Obstacle detection device

• US 7,230,524 B2
• Filed: 03/09/2004
• Issued: 06/12/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 03/20/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Yoshida, Takashi, Watanabe, Yutaka, Ishida, Akira
• Primary Examiner(s): Hofsass; Jeffery
• Assistant Examiner(s): Fan; Hongmin
• Application Number:
  US10/524,208
• Publication Number:
  US 20050225439A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,190 Days
• Field of Search: 340/435, 340/932.2, 701 45- 47, 701 93- 98, 348/148, 342/55, 342 70- 72, 342/118, 342/119, 342/142, 342/144, 342/146
• US Class Current: 340/435
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 2201/10 Automatic or semi-automatic parking aid systems
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 15/027 Parking aids, e.g. instruction means
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/931 of land vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2013/9314 Parking operations
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2013/93271 in the front of the vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2013/93272 in the back of the vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2013/93274 on the side of the vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0238 using obstacle or wall sensors G05D1/0246 and G05D1/0289 take precedence; lidar systems designed for anti-collision purposes G01S17/93
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/586 of parking space

Abstract

An obstacle detection device includes: an obstacle detection section (11) for emitting beams having a predetermined divergence angle consecutively in a plurality of different directions, receiving a reflected wave from an obstacle for each direction, and detecting the obstacle existing within an emission angle range of the beam for the direction; a distance calculation section (12) for calculating a distance representative of an interspace between the obstacle and the vehicle for each direction based on a received signal of the reflected wave for the direction outputted from the obstacle detection section; an obstacle image creation section (14) for creating, as an obstacle image, a figure two-dimensionally developed in the emission angle range of the beam emitted in each direction while treating, as a basis for image creation, the distance calculated by the distance calculation section for the direction, and for creating and outputting image data for displaying the obstacle image; and a display section (15) for receiving the image data created by the obstacle image creation section and displaying an image showing a positional relationship between the obstacle and the vehicle.

Claims

1. An obstacle detection device to be mounted on a vehicle for detecting and displaying an obstacle in a vicinity of the vehicle, the device comprising:

an obstacle detection section for emitting beams having a predetermined divergence angle consecutively in a plurality of different directions, and for each direction, receiving a reflected wave from an obstacle and detecting the obstacle existing within an emission angle range of the beam for the direction;

a distance calculation section for calculating, for each direction, a distance representative of an interspace between the obstacle and the vehicle based on a received signal of the reflected wave;

an obstacle image creation section for creating, for each direction, an obstacle image as a figure two-dimensionally developed in the emission angle range of the corresponding beam while treating, as a basis for image creation, the distance calculated by the distance calculation section for the direction, and for creating and outputting image data for displaying the obstacle image; and

a display section for receiving the image data created by the obstacle image creation section and displaying an image showing a positional relationship between the obstacle and the vehicle,

wherein, for each direction, the obstacle image created by the obstacle image creation section is an arc figure whose center is an emission point of the beams and whose radius is the distance calculated by the distance calculation section for the direction, and

wherein, for each direction, the obstacle image creation section changes a thickness of the arc figure as the obstacle image, in accordance with the distance calculated by the distance calculation section for the direction.

2. An obstacle detection device to be mounted on a vehicle for detecting and displaying an obstacle in a vicinity of the vehicle, the device comprising:

an obstacle detection section for emitting beams having a predetermined divergence angle consecutively in a plurality of different directions, and for each direction, receiving a reflected wave from an obstacle and detecting the obstacle existing within an emission angle range of the beam for the direction;

a distance calculation section for calculating, for each direction, a distance representative of an interspace between the obstacle and the vehicle based on a received signal of the reflected wave;

an obstacle image creation section for creating, for each direction, an obstacle image as a figure two-dimensionally developed in the emission angle range of the corresponding beam while treating, as a basis for image creation, the distance calculated by the distance calculation section for the direction, and for creating and outputting image data for displaying the obstacle image; and

a display section for receiving the image data created by the obstacle image creation section and displaying an image showing a positional relationship between the obstacle and the vehicle,

wherein, for each direction, the obstacle image created by the obstacle image creation section is a figure having an area and at least containing an arc figure whose center is an emission point of the beams and whose radius is the distance calculated by the distance calculation section for the direction, and

wherein, for each direction, the obstacle image created by the obstacle image creation section is an elliptical figure, end points of whose major axis coincide with end points of the arc locus.

3. An obstacle detection device to be mounted on a vehicle for detecting and displaying an obstacle in a vicinity of the vehicle, the device comprising:

an obstacle detection section for emitting beams having a predetermined divergence angle consecutively in a plurality of different directions, and for each direction, receiving a reflected wave from an obstacle and detecting the obstacle existing within an emission angle range of the beam for the direction;

a distance calculation section for calculating, for each direction, a distance representative of an interspace between the obstacle and the vehicle based on a received signal of the reflected wave;

an obstacle image creation section for creating, for each direction, an obstacle image as a figure two-dimensionally developed in the emission angle range of the corresponding beam while treating, as a basis for image creation, the distance calculated by the distance calculation section for the direction, and for creating and outputting image data for displaying the obstacle image; and

a display section for receiving the image data created by the obstacle image creation section and displaying an image showing a positional relationship between the obstacle and the vehicle;

wherein, for each direction, the obstacle image created by the obstacle image creation section is a figure having an area and at least containing an arc figure whose center is an emission point of the beams and whose radius is the distance calculated by the distance calculation section for the direction;

wherein, while treating as a base figure the figure having an area created for each direction, the obstacle image creation section further determines as the obstacle image an entire figure obtained by joining all base figures in order of direction with line segments joining end points on one side of the arc loci contained in the base figures and with line segments joining end points on the other side of the arc loci contained in the base figures; and

wherein an inside of the entire figure is divided into parts based on a distance from the emission point of the beams, and the image data is created such that adjacent parts obtained by the division have a gradual difference in brightness.

4. An obstacle detection device to be mounted on a vehicle for detecting and displaying an obstacle in a vicinity of the vehicle, the device comprising:

an obstacle detection section for emitting beams having a predetermined divergence angle consecutively in a plurality of different directions, and for each direction, receiving a reflected wave from an obstacle and detecting the obstacle existing within an emission angle range of the beam for the direction;

a distance calculation section for calculating, for each direction, a distance representative of an interspace between the obstacle and the vehicle based on a received signal of the reflected wave;

an obstacle image creation section for creating, for each direction, an obstacle image as a figure two-dimensionally developed in the emission angle range of the corresponding beam while treating, as a basis for image creation, the distance calculated by the distance calculation section for the direction, and for creating and outputting image data for displaying the obstacle image; and

a display section for receiving the image data created by the obstacle image creation section and displaying an image showing a positional relationship between the obstacle and the vehicle,

wherein, for each direction, the obstacle image created by the obstacle image creation section is an arc figure whose center is an emission point of the beams and whose radius is the distance calculated by the distance calculation section for the direction,

wherein, for each direction, the obstacle image creation section further treats, as a representative location of the obstacle, a point apart from the emission point of the beams by the distance calculated by the distance calculation section for the direction, the point being in a central direction of the emission angle range of the beam emitted in the direction, and

wherein the obstacle image creation section further creates image data of a kinked line joining the representative locations in order of direction.