Object detection apparatus

• US 10,436,900 B2
• Filed: 10/21/2015
• Issued: 10/08/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 10/22/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: DENSO Corporation, Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Inventors: Fukuman, Masumi, Ohbayashi, Motonari, Kida, Akihiro
• Primary Examiner(s): Baghdasaryan, Hovhannes
• Application Number:
  US14/919,562
• Publication Number:
  US 20160116588A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,448 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 15/46 Indirect determination of position data
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 15/878 wherein transceivers are operated, either sequentially or simultaneously, both in bi-static and in mono-static mode, e.g. cross-echo mode
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 15/931 of land vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2007/52009 of sensor obstruction, e.g. dirt- or ice-coating
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2015/465 by Trilateration, i.e. two transducers determine separately the distance to a target, whereby with the knowledge of the baseline length, i.e. the distance between the transducers, the position data of the target is determined
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2015/938 in the bumper area radar in bumper area G01S2013/93275; bumper with obstacle sensor of electric or electronic type B60R19/483
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/4039 of sensor or antenna obstruction, e.g. dirt- or ice-coating
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/52001 Auxiliary means for detecting or identifying sonar signals or the like, e.g. sonar jamming signals
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/52004 Means for monitoring or calibrating short-range imaging G01S7/5205
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/527 Extracting wanted echo signals Doppler systems G01S15/50

Abstract

An object detection apparatus is applied to a movable body including an object detection sensor which transmits a search wave and receives a reflected wave of the search wave as detection information of an object, and detects the object present around the movable body based on the detection information. The apparatus includes a frequency detection section which detects an occurrence frequency of a disturbance signal at the same time within a predetermined transmission time period determined with reference to a transmission period of the search wave, and a disturbance determination section which determines presence or absence of occurrence of disturbance based on the occurrence frequency detected by the frequency detection section.

Claims

1. An object detection apparatus which is applied to a movable body including an object detection sensor which transmits a search wave and receives a reflected wave of the search wave as detection information of an object during a detection time period, and detects the object present around the movable body based on the detection information, the apparatus comprising:

a disturbance determination section which determines a presence or an absence of an occurrence of a disturbance based on an occurrence frequency of disturbance signals detected by a frequency detection section; and

a distance calculation section which calculates a distance between the movable body and the object based on a time when the reflected wave is received,

wherein a reflected signal received during a predetermined distance detection time period is determined to be a first disturbance signal, the predetermined distance detection time period having a start time that is the same as a start time of the detection time period and having an end time that is before an end time of the detection time period,

wherein a reception signal received during a noise detection time period is determined to be a second disturbance signal, the noise detection time period being before a transmission time period of the search wave and the detection time period of the object, and

wherein the frequency detection section is configured to detect the occurrence frequency of the disturbance signals, the disturbance signals comprising at least one of the first disturbance signal and the second disturbance signal.

2. The object detection apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a speed detection section which detects a speed of the moveable body,

wherein the disturbance determination section determines the presence or the absence of the occurrence of the disturbance based on a condition that the speed is equal to or more than a predetermined speed.

3. The object detection apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the object detection sensor is an ultrasonic sensor which transmits an ultrasonic wave as the search wave.