DETECTION APPARATUS, DETECTION METHOD, DRIVING ASSISTANCE APPARATUS, AND DRIVING ASSISTANCE METHOD

• US 20160042237A1
• Filed: 04/03/2013
• Published: 02/11/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 04/03/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: SHIMIZU, Hiroaki
• Granted Patent: US 10,068,142 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/10021 Stereoscopic video; Stereoscopic image sequence
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/30261 Obstacle
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/136 involving thresholding
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/285 using a sequence of stereo image pairs
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/58 Recognition of moving objects or obstacles, e.g. vehicles or pedestrians; Recognition of traffic objects, e.g. traffic signs, traffic lights or roads
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/166 for active traffic, e.g. moving vehicles, pedestrians, bikes
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/80 Camera processing pipelines; Components thereof

Abstract

A jump-out determination unit determines whether or not an object is approaching a travel direction of a vehicle based on movement information relating to movement of the object, the movement information having been acquired by a speed variation calculation unit after a pre-indication of that the object approaches the travel direction of the vehicle is detected by a jump-out pre-indication calculation unit of a detection apparatus. As a result, the sudden approach of the object toward the travel direction, which is difficult to determine solely from the movement information relating to the object, can be detected with improved precision.

Claims

1. A detection apparatus comprising:

a pre-indication detection unit that detects a pre-indication of that an object approaches a travel direction of a vehicle;

a movement information acquisition unit that acquires movement information, which is information relating to movement of the object; and

an approach determination unit that determines whether or not the object is approaching the travel direction of the vehicle based on the movement information that is acquired by the movement information acquisition unit after the pre-indication detection unit detects the pre-indication,

wherein the approach determination unit determines that the object is approaching the travel direction of the vehicle when a speed of the object in an approaching direction relative to the travel direction of the vehicle, the speed being included in the movement information acquired by the movement information acquisition unit, increases between a point at which the pre-indication is detected by the pre-indication detection unit and a first time following detection of the pre-indication by the pre-indication detection unit,

the approach determination unit determines that the object is approaching the travel direction of the vehicle when the speed of the object in the approaching direction relative to the travel direction of the vehicle, the speed being included in the movement information acquired by the movement information acquisition unit, exceeds a threshold before the first time following detection of the pre-indication by the pre-indication detection unit,

the approach determination unit determines whether or not the object is approaching the travel direction of the vehicle using the threshold, which is set to be lower as a time of the increase in the speed of the object in the approaching direction relative to the travel direction of the vehicle, the speed being included in the movement information acquired by the movement information acquisition unit, approaches a second time set to be earlier than the first time following detection of the pre-indication by the pre-indication detection unit.

2-5. -5. (canceled)

6. A driving assistance apparatus comprising:

a pre-indication detection unit that detects a pre-indication of that an object approaches a travel direction of a vehicle;

a movement information acquisition unit that acquires movement information, which is information relating to movement of the object;

an approach determination unit that determines whether or not the object is approaching the travel direction of the vehicle based on the movement information that is acquired by the movement information acquisition unit after the pre-indication detection unit detects the pre-indication; and

a driving assistance unit that implements driving assistance on the vehicle based on the determination made by the approach determination unit,

wherein

the approach determination unit determines that the object is approaching the travel direction of the vehicle when a speed of the object in an approaching direction relative to the travel direction of the vehicle, the speed being included in the movement information acquired by the movement information acquisition unit, increases between a point at which the pre-indication is detected by the pre-indication detection unit and a first time following detection of the pre-indication by the pre-indication detection unit,

the approach determination unit determines that the object is approaching the travel direction of the vehicle when the speed of the object in the approaching direction relative to the travel direction of the vehicle, the speed being included in the movement information acquired by the movement information acquisition unit, exceeds a threshold before the first time following detection of the pre-indication by the pre-indication detection unit,

the approach determination unit determines whether or not the object is approaching the travel direction of the vehicle using the threshold, which is set to be lower as a time of the increase in the speed of the object in the approaching direction relative to the travel direction of the vehicle, the speed being included in the movement information acquired by the movement information acquisition unit, approaches a second time set to be earlier than the first time following detection of the pre-indication by the pre-indication detection unit.

7. The driving assistance apparatus according to claim 6, wherein when the approach determination unit determines that the object is approaching the travel direction of the vehicle, the driving assistance unit promotes implementation of the driving assistance on the vehicle to a greater extent than when the approach determination unit determines that the object is not approaching the travel direction of the vehicle.

8. A driving assistance apparatus comprising:

a pre-indication detection unit that detects a pre-indication of that an object approaches a travel direction of a vehicle;

a movement information acquisition unit that acquires movement information, which is information relating to movement of the object;

an approach determination unit that determines whether or not the object is approaching the travel direction of the vehicle based on the movement information that is acquired by the movement information acquisition unit after the pre-indication detection unit detects the pre-indication; and

a driving assistance unit that implements driving assistance on the vehicle based on the determination made by the approach determination unit,

the approach determination unit determines that the object is approaching the travel direction of the vehicle when a speed of the object in an approaching direction relative to the travel direction of the vehicle, the speed being included in the movement information acquired by the movement information acquisition unit, increases between a point at which the pre-indication is detected by the pre-indication detection unit and a first time following detection of the pre-indication by the pre-indication detection unit,

the driving assistance unit promotes implementation of the driving assistance on the vehicle to a greater extent as a time of the increase in the speed of the object in the approaching direction relative to the travel direction of the vehicle, the speed being included in the movement information acquired by the movement information acquisition unit, approaches a second time set to be earlier than the first time following detection of the pre-indication by the pre-indication detection unit.

9-12. -12. (canceled)