| CPC B60R 21/01538 (2014.10) [B60R 21/01552 (2014.10); B60R 2021/01088 (2013.01)] | 6 Claims |
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1. A vehicle surrounding environment monitoring apparatus configured to monitor a surrounding person present around a vehicle, the vehicle surrounding environment monitoring apparatus comprising:
a camera configured to capture an image outside and surrounding of the vehicle;
a memory configured to store occupant facial information on an occupant of the vehicle and occupant information linked to the occupant; and
circuitry configured to:
determine whether a surrounding person is present based on the image captured by the camera;
in response to determining that the surrounding person is present, execute a facial information acquisition process to acquire surrounding person facial information from the image;
in response to successful acquisition of the surrounding person facial information by execution of the facial information acquisition process, calculate a degree of coincidence between the surrounding person facial information and the occupant facial information;
in response to the degree of coincidence is less than a first value, execute a first notification process and a second notification process, wherein the first notification process includes one or both of: (i) controlling a sound output device disposed in the vehicle to output sound, and (ii) controlling a light emitting device disposed in the vehicle to emit light, and wherein the second notification process includes controlling a first communication device disposed in the vehicle to transmit a notification to a predetermined portable terminal device;
in response to the degree of coincidence is equal to or greater than a second value that is greater than the first value, not execute the first notification process and the second notification process;
in response to the degree of coincidence is equal to or greater than the first value and less than the second value, execute a first information acquisition process, wherein the first information acquisition process includes acquiring first surrounding person information from a portable communication device via direct wireless communication through a second communication device disposed in the vehicle, the portable communication device being located outside the vehicle and within a direct wireless communication range of the second communication device;
in response to successful acquisition of the first surrounding person information by execution of the first information acquisition process, determine whether the first surrounding person information matches the occupant information;
in response to determining that the first surrounding person information matches the occupant information, not execute the first notification process and the second notification process; and
(1) in response to failure to acquire the first surrounding person information by execution of the first information acquisition process, or (2) in response to determining that the first surrounding person information does not match the occupant information, execute the first notification process and the second notification process.
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