Apparatus for monitoring area adjacent to vehicle
First Claim
1. An apparatus for monitoring an area adjacent to a subject vehicle, comprising:
- image taking means for taking an image of an area at and around a place to which the subject vehicle is directed;
predicting means for predicting a region to which the subject vehicle will travel, the predicted region having a left-hand boundary and a right-hand boundary;
setting means for setting a detection area near at least one of the left-hand boundary and the right-hand boundary of the predicted region, the detection area extending along a direction of travel of the subject vehicle; and
deciding means for deciding whether or not a three-dimensional object exists in the detection area in response to the image taken by the image taking means.
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Accused Products
Abstract
An apparatus for monitoring an area adjacent to a subject vehicle includes an image taking device for taking an image of an area at and around a place to which the subject vehicle is directed. A predicting device operates for predicting a region to which the subject vehicle will travel. The predicted region has a left-hand boundary and a right-hand boundary. A setting device operates for setting a detection area near at least one of the left-hand boundary and the right-hand boundary of the predicted region. The detection area extends along a direction of travel of the subject vehicle. A deciding device operates for deciding whether or not a three-dimensional object exists in the detection area in response to the image taken by the image taking device. The three-dimensional object is, for example, a cut-in vehicle with respect to the subject vehicle.
55 Citations
15 Claims
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1. An apparatus for monitoring an area adjacent to a subject vehicle, comprising:
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image taking means for taking an image of an area at and around a place to which the subject vehicle is directed;
predicting means for predicting a region to which the subject vehicle will travel, the predicted region having a left-hand boundary and a right-hand boundary;
setting means for setting a detection area near at least one of the left-hand boundary and the right-hand boundary of the predicted region, the detection area extending along a direction of travel of the subject vehicle; and
deciding means for deciding whether or not a three-dimensional object exists in the detection area in response to the image taken by the image taking means. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
an on-vehicle system for implementing at least one of (1) inter-vehicle control of the subject vehicle and (2) an inter-vehicle warning process for a preceding vehicle with respect to the subject vehicle;
warning means for generating an alarm for a cut-in vehicle in response to a result of the deciding by the deciding means; and
preventing means for preventing the warning means from generating a second alarm during a prescribed time interval from a moment of generation of a first alarm.
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14. An apparatus as recited in claim 13, wherein the preventing means comprises means for, in cases where a cut-in vehicle is handled as a preceding vehicle by the on-vehicle system, preventing the warning means from generating an alarm.
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15. A computer program for operating a computer as the apparatus of claim 1.
Specification