Obstacle detection apparatus

• US 8,866,665 B2
• Filed: 01/28/2010
• Issued: 10/21/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 01/28/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Suzuki, Koji
• Primary Examiner(s): Brainard, Timothy A
• Application Number:
  US13/575,885
• Publication Number:
  US 20120319888A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,727 Days
• Field of Search: 342/79, 342/107, 342/146
• US Class Current: 342/79
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/345 using triangular modulation
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/424 Stacked beam radar
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/4454 phase comparisons monopulse, i.e. comparing the echo signals received by an interferometric antenna arrangement
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/48 using multiple beams at emission or reception
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/931 of land vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2013/9318 Controlling the steering
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2013/932 using own vehicle data, e.g. ground speed, steering wheel direction
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2013/9325 for inter-vehicle distance regulation, e.g. navigating in platoons
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2013/93271 in the front of the vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/16 Anti-collision systems road vehicle drive control systems for predicting or avoiding probable or impending collision otherwise than by control of a particular sub-unit B60W30/08
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/165 for passive traffic, e.g. including static obstacles, trees

Abstract

Various targets are detected in a more accurate manner. Provision is made for a receiving antenna part that has a plurality of receiving antennas arranged in a horizontal direction with a part thereof being shifted in a vertical direction from the others, and has a plurality of combinations of the receiving antennas, of which each combination detects an azimuth in the horizontal direction and an azimuth in the vertical direction of a target; and detection means that detects the target a plurality of times while changing the combination of the receiving antennas. The detection accuracy of the target can be enhanced by making a comparison between at least two detection results obtained by the detection means.

Claims

1. An obstacle detection apparatus comprising:

a receiving antenna part that has a plurality of receiving antennas arranged in a horizontal direction with a part thereof being shifted in a vertical direction from the others, and has a plurality of combinations of the receiving antennas, of which each combination detects an azimuth in the horizontal direction and an azimuth in the vertical direction of a target; and

detection unit that detects the target a plurality of times while changing the combination of said receiving antennas;

wherein said detection unit changes the combination of the receiving antennas in accordance with the distance of the target to be detected.

2. The obstacle detection apparatus as set forth in claim 1,

wherein said detection unit detects the target by using a combination of receiving antennas with an interval of arrangement thereof which is wider in accordance with the shorter distance thereof to the target.

3. The obstacle detection apparatus as set forth in claim 1,

wherein three or more of said receiving antennas are arranged in the horizontal direction, and said detection unit detects the azimuth in the horizontal direction of the target by using the three or more receiving antennas arranged in the horizontal direction, and thereafter, detects the azimuth in the vertical direction of the target by using the receiving antennas arranged shifted in the vertical direction.

4. The obstacle detection apparatus as set forth in claim 1,

wherein said detection unit changes said combination in accordance with a period of time until the target collides therewith, which is obtained based on the relative speed and the distance of the target.