Peripheral monitoring sensor

• US 6,492,935 B1
• Filed: 09/27/2000
• Issued: 12/10/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 09/29/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Fujitsu Ten Limited (DENSO Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Fujitsu Ten Limited (DENSO Corporation)
• Inventors: Higuchi, Takashi
• Primary Examiner(s): Sotomayor, John B.
• Application Number:
  US09/672,121
• Time in Patent Office: 804 Days
• Field of Search: 342/70, 342/71, 342/72, 342/52, 342/54, 342/55, 342/57, 342/58, 340/990, 340/384.3, 340/505, 340/825.19, 340/936, 701/119, 701/208, 701/213
• US Class Current: 342/70
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/867 Combination of radar systems with cameras
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/931 of land vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2013/9325 for inter-vehicle distance regulation, e.g. navigating in platoons
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2013/93271 in the front of the vehicles

Abstract

For data detected by a milltimetric wave radar 2 and an image sensor 3, a signal processor 4 of a peripheral monitoring sensor 1 divides an area in which a detected target exists into a plurality of areas. For a target that exists within a certain specific area, information on the target is prepared based on the information obtained by both sensors. The millimetric wave radar is good at measuring a range and a speed of a target at long range. The image sensor is good at measuring a width and a bearing of a target. Therefore, by combining the data that each sensor is good at obtaining, it is possible to obtain accurate information. The signal processor 4 decides a surface of a target by combining an existing position of the target detected by the millimetric wave radar with target information detected by the image sensor. Thus, a peripheral monitoring sensor is obtained that securely senses a range, a relative speed, and a shape of the target.

Claims

1. A peripheral monitoring sensor comprising:

a millimetric wave radar for detecting a position of a target object existing within a predetermined area;

an image sensor for detecting a shape of the target object; and

a signal processor for preparing information on the target object by combining information related to the target object obtained from the millimetric wave radar and information related to the target object obtained from the image sensor.

2. The peripheral monitoring sensor according to claim 1, wherein the millimetric wave radar includes means for detecting an existence of the target, and the signal processor includes means for combining information of an end of the target obtained by the image sensor with a position of the target detected by the millimetric wave radar to decide a surface of the target.

3. The peripheral monitoring sensor according to claim 2, wherein the signal processor includes means for detecting the end of the target by using a value obtained by integrating peak power near the end of the target detected by the millimetric wave radar.

5. The peripheral monitoring sensor according to claim 3, wherein the signal processor includes means for checking existence detection information to detect whether a target exists at one or more of left edge of the target, right edge of the target, and edge of the end of the target.

6. The peripheral monitoring sensor according to claim 5, wherein the signal processor includes means for detecting the end of the target by using a value obtained by integrating peak power near the end of the target detected by the millimetric wave radar.

4. A peripheral monitoring sensor comprising:

a millimetric wave radar;

an image sensor; and

a signal processor having instructions for preparing information on a target existing within a predetermined area, by combining information related to the target obtained from the millimetric wave radar and information related to the target obtained from the image sensor, wherein the signal processor has a memory for storing a millimetric wave gain coefficient according to a range and an image gain coefficient according to a range, and the signal processor provides information on an edge of the target based on information obtained by multiplying reliability in the information of the millimetric wave radar with the millimetric wave gain coefficient and information obtained by multiplying reliability in the information of the image sensor with the image gain coefficient.

7. A peripheral monitoring sensor, comprising:

a millimetric wave radar;

an image sensor; and

a signal processor having instructions for preparing information on a target existing within a predetermined area, by combining information related to the target obtained from the millimetric wave radar and information related to the target obtained from the image sensor, wherein the signal processor has a memory for storing an area necessary for control and an area necessary for forecasting the control, and the signal processor includes means for providing a relative position, a relative speed, and a shape of a target for a target detected in the area necessary for the control, and means for providing existence information for a target detected in the forecasting area.

8. The peripheral monitoring sensor according to claim 7, wherein the signal processor includes a memory for storing a danger area in which the existence of a target is dangerous, and means for outputting a signal that shows the target is in the danger area.

9. The peripheral monitoring sensor according to claim 7, wherein the area necessary for the control is agreed with an area in which the area sensed by the millimetric wave radar and the area sensed by the image sensor are over-lapped with each other.

10. The peripheral monitoring sensor according to claim 9, wherein the signal processor has means for tracing a target that leaves from the area in which the area sensed by the millimetric wave radar and the area sensed by the image sensor are superimposed on each other.

11. The peripheral monitoring sensor according to claim 10, wherein the signal processor includes means for lowering the reliability of the data of the millimetric wave radar or the image sensor when the target is traced.

12. The peripheral monitoring sensor according to claim 11, wherein the signal processor includes means for lowering the reliability of the data of the millimetric wave radar or the image sensor when the target is traced for the area in which the area sensed by the millimetric wave radar and the area sensed by the image sensor are superimposed on each other.

13. A method for peripheral monitoring of a target object comprising:

receiving information from a millimetric wave radar related to distance of the target object;

receiving information from an image sensor related to a shape of the target object; and

combining the distance information and the shape information to determine a position, speed, and shape of the target object.

14. The method of claim 13 further comprising determining a surface of the target object by combining information of an end of the target detected by the image sensor with a position of the target detected by the millimetric wave radar.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein the end of the target is detected by using a value obtained by integrating peak power near the end of the target detected by the millimetric wave radar.

16. The method of claim 13 further comprising:

storing a millimetric wave gain coefficient according to a range and an image gain coefficient according to a range;

multiplying reliability in the information of the millimetric wave radar with the millimetric wave gain coefficient and information obtained by multiplying reliability in the information of the image sensor with the image gain coefficient; and

providing information on an edge of the target based on the multiplied information.