PEDESTRIAN DETECTING DEVICE FOR VEHICLE, PEDESTRIAN PROTECTION SYSTEM FOR VEHICLE AND PEDESTRIAN DETERMINATION METHOD

• US 20140292560A1
• Filed: 10/30/2012
• Published: 10/02/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 11/02/2011
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Kawasaki, Tomoya, Nakai, Makoto
• Application Number:
  US14/356,053
• Publication Number:
  US 20140292560A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 342/146
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/931 of land vehicles

Abstract

A pedestrian detecting device mounted on a vehicle includes: a transmission unit that irradiates an electromagnetic wave to an area around a vehicle; a receiving unit that receives a reflected wave caused by reflection of the electromagnetic wave from an obstacle; a storage unit that stores data of the reflected wave received by the receiving unit; and a control unit that reads the data of the reflected wave, stored in the storage unit, and that calculates a variance of an intensity of the reflected wave, wherein the control unit determines that the obstacle is a pedestrian when the calculated variance of the intensity of the reflected wave is larger than or equal to a reference value, and, after the control unit determines that the obstacle is a pedestrian, the control unit identifies that the same obstacle is a pedestrian and outputs information regarding a position of the pedestrian.

Claims

1-8. -8. (canceled)

9. A pedestrian detecting device for vehicle comprising:

a transmission unit that irradiates an electromagnetic wave to an area around a vehicle;

a receiving unit that receives a reflected wave caused by reflection of the electromagnetic wave from an obstacle;

a storage unit that stores data regarding the reflected wave received by the receiving unit; and

a control unit configured to;

(a) read the data, stored in the storage unit, and output positional information about the obstacle;

(b) calculate a variance of an intensity of the reflected wave;

(c) determine that the obstacle is a pedestrian when a variation of the calculated variance of the intensity of the reflected wave in a set period of time is larger than or equal to a reference value; and

(d) output information regarding a position of the pedestrian.

10. The pedestrian detecting device for vehicle according to claim 9, wherein

the control unit identifies the same obstacle as the pedestrian during a set period of time after the control unit determines that the obstacle is the pedestrian.

11. The pedestrian detecting device for vehicle according to claim 9, wherein

the control unit identifies a presence of an obstacle when the intensity of the reflected wave is higher than or equal to a threshold, and

after the control unit determines that the obstacle is a pedestrian, the control unit decreases the threshold applied for the same obstacle.

12. The pedestrian detecting device for vehicle according to claim 9, wherein

the electromagnetic wave irradiated to the area around the vehicle is a 24-GHz-band narrow band.

13. A pedestrian protection system for vehicle comprising:

a transmission unit that irradiates an electromagnetic wave to an area around a vehicle;

a receiving unit that receives a reflected wave caused by reflection of the electromagnetic wave from an obstacle;

a storage unit that stores data regarding the reflected wave received by the receiving unit; and

a control unit configured to;

(a) read the data, stored in the storage unit, and output positional information about the obstacle;

(b) calculate a variance of an intensity of the reflected wave;

(c) determine that the obstacle is a pedestrian when a variation of the calculated variance of the intensity of the reflected wave in a set period of time is larger than or equal to a reference value; and

(d) output information regarding a position of the pedestrian; and

a pedestrian protection apparatus configured to activate on the basis of the positional information about the obstacle, output from the pedestrian control unit.

14. A pedestrian determination method for vehicle, the vehicle including a transmission unit, a receiving unit, a storage unit, and a control unit, the method comprising:

irradiating, by the transmission unit, an electromagnetic wave to an area around a vehicle;

receiving, by the receiving unit, a reflected wave caused by reflection of the electromagnetic wave from an obstacle;

storing, by the storage unit, data regarding the reflected wave;

reading, by the control unit, the data and calculating, by the control unit, a variance of an intensity of the reflected wave; and

when a variation in the variance of the intensity of the reflected wave in a set period of time is larger than or equal to a reference value, determining, by the control unit, that the obstacle is a pedestrian.