Obstacle detection device for vehicle

• US 5,461,357 A
• Filed: 01/27/1993
• Issued: 10/24/1995
• Est. Priority Date: 01/29/1992
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Mazda Motor Corporation
• Original Assignee: Mazda Motor Corporation
• Inventors: Matsuoka, Satoru, Yoshioka, Tohru, Doi, Ayumu, Morioka, Satoshi
• Primary Examiner(s): Crosland, Donnie L.
• Application Number:
  US08/010,090
• Time in Patent Office: 1,000 Days
• Field of Search: 340/435, 340/436, 340/903, 340/904, 340/905, 340/901, 340/555-557, 348/135, 348/118, 348/119, 348/169, 348/148, 180/167, 180/169, 180/271, 180/274, 180/275, 356/1, 356/141, 356/152, 356/141.4, 356/152.2, 250/560, 250/561
• US Class Current: 340/435
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 7/22 initiated by contact of vehicle, e.g. bumper, with an external object, e.g. another vehicle , or by means of contactless obstacle detectors mounted on the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 6/00 Arrangements for automatically controlling steering depending on driving conditions sensed and responded to, e.g. control circuits means for initiating a change in direction B62D1/00; steering valves B62D5/06; combined with means for inclining the vehicle body or wheels on bends B62D9/00
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 11/12 using electromagnetic waves other than radio waves
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 15/931 of land vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 17/931 of land vehicles

Abstract

An obstacle detection device for a vehicle includes an area determining section for determining a detection area extended forward of a running vehicle and provided for detecting an obstacle, a split section for splitting the area into a plurality of small split zones, a detecting section for detecting an obstacle in each of the small split zones, inferring section for an inferring a path of the vehicle in the obstacle detection area, and a judging section for judging a rank of danger of an obstacle in the detection area. The obstacle can be properly detected so that the vehicle can take a responsive and appropriate action for avoiding the obstacle.

Claims

1. An obstacle detection device for a vehicle comprising:

area determining means for determining a detection area extended forward of a running vehicle for detecting an obstacle,

split means for splitting the detection area into a plurality of small split zones,

detecting means for detecting an obstacle for each of the small split zones produced by splitting the detection area,

judging means for judging a degree of danger of the obstacle in the detection area based on a relationship between said obstacle and the running vehicle, and

control means for controlling the vehicle based on said degree of danger.

2. A device as recited in claim 1 and further comprising ranking means for ranking obstacles detected and the split zones.

3. A device as recited in claim 2 wherein the judging means judges the degree of danger of each of the obstacles based on its rank and the small split zone in which the obstacle belongs.

4. A device as recited in claim 1, wherein the control means comprises means for producing an alarm.

5. A device as recited in claim 1 wherein the control means includes means for producing alarm signal and means for taking an automatic braking action based on the judgment made by the judging means.

6. A device as recited in claim 1 wherein adjacent small split zones partly overlap each other.

7. A device as recited in claim 1 wherein the detecting means is constituted by a single scanning laser sensor.

8. A device as recited in claim 7 wherein the area determining means determines the detection area within the scanning area scanned by the laser sensor in processing a signal from the laser sensor.

9. A device as recited in claim 1 wherein the detecting means is constituted by an ultrasonic scan sensor.

10. An obstacle detection device for a vehicle comprising:

area determining means for determining a detection area extended forward of a running vehicle,

detecting means for detecting an obstacle in the detection area,

inferring means for inferring a path of the vehicle detected, by the detecting means, in the detection area,

excluding means for excluding data concerning said obstacle when said obstacle is located in a predetermined part of the detection area,

judging means for judging a degree of danger of the obstacle in the detection area, and

control means for controlling the vehicle based on said degree of danger.

11. A device as recited in claim 10 and further comprising distance detecting means for detecting a distance between the vehicle and an installation by a road.

12. A device as recited in claim 11 wherein the predetermined part is determined in accordance with the distance.

13. A device as recited in claim 10 wherein a lane opposite to a running lane of the vehicle is designated as the predetermined part when the vehicle runs on a substantially straight path.

14. A device as recited in claim 10 wherein, when the vehicle runs on a curved path, an area beyond an outer edge of the path in a radial direction of turning is designated as the predetermined part.

15. A device as recited in claim 10, wherein the control means comprises means for producing an alarm.

16. A device as recited in claim 10, wherein the control means comprises means for producing an alarm and means for providing a braking action based on said degree of danger.