Obstacle detecting system

• US 6,408,247 B1
• Filed: 04/27/2000
• Issued: 06/18/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 04/28/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha (Honda Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha (Honda Motor Company)
• Inventors: Hada, Satoshi, Sugimoto, Yoichi, Urai, Yoshihiro, Ichikawa, Shoji
• Primary Examiner(s): Cuchlinski, Jr., William A.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Hernandez, Olga
• Application Number:
  US09/559,744
• Time in Patent Office: 782 Days
• Field of Search: 701/301, 701/96, 701/93, 701/300, 340/901, 340/903
• US Class Current: 701/301
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/013 including means for detecting collisions, impending collisions or roll-over
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/0134 responsive to imminent contact with an obstacle , e.g. using radar systems
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/931 of land vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2013/93185 Controlling the brakes
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2013/932 using own vehicle data, e.g. ground speed, steering wheel direction
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2013/93271 in the front of the vehicles

Abstract

The accuracy of determination of a possibility of collision of a vehicle with an object is enhanced without the shortening of a period for detection of the object by an object detecting apparatus. A collision-possibility determining device determines the presence or absence of a possibility of collision of the vehicle with the obstacle by comparing a future locus of movement of the obstacle determined by an obstacle locus determining device based on an output from a radar device, with a future locus of movement of the vehicle determined by a vehicle locus determining apparatus based on outputs from wheel speed sensors and a yaw rate sensor. The period of the detection conducted by the radar device providing data about the obstacle to the obstacle locus determining apparatus is 100 msec, but the obstacle locus determining apparatus, the vehicle locus determining apparatus and the collision-possibility determining apparatus carry out the determination of the possibility of collision at a determination period shorter than the detection period of 100 msec. Thus, it is possible to carry out the determination of the possibility of collision at the shorter determination period without use of a large-sized and expensive radar device, thereby enhancing the determination accuracy.

Claims

1. An obstacle detecting system comprising:

an object detecting means for detecting an object present in the direction of movement of a moving body;

a speed detecting means for detecting the speed of movement of the moving body; and

a collision-possibility determining means for determining the possibility of collision of the moving body with the object, based on the result of the detection by said object detecting means and the result of the detection by said speed detecting means;

wherein a determination period is provided for determination of the possibility of collision by said collision-possibility determining means, the determination period being set to be shorter than a detection period for detection of the object by said object detecting means.

2. As obstacle detecting system according to claim 1, wherein said collision-possibility determining means detects a position of the object relative to the moving body based on the detection by said object detecting means and the detection by the speed detecting means to determine the possibility of collision based on a change in relative position, said relative position being detected at a period shorter than the detection period for the detection of the object by said object detecting means.

3. An obstacle detecting system according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the determination period for the determination of the possibility of collision by said collision-possibility determining means becomes shorter, as a distance between the moving body and the object becomes shorter.

4. An obstacle detecting system according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the determination period for the determination of the possibility of collision by said collision-possibility determining means becomes shorter, as the relative speed between the moving body and the object becomes higher.

5. An obstacle detecting system according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the determination period for the determination of the possibility of collision by said collision-possibility determining means becomes shorter, as the lateral relative position of the object becomes closer to the moving body.