Obstacle Detecting Method, Obstacle Detecting Apparatus, and Standard Moving-Body Model

• US 20080266168A1
• Filed: 02/28/2007
• Published: 10/30/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 03/01/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Aso, Kazuaki, Kindo, Toshiki
• Granted Patent: US 7,903,021 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 342/70
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 40/02 related to ambient conditions
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/931 of land vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2013/932 using own vehicle data, e.g. ground speed, steering wheel direction
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2013/93271 in the front of the vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2013/9329 cooperating with reflectors or transponders
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/166 for active traffic, e.g. moving vehicles, pedestrians, bikes

Abstract

An obstacle detecting method for detecting a presence of an obstacle to a moving body using a sensor mounted on the moving body. The obstacle detecting method includes setting a movable area which is a surrounding area of the moving body and in which the moving body can move, arranging plural unconfirmed bodies over an entire area of the movable area as obstacle candidates as an initial state, and deleting the obstacle candidate which is determined not to be actually present as a result of detection by the sensor from the obstacle candidates arranged as the initial state.

Claims

1. An obstacle detecting method for detecting a presence of an obstacle to a moving body using a sensor mounted on the moving body, comprising:

setting a movable area which is a surrounding area of the moving body and in which the moving body can move;

arranging plural unconfirmed bodies over an entire area of the movable area as obstacle candidates as an initial state; and

deleting the obstacle candidate which is determined not to be actually present as a result of detection by the sensor from the obstacle candidates arranged as the initial state.

2. The obstacle detecting method according to claim 1, wherein the deleting is performed in sequence from the obstacle candidate closer to the moving body.

19. The obstacle detecting method according to claim 1, wherein

the unconfirmed body arranged as the obstacle candidate has a characteristic of a moving-body model for prediction of a behavior of the unconfirmed body.

20. The obstacle detecting method according to claim 19, wherein

the moving-body model is a virtual standard moving-body model having a virtual characteristic which is an integration of characteristics of plural single-moving-body models having different characteristics.

21. The obstacle detecting method according to claim 20, wherein

one of the single-moving-body models is an automobile model for predicting a behavior of an automobile.

22. The obstacle detecting method according to claim 20, wherein

one of the single-moving-body models is a human model for predicting a behavior of a human.

23. The obstacle detecting method according to claim 1, further comprising

replacing the obstacle candidate which is determined to be actually present based on a result of detection by the sensor from the arranged obstacle candidates with an actually present obstacle.

3. An obstacle detecting method for detecting a presence of an obstacle to a moving body using a sensor mounted on the moving body, comprising:

setting a movable area which is a surrounding area of the moving body and in which the moving body can move;

detecting an empty area which is a surrounding area of the moving body and in which the obstacle is not actually present according to a result of detection by the sensor;

setting a complementary area which is an area other than the empty area in the movable area; and

arranging an unconfirmed body as an obstacle candidate over an entire area of the complementary area.

4. The obstacle detecting method according to claim 3, wherein

the unconfirmed body arranged as the obstacle candidate has a characteristic of a moving-body model for prediction of a behavior of the unconfirmed body.

5. The obstacle detecting method according to claim 4, wherein

the moving-body model is a virtual standard moving-body model having a virtual characteristic which is an integration of characteristics of plural single-moving-body models having different characteristics.

6. The obstacle detecting method according to claim 5, wherein

one of the single-moving-body models is an automobile model for predicting a behavior of an automobile.

7. The obstacle detecting method according to claim 5, wherein

one of the single-moving-body models is a human model for predicting a behavior of a human.

8. The obstacle detecting method according to claim 3, further comprising

replacing the obstacle candidate which is determined to be actually present based on a result of detection by the sensor from the arranged obstacle candidates with an actually present obstacle.

9. A standard moving-body model for predicting a behavior of a virtual unconfirmed moving body, having a virtual characteristic which is an integration of characteristics of plural single-moving-body models which have different characteristics and can be actually present as the moving body.

10. The standard moving-body model according to claim 9, wherein

one of the single-moving-body models is an automobile model for predicting a behavior of an automobile.

11. The standard moving-body model according to claim 9, wherein

one of the single-moving-body models is a human model for predicting a behavior of a human.

12. An obstacle detecting apparatus for detecting a presence of an obstacle to a moving body using a sensor mounted on the moving body, comprising:

an area setting unit that sets a movable area which is a surrounding area of the moving body and in which the moving body can move;

an arranging unit that arranges plural unconfirmed bodies over an entire area of the movable area as obstacle candidates as an initial state; and

a deleting unit that deletes the obstacle candidate which is determined not to be actually present as a result of detection by the sensor from the obstacle candidates arranged as the initial state.

24. The obstacle detecting apparatus according to claim 12, wherein

the unconfirmed body arranged as the obstacle candidate has a characteristic of a moving-body model for prediction of a behavior of the unconfirmed body.

25. The obstacle detecting apparatus according to claim 24, wherein

the moving-body model is a virtual standard moving-body model having a virtual characteristic which is an integration of characteristics of plural single-moving-body models having different characteristics.

26. The obstacle detecting apparatus according to claim 25, wherein

one of the single-moving-body models is an automobile model for predicting a behavior of an automobile.

27. The obstacle detecting apparatus according to claim 25, wherein

one of the single-moving-body models is a human model for predicting a behavior of a human.

28. The obstacle detecting apparatus according to claim 12, further comprising

a replacing unit that replaces the obstacle candidate which is determined to be actually present based on a result of detection by the sensor from the arranged obstacle candidates with an actually present obstacle.

13. An obstacle detecting apparatus for detecting a presence of an obstacle to a moving body using a sensor mounted on the moving body, comprising:

an area setting unit that sets a movable area which is a surrounding area of the moving body and in which the moving body can move;

an empty area detecting unit that detects an empty area which is a surrounding area of the moving body and in which the obstacle is not actually present according to a result of detection by the sensor;

a complementary area setting unit that sets a complementary area which is an area other than the empty area in the movable area; and

an arranging unit that arranges an unconfirmed body as an obstacle candidate over an entire area of the complementary area.

14. The obstacle detecting apparatus according to claim 13, wherein

the unconfirmed body arranged as the obstacle candidate has a characteristic of a moving-body model for prediction of a behavior of the unconfirmed body.

15. The obstacle detecting apparatus according to claim 14, wherein

the moving-body model is a virtual standard moving-body model having a virtual characteristic which is an integration of characteristics of plural single-moving-body models having different characteristics.

16. The obstacle detecting apparatus according to claim 15, wherein

one of the single-moving-body models is an automobile model for predicting a behavior of an automobile.

17. The obstacle detecting apparatus according to claim 15, wherein

one of the single-moving-body models is a human model for predicting a behavior of a human.

18. The obstacle detecting apparatus claim 13, further comprising

a replacing unit that replaces the obstacle candidate which is determined to be actually present based on a result of detection by the sensor from the arranged obstacle candidates with an actually present obstacle.