APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR TRAFFIC LANE DETECTION
First Claim
1. An apparatus which detects a traffic lane, the apparatus comprising:
- a plurality of radar devices provided for each lane, whose detection range includes an installed lane and an adjacent lane adjacent to the installed lane, the radar devices detecting a vehicle by emitting a radar wave to the vehicle traveling in the lane and by receiving a reflected wave from the vehicle;
a memory configured to sequentially store as a received power value an instantaneous value of a received power at a time when two radar devices installed for adjacent lanes out of the plurality of radar devices receive the reflected wave from a vehicle to be detected at specified time intervals;
a calculator configured to calculate, when the vehicle to be detected moves in a direction approaching the radar devices, as a representative value of a received power at a specified time in regard to each of the two radar devices, a weighted average value of the received power value when inverse weights, which become heavier as an acquisition time of the received power value becomes farther from the specified time, are assigned to a specified number of received power values stored in the memory according to a time at which the received power value is obtained, where an acquisition time of the received power values is prior to the specified time and a priority is given to the received power values whose acquisition time is close to the specified time; and
a discriminator configured to compare sizes of representative values of the received power calculated by the calculator between the two radar devices, and determine a lane in which the vehicle to be detected is traveling according to the comparison result.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Two radar devices are installed for adjacent lanes. A memory sequentially stores a received power value at a time when the two radar devices receive the reflected wave from a vehicle at specified time intervals. A calculator calculates, when a vehicle moves in a direction approaching the two radar devices, as a representative value of the received power at a specified time, a weighted average value when weights, which become heavier as an acquisition time of the received power value becomes farther from the specified time, are assigned to a specified number of received power values, whose acquisition time is prior to a specified time, where a priority is given to the received power values whose acquisition time is close to the specified time. A discriminator determines a lane in which the vehicle is traveling according to a result of comparing the sizes of the calculated representative value.
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Citations
15 Claims
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1. An apparatus which detects a traffic lane, the apparatus comprising:
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a plurality of radar devices provided for each lane, whose detection range includes an installed lane and an adjacent lane adjacent to the installed lane, the radar devices detecting a vehicle by emitting a radar wave to the vehicle traveling in the lane and by receiving a reflected wave from the vehicle; a memory configured to sequentially store as a received power value an instantaneous value of a received power at a time when two radar devices installed for adjacent lanes out of the plurality of radar devices receive the reflected wave from a vehicle to be detected at specified time intervals; a calculator configured to calculate, when the vehicle to be detected moves in a direction approaching the radar devices, as a representative value of a received power at a specified time in regard to each of the two radar devices, a weighted average value of the received power value when inverse weights, which become heavier as an acquisition time of the received power value becomes farther from the specified time, are assigned to a specified number of received power values stored in the memory according to a time at which the received power value is obtained, where an acquisition time of the received power values is prior to the specified time and a priority is given to the received power values whose acquisition time is close to the specified time; and a discriminator configured to compare sizes of representative values of the received power calculated by the calculator between the two radar devices, and determine a lane in which the vehicle to be detected is traveling according to the comparison result. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5)
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6. A method for detecting a traffic lane, the method comprising:
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sequentially obtaining and storing in a memory as a received power value an instantaneous value of a received power at a time when two radar devices installed for adjacent lanes out of a plurality of radar devices, which are provided for each lane and whose detection range includes an installed lane and an adjacent lane adjacent to the installed lane, receive the reflected wave from a vehicle to be detected at specified time intervals, the radar devices detecting the vehicle by emitting a radar wave to the vehicle traveling in the lane and by receiving a reflected wave from the vehicle; calculating, when the vehicle to be detected moves in a direction approaching the radar devices, as a representative value of a received power at a specified time in regard to each of the two radar devices, a weighted average value of the received power value when inverse weights, which become heavier as an acquisition time of the received power value becomes farther from the specified time, are assigned to a specified number of received power values stored in the memory according to a time at which the received power value is obtained, where an acquisition time of received power values is prior to the specified time and a priority is given to the received power values whose acquisition time is close to the specified time; and comparing sizes of the calculated representative values of the received power between the two radar devices, and determining a lane in which the vehicle to be detected is traveling according to the comparison result. - View Dependent Claims (7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. A computer-readable recording medium having stored therein a program for causing a computer to execute a process for detecting a traffic lane, the process comprising:
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sequentially obtaining and storing in a memory as a received power value an instantaneous value of a received power at a time when two radar devices installed for adjacent lanes out of a plurality of radar devices, which are provided for each lane and whose detection range includes an installed lane and an adjacent lane adjacent to the installed lane, receive the reflected wave from a vehicle to be detected at specified time intervals, the radar devices detecting the vehicle by emitting a radar wave to the vehicle traveling in the lane and by receiving a reflected wave from the vehicle; calculating, when the vehicle to be detected moves in a direction approaching the radar devices, as a representative value of a received power at a specified time in regard to each of the two radar devices, a weighted average value of the received power value when inverse weights, which become heavier as an acquisition time of the received power value becomes farther from the specified time, are assigned to a specified number of received power values stored in the memory according to a time at which the received power value is obtained, where an acquisition time is prior to the specified time and a priority is given to the received power values whose acquisition time is close to the specified time; and comparing sizes of the calculated representative values of the received power between the two radar devices, and determining a lane in which the vehicle to be detected is traveling according to the comparison result. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15)
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Specification