving time information, driving weather information, and road state information, and operating mode information about whether the vehicle is in an autonomous driving mode, and setting a control mode based on the driving environment information and the operating mode information. The vehicle control apparatus controls the autonomous driving of the vehicle based on the second object information when the determined control mode is a caution mode, and the vehicle control apparatus controls the autonomous driving of the vehicle based on the first object information when the determined control mode is a normal mode. 
     In an embodiment, the obtaining of the first object information includes detecting a light source from the first vehicle external image and obtaining the first object information including at least one of location information, size information, brightness information, and color information of the light source. 
     In an embodiment, the setting of the first reflective area includes detecting a road horizontal line from the first vehicle external image, determining a horizontal location of the first reflective area corresponding to an intersection point between a center line of the light source and the road horizontal line, determining a width of the first reflective area proportional to a width of the light source, based on the first object information, and determining a length of the first reflective area extending in a first direction from the road horizontal line. Herein, the first direction is a direction facing the vehicle from the road horizontal line. 
     In an embodiment, the length of the first reflective area extends in the first direction from one end in the first direction of the light source when the light source is positioned in the first direction from the road horizontal line. 
     In an embodiment, the generating of the second vehicle external image includes calculating the pixel values inside the first reflective area, generating a cluster corresponding to the reflective image based on the pixel values, setting a second reflective area included in the first reflective area, based on the cluster, and removing the cluster within the second reflective area. 
     In an embodiment, the generating of the cluster includes calculating a reference pixel value based on the first object information, detecting pixels having a pixel value, which is not less than the reference pixel value, inside the first reflective area, and generating the cluster by clustering the pixels. 
     In an embodiment, the setting of the second reflective area includes calculating a center point location, a first direction size, and a second direction size of the cluster, and setting the second reflective area of a size, which is more increased by a first setting value in a first direction than the first direction size, and is more increased by a second setting value in a second direction than the second direction size, at the center point location. 
     In an embodiment, the second reflective area is divided into a first area inside the cluster and a second area outside the cluster. The removing of the cluster includes replacing first pixel values inside the first area with an average value of second pixel values inside the second area. 
     In an embodiment, the determining of the reliability of the second object information includes setting an object detection area based on the second object information, detecting an overlapping area in which the object detection area overlaps with the second reflective area, calculating an intersection over union (IoU) value based on the overlapping area, and comparing the IoU value with a threshold value. 
     In an embodiment, the calculating of the IoU value includes calculating the IoU value for each of the plurality of overlapping areas when the overlapping area includes a plurality of overlapping areas. 
     In an embodiment, the comparing of the IoU value with the threshold value includes determining that the reliability of the second object information is higher than the setting value when the IoU value is less than the threshold value, and determining that the reliability of the second object information is lower than the setting value when the IoU value is greater than the threshold value. 
     In an embodiment, the method further includes setting a third reflective area of a size smaller than the second reflective area when it is determined that the reliability of the second object information is lower than the setting value. 
     In an embodiment, the controlling of the autonomous driving of the vehicle includes determining a driving route based on the second object information and controlling at least one of a vehicle driving device, a vehicle braking device, and a vehicle steering device such that the vehicle drives autonomously along the driving route. 
     According to an embodiment, a vehicle control apparatus controlling autonomous driving of a vehicle based on a vehicle external object includes a control unit for controlling entry into a caution mode, based on driving environment information and operating mode information, an object detection unit for performing primary object detection based on a vehicle external image to obtain first object information, and for performing secondary object detection based on a ghost-removal image to output second object information, in the caution mode, a reflective area setting unit for setting a first reflective area for reflection light based on the first object information, in the caution mode, a reflective image removal unit for generating the ghost-removal image, in which a reflective image inside a first reflective area is removed from the vehicle external image, based on pixel values inside the first reflective area, a reliability determination unit for determining reliability of the second object information based on the second object information and information about the reflective image, and a vehicle control unit for controlling the autonomous driving of the vehicle based on the second object information when the reliability of the second object information is higher than a setting value. 
     In an embodiment, the control unit controls the reflective area setting unit, the reflective image removal unit, and the reliability determination unit to be deactivated, in a normal mode. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES 
       The above and other objects and features of the disclosure will become apparent by describing in detail embodiments thereof with reference to the accompanying drawings. 
         FIG. 1  is an example of block diagram of a vehicle control apparatus. 
         FIG. 2  is a block diagram of a vehicle control apparatus according to an embodiment of the disclosure. 
         FIG. 3  is a flowchart illustrating an operating method of the vehicle control apparatus according to  FIG. 2 . 
         FIGS. 4A and 4B  are views illustrating reflective areas set according to  FIG. 3 . 
         FIG. 5  is a flowchart illustrating an operation of removing a reflective image according to  FIG. 3 . 
         FIGS. 6A to 7B  are diagrams illustrating an example of an operation of removing a reflective image according to  FIG. 5 . 
         FIG. 8  is a flowchart illustrating the operation of determining reliability according to  FIG. 3 . 
         FIGS. 9A to 9C  are diagrams illustrating an embodiment of an operation of determining reliability according to  FIG. 8 . 
         FIGS. 10 and 11  are views illustrating an autonomous vehicle equipped with a vehicle control apparatus according to an embodiment of the disclosure. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     Hereinafter, embodiments of the disclosure may be described in detail and clearly to such an extent that an ordinary one in the art easily implements the disclosure. 
     In the detailed description or drawings, the terms “unit”, “engine”, “module”, etc. or function blocks performing various operations may be implemented with software, firmware, a hardware circuit, or various combinations thereof. 
       FIG. 1  is an example of block diagram of a vehicle control apparatus. Referring to  FIG. 1 , a vehicle control apparatus  10  may control the driving of a vehicle based on object information. For example, the vehicle control apparatus  10  may include an object detection unit  11 , a driving route determination unit  12 , and a vehicle control unit  13 . 
     The object detection unit  11  may receive a camera image, and may detect an object from the camera image to generate object information. The object information may include information about whether an object is present, location information of the object, information about a distance between a vehicle and the object, and information about the relative speed between the vehicle and the object. The object detection unit  11  may provide the generated object information to the driving route determination unit  12 . 
     The driving route determination unit  12  may receive object information from the object detection unit  11  and then may determine a driving route. For example, the driving route determination unit  12  may receive information about another vehicle entering the driving lane of the vehicle in a ramp way, and may generate driving route information to change the driving lane. The driving route determination unit  12  may provide the generated driving route information to the vehicle control unit  13 . 
     The vehicle control unit  13  may receive the driving route information from the driving route determination unit  12  and may control the driving of the vehicle. The vehicle control unit  13  may generate a vehicle control signal, such as an acceleration control signal for increasing a vehicle speed, a deceleration control signal for decreasing a vehicle speed, and a steering control signal for changing the traveling direction of a vehicle. The vehicle control unit  13  may provide the vehicle control signal as an input signal of each driving device installed in the vehicle to drive along the generated driving route. 
     As a result, the vehicle control apparatus  10  may control the driving of the vehicle based on an object detected through a camera image. That is, as the accuracy or reliability of object detection by the camera image is higher, the vehicle control apparatus  10  may safely control the driving of a vehicle. However, in rain or snow or at night, the camera image may not only have low image quality, but also include a lot of distorted information. As a result, the accuracy of object detection and the reliability of the object information obtained through the object detection may be reduced. 
     For example, the light emitted from street lights may be reflected by water on a road, in a rainy driving environment. Such the reflected light may be captured by a camera attached to a vehicle, and may be included in the camera image received by the object detection unit  11 . In this case, the object detection unit  11  may detect the reflected light as an object, or may skip the detection of another object by the reflected light. Because the driving route may be determined based on the incorrectly-detected objects, the driving stability may be reduced. 
     Accordingly, even in a specific driving environment, such as in rainy or snowy driving environments or night driving environments, there is a need for a vehicle electronic device capable of obtaining reliable object information and controlling the driving of a vehicle based on the reliable object information, and an operating method thereof. 
       FIG. 2  is a block diagram of a vehicle control apparatus according to an embodiment of the disclosure. Referring to  FIG. 2 , a vehicle control apparatus  100  may include an object detection unit  110 , a reflective area setting unit  120 , a reflective image removal unit  130 , a reliability determination unit  140 , a control unit  170 , a driving route determination unit  150 , and a vehicle control unit  160 . 
     The vehicle control apparatus  100  may detect an object from a vehicle external image obtained by a camera, and may obtain object information by analyzing the detected object. The vehicle control apparatus  100  may control a vehicle driving apparatus to perform functions such as the speed control, lane change, and emergency stop of a vehicle based on the object information. 
     The vehicle control apparatus  100  may be implemented with one or more processors. The processor may include at least one of the object detection unit  110 , the reflective area setting unit  120 , the reflective image removal unit  130 , the reliability determination unit  140 , the control unit  170 , the driving route determination unit  150 , and the vehicle control unit  160 . When the processor includes the object detection unit  110 , the reflective area setting unit  120 , the reflective image removal unit  130 , the reliability determination unit  140 , and the control unit  170 , the vehicle control apparatus  100  may be referred to as an “object detection device”. In this case, the driving route determination unit  150  and the vehicle control unit  160  may be implemented as a separate processor. 
     The processor may be implemented using at least one of application specific integrated circuits (ASICs), digital signal processors (DSPs), digital signal processing devices (DSPDs), programmable logic devices (PLDs), field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), processors, controllers, micro-controllers, microprocessors, and electrical units for performing other functions. 
     The object detection unit  110  may receive a first vehicle external image IMG_ 1  from a camera. The object detection unit  110  may perform primary object detection based on the first vehicle external image IMG_ 1  to obtain first object information, which is information about an object outside a vehicle. 
     The first vehicle external image IMG_ 1  may include information about whether an object is present, information about the type of the object, location information of the object, information about a distance between the vehicle and the object, information about the relative speed between the vehicle and the object, and the like. The object may be various objects associated with the driving of the vehicle. For example, the object may include pedestrians, other vehicles, lines, traffic lights, roads, and the like. The object may further include a light source or light emitted from the light source. The light may include light generated from a lamp provided in another vehicle, light generated from a street light, and light emitted from a light source such as sunlight. 
     When the object is a light source, first object information DATA_ 1  may include light source information. The object detection unit  110  may detect a light source from the first vehicle external image IMG_ 1  and may obtain the light source information by analyzing the light source. The light source information may include at least one of location information, size information, brightness information, and color information of the light source. 
     The object detection unit  110  may provide the first object information DATA_ 1  to different units depending on a control mode. The control mode may include a caution mode and a normal mode. The control mode relates to the vehicle control apparatus  100  and may be determined by the control unit  170  based on driving environment information and operating mode information. The driving environment information may include at least one of driving time information, driving weather information, and road state information. The operating mode information may include information about whether a vehicle is in an autonomous driving mode or a manual driving mode. The autonomous driving mode may be an operating mode in which a vehicle drives by itself without a user&#39;s driving manipulation. The manual driving mode may be an operating mode in which the vehicle drives depending on the user&#39;s driving manipulation. 
     The caution mode may be the control mode in the case where the vehicle is driving autonomously in a specific driving environment. The specific driving environment refers to a driving environment capable of being affected by the reflected light upon detecting an object. For example, the specific driving environment may be a driving environment in rain or snow, or a driving environment at night. 
     The normal mode may be a control mode other than a caution mode. That is, the normal mode may be a control mode when the vehicle is driving autonomously in a driving environment except for the specific driving environment. Alternatively, the normal mode may be a control mode in the case where the vehicle is manually driving in the specific driving environment. 
     In the normal mode, the vehicle control apparatus  100  may perform primary object detection on an external image and then may determine a driving route based on the result of the primary object detection. For example, the object detection unit  110  may provide the first object information DATA_ 1  to the reliability determination unit  140  in the normal mode. In the normal mode, the reliability determination unit  140  may be deactivated. In this case, the reliability determination unit  140  may provide the received first object information DATA_ 1  to the driving route determination unit  150  as it is. The driving route determination unit  150  may generate the driving route based on the first object information DATA_ 1 . 
     In the caution mode, the vehicle control apparatus  100  may remove a reflective image included in an external image, may perform secondary object detection based on an image in which the reflective image is removed, and may determine the driving route based on the result of the secondary object detection. For example, the object detection unit  110  may provide the first object information DATA_ 1  to the reflective area setting unit  120 . 
     The reflective area setting unit  120  may set a first reflective area for the reflected light based on the first object information DATA_ 1 . For example, the reflective area setting unit  120  may detect a road horizontal line from the first vehicle external image IMG_ 1  and may set the road horizontal line as an axis to calculate the horizontal location of a light source. The horizontal location may be a location where an axis meets a line (hereinafter, a center line) extending vertically from the center of an object. The reflective area setting unit  120  may determine the horizontal location of the first reflective area to correspond to the horizontal location of the light source. The horizontal location of the first reflective area may be a location where the center line of the first reflective area meets the axis. Such the horizontal location of the first reflective area may be corrected depending on the geometric location of the camera mounted on the vehicle with respect to the horizontal location of the light source. 
     The reflective area setting unit  120  may calculate the width of the light source based on light source information, and then may set the first reflective area of a width that is proportional to the width of the light source. The light source information may include at least one of location information, size information, brightness information, and color information of the light source. The reflective area setting unit  120  may set the first reflective area of a length extending in the first direction from a road horizontal line. The first direction may be a direction facing a vehicle from the road horizontal line. Alternatively, the first direction may be a y-axis direction perpendicular to the road horizontal line. 
     When the light source is located in the first direction from the road horizontal line, the reflective area setting unit  120  may set the first reflective area with respect to one end in the first direction of the light source. The one end in the first direction of the light source may be an end portion in the first direction in a light source detection area. The light source detection area may be formed in various shapes, as an area for displaying a light source. In this case, the first reflective area may have a length extending in the first direction from one end in the first direction of the light source. 
     The reflective area setting unit  120  may provide the reflective image removal unit  130  with information DATA_ 2  about the set first reflective area. The information DATA_ 2  about the first reflective area may include location information and size information of the first reflective area. 
     The reflective image removal unit  130  may receive the information DATA_ 2  about the first reflective area from the reflective area setting unit  120  and then may receive the first vehicle external image IMG_ 1  from a camera. The reflective image removal unit  130  may generate a second vehicle external image IMG_ 2 , in which the reflective image inside the first reflective area is removed, based on the information DATA_ 2  about the first reflective area and the first vehicle external image IMG_ 1 . The reflective image may be referred to as a “ghost image”. The second vehicle external image IMG_ 2  in which the reflective image is removed may be referred to as a “ghost-removal image”. 
     The reflective image removal unit  130  may remove a reflective image inside the first reflective area, using pixel values inside the first reflective area. The reflective image may be a set of specific pixels. The specific pixel may mean a pixel having attributes different from those of surrounding pixels. For example, the specific pixel may be a pixel brighter than the surrounding pixels. To detect a specific pixel, the reflective image removal unit  130  may calculate pixel values of pixels within the first reflective area. The pixel value may mean a discrete value indicating the color, contrast, or other attribute information of a pixel. 
     The reflective image removal unit  130  may generate a cluster corresponding to the reflective image, based on the pixel values. The reflective image removal unit  130  may calculate a reference pixel value based on light source information, and may detect pixels having a pixel value, which is not less than the reference pixel value, from among pixels inside the first reflective area. The reflective image removal unit  130  may generate a cluster by clustering pixels having a pixel value that is not less than the reference pixel value. 
     The reflective image removal unit  130  may reset the first reflective area, based on the cluster. The reflective image removal unit  130  may reset the first reflective area to a second reflective area having a size smaller than the size of the first reflective area. The reflective image removal unit  130  may calculate the location of the center point of the cluster, the first direction size of the cluster, and the second direction size of the cluster, and may set the second reflective area based on the calculated results. 
     The second reflective area may have the size more increased by a first setting value in the first direction from the center point location than the first direction size of the cluster. The second reflective area may have the size more increased by a second setting value in the second direction than the second direction size of the cluster. The first setting value may be a preset value and may be the same as or different from the second setting value. 
     The reflective image removal unit  130  may remove the cluster through replacement within the second reflective area. The second reflective area may be divided into a first area inside the cluster and a second area outside the cluster. The reflective image removal unit  130  may calculate the average value of the second pixel values inside the second area and may replace the first pixel values inside the first area with the average value of the second pixel values. 
     The reflective image removal unit  130  may provide the object detection unit  110  with the second vehicle external image IMG_ 2  in which the reflective image is removed through replacement. Besides, the reflective image removal unit  130  may provide the reliability determination unit  140  with information DATA_ 4  about the second reflective area. The information DATA_ 4  about the second reflective area may include location information and size information of the second reflective area. 
     The object detection unit  110  may receive the second vehicle external image IMG_ 2 , in which the reflective image is removed, from the reflective image removal unit  130 . The object detection unit  110  may obtain second object information DATA_ 3  by performing secondary object detection based on the second vehicle external image IMG_ 2 . The second object information DATA_ 3  may include information about various objects associated with vehicle driving, such as pedestrians, other vehicles, lines, light sources, and the like, which are detected from the second vehicle external image IMG_ 2 . The object detection unit  110  may provide the second object information DATA_ 3  to the reliability determination unit  140 . 
     The reliability determination unit  140  may determine the reliability of the second object information DATA_ 3  received from the object detection unit  110 . The reliability determination unit  140  may set an object detection area based on the second object information DATA_ 3 , and may detect an overlapping area in which the object detection area and the second reflective area overlap with each other, based on the information DATA_ 4  about the second reflective area received from the reflective image removal unit  130 . 
     The reliability determination unit  140  may determine the reliability of the second object information DATA_ 3  by calculating an intersection over union (IoU) value based on the overlapping area. The reliability determination unit  140  may compare the IoU value with a threshold value. When the IoU value is less than the threshold value, the reliability determination unit  140  may determine that the reliability of the second object information DATA_ 3  is higher than a setting value. The reliability determination unit  140  may compare the IoU value with the threshold value. When the IoU value is greater than the threshold value, the reliability determination unit  140  may determine that the reliability of the second object information DATA_ 3  is lower than the setting value. 
     The reliability determination unit  140  may provide third object information DATA_ 5  to the driving route determination unit  150  depending on the result of determining the reliability. The third object information DATA_ 5  may be information including the second object information DATA_ 3  or information obtained by changing the second object information DATA_ 3 . 
     When determining that the reliability of the second object information DATA_ 3  is higher than the setting value, the reliability determination unit  140  may provide the second object information DATA_ 3  to the driving route determination unit  150 . In this case, the third object information DATA_ 5  may include the second object information DATA_ 3 . When determining that the reliability of the second object information DATA_ 3  is lower than the setting value, the reliability determination unit  140  may provide the driving route determination unit  150  with information obtained by changing the second object information DATA_ 3 . The information obtained by changing the second object information DATA_ 3  may be information that is obtained by excluding information with low reliability from the second object information DATA_ 3 , or is changed to other information. 
     The driving route determination unit  150  may generate a driving route, based on the third object information DATA_ 5  including at least part of the second object information DATA_ 3 . The driving route determination unit  150  may further use vehicle location data and navigation information upon generating the driving route. The driving route determination unit  150  may provide the vehicle control unit  160  with information DATA_ 6  about the generated driving route. 
     The vehicle control unit  160  may generate a vehicle driving signal SIG such that a vehicle autonomously drives along the driving route, based on the information DATA_ 6  about the driving route. The vehicle control unit  160  may control autonomous driving of the vehicle, by providing a vehicle driving signal SIG to at least one of a vehicle driving device, a vehicle braking device, and a vehicle steering device. 
     According to an embodiment, the vehicle control unit  160  may be integrated with the driving route determination unit  150 . In this case, the vehicle control unit  160  may generate a driving route based on the third object information DATA_ 5 , and may control the autonomous driving of the vehicle along the driving route. 
     The control unit  170  may control the overall operation of the vehicle control apparatus  100 . The control unit  170  may control the operation of a processor inside the vehicle control apparatus  100 . For example, the control unit  170  may control the operations of the object detection unit  110 , the reflective area setting unit  120 , the reflective image removal unit  130 , and the reliability determination unit  140 . 
     The control unit  170  may control the vehicle control apparatus  100  to enter a caution mode, based on driving environment information and operating mode information. The control unit  170  may obtain driving environment information through a camera, a sensor, or a communication device. The driving environment information may include at least one of driving time information, driving weather information, and road state information. The control unit  170  may obtain the operating mode information through a user interface device. The operating mode may include an autonomous driving mode, a manual driving mode, or the like. 
     The control unit  170  may determine whether the vehicle is driving in the specific driving environment, and whether the vehicle is autonomously driving, based on the driving environment information and the operating mode information. The specific driving environment may be a driving environment affected by the reflected light upon detecting an object. The autonomous driving mode may be an operating mode in which the vehicle drives based on its own determination without a user&#39;s driving manipulation. When determining that the vehicle is autonomously driving in the specific driving environment, the control unit  170  may control the vehicle to enter a caution mode. 
     In a caution mode, the control unit  170  may activate the reflective area setting unit  120 , the reflective image removal unit  130 , and the reliability determination unit  140 . In the normal mode, the control unit  170  may deactivate the reflective area setting unit  120 , the reflective image removal unit  130 , and the reliability determination unit  140 . In this case, the reliability determination unit  140  may transmit the second object information DATA_ 3  received from the object detection unit  110 , to the driving route determination unit  150  as it is. 
     The control unit  170  may provide the object detection unit  110  with a first control signal CTRL_ 1  for controlling the entry into the caution mode. The object detection unit  110  may provide the first object information DATA_ 1  to the reflective area setting unit  120  in response to the first control signal CTRL_ 1 . 
     The control unit  170  may determine that the driving environment of the vehicle is not the specific driving environment, or may determine that the operating mode of the vehicle is not an autonomous driving mode, based on the driving environment information and the operating mode information. In this case, the object detection unit  110  may provide the first object information DATA_ 1  to the reliability determination unit  140  depending on a normal mode. In the normal mode, the reliability determination unit  140  may provide the first object information DATA_ 1  to the driving route determination unit  150  as it is. 
     To enter the caution mode, the control unit  170  may provide a second control signal CTRL_ 2  to the reflective area setting unit  120 . The reflective area setting unit  120  may be activated in response to the second control signal CTRL_ 2 . For example, the reflective area setting unit  120  may set the first reflective area in response to the second control signal CTRL_ 2 . 
     To enter the caution mode, the control unit  170  may provide the third control signal CTRL_ 3  to the reflective image removal unit  130 . The reflective image removal unit  130  may be activated in response to the third control signal CTRL_ 3 . For example, the reflective image removal unit  130  may set the second reflective area or may remove the reflective image, in response to the third control signal CTRL_ 3 . 
     To enter the caution mode, the control unit  170  may provide a fourth control signal CTRL_ 4  to the reliability determination unit  140 . The reliability determination unit  140  may be activated in response to the fourth control signal CTRL_ 4 . For example, the reliability determination unit  140  may determine the reliability of the second object information DATA_ 3  in response to the fourth control signal CTRL_ 4 . 
       FIG. 3  is a flowchart illustrating an operating method of the vehicle control apparatus according to  FIG. 2 . Referring to  FIGS. 2 and 3 , the vehicle control apparatus  100  may include the object detection unit  110 , the reflective area setting unit  120 , the reflective image removal unit  130 , the reliability determination unit  140 , the control unit  170 , the driving route determination unit  150 , and the vehicle control unit  160 . It may be understood that the operation of each unit described below is the operation of the vehicle control apparatus  100 . 
     In operation S 110 , the vehicle control apparatus  100  may receive a camera image. For example, the object detection unit  110  of the vehicle control apparatus  100  may include the first vehicle external image IMG_ 1 . 
     In operation S 120 , the vehicle control apparatus  100  may perform primary object detection. For example, the object detection unit  110  of the vehicle control apparatus  100  may obtain the first object information DATA_ 1  based on the first vehicle external image IMG_ 1 . The first object information DATA_ 1  may include light source information. The light source information may include at least one of location information, size information, brightness information, and color information of the light source. 
     In operation S 130 , the vehicle control apparatus  100  may determine whether to enter a caution mode. For example, the control unit  170  of the vehicle control apparatus  100  may determine whether to enter the caution mode, through driving environment information and operating mode information. The operating mode may include an autonomous driving mode and a manual driving mode. When determining that a vehicle in an autonomous driving mode is in a specific driving environment, the control unit  170  may enter the caution mode. 
     When determining that the vehicle is not in the specific driving environment, the control unit  170  may not generate a signal for entering the caution mode. In this case, the vehicle control apparatus  100  may generate a driving route based on the first object information DATA_ 1  and may control the driving of the vehicle, depending on the normal mode. 
     When it is determined that the vehicle enters the caution mode, in operation S 140 , the vehicle control apparatus  100  may set the first reflective area for the reflected light, based on the first object information DATA_ 1 . For example, the reflective area setting unit  120  of the vehicle control apparatus  100  may set the first reflective area by detecting a road horizontal line. The detailed descriptions about an operation of setting the first reflective area will be described later in  FIGS. 4A and 4B . The reflective area setting unit  120  may provide the reflective image removal unit  130  with information DATA_ 2  about the first reflective area. 
     In operation S 150 , the vehicle control apparatus  100  may remove the reflective image based on the information DATA_ 2  about the first reflective area. For example, the reflective image removal unit  130  of the vehicle control apparatus  100  may generate a cluster corresponding to the reflective image through clustering, may set the second reflective area smaller than the first reflective area, and may remove the cluster through replacement within the second reflective area. The detailed descriptions about an operation of removing a reflective image will be described later in  FIG. 5 . The reflective image removal unit  130  may generate the second vehicle external image IMG_ 2  in which the reflective image is removed, and may provide the second vehicle external image IMG_ 2  to the object detection unit  110 . 
     In operation S 160 , the vehicle control apparatus  100  may perform secondary object detection based on the second vehicle external image IMG_ 2 . For example, the object detection unit  110  of the vehicle control apparatus  100  may obtain the second object information DATA_ 3  through secondary object detection. The second object information DATA_ 3  may be information about objects outside the vehicle, in which the reflected light is removed. The object detection unit  110  may provide the second object information DATA_ 3  to the reliability determination unit  140 . 
     In operation S 170 , the vehicle control apparatus  100  may determine the reliability of the second object information DATA_ 3 . For example, the reliability determination unit  140  of the vehicle control apparatus  100  may determine the reliability of the second object information DATA_ 3  through an IoU value for an overlapped area of an object detection area and the second reflective area. The detailed descriptions about an operation of determining reliability will be described later in  FIG. 8 . 
     When it is determined that the reliability of the second object information DATA_ 3  is lower than a setting value, the reflective image removal unit  130  may set a third reflective area smaller than the second reflective area. Similarly to operation S 150 , the reflective image removal unit  130  may remove the reflective image in the third reflective area. 
     When it is determined that the reliability of the second object information DATA_ 3  is higher than the setting value, in operation S 180 , the vehicle control apparatus  100  may generate a driving route based on the second object information DATA_ 3 . 
     In operation S 190 , the vehicle control apparatus  100  may control the vehicle driving device such that the vehicle drives autonomously along the driving route generated by the driving route determination unit  150 . 
       FIGS. 4A and 4B  are views illustrating reflective areas set according to  FIG. 3 . Referring to  FIGS. 2 to 4A , the object detection unit  110  may detect first to seventh light sources OB 1  to OB 7  in a first vehicle external image IMG_ 1   a . The object detection unit  110  may obtain light source information about the first to seventh light sources OB 1  to OB 7 . The light source information may include at least one of location information, size information, brightness information, and color information of each of the first to seventh light sources OB 1  to OB 7 . 
     The reflective area setting unit  120  may set  1   a -th to  1   e -th reflective areas R 1   a  to R 1   e , based on information about the first to seventh light sources OB 1  to OB 7 . The  1   a -th to  1   e -th reflective areas R 1   a  to R 1   e  may mean areas in each of which a reflective image may be formed by the first to seventh light sources OB 1  to OB 7 . The  1   a -th to  1   e -th reflective areas R 1   a  to R 1   e  may be changed depending on information about the first to seventh light sources OB 1  to OB 7 , and a camera location. 
     The reflective area setting unit  120  may set the  1   a -th to  1   e -th reflective areas R 1   a  to R 1   e  respectively corresponding to the first to seventh light sources OB 1  to OB 7 . At this time, some of the  1   a -th to  1   e -th reflective areas R 1   a  to R 1   e  may overlap with one another. The reflective area setting unit  120  may set the overlapped first reflective areas as a single integrated reflective area. For example, the fifth light source OB 5 , the sixth light source OB 6 , and the seventh light source OB 7  may overlap with one another in the y-axis direction, and the first reflective areas corresponding thereto may also overlap with one another. In this case, the reflective area setting unit  120  may set the single integrated  1   e -th reflective area R 1   e . Hereinafter, the  1   e -th reflective area R 1   e  refers to the single integrated  1   e -th reflective area R 1   e  obtained by integrating the first reflective area corresponding to the fifth light source OB 5 , the first reflective area corresponding to the sixth light source OB 6 , and the first reflective area corresponding to the seventh light source OB 7 . 
     The reflective area setting unit  120  may detect a road horizontal line H 1  from the first vehicle external image IMG_ 1   a  and may set the road horizontal line H 1  as an axis. In the embodiment of  FIG. 4A , the road horizontal line H 1  may be parallel to the x-axis. In this case, the horizontal location of a light source may be the point at which a line hereinafter, a “center line” extending in the vertical direction (y-axis direction) from each center of the first to seventh light sources OB 1  to OB 7  is intersected with the x-axis or the road horizontal line H 1 . The horizontal location of the  1   a -th to  1   e -th reflective areas R 1   a  to R 1   e  may be a point at which each center line of the  1   a -th to  1   e -th reflective areas R 1   a  to R 1   e  is intersected with the x-axis or the road horizontal line H 1 . The horizontal location of each of the  1   a -th to  1   e -th reflective areas R 1   a  to R 1   e  may correspond to the horizontal location of each of the first to seventh light sources OB 1  to OB 7 , and may be corrected depending on the geometric location of a camera mounted on a vehicle with respect to the horizontal location of each of the first to seventh light sources OB 1  to OB 7 . 
     The width of each of the  1   a -th to  1   e -th reflective areas R 1   a  to R 1   e  may be proportional to the width of each of the first to seventh light sources OB 1  to OB 7 . The length of each of the  1   a -th to  1   e -th reflective areas R 1   a  to R 1   e  may extend in the first direction from the road horizontal line H 1 . The first direction may be a direction facing the vehicle from the road horizontal line H 1 . Alternatively, the first direction may be the y-axis direction. 
     Referring to  FIG. 4B , the object detection unit  110  may detect an eighth light source OB 8  and a ninth light source OB 9 , which are located in the first direction with respect to a road horizontal line H 2 , from a first vehicle external image IMG_ 1   b . When a light source is located in the first direction from the road horizontal line H 2 , the first reflective area may be set from one end in the first direction of the light source. The one end in the first direction of the light source may be an end portion in the first direction in a light source detection area. The light source detection area is an area for displaying a light source, and has a circular shape according to  FIG. 4B , but the shape of the light source detection area is not limited thereto. 
     For example, the  1   h -th reflective area R 1   h  may be set from one end of the eighth light source OB 8 . The length of the  1   h -th reflective area R 1   h  may extend in the first direction from one end of the eighth light source OB 8 . The  1   i -th reflective area R 1   i  may be set from one end of the ninth light source OB 9 . The length of the  1   i -th reflective area R 1   i  may extend in the first direction from one end of the ninth light source OB 9 . 
     The width of each of the  1   h -th and  1   i -th reflective areas R 1   h  and R 1   i  may be proportional to the width of each of the 8th and 9th light sources OB 8  and OB 9 . 
       FIG. 5  is a flowchart illustrating an operation of removing a reflective image according to  FIG. 3 . Referring to  FIGS. 2, 3, and 5 , operation S 150  of removing a reflective image may include operation S 151  of detecting a pixel value, operation S 152  of generating a cluster, operation S 153  of resetting a reflective area, and operation S 154  of replacing a cluster. 
     In operation S 151 , the vehicle control apparatus  100  may detect pixel values of pixels inside the first reflective area based on the information DATA_ 2  about the first reflective area. For example, the pixel value may be the brightness value of the corresponding pixel. The reflective image removal unit  130  of the vehicle control apparatus  100  may obtain a brightness value with respect to all pixels inside the first reflective area. Alternatively, the reflective image removal unit  130  may obtain the brightness value with respect to pixels belonging to a predetermined range within the first reflective area. In this case, the control unit  170  may provide the reflective image removal unit  130  with a control signal for detecting a pixel value with respect to a predetermined range. 
     In operation S 152 , the vehicle control apparatus  100  may generate a cluster, using the pixel values detected in operation S 151 . For example, the reflective image removal unit  130  of the vehicle control apparatus  100  may set a reference pixel value based on light source information, may detect pixels having a pixel value, which is not less than the reference pixel value, and may generate a cluster. For example, the cluster may be a set of pixels having a brightness value, which is not less than the reference brightness value, within the first reflective area. In this case, the cluster may correspond to a reflective image. 
     In operation S 153 , the vehicle control apparatus  100  may reset the first reflective area based on the cluster. The reset first reflective area may be referred to as a “second reflective area”. The size of the second reflective area may be smaller than the size of the first reflective area. For example, the reflective image removal unit  130  of the vehicle control apparatus  100  may set the second reflective area based on the center point location of the cluster, the first direction size of the cluster, and the second direction size of the cluster. 
     In operation S 154 , the vehicle control apparatus  100  may remove the cluster through replacement. The second reflective area may be divided into a first area inside the cluster and a second area outside the cluster. For example, the reflective image removal unit  130  of the vehicle control apparatus  100  may calculate the average value of second pixel values inside the second area, and may replace first pixel values inside the first area with the average value of the second pixel values. 
       FIGS. 6A to 7B  are diagrams illustrating an example of an operation of removing a reflective image according to  FIG. 5 . Referring to  FIGS. 5 and 6A , a first cluster C 1  may be present within a first reflective area R 6 . The first cluster C 1  may be a set of pixels having a brightness value, which is not less than a reference brightness value, from among pixels within the first reflective area R 6 . The reflective image removal unit  130  may generate the first cluster C 1  by clustering pixels having a brightness value that is not less than the reference brightness value. In this case, the scheme such as K-means clustering, or the like may be used. Referring to  FIG. 6B , second and third clusters C 2  and C 3  may be generated within a first reflective area R 7 . 
     Referring to  FIGS. 6A and 7A , the first cluster C 1  may have a first direction size (Y) in a first direction and a second direction size (X) in a second direction, from a center point CP 1  of the first cluster C 1 . The reflective image removal unit  130  may set a second reflective area RR 1  having a size more increased by a first setting value Q 1  in the first direction from the center point CP 1  than the first direction size (Y). The reflective image removal unit  130  may set the second reflective area RR 1  having a size more increased by a second setting value Q 2  in the second direction from the center point CP 1  than the second direction size (X). 
     The second reflective area RR 1  may be set to a size smaller than the first reflective area R 6 . The second reflective area RR 1  may include the cluster C 1 . The reflective image removal unit  130  may set the optimal second reflective area RR 1  by adjusting the first setting value Q 1  and the second setting value Q 2 . 
     The reflective image removal unit  130  may replace a value of a pixel P 1  inside the cluster C 1  with a value of a pixel PP 1 , which is positioned outside the cluster C 1  and inside the second reflective area RR 1 . Alternatively, the reflective image removal unit  130  may replace the value of the pixel P 1  inside the cluster C 1  with the average value of the pixels, which are positioned outside the cluster C 1  and inside the second reflective area RR 1 . 
     Referring to  FIGS. 6B and 7B , a second reflective area RR 2  may be set based on the second cluster C 2 . The second reflective area RR 2  may have the size more increased by a third setting value q 1  in the first direction from the reference point CP 2  of the second cluster C 2  than the size y 1  of the second cluster C 2 . The second reflective area RR 2  may have the size more increased by a fourth setting value q 2  in the second direction from the reference point CP 2  of the second cluster C 2  than the size x 1  of the second cluster C 2 . The second cluster C 2  may be removed by replacing the internal pixel P 2  with the external pixel PP 2 . 
     Similarly to the description about the second reflective area RR 2 , the third reflective area RR 3  may be set based on the third cluster C 3 , and the third cluster C 3  may be removed by replacing an internal pixel P 3  with an external pixel PP 3 . 
     The reflective image removal unit  130  may perform an individual reflective image removal operation on each of the plurality of clusters C 2  and C 3 . Except for including the plurality of clusters C 2  and C 3 , the description about  FIG. 7B  is similar to that of  FIG. 7A , and thus the detailed description is omitted. 
       FIG. 8  is a flowchart illustrating the operation of determining reliability according to  FIG. 3 . Referring to  FIGS. 2, 3, and 8 , operation S 170  of determining reliability may include operation S 171  of receiving second object information, operation S 172  of receiving reset reflective area information, operation S 173  of calculating an IoU value, operation S 174  of comparing an IoU value with a threshold value, and operation S 175  or S 176  of a reliability determination result. 
     In operation S 171 , the vehicle control apparatus  100  may obtain the second object information DATA_ 3 . For example, the reliability determination unit  140  of the vehicle control apparatus  100  may receive the second object information DATA_ 3  from the object detection unit  110 . 
     In operation S 172 , the vehicle control apparatus  100  may obtain the information DATA_ 4  about the second reflective area. For example, the reliability determination unit  140  of the vehicle control apparatus  100  may receive the information DATA_ 4  about the second reflective area from the reflective image removal unit  130 . The sequence of operation S 171  and operation S 172  is not limited to  FIG. 8 . 
     In operation S 173 , the vehicle control apparatus  100  may calculate an IoU value. For example, the reliability determination unit  140  of the vehicle control apparatus  100  may set an object detection area based on the second object information DATA_ 3  and may detect an overlapping area between the object detection area and the second reflective area. The overlapping area refers to an intersection area between the object detection area and the second reflective area. The IoU value indicates a value obtained by dividing the overlapping area by a union area of the object detection area and the second reflective area. 
     In operation S 174 , the vehicle control apparatus  100  may determine whether the IoU value is less than the threshold value, by comparing the IoU value with the threshold value. When the IoU value is less than the threshold value, in operation S 175 , the vehicle control apparatus  100  may determine that the reliability of the second object information DATA_ 3  is higher than a setting value. In this case, the vehicle control apparatus  100  may generate a driving route based on the second object information DATA_ 3 . 
     When the IoU value is greater than the threshold value, in operation S 176 , the vehicle control apparatus  100  may determine that the reliability of the second object information DATA_ 3  is lower than the setting value. In this case, the vehicle control apparatus  100  may set a third reflective area having a size smaller than the second reflective area and may again perform an operation of removing the reflective image again based on the third reflective area. Because the distortion is smaller upon removing the reflective image as the reflective area is smaller, the vehicle control apparatus  100  may increase the accuracy or reliability of object detection by setting a smaller reflective area. 
     When determining that the reliability of the second object information DATA_ 3  is lower than the setting value, the vehicle control apparatus  100  may repeatedly remove the reflective image and may repeatedly determine the reliability of object information, while resetting the reflective area to a smaller size. According to the embodiment, the control unit  170  may set a repetition count or a repetition time. When the repetition count or repetition time is exceeded, the reliability determination unit  140  may provide the changed second object information to the driving route determination unit  150 . The changed second object information may be information obtained excluding information of which the reliability is lower than the setting value, or information replaced with other information. According to the embodiment, when the repetition count or repetition time is exceeded, the reliability determination unit  140  may generate a manual driving request signal. 
       FIGS. 9A to 9C  are diagrams illustrating an embodiment of an operation of determining reliability according to  FIG. 8 . Referring to  FIGS. 8 and 9A , a first overlapping area  811  may be an area where an object detection area  810  overlaps with a second reflective area RR 4 . An IoU value may be calculated by dividing an intersection area between the object detection area  810  and the second reflective area RR 4  by a union area of the object detection area  810  and the second reflective area RR 4 . In the case of  FIG. 9A , the reliability determination unit  140  may determine that the IoU value is smaller than a threshold value. 
     When the IoU value is less than the threshold value, the accuracy of object detection may not be affected a lot by the first overlapping area  811 . In other words, the reliability for object information may be increased. 
     Referring to  FIGS. 8 and 9B , a second overlapping area  821  may be an area where an object detection area  820  overlaps with a second reflective area RRS. An IoU value may be calculated by dividing an intersection area between the object detection area  820  and the second reflective area RR 5  by a union area of the object detection area  820  and the second reflective area RR 5 . In the case of  FIG. 9B , the reliability determination unit  140  may determine that the IoU value is greater than the threshold value. 
     When the IoU value is greater than the threshold value, the accuracy of object detection may be greatly affected by the second overlapping area  821 . In other words, the reliability for object information may be decreased. 
       FIGS. 8 and 9C , a plurality of overlapping areas  831  and  841  may be formed in a single second reflective area RR 6 . The reliability determination unit  140  may determine the number of overlapping areas  831  and  841 , and may individually calculate the IoU value with respect to each overlapping area  831  or  841 . The description about  FIG. 9C  is similar to the description about  FIG. 9A or 9B  except for including the plurality of overlapping areas  831  and  841 , and thus the detailed description will be omitted. 
     In the case of  FIG. 9C , the reliability determination unit  140  may determine that the IoU value for the third overlapping area  831  is greater than the threshold value, and may determine that the IoU value for the fourth overlapping area  841  is smaller than the threshold value. The reliability determination unit  140  may provide the driving route determination unit  150  with the third object information DATA_ 5  excluding object information about the third overlapping area  831 . Alternatively, the reliability determination unit  140  may provide the driving route determination unit  150  with the third object information DATA_ 5  obtained by replacing the object information for the third overlapping area  831  with other information. Here, the other information may be specific information indicating “undetectable” or “caution”. 
       FIGS. 10 and 11  are views illustrating an autonomous vehicle equipped with a vehicle control apparatus according to an embodiment of the disclosure. Referring to  FIGS. 10 and 11 , an autonomous vehicle  1000  may include a vehicle control apparatus  1100 , a camera  1200 , a driving device  1300 , a braking device  1400 , and a steering device  1500 . 
     The autonomous vehicle  1000  refers to a vehicle capable of being driven automatically without the driving manipulation of a human. The vehicle is defined as the means of transport running on a road or track, and includes a vehicle, a train, and a motorcycle. The vehicle may be a concept including all of an internal combustion engine vehicle including an engine as a power source, a hybrid vehicle including an engine and an electric motor as a power source, an electric vehicle including an electric motor as a power source, and the like. 
     The vehicle control apparatus  1100  may include a power supply unit  1110 , a processor  1120 , an interface  1130 , and a memory  1140 . The vehicle control apparatus  1100  may control the autonomous driving of a vehicle inside the autonomous vehicle  1000 . The vehicle control apparatus  100  according to  FIG. 2  may be applied to the vehicle control apparatus  1100 . 
     According to the embodiment, the vehicle control apparatus  1100  may obtain object information from a vehicle external image captured by the camera  1200  and may control the driving of the autonomous vehicle  1000  based on the object information. When a reflective image is included in the vehicle external image depending on driving environments, the vehicle control apparatus  1100  may enter a caution mode and may generate the vehicle external image in which the reflective image is removed. The vehicle control apparatus  1100  may again obtain the object information based on the vehicle external image in which the reflective image is removed, and may control the driving of the autonomous vehicle  1000  based on the object information, thereby realizing an autonomous driving robust to changes in driving environments. 
     The vehicle control apparatus  1000  may include at least one printed circuit board (PCB). The power supply unit  1110 , the processor  1120 , the interface  1130 , and the memory  1140  may be electrically connected to the PCB. 
     The power supply unit  1110  may supply power to the vehicle control apparatus  1100 . The power supply unit  1110  may receive power from a power source (e.g., a battery) included in the autonomous vehicle  1000 , and then may supply power to each unit of the vehicle control apparatus  1100 . 
     The processor  1120  may be electrically connected to the power supply unit  1110 , the interface  1130 , and the memory  1140  to exchange signals. The processor  1120  may include at least one of the object detection unit  110 , the reflective area setting unit  120 , the reflective image removal unit  130 , the reliability determination unit  140 , the control unit  170 , the driving route determination unit  150 , and the vehicle control unit  160  according to  FIG. 2 . The description about specific units inside the processor  1120  is similar to that of  FIG. 2 , and thus is omitted. 
     According to an embodiment, the processor  1120  may include the object detection unit  110 , the reflective area setting unit  120 , the reflective image removal unit  130 , the reliability determination unit  140 , and the control unit  170 . In this case, the vehicle control apparatus  1100  including the processor  1120  may be referred to as an “object detection device”. The driving route determination unit  150  and the vehicle control unit  160  according to  FIG. 2  may be implemented by a separate processor. 
     The processor  1120  may be implemented using at least one of application specific integrated circuits (ASICs), digital signal processors (DSPs), digital signal processing devices (DSPDs), programmable logic devices (PLDs), field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), processors, controllers, micro-controllers, microprocessors, and electrical units for performing other functions. 
     The processor  1120  may be driven by the power provided from the power supply unit  1110 . In a state where power is supplied by the power supply unit  1110 , the processor  1120  may receive data, may process data, may generate a signal, and may provide a signal. The processor  1120  may receive information from another electronic device inside the autonomous vehicle  1000  through the interface  1130 . The processor  1120  may provide a control signal to the other electronic device inside the autonomous vehicle  1000  through the interface  1130 . 
     The interface  1130  may exchange signals with at least one electronic device provided inside the autonomous vehicle  1000  by wire or wirelessly. The interface  1130  may exchange signals with at least one of the driving device  1300 , the braking device  1400 , and the steering device  1500  by wire or wirelessly. The interface  1130  may be composed of at least one of a communication module, a terminal, a pin, a cable, a port, a circuit, an element, and a device. 
     The memory  1140  may store basic data for a unit, control data for operation control of a unit, and input/output data. The memory  1140  may store data processed by the processor  1120 . The memory  1140  may be implemented with at least one of ROM, RAM, EPROM, flash drive, or hard drive in the form of hardware. The memory  1140  may store various pieces of data for the overall operation of the vehicle control apparatus  1100 , such as a program for the processing or control of the processor  1120 . 
     The camera  1200  may obtain a vehicle external image. The camera  1200  may provide the obtained vehicle external image to the vehicle control apparatus  1100 . The camera  1200  may include at least one lens and at least one image sensor to obtain the vehicle external image. Besides, the camera  1200  may further include at least one processor that processes a signal received while being electrically connected to the image sensor and generates data for an object based on the processed signal. 
     The camera  1200  may be at least one of a mono camera, a stereo camera, or an Around View Monitoring (AVM) camera. The camera  1200  may obtain location information of an object, information about the distance to an object, or information about a relative speed of an object, using various image processing algorithms. 
     To obtain an image in front of a vehicle, the camera  1200  may be disposed in the interior of the vehicle to be close to the front windshield. There may be a plurality of cameras  1200 . The camera  1200  may further include a rear camera for obtaining an image of the rear of the vehicle, or a side camera for obtaining an image of the side of the vehicle. The installation location and number of the camera  1200  are not limited thereto. 
     The driving device  1300  may include a power train driving device. The power train driving device may include a power source driving device and a transmission driving device. For example, when a fossil fuel-based engine is a power source, the driving device  1300  may control the output torque of the engine. For example, when an electric energy-based motor is a power source, the driving device  1300  may control the rotation speed or torque of the motor. To increase the speed of the vehicle, the vehicle control apparatus  1100  may generate an acceleration input signal and may provide the driving device  1300  with the acceleration input signal. 
     The braking device  1400  may control the braking of each of wheels W 1 , W 2 , W 3 , and W 4 . The braking device  1400  may control the operation of a brake disposed on each of the wheels W 1 , W 2 , W 3 , and W 4 . To reduce the speed of a vehicle, the vehicle control apparatus  1100  may generate a deceleration input signal and then may provide the deceleration input signal to the braking device  1400 . The braking device  1400  may individually control each of a plurality of brakes. 
     The steering device  1500  may change the traveling direction of a vehicle. The steering device  1500  may adjust the angle of the front wheels W 1  and W 2 , may adjust the angle of the rear wheels W 3  and W 4 , or may adjust the angle of the four wheels W 1 , W 2 , W 3 , and W 4 . To change the traveling direction of the vehicle, the vehicle control apparatus  1100  may generate a steering input signal and then may provide the steering input signal to the steering device  1500 . 
     Although not shown in  FIGS. 10 and 11 , the autonomous vehicle  1000  may further include electronic devices such as a user interface device, a V2X communication device, an ADAS driving system, a sensor, a GPS, and the like. Furthermore, the autonomous vehicle  1000  may include a main Electronic Control Unit (ECU) that controls the overall operation of at least one electronic device provided in the autonomous vehicle  1000 . The at least one electronic device provided in the autonomous vehicle  1000  may exchange signals via an internal communication system. The internal communication system may use at least one communication protocol (e.g., CAN, LIN, FlexRay, MOST, or Ethernet). 
     The above description refers to embodiments for implementing the disclosure. Embodiments according to the disclosure may be implemented with a computer-readable code in a medium in which a program is recorded. The computer-readable recording medium may include all kinds of storage devices in which data readable by a computer system are stored. Embodiments in which a design is changed simply or which are easily changed may be included in the disclosure as well as an embodiment described above. In addition, technologies that are easily changed and implemented by using the above embodiments may be included in the disclosure. While the disclosure has been described with reference to some embodiments thereof, it will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art that various changes and modifications may be made thereto without departing from the spirit and scope of the disclosure as set forth in the following claims. 
     According to an embodiment of the disclosure, a vehicle external image in which a reflective image is removed may be obtained by entering the caution mode to perform clustering within the set reflective area, in a driving environment in rain or snow. 
     Furthermore, vehicle driving may be controlled based on highly-reliable object information, and the stability of autonomous driving may be improved, by performing reliability evaluation on the object obtained through the vehicle external image in which the reflective image is removed. 
     While the disclosure has been described with reference to some embodiments thereof, it will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art that various changes and modifications may be made thereto without departing from the spirit and scope of the disclosure as set forth in the following claims.