Obstacle detector for vehicle

• US 20070046450A1
• Filed: 08/29/2006
• Published: 03/01/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 08/31/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Clarion Co., Ltd. (Faurecia SA)
• Original Assignee: Clarion Co., Ltd. (Faurecia SA)
• Inventors: Iwama, Takaaki
• Granted Patent: US 7,557,691 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/436
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 11/12 using electromagnetic waves other than radio waves

Abstract

An obstacle detector used for vehicle includes: a plurality of photographing units configured to photograph scenes in vehicle surroundings; and a controller configured to carry out a first obstacle detection that detects an obstacle in the vehicle surroundings based on images photographed by at least two photographing units of the plurality of photographing units, and a second obstacle detection that detects the obstacle in the vehicle surroundings based on two image-frames photographed by at lest one photographing unit of the plurality of photographing units, wherein the controller is configured to carry out at least the first obstacle detection in a region, photographed by the at least two photographing units, and carry out the second obstacle detection in a region photographed by the at least one photographing unit, of a photographed range photographed by the plurality of photographing units.

Claims

1. An obstacle detector for a vehicle, comprising:

a plurality of photographing units configured to photograph scenes in vehicle surroundings, wherein each optical axis of the plurality of photographing units is disposed at different directions; and

a controller configured to carry out a first obstacle detection that detects an obstacle in the vehicle surroundings based on images photographed by at least two photographing units of the plurality of photographing units, and a second obstacle detection that detects the obstacle in the vehicle surroundings based on two image-frames photographed by at least one photographing unit of the plurality of photographing units,

wherein the controller is configured to carry out at least the first obstacle detection of the first and the second obstacle detections in a region, photographed by the at least two photographing units, of a photographed range photographed by the plurality of photographing units, and

wherein the controller is configured to carry out the second obstacle detection in a region, photographed by the at least one photographing unit, of the photographed range photographed by the plurality of photographing units.

2. The obstacle detector for the vehicle according to claim 1,

wherein the first obstacle detection is carried out such that images photographed by the at least two photographing units of the plurality of photographing units are converted into overhead images and the obstacle is detected based on differences between the overhead images obtained at a same time point, and the second obstacle detection is carried out such that images photographed by the at least one photographing unit of the plurality of photographing units are converted into overhead images and the obstacle is detected based on differences between two image-frames of the overhead images.

3. The obstacle detector for the vehicle according to claim 1,

wherein the controller is configured to utilize two image-frames with a long-time interval to carry out the second obstacle detection when the vehicle runs at a low speed, and utilize two image-frames with a short-time interval to carry out the second obstacle detection when the vehicle runs at a high speed.

4. The obstacle detector for the vehicle according to claim 2,

wherein the controller is configured to utilize two image-frames with a long-time interval to carry out the second obstacle detection when the vehicle runs at a low speed, and utilize two image-frames with a short-time interval to carry out the second obstacle detection when the vehicle runs at a high speed.

5. The obstacle detector for the vehicle according to claim 2,

wherein the controller further includes a posture detector configured to detect a posture of the vehicle, and convert the photographed image into the overhead image based on the posture of the vehicle detected by the posture detector.

6. The obstacle detector for the vehicle according to claim 1,

wherein the plurality of photographing units are disposed on the front, rear, right-side and left-side of the vehicle such that optical axis of two adjacent photographing units of the plurality of photographing units are transverse to each other.

7. The obstacle detector for the vehicle according to claim 1,

wherein the controller is configured to give an alarm when the obstacle is detected to be approaching the vehicle based on a position of the detected obstacle.

8. The obstacle detector for the vehicle according to claim 1,

wherein the controller is configured to give an alarm when a position of the detected obstacle is within an anticipated course of the vehicle or not away from left and right of the anticipated course for a predetermined distance, which anticipated course is calculated by an anticipated course calculator configured to calculate anticipated courses of the vehicle based on a steering angle of a steering wheel of the vehicle.

9. The obstacle detector for the vehicle according to claim 7,

wherein the alarm is warning sound given out by a warning sound generator connected to the controller.

10. The obstacle detector for the vehicle according to claim 8,

wherein the alarm is warning sound given out by a warning sound generator connected to the controller.

11. The obstacle detector for the vehicle according to claim 7,

wherein the alarm is displaying in which a predetermined picture is overlapped in an image containing a detected obstacle of the photographed images which are photographed by the plurality of photographing units, and

wherein the overlapped image is displayed on a display unit provided inside the vehicle.

12. The obstacle detector for the vehicle according to claim 8,

wherein the alarm is displaying in which a predetermined picture is overlapped in an image containing a detected obstacle of the photographed images which are photographed by the plurality of photographing units, and

wherein the overlapped image is displayed on a display unit provided inside the vehicle.

13. The obstacle detector for the vehicle according to claim 11,

wherein the predetermined picture is overlapped in the vicinity of the obstacle and between the obstacle and the vehicle in the image containing the detected obstacle.

14. The obstacle detector for the vehicle according to claim 12,

wherein the predetermined picture is overlapped in the vicinity of the obstacle and between the obstacle and the vehicle in the image containing the detected obstacle.