Obstacle detection device for vehicle and method thereof

• US 6,888,447 B2
• Filed: 02/12/2003
• Issued: 05/03/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 02/26/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Hori, Yoshihito, Nonaka, Masakatsu
• Primary Examiner(s): SWARTHOUT, BRENT
• Application Number:
  US10/364,402
• Publication Number:
  US 20030160866A1
• Time in Patent Office: 811 Days
• Field of Search: 340/903, 340/435, 348/148, 348/149, 348/159, 701/301, 342 69- 72, 342/195, 180/170
• US Class Current: 340/435
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/0134 responsive to imminent contact with an obstacle , e.g. using radar systems
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 11/12 using electromagnetic waves other than radio waves
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/348 using square or rectangular modulation, e.g. diplex radar for ranging over short distances
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/86 Combinations of radar systems with non-radar systems, e.g. sonar, direction finder
• 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 2013/932 using own vehicle data, e.g. ground speed, steering wheel direction
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2013/9323 Alternative operation using light waves
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2013/93271 in the front of the vehicles

Abstract

An obstacle detection device for a vehicle that detects obstacles using a distance to an object calculated by image processing and a distance to the object calculated by radar ranging. This obstacle detection device includes a measuring portion that measures an amount of movement of the object at a predetermined interval of time by image processing and a measuring portion that measures an amount of movement of the object at a predetermined interval of time by radar ranging, and does not determine the object to be an obstacle when the two amounts of movement are not consistent.

Claims

1. An obstacle detection device for a vehicle, comprising:

a first measuring portion that determines a distance between the vehicle and an object in a vicinity of the vehicle;

a second measuring portion that determines a distance between the vehicle and the object in the vicinity of the vehicle and has a different characteristic than the first measuring portion; and

a controller that determines that the object is an obstacle when;

the distance between the vehicle and the object determined by the first measuring portion and the distance between the vehicle and the object determined by the second measuring portion with the same timing used by the first measuring portion are consistent, and

at least one of a displacement amount of the distance, a displacement amount of a relative velocity and a displacement amount of a relative acceleration at a predetermined interval of time from the vehicle to the object determined by the first measuring portion and a corresponding at least one of a displacement amount of the distance, a displacement amount of the relative velocity and a displacement of the relative acceleration from the vehicle to the object determined by the second measuring portion with the same timing used by the first measuring portion are consistent.

2. The obstacle detection device for a vehicle according to claim 1, wherein

the first measuring portion determines the distance to the object and the at least one of the displacement amount of the distance, the displacement amount of the relative velocity and the displacement of the relative acceleration at a predetermined interval of time by image processing and

the second measuring portion determines the distance to the object and the at least one of the displacement amount of the distance, the displacement amount of the relative velocity and the displacement of the relative acceleration at the predetermined interval of time by radar ranging.

3. The obstacle detection device for a vehicle according to claim 2, further comprising:

a warning device that operates when the control portion has determined that the object is an obstacle.

4. The obstacle detection device for a vehicle according to claim 3, wherein

the controller determines the object to be an obstacle and activates the warning device when:

the distance and the direction of the object determined by the first measuring portion and the distance and the direction of the object determined by the second measuring portion are consistent, respectively, and

the at least one of the displacement amount of the distance, the displacement amount of the relative velocity and the displacement of the relative acceleration determined by the first measuring portion and the at least one of the displacement amount of the distance, the displacement amount of the relative velocity and the displacement of the relative acceleration determined by the second measuring portion are consistent.

5. The obstacle detection device for a vehicle according to claim 2, wherein

the radar ranging is conducted with a millimeter wave radar.

6. The obstacle detection device for a vehicle according to claim 2, wherein

the radar ranging is conducted with a laser radar.

7. The obstacle detection device for a vehicle according to claim 2, wherein

the image of the image processing is captured by at least one camera.

8. An obstacle detection method of an obstacle detection device for a vehicle, comprising:

determining, by a first measuring method, a distance between the vehicle and an object in a vicinity of the vehicle, and at least one of a displacement amount of that distance, a displacement amount of a relative velocity and a displacement amount of a relative acceleration;

determining, by a second measuring method that has a different characteristic than the first measuring method with the same timing used by the first measuring method, a distance between the vehicle and the object in the vicinity of the vehicle and at least one of a displacement amount of that distance, a displacement amount of a relative velocity and a displacement amount of a relative acceleration; and

determining the object to be an obstacle when;

the distance between the vehicle and the objection determined in the first measuring step and the distance between the vehicle and the objection determined in the second measuring step are consistent, and

at least one of a displacement amount of the distance, a displacement amount of a relative velocity and a displacement mount of a relative acceleration determined in the first measuring step and a displacement amount of the distance, a displacement amount of a relative velocity and a displacement mount of a relative acceleration determined in the second measuring step are consistent.

9. The detection method according to claim 8, wherein

the first measuring method is a determining method by image processing and the second measuring method is a determining method by radar ranging.

10. The detection method according to claim 8, further comprising:

issuing a warning when the object has been determined as an obstacle in the determining step.

11. The detection method according to claim 9, further comprising the steps of:

determining whether the distance between the vehicle and the object in the vicinity of the vehicle and a direction of the object with respect to the vehicle, which were determined in the first measuring step, are consistent with the distance between the vehicle and the object in the vicinity of the vehicle and the direction of the object with respect to the vehicle, which were determined in the second measuring step;

determining, when the distances and directions are consistent, whether the relative velocity of the vehicle and the object, which was determined in the first measuring step, are consistent with the relative velocity of the vehicle and the object, which was determined in the second measuring step; and

issuing a warning when the velocities are consistent.

12. An obstacle detection device for a vehicle that detects an obstacle using a distance to an object calculated by image processing and a distance to the object calculated by radar ranging, comprising:

a first measuring portion that calculates, by image processing, a displacement amount of relative velocity or a relative acceleration from the vehicle to the object at a predetermined interval of time;

a second measuring portion that calculates, by radar ranging, a displacement amount of the relative velocity or the relative acceleration at the predetermined interval of time; and

a control portion that determines the object to be an obstacle when the two displacement amounts of the relative velocity or the relative acceleration are consistent.

13. An obstacle detection method by an obstacle detection device for a vehicle, comprising the steps of:

calculating, by image processing, a displacement amount of a relative velocity or a relative acceleration from the vehicle to an object at a predetermined interval of time;

calculating, by radar ranging, a displacement amount of the relative velocity or the relative acceleration at the predetermined interval of time;

comparing the displacement amount of the relative velocity or the relative acceleration at a predetermined interval time of the object calculated by the image processing with the displacement amount of the relative velocity or the relative acceleration at a predetermined interval of time of the object measured by the radar ranging; and

determining the object to be an obstacle when the displacement amounts of the relative velocity or the relative acceleration are consistent.