Object detection apparatus

• US 10,380,893 B2
• Filed: 09/14/2015
• Issued: 08/13/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 09/24/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Original Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Inventors: Baba, Takahiro
• Primary Examiner(s): Melton, Todd M
• Application Number:
  US15/513,532
• Publication Number:
  US 20170294123A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,429 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/00 Arrangements or fittings on vehicles for protecting or preventing injuries to occupants or pedestrians in case of accidents or other traffic risks safety belts or body harnesses in vehicles B60R22/00; seats constructed to protect the occupant from the effect of abnormal g-forces, e.g. crash or safety seats, B60N2/42; energy-absorbing arrangements for hand wheels for steering vehicles B62D1/11; energy-absorbing arrangements for vehicle steering columns B62D1/19
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/42 Simultaneous measurement of distance and other co-ordinates indirect measurement G01S13/46
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/867 Combination of radar systems with cameras
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/931 of land vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 15/42 Simultaneous measurement of distance and other co-ordinates indirect measurement G01S15/46
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2013/93185 Controlling the brakes
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2013/9319 Controlling the accelerator
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0238 using obstacle or wall sensors G05D1/0246 and G05D1/0289 take precedence; lidar systems designed for anti-collision purposes G01S17/93
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0255 using acoustic signals, e.g. ultra-sonic singals sonar systems designed for anti-collision purposes G01S15/93
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/58 Recognition of moving objects or obstacles, e.g. vehicles or pedestrians; Recognition of traffic objects, e.g. traffic signs, traffic lights or roads
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/16 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 Class Codes: G08G 1/163 involving continuous checking
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/165 for passive traffic, e.g. including static obstacles, trees
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/166 for active traffic, e.g. moving vehicles, pedestrians, bikes

Abstract

In an object detection apparatus, a sameness determination unit determines whether or not a first object and a second object are a same object, where the first object is an object detected by an electromagnetic wave sensor and the second object is an object detected by an image sensor. A position determination unit determines a position of the same object that is an object for which the first object and the second object are determined to be the same, where a Y-coordinate of or a distance to the same object in an XY-plane is determined employing a result of the detection of the first object and an X-coordinate or an azimuth of the same object with respect to a reference direction in the XY-plane is determined employing a result of the detection of the second object.

Claims

1. An object detection apparatus mounted in a vehicle, comprising:

a sameness determination unit configured to determine, using a processor, whether or not a first object and a second object are a same object, the first object being an object detected by an electromagnetic wave sensor configured to transmit and receive electromagnetic waves to detect a position of the object, the second object being an object detected by an image sensor configured to image process a captured image to detect a position of the object;

a position determination unit configured to determine, using the processor, a position of the same object that is an object for which the first object and the second object are determined to be the same, a Y-coordinate of the same object or a distance to the same object in an XY-plane being determined by employing a result of the detection of the first object, an X-coordinate of the same object or an azimuth of the same object with respect to a reference direction in the XY-plane being determined by employing a result of the detection of the second object, the XY-plane being defined such that an X-axis direction of the XY-plane is a vehicle widthwise direction and a Y-axis direction of the XY-plane is a vehicle lengthwise direction, the position determination unit being further configured to determine whether to employ the X-coordinate or the azimuth of the same object, according to a predefined condition, and

the position determination unit is configured to determine whether to employ the X-coordinate or the azimuth of the same object, depending on a distance to the first object.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the position determination unit is configured to, if the distance to the first object is equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold, use the azimuth of the second object to determine the position of the same object.

3. The apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the position determination unit is configured to, if the distance to the first object is less than the predetermined threshold, employ a larger one of an absolute value of an X-coordinate of the second object and an absolute value of an X-coordinate of the same object determined using an X-coordinate of the first object or the distance to the first object and the azimuth of the second object, as the X-coordinate of the same object.

4. The apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the position determination unit is configured to employ a larger one of an absolute value of an X-coordinate of the second object and an absolute value of an X-coordinate of the same object determined using an X-coordinate of the first object or the distance to the first object and the azimuth of the second object, as the X-coordinate of the same object.

5. A method for performing object detection utilizing an electromagnetic wave sensor and an image sensor, which are both mounted on a vehicle, the electromagnetic wave sensor configured to transmit and receive electromagnetic waves to detect object position, the image sensor configured to image process a captured image to also detect object position, the method comprising:

determining whether or not a first object and a second object are a same object, the first object being an object detected by the electromagnetic wave sensor, the second object being an object detected by the image sensor;

determining a position of the same object that is an object for which the first object and the second object are determined to be the same, wherein a Y-coordinate of the same object or a distance to the same object in an XY-plane being determined by employing a result of the detection of the first object, and an X-coordinate of the same object or an azimuth of the same object with respect to a reference direction in the XY-plane being determined by employing a result of the detection of the second object, wherein the XY-plane being defined such that an X-axis direction of the XY-plane is a vehicle widthwise direction and a Y-axis direction of the XY-plane is a vehicle lengthwise direction;

determining whether to employ the X-coordinate or the azimuth of the same object, according to a predefined condition; and

determining whether to employ the X-coordinate or the azimuth of the same object, depending on a distance to the first object.

6. A system for performing object detection utilizing an electromagnetic wave sensor and an image sensor, which are both mounted on a vehicle, the electromagnetic wave sensor configured to transmit and receive electromagnetic waves to detect object position, the image sensor configured to image process a captured image to also detect object position, the system comprising:

a central processor;

a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium; and

a set of computer-executable instructions stored on the computer-readable storage medium that cause the central processor to implement;

determining whether or not a first object and a second object are a same object, the first object being an object detected by the electromagnetic wave sensor, the second object being an object detected by the image sensor;

determining a position of the same object that is an object for which the first object and the second object are determined to be the same, wherein a Y-coordinate of the same object or a distance to the same object in an XY-plane being determined by employing a result of the detection of the first object, and an X-coordinate of the same object or an azimuth of the same object with respect to a reference direction in the XY-plane being determined by employing a result of the detection of the second object, wherein the XY-plane being defined such that an X-axis direction of the XY-plane is a vehicle widthwise direction and a Y-axis direction of the XY-plane is a vehicle lengthwise direction;

determining whether to employ the X-coordinate or the azimuth of the same object, according to a predefined condition; and

determining whether to employ the X-coordinate or the azimuth of the same object, depending on a distance to the first object.