Target object detection system

• US 20050219114A1
• Filed: 03/25/2005
• Published: 10/06/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 03/31/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (Honda Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (Honda Motor Company)
• Inventors: Matsumoto, Satoki, Kawabe, Koji
• Granted Patent: US 7,362,258 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 342/47
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/765 with exchange of information between interrogator and responder
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/028 using a RF signal
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 2201/0217 Anthropomorphic or bipedal robot

Abstract

A target object detection system for detecting a target object using a detector and a tag on the target object; the tag includes a radio wave receiver receiving radio wave from the detector; a light receiver receiving a light signal from the detector; a receipt signal generator generating a receipt signal; and a transmitter which transmits the receipt signal to the detector; and the detector includes a radio wave transmitter transmitting radio wave to the surrounding area; a receiver receiving the receipt signal from the tag; a light emitter irradiating the light signal to a search region; a controller controlling the radio wave transmitter, the receiver, and the light emitter; and a target position measuring unit measuring a distance to the target object based on the intensity of the receipt signal, and regarding the irradiation direction of the light signal from the light emitter as the direction of the target-object.

Claims

1. A target object detection system for detecting a target object in a surrounding area of a detector using a tag provided on the target object, wherein

the tag comprising:

a radio wave receiver receiving radio wave transmitted from the detector;

a light receiver receiving a light signal irradiated from the detector;

a receipt signal generator generating a receipt signal when the light signal from the detector is received within a predetermined time after receiving radio wave; and

a transmitter which transmits by wireless the receipt signal to the detector; and

the detector comprising;

a radio wave transmitter transmitting radio wave to the surrounding area of the detector;

a receiver receiving the receipt signal transmitted from the tag;

a light emitter irradiating the light signal to a search region established around the detector;

a controller controlling the radio wave transmitter, the receiver, and the light emitter; and

a target position measuring unit measuring a distance from the detector to the target object based on the intensity of the receipt signal when the receipt signal is received by the receiver, and the target position measuring unit regarding the irradiation direction of the light signal from the light emitter as the direction of the target-object.

2. A target object detection system according to claim 1, wherein

the receipt signal generator generates the receipt signal including an emission request signal when the light signal is not received within a predetermined time after receiving radio wave, and

the controller controls the light emitter to irradiate the light signal when the receiver receives the receipt signal including the emission request signal.

3. A target object detection system according to claim 1, wherein

a plurality of search regions are established around the detector and the detector is surrounded by a plurality of search regions.

4. A target object detection system according to claim 3, wherein

the light emitter is provided as the same number as the search region, and each light emitter is directed to the corresponding search region,

the light signal irradiated from each light emitter includes a unique identification number for identifying the light emitter which has irradiated the light signal,

the receipt signal generator generates the receipt signal including the unique identification number, and

the target position measuring unit identifies the light emitter which has irradiated the light signal received by the light receiver based on the unique identification number, and the target position measuring unit regards the search region corresponding to the identified light emitter as the direction of the target object.

5. A target object detection system according to claim 3, wherein

the controller controls the irradiation of the light signal such that an adjoining search region is not irradiated consecutively, when the light signal is irradiated to the corresponding search region from each light emitter.

6. A target object detection system according to claim 1, wherein

the tag further comprising:

a light condition distinction unit checking whether or not the light received by the light receiver is a direct light within the search region, and generating a light condition data indicating the result of the check, wherein

the receipt signal generator generates the receipt signal including the light condition data, and

the target position measuring unit determines the direction of the target object based on the light condition data in addition to the irradiation direction of the light signal from the light emitter.

7. A target object detection system according to claim 6, wherein

the detector further comprising:

a map database which stores a map data of an area where the detector moves around, wherein

the target position measuring unit determines the direction of the target object, based on map data, the irradiation direction of the light signal from the light emitter, and the light condition data, when the light received by the light receiver is not a direct light within the search region.

8. A target object detection system according to claim 6, wherein

the receipt signal generator generates the receipt signal including the light condition data, when the tag receives the radio wave and light signal which are irradiated from the detector.

9. A target object detection system according to claim 6, wherein

a plurality of search regions are established around the detector and the detector is surrounded by a plurality of search regions, and the light emitter is provided as the same number as the search region, and each light emitter is directed to the corresponding search region,

the light signal irradiated from each light emitter includes a unique identification number for identifying the light emitter which has irradiated the light signal,

the receipt signal generator generates the receipt signal including the unique identification number, and

the target position measuring unit identifies the light emitter which has irradiated the light signal received by the light receiver based on the unique identification number, and

the target position measuring unit identifies the direction of the target object based on at least the light condition data included in the receipt signal and the search region corresponding to the light emitter identified by the unique identification number.

10. A target object detection system according to claim 8, wherein

a plurality of search regions are established around the detector and the detector is surrounded by a plurality of search regions, and the light emitter is provided as the same number as the search region, and each light emitter is directed to the corresponding search region,

the light signal irradiated from each light emitter includes a unique identification number for identifying the light emitter which has irradiated the light signal,

the receipt signal generator generates the receipt signal including the unique identification number, and

the target position measuring unit identifies the light emitter which has irradiated the light signal received by the light receiver based on the unique identification number, and the target position measuring unit identifies the direction of the target object based on al least the light condition data included in the receipt signal and the search region corresponding to the light emitter identified by the unique identification number.

11. A target object detection system according to claim 1, wherein

the tag further comprising:

an activation controller activating the light receiver and receipt signal generator when radio wave from the detector is received, wherein

the receipt signal generator generates the receipt signal when the light signal from the detector is received within a first predetermined time after activating the light receiver and receipt signal generator.

12. A target object detection system according to claim 11, wherein

the receipt signal generator generates the receipt signal including an emission request signal when the light signal is not received within the first predetermined time after receiving radio wave from the detector, and

the controller irradiates the light signal from the light emitter when the receiver receives the receipt signal including the emission request signal.

13. A target object detection system according to claim 11, wherein

the activation controller stops the light receiver and receipt signal generator, when the radio wave newly transferred from the detector is not received within a second predetermined time after transmitting the receipt signal including the emission request signal.

14. A target object detection system according to claim 11, wherein

a plurality of search regions are established around the detector and the detector is surrounded by a plurality of search regions, the light emitter is provided as the same number as the search region, each light emitter is directed to the corresponding search region,

the light signal irradiated from each light emitter includes a unique identification number for identifying the light emitter which has irradiated the light signal,

the receipt signal generator generates the receipt signal including the unique identification number, and

the target position measuring unit identifies the light emitter which has irradiated the light signal received by the light receiver based on the unique identification number, and the target position measuring unit regards the search region corresponding to the identified light emitter as the direction of the target object.

15. A target object detection system according to claim 13, wherein

the detector is a mobile robot which makes an action based on the command signal, and wherein

a plurality of search regions are established around the mobile robot and the mobile robot is surrounded by a plurality of search regions, the light emitter is provided as the same number as the search region, each light emitter is directed to the corresponding search region,

the light signal irradiated from each light emitter includes a unique identification number for identifying the light emitter which has irradiated the light signal,

the receipt signal generator generates the receipt signal including the unique identification number, and

the target position measuring unit identifies the light emitter which has irradiated the light signal received by the light receiver based on the unique identification number, and the target position measuring unit regards the search region corresponding to the identified light emitter as the direction of the target object.

16. A target object detection system according to claim 11, further comprising:

an external device generating a command signal which commands the detector to make an action defined by the command signal, the external device stores therein the information of the target object that are correlated with a tag ID for identifying the tag provided on the target object, wherein

the receipt signal generator generates the receipt signal including the tag ID, and

the controller of the detector transmits the information indicating the tag ID included in the receipt signal to the external device, wherein

the external device obtains the information of the target object based on the tag ID, and transmits it to the detector together with the command signal to the detector.

17. A target object detection system according to claim 1, wherein

a plurality of search regions are established around the detector and the detector is surrounded by a plurality of search regions, the light emitter is provided as the same number as the search region, each light emitter is directed to the corresponding search region,

the light signal irradiated from each light emitter includes a unique identification number for identifying the light emitter which has irradiated the light signal,

the receipt signal generator generates receipt signal including the tag ID assigned to the tag which has the receipt signal generator in addition to the unique identification number,

the tag further comprising:

a slot storage storing a transmission timing of a plurality of slots which are established for allowing time-sharing, the transmission timing is being correlated with the unique identification number; and

a slot selector selecting one slot from among a plurality of slots based on the unique identification number included in the light signal, wherein

the transmitter transmits the receipt signal to the detector using a slot selected by the slot selector, and

the detector identifies the light emitter which has irradiated the light signal received by the light receiver based on the unique identification number, and the detector regards the search region corresponding to the identified light emitter as the direction of the target object.

18. A target object detection system according to claim 17, wherein

the detector further comprising:

a tag counter counting the number of tags for each search region based on the tag ID and unique identification number, which are included in the receipt signal; and

a slot number adjustor adjusting the transmission timing of at least one slot which is correlated with the unique identification number, based on the number of the tags counted by the tag counter, wherein

the light emitter irradiates an infrared light including the information indicating correlation between the transmission timing and the unique identification number,

the tag stores the correlation between the transmission timing and the unique identification number in the slot storage.

19. A target object detection system according to claim 17, wherein

the receipt signal generator generates the receipt signal including an emission request signal when the light signal is not received within a predetermined time after receiving radio wave, and

the controller controlling the light emitter to irradiate the light signal when the receiver receives the receipt signal including the emission request signal.