Outside environment recognition device for use in vehicle to recognize e.g. pedestrian in detection region, has determining unit determining whether section group is individual candidate based on relationship between divided section groups

摘要

The device (130) has an image obtaining unit for obtaining an image of an object in a detection region. A grouping unit (162) generates a section group based on a relative relationship between multiple portions in a region that is extended from a plane corresponding to a road surface, upto predetermined height in the obtained image. An individual candidate determining unit (164) divides the section group in a horizontal direction of the image and determines whether the section group is an individual candidate based on a relative relationship between the divided section groups. The relative relationship between the portions in the region is selected from a group consisting of a position ratio, a difference in luminance or continuity in an edge direction. The relative relationship between the divided section groups is selected from a group consisting of a shape, size of the region, a symmetry and luminance. An independent claim is also included for an outside environment recognition method.