Vehicle detector and vehicle detecting method
First Claim
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1. A vehicle detecting method arranged to detect another vehicle existing in the vicinity of a host vehicle, the vehicle detecting method comprising:
- repeatedly radiating electromagnetic waves from the host vehicle in a predetermined range;
detecting at least part of an object as a detection point by receiving electromagnetic waves reflected by the object in the predetermined range;
determining that a group of a plurality of detection points detected with one radiating operation is a candidate to be a vehicle and setting a determining virtual window encompassing the group of detection points, if the group of detection points includes a predetermined or larger number of detection points in a predetermined area;
determining that the group of detection points is still a candidate to be a vehicle if a change in the group of detection points with respect to a plurality of detection points obtained with a subsequent radiating operation is small;
repeating detection and determination for each radiating operation, and determining that the group of detection points is still a candidate to be a vehicle if a change in the group of detection points with respect to a plurality of detection points obtained with each successive radiating operation remains small; and
if a change in the group of detection points with respect to a plurality of detection points obtained with the subsequent radiating operation is small, causing the determining virtual window to move following a movement of the group of detection points in the determining virtual window, where a representative coordinate point in the group of detection points before the movement and a representative coordinate point in the group of detection points after the movement are calculated, and the determining virtual window is moved by the amount of movement of the representative coordinate point in the group of detection points after the movement relative to the representative coordinate point in the group of detection points before the movement to cause the determining virtual window to track the group of detection points.
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Abstract
A vehicle detector includes a detecting apparatus and a determining apparatus. If a plurality of detection points detected by the detecting apparatus forms a group of detection points, the determining apparatus sets a determining virtual window encompassing the group of detection points and determines whether the group of detection points is likely to represent the one vehicle based on a state of movement of the group of detection points with respect to the determining virtual window.
39 Citations
19 Claims
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1. A vehicle detecting method arranged to detect another vehicle existing in the vicinity of a host vehicle, the vehicle detecting method comprising:
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repeatedly radiating electromagnetic waves from the host vehicle in a predetermined range; detecting at least part of an object as a detection point by receiving electromagnetic waves reflected by the object in the predetermined range; determining that a group of a plurality of detection points detected with one radiating operation is a candidate to be a vehicle and setting a determining virtual window encompassing the group of detection points, if the group of detection points includes a predetermined or larger number of detection points in a predetermined area; determining that the group of detection points is still a candidate to be a vehicle if a change in the group of detection points with respect to a plurality of detection points obtained with a subsequent radiating operation is small; repeating detection and determination for each radiating operation, and determining that the group of detection points is still a candidate to be a vehicle if a change in the group of detection points with respect to a plurality of detection points obtained with each successive radiating operation remains small; and if a change in the group of detection points with respect to a plurality of detection points obtained with the subsequent radiating operation is small, causing the determining virtual window to move following a movement of the group of detection points in the determining virtual window, where a representative coordinate point in the group of detection points before the movement and a representative coordinate point in the group of detection points after the movement are calculated, and the determining virtual window is moved by the amount of movement of the representative coordinate point in the group of detection points after the movement relative to the representative coordinate point in the group of detection points before the movement to cause the determining virtual window to track the group of detection points. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. A vehicle detecting method arranged to detect another vehicle existing in the vicinity of a host vehicle, the vehicle detecting method comprising:
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repeatedly radiating electromagnetic waves from the host vehicle in a predetermined range; detecting at least part of an object as a detection point by receiving electromagnetic waves reflected by the object in the predetermined range; determining that a group of a plurality of detection points detected with one radiating operation is a candidate to be a vehicle and setting a determining virtual window encompassing the group of detection points, if the group of detection points includes a predetermined or larger number of detection points in a predetermined area; determining that the group of detection points is still a candidate to be a vehicle if a change in the group of detection points with respect to a plurality of detection points obtained with a subsequent radiating operation is equal to or below a predetermined number; and if a change in the number of detection points obtained with the subsequent radiating operation in the determining virtual window is equal to or less than the predetermined number, causing the determining virtual window to move following a movement of the group of detection points in the determining virtual window. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
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Specification