OBSTACLE DETECTION APPARATUS FOR VEHICLES

• US 20170219702A1
• Filed: 10/21/2015
• Published: 08/03/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 10/22/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: DENSO Corporation, Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: DENSO Corporation, Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Matsuura, Mitsuyasu, Ohbayashi, Motonari, Ishijima, Hironobu, Ando, Tsuyoshi, Hiromitsu, Takayuki
• Granted Patent: US 10,948,592 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 15/46 Indirect determination of position data
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 15/878 wherein transceivers are operated, either sequentially or simultaneously, both in bi-static and in mono-static mode, e.g. cross-echo mode
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 15/931 of land vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2015/938 in the bumper area radar in bumper area G01S2013/93275; bumper with obstacle sensor of electric or electronic type B60R19/483
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/56 Display arrangements short-range imaging G01S7/52053

Abstract

An obstacle detection apparatus for vehicles includes: a first probe wave sensor detecting a direct wave distance as a distance to an obstacle by transmitting a probe wave and receiving a reflection wave of the probe wave reflected by the obstacle; a second probe wave sensor receiving the reflection wave to detect an indirect wave distance as a distance to the obstacle by receiving the reflection wave; an approach determinator determining whether the obstacle is present between the first probe wave sensor and the second probe wave sensor and whether the obstacle is approaching the vehicle; and a distance determinator determining an obstacle distance to be less than or equal to a predetermined distance range when the indirect wave distance falls out of the distance range as the obstacle is present between the first probe wave sensor and the second probe wave sensor and the obstacle is approaching the vehicle.

Claims

1. An obstacle detection apparatus for vehicles, the obstacle detection apparatus mounted to a vehicle and comprising:

a first probe wave sensor that is arranged at a predetermined part of the vehicle to detect a direct wave distance as a distance to an obstacle by transmitting a probe wave and receiving a reflection wave of the probe wave reflected by the obstacle;

a second probe wave sensor that is arranged at a position of the vehicle where the second probe wave sensor receives the reflection wave to detect an indirect wave distance as a distance to the obstacle by receiving the reflection wave;

an approach determinator that determines, based on the indirect wave distance, whether the obstacle is present between the first probe wave sensor and the second probe wave sensor and whether the obstacle is approaching the vehicle; and

a distance determinator that determines an obstacle distance for driver assistance control to be less than or equal to a predetermined distance range when the indirect wave distance falls out of the distance range, in a case where the approach determinator determines that the obstacle is present between the first probe wave sensor and the second probe wave sensor and the obstacle is approaching the vehicle.

2. The obstacle detection apparatus for vehicles according to claim 1,

wherein the distance determinator determines the obstacle distance to be within a short distance range closer to the vehicle than the predetermined distance range when the indirect wave distance falls out of the distance range, in a case where the approach determinator determines that the obstacle is present between the first probe wave sensor and the second probe wave sensor and the obstacle is approaching the vehicle.

3. The obstacle detection apparatus for vehicles according to claim 1,

wherein the distance determinator determines the obstacle distance to be less than or equal to the predetermined distance range when the indirect wave distance falls out of the distance range and when the vehicle is moving, in a case where the approach determinator determines that the obstacle is present between the first probe wave sensor and the second probe wave sensor and the obstacle is approaching the vehicle.

4. The obstacle detection apparatus for vehicles according to claim 3, further comprising:

a moving/stopped state acquisition device that acquires information indicative of whether a moving/stopped state of the vehicle is a moving state or a stopped state,

wherein the distance determinator determines that the vehicle is moving for a preset period of time, even when the information indicative of whether the moving/stopped state acquired by the moving/stopped state acquisition device indicates a change from the moving state to the stopped state.

5. The obstacle detection apparatus for vehicles according to claim 2,

wherein, when the obstacle is detected in a detection area around the short distance range after the obstacle distance is determined as being within the short distance range, the distance determinator determines the obstacle distance to be a distance, which is defined based on the direct wave distance and the indirect wave distance.

6. The obstacle detection apparatus for vehicles according to claim 5,

wherein, when the obstacle is detected in a detection area around the short distance range and when the indirect wave distance is increased after the obstacle distance is determined as being within the short distance range, the distance determinator determines the obstacle distance to be a distance, which is defined based on the direct wave distance and the indirect wave distance.

7. The obstacle detection apparatus for vehicles according to claim 1, further comprising:

a distance difference calculator that calculates a distance difference between the direct wave distance detected by using the first probe wave sensor and the indirect wave distance detected by using the second probe wave sensor; and

a change amount calculator that calculates an amount of change in the indirect wave distance,

wherein the approach determinator determines, based on the distance difference calculated by the distance difference calculator and the amount of change calculated by the change amount calculator, whether the obstacle is present between the first probe wave sensor and the second probe wave sensor and whether the obstacle is approaching the vehicle.

8. The obstacle detection apparatus for vehicles according to claim 7,

wherein, in a case where the distance difference is not calculated because the direct wave distance is not calculated, the approach determinator determines, based on the amount of change calculated by the change amount calculator, whether the obstacle is present between the first probe wave sensor and the second probe wave sensor and whether the obstacle is approaching the vehicle, when the distance difference is not calculated and the indirect wave distance is calculated.

9. The obstacle detection apparatus for vehicles according to claim 1,

wherein the first probe wave sensor and the second probe wave sensor are arranged at a central part in a vehicle width direction on an end face in a front-back direction of the vehicle.

10. The obstacle detection apparatus for vehicles according to claim 1,

wherein, when a line parallel to an advancing direction of the vehicle and passing the first probe wave sensor is defined as a first line;

and a line parallel to the advancing direction of the vehicle and passing the second probe wave sensor is defined as a second line, the approach determinator determines, based on the indirect wave distance, whether the obstacle is present between the first line and the second line and whether the obstacle is approaching the vehicle.

11. The obstacle detection apparatus for vehicles according to claim 2,

wherein the short distance range includes an undetectable range where the obstacle is undetectable.