OBJECT DETERMINATION APPARATUS AND COLLISION AVOIDANCE ASSISTANCE APPARATUS

• US 20130311077A1
• Filed: 05/17/2013
• Published: 11/21/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 05/18/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: ICHIDA, Hiroyasu
• Granted Patent: US 9,202,377 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/301
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/09 Taking automatic action to avoid collision, e.g. braking and steering
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/931 of land vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2013/9318 Controlling the steering
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2013/93185 Controlling the brakes
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2013/93271 in the front of the vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2013/93272 in the back of the vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/411 Identification of targets based on measurements of radar reflectivity G01S7/415 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/16 Anti-collision systems road vehicle drive control systems for predicting or avoiding probable or impending collision otherwise than by control of a particular sub-unit B60W30/08
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/165 for passive traffic, e.g. including static obstacles, trees
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/166 for active traffic, e.g. moving vehicles, pedestrians, bikes

Abstract

An object determination apparatus includes: a sensing device that is mounted in a host vehicle, and that sends detection wave and receives the detection wave reflected from an object, and that detects the object; a detection unit that detects the state of reflection intensity of the detection wave received by the sensing device which changes with the distance to the object; and a determination unit that determines that the object is a vehicle other than the host vehicle when a peak of the reflection intensity exceeds a predetermined threshold value. Peaks of the reflection intensity change in accordance the distance to the object, but the peaks regarding vehicles tend to be higher than the peaks regarding on-road structures. Hence, by comparing a peak of the reflection intensity with the predetermined threshold value, it can be determined whether the detected object is a vehicle other than the host vehicle.

Claims

1. An object determination apparatus comprising:

a sensing device that is mounted in a host vehicle, and that sends detection wave and receives the detection wave reflected from an object, and that detects the object in accordance with the received detection wave;

a detection unit that detects reflection intensity of the detection wave received by the sensing device, the reflection intensity changing in accordance with distance to the object; and

a determination unit that determines that the object is a vehicle other than the host vehicle when a peak of the reflection intensity exceeds a predetermined threshold value.

2. The object determination apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the determination unit determines whether the object is the vehicle other than the host vehicle based on tendency of change of the plurality of peaks of the reflection intensity detected by the detection unit.

3. The object determination apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the determination unit determines whether the object is the vehicle other than the host vehicle based on magnitude of amplitude of the reflection intensity detected by the detection unit.

4. The object determination apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the determination unit determines that the object is an on-road structure when it is determined that the peak of the reflection intensity detected by the detection unit does not exceed the predetermined threshold value.

5. A collision avoidance assistance apparatus wherein

when the object is determined as being a vehicle other than a host vehicle by the object determination apparatus according to claim 1, a detection region that is used for determining whether to perform a collision avoidance control, and that is set in a traveling direction of the host vehicle, and that is a region into which it is determined whether the object has come is made larger than when the object is determined as not being a vehicle other than the host vehicle.

6. An object determination method comprising step of:

sending detection wave and receiving the detection wave reflected from an object, and detecting the object in accordance the received detection wave;

detecting reflection intensity of the detection wave received, the reflection intensity changing in accordance with distance to the object;

determining the object as being a vehicle other than the host vehicle when a peak of the reflection intensity exceeds a predetermined threshold value.