Target detection system using radar and image processing

• US 20050271253A1
• Filed: 07/21/2005
• Published: 12/08/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 04/14/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Fujitsu Ten Limited (DENSO Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Fujitsu Ten Limited (DENSO Corporation)
• Inventors: Ohta, Akihiro, Oka, Kenji
• Granted Patent: US 7,376,247 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 382/103
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 11/06 by comparison of two or more pictures of the same area
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 3/08 Use of electric radiation detectors
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 11/12 using electromagnetic waves other than radio waves
• 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 7/41 using analysis of echo signal for target characterisation; Target signature; Target cross-section
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/97 Determining parameters from multiple pictures depth or shape recovery from multiple images G06T7/55; stereo camera calibration G06T7/85
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 10/25 Determination of region of interest [ROI] or a volume of interest [VOI]

Abstract

A target detection system using an EHF radar and the image processing is disclosed, in which the processing time is shortened by mutually complementing the disadvantages of the EHF radar and the image processing thereby to improve the reliability. The system comprises a radar, an image acquisition unit and an image processing ECU. The microcomputer of the ECU specifies an image recognition area based on the power output from the radar, and carries out the image processing only within the specified recognition area for the image obtained from the image acquisition unit. By performing the image processing only for the area where a target is detected by the radar, the time required for image processing is shortened on the one hand and the erroneous detection of letters on the road surface or the like is eliminated.

Claims

1. A target detection system comprising:

a radar for outputting a near flag in the state corresponding to the distance upon determination that a target exists in a near area;

an image acquisition unit for acquiring the image of a specified area; and

an image recognition unit for outputting edge data by processing the image data output from said image acquisition unit;

a processing unit for determining the state of the near flag output from said radar and detecting a target based on the edge data in the distance range corresponding to the state of said near flag among the edge data output from said image recognition unit.