Monitor system of vehicle outside and the method thereof

• US 20030097237A1
• Filed: 11/14/2002
• Published: 05/22/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 11/15/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Subaru Corp.
• Original Assignee: Fuji Heavy Industries Limited (Subaru Corp.)
• Inventors: Sekiguchi, Hiroyuki
• Granted Patent: US 6,834,254 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 702/158
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 11/12 using electromagnetic waves other than radio waves
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 17/42 Simultaneous measurement of distance and other co-ordinates indirect measurement G01S17/46
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 17/86 Combinations of lidar systems with systems other than lidar, radar or sonar, e.g. with direction finders
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 17/931 of land vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2013/932 using own vehicle data, e.g. ground speed, steering wheel direction

Abstract

When a vehicle travels on an approximately straight lane, a distance data diagnosing section determines a distance measuring capability in a survey area in which the field of view of a laser radar overlaps that of an image as to a three-dimensional object. Then, the distance data diagnosing section determines whether or not the image-measured (laser-measured) distance data of the three-dimensional object exists, and when the image-measured (laser-measured) distance data thereof does not exist, the three-dimensional object is counted to the number of three-dimensional objects without image (without laser radar) and calculates three-dimensional object non-detecting ratios of image (laser radar) from the total number of three-dimensional objects to be determined and the number of three-dimensional objects without image (without laser radar).

Claims

1. A monitor system of a vehicle outside, comprising:

image-measured distance detecting means for detecting a distance between a vehicle and a three-dimensional object existing in front of the vehicle based on informations of an image in front of the vehicle;

laser-measured distance detecting means for detecting the distance between the vehicle and the three-dimensional object existing in front of the vehicle on the basis of the information of a laser radar by projecting a laser beam from the vehicle;

three-dimensional object recognizing means for recognizing the three-dimensional object existing in front of the vehicle based on the distance detected by the image-measured distance detecting means and the distance detected by the laser-measured distance detecting means; and

distance detecting capability diagnosing means for determining a deterioration of a distance detecting capability of the image-measured distance detecting means based on the distance of the three-dimensional object as well as determining the deterioration of a distance detecting capability of the laser-measured distance detecting means based on the distance.

2. The monitor system according to claim 1, wherein:

the distance detecting capability diagnosing means determines the deterioration of the distance detecting capability of the image-measured distance detecting means and the deterioration of the distance detecting capability of the laser-measured distance detecting means only when the vehicle travels on an approximately straight lane.

3. The monitor system according to claim 1, wherein:

the distance detecting capability diagnosing means detects a three-dimensional object with a width equal to or larger than a predetermined width as a subject of the determination.

4. The monitor system according to claim 1, wherein:

the distance detecting capability diagnosing means detects the three-dimensional object located at a position within a predetermined distance as the subject of the determination.

5. The monitor system according to claim 1, wherein:

the distance detecting capability diagnosing means determines the deterioration of the distance detecting capability of the image-measured distance detecting means and the deterioration of the distance detecting capability of the laser-measured distance detecting means only when the vehicle travels on the approximately straight lane and the distance detecting capability diagnosing means detects the three-dimensional object with the width equal to or larger than the predetermined width as the subject of the determination.

6. The monitor system according to claim 1, wherein:

the distance detecting capability diagnosing means determines the deterioration of the distance detecting capability of the image-measured distance detecting means and the deterioration of the distance detecting capability of the laser-measured distance detecting means only when the vehicle travels on the approximately straight lane and the distance detecting capability diagnosing means detects the three-dimensional object located at the position within the predetermined distance as the subject of the determination.

7. The monitor system according to claim 1, wherein:

the distance detecting capability diagnosing means detects the three-dimensional object with the width equal to or larger than the predetermined width and located at the position within the predetermined distance as the subject of the determination.

8. The monitor system according to claim 1, wherein:

the distance detecting capability diagnosing means determines the deterioration of the distance detecting capability of the image-measured distance detecting means and the deterioration of the distance detecting capability of the laser-measured distance detecting means only when the vehicle travels on the approximately straight lane, and the distance detecting capability diagnosing means detects the three-dimensional object with the width equal to or larger than the predetermined width and located at the position within the predetermined distance as the subject of the determination.

9. The monitor system according to claim 1, wherein:

the distance detecting capability diagnosing means calculates the ratio of the cases in which the distance is not detected by the image-measured distance detecting means as an image-measured distance undetecting ratio when the distance of the three-dimensional object is detected by the image-measured distance detecting means, and the distance detecting capability diagnosing means determines that the image-measured distance detecting means is in a distance detecting capability deteriorating state and determines the deterioration of the distance detecting capability of the image-measured distance detecting means according to the continuously deteriorating state of the distance detecting capability of the image-measured distance detecting means when the image-measured distance undetecting ratio is equal to or larger than a predetermined value.

10. The monitor system according to claim 1, wherein:

the distance detecting capability diagnosing means calculates the ratio of the cases in which the distance is not detected by the laser-measured distance detecting means as a laser-measured distance undetecting ratio when the distance of the three-dimensional object is detected by the laser-measured distance detecting means, and the distance detecting capability diagnosing means determines that the laser-measured distance detecting means is in a distance detecting capability deteriorating state and determines the deterioration of the distance detecting capability of the laser-measured distance detecting means according to the continuously deteriorating state of the distance detecting capability of the laser-measured distance detecting means when the laser-measured distance undetecting ratio is equal to or larger than a predetermined value.

11. The monitor system according to claim 1, wherein:

the distance detecting capability diagnosing means calculates the ratio of the cases in which the distance is not detected by the image-measured distance detecting means as the image-measured distance undetecting ratio when the distance of the three-dimensional object is detected by the image-measured distance detecting means, and the distance detecting capability diagnosing means determines that the image-measured distance detecting means is in a distance detecting capability deteriorating state and determines the deterioration of the distance detecting capability of the image-measured distance detecting means according to the continuously deteriorating state of the distance detecting capability of the image-measured distance detecting means when the image-measured distance undetecting ratio is equal to or larger than the predetermined value, as well as the distance detecting capability diagnosing means calculates the ratio of the cases in which the distance is not detected by the laser-measured distance detecting means as the laser-measured distance undetecting ratio when the distance of the three-dimensional object is detected by the laser-measured distance detecting means, and the distance detecting capability diagnosing means determines that the laser-measured distance detecting means is in a distance detecting capability deteriorating state and determines the deterioration of the distance detecting capability of the laser-measured distance detecting means according to the continuously deteriorating state of the distance detecting capability of the laser-measured distance detecting means when the laser-measured distance undetecting ratio is equal to or larger than the predetermined value.

12. The monitor system according to claim 11, wherein:

the distance detecting capability diagnosing means determines the deterioration of the distance detecting capability of the image-measured distance detecting means and the deterioration of the distance detecting capability of the laser-measured distance detecting means only when the vehicle travels on the approximately straight lane.

13. The monitor system according to claim 11, wherein:

the distance detecting capability diagnosing means detects the three-dimensional object with the width equal to or larger than the predetermined width as the subject of the determination.

14. The monitor system according to claim 11, wherein:

the distance detecting capability diagnosing means detects the three-dimensional object located at the position within the predetermined distance as the subject of the determination.

15. The monitor system according to claim 11, wherein:

the distance detecting capability diagnosing means determines the deterioration of the distance detecting capability of the image-measured distance detecting means and the deterioration of the distance detecting capability of the laser-measured distance detecting means only when the vehicle travels on the approximately straight lane and the distance detecting capability diagnosing means detects the three-dimensional object with the width equal to or larger than the predetermined width as the subject of the determination.

16. The monitor system according to claim 11, wherein:

the distance detecting capability diagnosing means determines the deterioration of the distance detecting capability of the image-measured distance detecting means and the deterioration of the distance detecting capability of the laser-measured distance detecting means only when the vehicle travels on the approximately straight lane and the distance detecting capability diagnosing means detects the three-dimensional object located at the position within the predetermined distance as the subject of the determination.

17. The monitor system according to claim 11, wherein:

the distance detecting capability diagnosing means detects the three-dimensional object with the width equal to or larger than the predetermined width and located at the position within the predetermined distance as the subject of the determination.

18. The monitor system according to claim 11, wherein:

the distance detecting capability diagnosing means determines the deterioration of the distance detecting capability of the image-measured distance detecting means and the deterioration of the distance detecting capability of the laser-measured distance detecting means only when the vehicle travels on the approximately straight lane, and the distance detecting capability diagnosing means detects the three-dimensional object with the width equal to or larger than the predetermined width and located at the position within the predetermined distance as the subject of the determination.

19. A method for monitoring of a vehicle outside comprising the steps of:

detecting a distance between a vehicle and a three-dimensional object existing in front of the vehicle based on informations of an image in front of the vehicle;

measuring a distance between the vehicle and the three-dimensional object existing in front of the vehicle on the basis of the information of a laser radar by projecting a laser beam from the vehicle;

recognizing the three-dimensional object existing in front of the vehicle based on the distance calculated by the image and the distance detected by the laser; and

diagnosing a deterioration of a distance detecting capability based on the distance.