Object detection device

• US 7,777,669 B2
• Filed: 10/31/2006
• Issued: 08/17/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 11/09/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Tsuchida, Jun, Tokoro, Setsuo
• Primary Examiner(s): Tarcza; Thomas H
• Assistant Examiner(s): Bythrow; Peter M
• Application Number:
  US12/093,244
• Publication Number:
  US 20090201192A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,386 Days
• Field of Search: 342 70- 72, 342/118
• US Class Current: 342/70
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/01313 monitoring the vehicle steering system or the dynamic control system
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/01327 Angular velocity or angular acceleration
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/0134 responsive to imminent contact with an obstacle , e.g. using radar systems
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2420/403 Image sensing, e.g. optical camera
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2420/408 Radar; Laser, e.g. lidar
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/09 Taking automatic action to avoid collision, e.g. braking and steering
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/095 Predicting travel path or likelihood of collision
• 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 2013/93185 Controlling the brakes
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2013/932 using own vehicle data, e.g. ground speed, steering wheel direction
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2013/93271 in the front of the vehicles

Abstract

An object of the present invention is to provide an object detection apparatus capable of detecting an object at high precision in accordance with the type of the object. The object detection apparatus of the present invention comprises: object position detection means 2, 22, 3, 23 for detecting the positions of objects; object type estimating means 24 for estimating the types of the objects; and object estimating means 24 for integrating a plurality of detection results for positions within a search area obtained by the object position detection means 2, 22, 3, 23 and thereby estimating the sizes of the objects, the object detection apparatus of the present invention being characterized in that the search area is set based on the types of the objects estimated by the object type estimating means 24. Moreover, the object detection apparatus of the present invention is characterized in that the object position detection means 2, 22, 3, 23 detects the positions of the objects by using a plurality of position detection criteria, that the object type estimating means 24 estimates the types of the objects based on the position detection criteria, according to which the object position detection means 2, 22, 3, 23 have been able to detect the positions of the objects, and that the search area is set based on the position detection criteria, according to which the positions of the objects have been detected.

Claims

1. An object detection apparatus, comprising:

object position detection means for detecting positions of objects;

object type estimating means for estimating types of the objects; and

object estimating means for integrating a plurality of detection results for positions within a search area obtained by the object position detection means and thereby estimating sizes of the objects, wherein

the search area is variably set based on the types of the objects estimated by the object type estimating means.

2. The object detection apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the object position detection means detects the positions of the objects by using a plurality of position detection criteria,

the object type estimating means estimates the types of the objects based on the position detection criteria, according to which the object position detection means has been able to detect the positions of the objects, and

the search area is set based on the position detection criteria, according to which the positions of the objects have been detected.

3. The object detection apparatus according to claim 2, wherein

the object position detection means is a radar sensor that receives reflected waves of scanning electromagnetic waves from the objects to detect the positions of the objects and an image sensor that analyzes captured images to detect the positions of the objects,

the object estimating means integrates a detection result for a position within the search area obtained by the radar sensor, with a detection result for a position within the search area obtained by the image sensor,

the radar sensor detects the positions of the objects by using the plurality of position detection criteria,

the positions of the objects are positions of the objects in the horizontal direction, and

the search area is set based on the positions of the objects detected by the radar sensor and based on the position detection criteria, according to which the radar sensor has been able to detect the objects.

4. The object detection apparatus according to claim 3, wherein

the position detection criteria used by the radar sensor are represented as threshold values of reception intensity obtained when receiving the reflected waves of the scanning electromagnetic waves from the objects, and

the search area is set larger when the objects are detected with a threshold value of large reception intensity than when the objects are detected with a threshold value of small reception intensity.

5. An object detection method, comprising:

detecting positions of objects;

estimating types of the objects;

integrating a plurality of detection results for positions detected within a search area and thereby estimating sizes of the objects; and

setting the search area variably based on the estimated types of the objects.

6. The object detection method according to claim 5, wherein

the detection of the positions of objects is performed by using a plurality of position detection criteria,

the estimation of the types of objects is performed based on the position detection criteria, according to which the positions of the objects are detected, and

the search area is set based on the position detection criteria, according to which the positions of the objects are detected.

7. The object detection method according to claim 6 wherein

the detection of positions of objects is performed by a radar sensor that receives reflected waves of scanning electromagnetic waves from the objects to detect the positions of the objects and an image sensor that analyzes captured images to detect the positions of the objects,

the estimation of sizes of objects is performed by integrating a detection result for a position within the search area obtained by the radar sensor, with a detection result for a position within the search area obtained by the image sensor,

the radar sensor detects the positions of the objects by using the plurality of position detection criteria,

the positions of the objects are positions of the objects in the horizontal direction, and

the search area is set based on the positions of the objects detected by the radar sensor and based on the position detection criteria, according to which the radar sensor has been able to detect the objects.

8. The object detection method according to claim 7, wherein

the position detection criteria used by the radar sensor are represented as threshold values of reception intensity obtained when receiving the reflected waves of the scanning electromagnetic waves from the objects, and

the search area is set larger when the objects are detected with a threshold value of large reception intensity than when the objects are detected with a threshold value of small reception intensity.