OBJECT DETECTION APPARATUS AND OBJECT DETECTION PROGRAM

• US 20170293030A1
• Filed: 04/07/2017
• Published: 10/12/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 04/11/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Denso Wave Inc (DENSO Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Denso Wave Inc (DENSO Corporation)
• Inventors: KATSURA, Shoji, TAKANO, Gaku, KOBORI, Wataru, IWASAKI, Tetsuya
• Granted Patent: US 10,649,084 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/56 for presence detection presence detection using near field arrangements G01V3/00, e.g. G01V3/08, G01V3/12; burglar, theft or intruder alarms with electrical actuation G08B13/22 - G08B13/26
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 17/04 Systems determining the presence of a target
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 17/08 for measuring distance only indirect measurement G01S17/46; active triangulation systems G01S17/48
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 17/42 Simultaneous measurement of distance and other co-ordinates indirect measurement G01S17/46
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 17/46 Indirect determination of position data
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 17/50 Systems of measurement based on relative movement of target
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 17/87 Combinations of systems using electromagnetic waves other than radio waves
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/415 Identification of targets based on measurements of movement associated with the target
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/4806 Road traffic laser detectors

Abstract

An object detection apparatus measures a distance to a detected object at each irradiation angle, based on reflected waves of electromagnetic waves irradiated from a laser light irradiating unit at each irradiation angle. The apparatus determines whether the measured distance remains unchanged for prescribed period of time, for each irradiation angle, and stores the determined distance in a storage unit as a stationary object distance in association with the irradiation angle. The apparatus compares the current measured distance and the stored distances, and determines whether a stationary object distance matching the current distance is present among the stored distances. The apparatus initially compares the shortest stationary object distance among the stored distances with the current distance, and upon determining that a stationary object distance matching the current distance is present, stops the comparison of the current distance and the stored distances that have not been compared with the current distance.

Claims

1. An object detection apparatus that detects an object in a detection area based on reflected waves of electromagnetic waves irradiated from an irradiating unit, the object detection apparatus comprising:

a distance measuring unit that measures a distance to a detected object at each of a plurality of irradiation angles, based on the reflected waves of the electromagnetic waves irradiated from the irradiating unit at each irradiation angle;

a storage unit that is capable of storing the distances measured by the distance measuring unit in association with the irradiation angles;

a stationary-state determining unit that determines whether or not the distance measured by the distance measuring unit remains unchanged for a prescribed period of time, for each of the plurality of irradiation angles;

a storing processing unit that stores, in the storage unit, the distance determined to have remained unchanged by the stationary-state determining unit as a stationary object distance in association with the irradiation angle; and

a comparison determining unit that compares a current distance measured by the distance measuring unit and the stationary object distances stored in the storage unit for each of the plurality of irradiation angles, and determines whether or not a stationary object distance matching the current distance is present among the stationary object distances stored in the storage unit,

the comparison determining unit initially comparing the shortest stationary object distance among the stationary object distances stored in the storage unit to the current distance, for each of the plurality of irradiation angles, and upon determining that a stationary object distance matching the current distance is present, stopping the comparison between the current distance and the stationary object distances that have not yet been compared with the current measured distance among the stationary object distances stored in the storage unit.

2. The object detection apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:

the comparison determining unit compares the current distance to the stationary object distances stored in the storage unit in order from the shortest stationary object distance, for each of the plurality of irradiation angles.

3. The object detection apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

a deletion processing unit that deletes, from the storage unit, the stationary object distance that is shorter than the distance determined to have remained unchanged for a prescribed period of time by the stationary-state determining unit, among the stationary object distances stored in the storage unit that are associated with the irradiation angle corresponding to the distance.

4. The object detection apparatus according to claim 2, further comprising:

a deletion processing unit that deletes, from the storage unit, the stationary object distance that is shorter than the distance determined to have remained unchanged for a prescribed period of time by the stationary-state determining unit, among the stationary object distances stored in the storage unit that are associated with the irradiation angle corresponding to the distance.

5. The object detection apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

a deletion processing unit that deletes, from the storage unit, the stationary object distance shorter than the current distance measured by the distance measuring unit, among the stationary object distances stored in the storage unit that are associated with the irradiation angle corresponding to the current distance.

6. The object detection apparatus according to claim 2, further comprising:

a deletion processing unit that deletes, from the storage unit, the stationary object distance shorter than the current distance measured by the distance measuring unit, among the stationary object distances stored in the storage unit that are associated with the irradiation angle corresponding to the current distance.

9. The object detection apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

a moving object determining unit that determines a detected object detected at the irradiation angle corresponding to the current distance determined by the comparison determining unit to not have a matching stationary object distance as a moving object.

12. The object detection apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:

the electromagnetic waves are laser light.

7. An object detection apparatus that detects an object in a detection area based on reflected waves of electromagnetic waves irradiated from an irradiating unit, the object detection apparatus comprising:

a distance measuring unit that measures a distance to a detected object at each of a plurality of irradiation angles, based on the reflected waves of the electromagnetic waves irradiated from the irradiating unit at each irradiation angle;

a storage unit that is capable of storing the distances measured by the distance measuring unit in association with the irradiation angles;

a stationary-state determining unit that determines whether or not the distance measured by the distance measuring unit remains unchanged for a prescribed period of time, for each of the plurality of irradiation angles;

a storing processing unit that stores, in the storage unit, the distance determined to have remained unchanged by the stationary-state determining unit as a stationary object distance in association with the irradiation angle;

a comparison determining unit that compares a current distance measured by the distance measuring unit and the stationary object distances stored in the storage unit for each of the plurality of irradiation angles, and determines whether or not a stationary object distance matching the current distance is present among the stationary object distances stored in the storage unit; and

a deletion processing unit that deletes, from the storage unit, the stationary object distance that is shorter than the distance determined to have remained unchanged for a prescribed period of time by the stationary-state determining unit, among the stationary object distances stored in the storage unit that are associated with the irradiation angle corresponding to the distance.

10. The object detection apparatus according to claim 7, further comprising:

a moving object determining unit that determines a detected object detected at the irradiation angle corresponding to the current distance determined by the comparison determining unit to not have a matching stationary object distance as a moving object.

13. The object detection apparatus according to claim 7, wherein:

the electromagnetic waves are laser light.

8. An object detection apparatus that detects an object in a detection area based on reflected waves of electromagnetic waves irradiated from an irradiating unit, the object detection apparatus comprising:

a distance measuring unit that measures a distance to a detected object at each of a plurality of irradiation angles, based on the reflected waves of the electromagnetic waves irradiated from the irradiating unit at each irradiation angle;

a storage unit that is capable of storing the distances measured by the distance measuring unit in association with the irradiation angles;

a stationary-state determining unit that determines whether or not the distance measured by the distance measuring unit remains unchanged for a prescribed period of time, for each of the plurality of irradiation angles;

a storing processing unit that stores, in the storage unit, the distance determined to have remained unchanged by the stationary-state determining unit as a stationary object distance in association with the irradiation angle;

a comparison determining unit that compares a current distance measured by the distance measuring unit and the stationary object distances stored in the storage unit for each of the plurality of irradiation angles, and determines whether or not a stationary object distance matching the current distance is present among the stationary object distances stored in the storage unit; and

a deletion processing unit that deletes, from the storage unit, the stationary object distance that is shorter than the current distance measured by the distance measuring unit, among the stationary object distances stored in the storage unit that are associated with the irradiation angle corresponding to the current distance.

11. The object detection apparatus according to claim 8, further comprising:

a moving object determining unit that determines a detected object detected at the irradiation angle corresponding to the current distance determined by the comparison determining unit to not have a matching stationary object distance as a moving object.

14. The object detection apparatus according to claim 8, wherein:

the electromagnetic waves are laser light.

15. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing an object detection program for detecting an object in a detection area based on reflected waves of electromagnetic waves irradiated from an irradiating unit, the object detection program causing a computer to perform:

a distance measuring process to measure a distance to a detected object at each of a plurality of irradiation angles, based on the reflected waves of the electromagnetic waves irradiated from the irradiating unit at each irradiation angle;

a stationary-state determining process to determine whether or not the distance measured by the distance measuring unit remains unchanged for a prescribed period of time, for each of the plurality of irradiation angles;

a storing process to store, in a storage unit provided in the computer, the distance determined to have remained unchanged by the stationary-state determining process as a stationary object distance in association with the irradiation angle; and

a comparison determining process to compare a current distance measured by the distance measuring unit and the stationary object distances stored in the storage unit for each of the plurality of irradiation angles, and to determine whether or not a stationary object distance matching the current distance is present among the stationary object distances stored in the storage unit,

the comparison determining process initially comparing the shortest stationary object distance among the stationary object distances stored in the storage unit with the current distance, for each of the plurality of irradiation angles, and upon determining that a stationary object distance matching the current distance is present, stopping the comparison between the current distance and the stationary object distances that have not yet been compared with the current measured distance among the stationary object distances stored in the storage unit.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing the object detection program according to claim 15, wherein:

the object detection program causes the computer to further perform;

a deleting process to delete, from the storage unit, the stationary object distance shorter than the current distance measured by the distance measuring unit, among the stationary object distances stored in the storage unit that are associated with the irradiation angle corresponding to the current distance.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing the object detection program according to claim 15, wherein:

the object detection program causes the computer to further perform;

a deleting process to delete, from the storage unit, the stationary object distance shorter than the current distance measured by the distance measuring unit, among the stationary object distances stored in the storage unit that are associated with the irradiation angle corresponding to the current distance.