Patent ID: 8737689

Claim:
An environment recognition device comprising: a data retaining unit that retains a luminance range in association with a specific object; a luminance obtaining unit that obtains a luminance of a target portion in a detection area of an image; a luminance specifying unit that specifies a luminance of a road surface and a luminance of a predetermined reference portion other than a road surface from among the obtained luminances; a white balance deriving unit that derives a white balance correction value such that the luminance of the road surface is recognized as a specific color; a white balance performing unit that derives a corrected luminance by performing a white balance correction using the white balance correction value on the obtained luminances; and a specific object provisional determining unit that provisionally determines a specific object corresponding to the target portion with a corrected luminance of the target portion based on the association retained in the data retaining unit, wherein, when the luminance of the road surface changes by a first predetermined value or more under a state in which the luminance of the reference portion does not change by a second predetermined value or more, and a luminance of the road surface after the change is not a predetermined color, the white balance deriving unit maintains the white balance correction value prior to the change from when the change occurs until the luminance of the road surface returns to the predetermined color.