Object recognition device and object recognition method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12475717-B2
Application number	US-202318726825-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 24, 2023
Priority date	Jan 28, 2022
Publication date	Nov 18, 2025
Grant date	Nov 18, 2025

Abstract

An object recognition device of the present invention includes: an object detection unit which detects, as an object, a thing present around a sensor platform; a processing target object storage unit which stores the object as a processing target object, with a number there of being an upper limit value or smaller; and an object processing unit which, in a case where the processing target objects whose number is the upper limit value are stored, selects an object having a lowest evaluation value among the stored processing target objects whose number is the upper limit value, determines one object of the selected processing target object and an object newly detected by the object detection unit, and stores the determined object as the processing target object in the processing target object storage unit.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1 . An object recognition device provided to a sensor platform which is a mobile object or a roadside unit, the object recognition device comprising:
an object detector which detects, as an object, a thing present around the sensor platform; a processing target object storage which stores the object as a processing target object, with a number thereof being a predetermined upper limit value or smaller, such that the processing target object is associated with an evaluation value for storing and keeping the processing target object, the evaluation value being determined in accordance with a situation of the object relative to the sensor platform; and an object processing circuitry which, in a case where the processing target objects whose number is the upper limit value are stored in the processing target object storage, performs selection storage processing of selecting a processing target object associated with a lowest evaluation value among the processing target objects whose number is the upper limit value and which are stored in the processing target object storage, determining one object of the selected processing target object and an object newly detected by the object detector on the basis of the evaluation value for the selected processing target object and the evaluation value for the object newly detected by the object detector, and storing the determined object as the processing target object in the processing target object storage, wherein the evaluation value to be associated with each object includes a plurality of evaluation values based on a plurality of criteria that are different kinds, and in the selection of the processing target object associated with the lowest evaluation value, the object processing circuitry extracts processing target objects as candidates for the selection by the first evaluation value based on a first criterion among the plurality of criteria, from the processing target objects whose number is the upper limit value and which are stored in the processing target object storage, and selects the processing target object associated with the lowest evaluation value, from the processing target objects extracted as the candidates for the selection, on the basis of a second evaluation value based on a second criterion different from the first criterion among the plurality of criteria.

2 . The object recognition device according to claim 1 , wherein
in a case where a plurality of objects are newly detected by the object detector, the object processing circuitry performs the selection storage processing for the plurality of objects one by one sequentially.

3 . The object recognition device according to claim 1 , wherein
in the extraction of the processing target objects as the candidates for the selection, the object processing circuitry divides the processing target objects stored in the processing target object storage and the object newly detected by the object detector into a plurality of groups for respective first evaluation values based on the first criterion, and performs the extraction for each group.

4 . The object recognition device according to claim 3 , wherein
a minimum keeping value which is a minimum number of the processing target objects that should be stored and kept in the processing target object storage is imparted correspondingly to the group, and in the extraction for each group, in a case where the group is imparted with the minimum keeping value, the object processing circuitry compares the number of the processing target objects stored in the processing target object storage with the minimum keeping value, and as a result of the comparison, if the number of the processing target objects stored in the processing target object storage is the minimum keeping value or smaller, the object processing circuitry invalidates the extraction.

5 . The object recognition device according to claim 4 , wherein
the object processing circuitry determines whether or not to invalidate the extraction, only in a case where the sensor platform is a mobile object and a traveling state of the mobile object satisfies a predetermined condition.

6 . The object recognition device according to claim 1 , wherein
in the determination of one object of the selected processing target object and the object newly detected by the object detector, firstly, the object processing circuitry determines the one object by the first evaluation value based on the first criterion, and secondly, in a case where the one object is not successfully determined by the first evaluation value based on the first criterion, the object processing circuitry determines the one object by the second evaluation value based on the second criterion.

7 . The object recognition device according to claim 6 , wherein
the first evaluation values based on the first criterion include “approach” which indicates that the object is approaching the sensor platform, “front” which indicates that the object is located in front of the sensor platform, and “other” which indicates that the object corresponds to neither the “approach” nor the “front” relative to the sensor platform.

8 . The object recognition device according to claim 6 , wherein
the second evaluation values based on the second criterion include a value of a time to collision of the object with the sensor platform and a value of a distance of the object from the sensor platform.

9 . An object recognition method to be executed in a sensor platform which is a mobile object or a roadside unit, the object recognition method comprising:
detecting, as an object, a thing present around the sensor platform; and storing, in a processing target object storage, the object as a processing target object, with a number thereof being a predetermined upper limit value or smaller, such that the processing target object is associated with an evaluation value for storing and keeping the processing target object, the evaluation value being determined in accordance with a situation of the object relative to the sensor platform; and in a case where the processing target objects whose number is the upper limit value are stored in the processing target object storage, selecting a processing target object associated with a lowest evaluation value among the processing target objects whose number is the upper limit value and which are stored in the processing target object storage, determining one object of the selected processing target object and an object newly detected by the object detector on the basis of the evaluation value for the selected processing target object and the evaluation value for the object newly detected by the object detector, and storing the determined object as the processing target object in the processing target object storage, wherein the evaluation value to be associated with each object includes a plurality of evaluation values based on a plurality of criteria that are different kinds, and in the object processing, in the selection of the processing target object associated with the lowest evaluation value, processing target objects are extracted as candidates for the selection by the first evaluation value based on a first criterion among the plurality of criteria, from the processing target objects whose number is the upper limit value and which are stored in the processing target object storage, and the processing target object associated with the lowest evaluation value is selected from the processing target objects extracted as the candidates for the selection, on the basis of a second evaluation value based on a second criterion different from the first criterion among the plurality of criteria.

Assignees

• Mitsubishi Electric Corp

Inventors

• Mori Masanori
• Tamazumi Hideaki

Classifications

• G08G1/16

  Anti-collision systems (road vehicle drive control systems for predicting or avoiding probable or impending collision otherwise than by control of a particular sub-unit B60W30/08) · CPC title

• G06V20/58 Primary

  Recognition of moving objects or obstacles, e.g. vehicles or pedestrians; Recognition of traffic objects, e.g. traffic signs, traffic lights or roads · CPC title