Vehicle-installation intersection judgment apparatus and program
First Claim
1. An intersection judgement apparatus incorporated in a PCS (pre-crash system) of a host vehicle for assisting the PCS to calculate a TTC (time to collision) with a target object, the intersection judgement apparatus comprisingdistance measurement circuitry configured for receiving target object detection information from target object detection means, and for periodically calculating updated values of a relative distance between the host vehicle and a target object based on the target object information, the target object information relating to an object positioned within an external region located ahead of the host vehicle and to one side of a longitudinal motion direction of the host vehicle;
- direction angle measurement circuitry configured for periodically calculating updated values of a direction angle of the target object relative to the host vehicle, based on the target object detection information,displacement amount calculation circuitry configured for periodically calculating updated amounts of lateral displacement of the target object based upon respective values of the calculated relative distance and calculated direction angle of the target object, each lateral displacement amount being measured along a lateral direction which is at right angles to longitudinal motion direction of the host vehicle, andintersection judgement circuitry configured for applying the periodically calculated lateral displacement amounts in judgement processing for judging whether the target object is moving substantially continuously along the lateral direction;
wherein;
the intersection judgement circuitry is configured to;
execute the judgement processing based on utilizing a plurality of threshold condition groups, each threshold condition group comprising a combination of a corresponding lower displacement threshold and a corresponding count threshold having respectively predetermined values, the corresponding lower displacement thresholds of the threshold condition groups being respectively different and the corresponding count thresholds of the threshold condition groups being respectively different;
apply each of the threshold condition groups in an operation of counting a number of times that sequential ones of the lateral displacement amounts exceed the corresponding lower displacement threshold of the threshold condition group, and make a determination that the threshold condition group changes from a non-satisfied status to a satisfied status when the counted number attains the corresponding count threshold of the threshold condition group; and
,judge whether the target object is moving laterally towards intersection with the longitudinal motion direction of the host vehicle, based upon evaluating the respective statuses of the plurality of threshold condition groups, with results of the judgement being supplied to the PCS for use in calculating the time to collision with the target object.
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Abstract
A vehicle-installation intersection judgment apparatus determines whether a target object such as a pedestrian is located ahead and to one side of the vehicle, and if so, judges whether the object is moving laterally to intersect with the advancement of the vehicle. Successive amounts of lateral displacement of the object are periodically derived, each amount is compared with a displacement threshold, a count is made of the number of times that the displacement threshold is exceeded, and the count is compared with a predetermined count threshold. The judgment concerning the target object is made based upon whether the count threshold is attained.
44 Citations
22 Claims
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1. An intersection judgement apparatus incorporated in a PCS (pre-crash system) of a host vehicle for assisting the PCS to calculate a TTC (time to collision) with a target object, the intersection judgement apparatus comprising
distance measurement circuitry configured for receiving target object detection information from target object detection means, and for periodically calculating updated values of a relative distance between the host vehicle and a target object based on the target object information, the target object information relating to an object positioned within an external region located ahead of the host vehicle and to one side of a longitudinal motion direction of the host vehicle; -
direction angle measurement circuitry configured for periodically calculating updated values of a direction angle of the target object relative to the host vehicle, based on the target object detection information, displacement amount calculation circuitry configured for periodically calculating updated amounts of lateral displacement of the target object based upon respective values of the calculated relative distance and calculated direction angle of the target object, each lateral displacement amount being measured along a lateral direction which is at right angles to longitudinal motion direction of the host vehicle, and intersection judgement circuitry configured for applying the periodically calculated lateral displacement amounts in judgement processing for judging whether the target object is moving substantially continuously along the lateral direction; wherein; the intersection judgement circuitry is configured to; execute the judgement processing based on utilizing a plurality of threshold condition groups, each threshold condition group comprising a combination of a corresponding lower displacement threshold and a corresponding count threshold having respectively predetermined values, the corresponding lower displacement thresholds of the threshold condition groups being respectively different and the corresponding count thresholds of the threshold condition groups being respectively different; apply each of the threshold condition groups in an operation of counting a number of times that sequential ones of the lateral displacement amounts exceed the corresponding lower displacement threshold of the threshold condition group, and make a determination that the threshold condition group changes from a non-satisfied status to a satisfied status when the counted number attains the corresponding count threshold of the threshold condition group; and
,judge whether the target object is moving laterally towards intersection with the longitudinal motion direction of the host vehicle, based upon evaluating the respective statuses of the plurality of threshold condition groups, with results of the judgement being supplied to the PCS for use in calculating the time to collision with the target object. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. An intersection judgement apparatus incorporated in a PCS (pre-crash system) of a host vehicle for assisting the PCS to calculate a TTC (time to collision) with a target object, the intersection judgement apparatus comprising
distance measurement circuitry configured for receiving target object detection information from target object detection means, and for periodically calculating updated values of a relative distance between the host vehicle and a target object based on the target object information, the target object information relating to an object positioned within an external region, located ahead of the host vehicle and to one side of a longitudinal motion direction of the host vehicle; -
direction angle measurement circuitry configured for periodically calculating updated values of a direction angle of the target object relative to the host vehicle, based on the target object information, displacement amount calculation circuitry configured for periodically calculating updated amounts of lateral displacement of the target object based upon currently calculated values of the relative distance and the relative direction angle of the target object, each lateral displacement amount being measured along a direction which is at right angles to the longitudinal motion direction of the host vehicle, and intersection judgement circuitry configured for applying the periodically calculated lateral displacement amounts in judgement processing for determining whether the target object is moving to laterally intersect with the longitudinal motion direction of the host vehicle; wherein a displacement limit threshold is predetermined as corresponding to a specific class of target object, based on an estimated maximum value of motion speed of objects within the specific class, and wherein the intersection judgement circuitry is configured to; execute the judgement processing based upon counting a number of calculation timings for which sequential ones of the calculated lateral displacement amounts are each within a displacement range extending between the displacement limit threshold and a predetermined lower displacement threshold, the displacement limit threshold being higher than the lower displacement threshold, and judge that the target object is moving to laterally intersect with the longitudinal motion direction of the host vehicle when a result of counting the number of calculation timings attains a predetermined count threshold, with results of the judgement being used by the PCS in calculating the TTC with the target object. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19)
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20. An intersection judgement apparatus incorporated in a PCS (pre-crash system) of a host vehicle for assisting the PCS to calculate a TTC (time to collision) with a target object, comprising
a radar apparatus configured to transmit radar waves within a first external region located ahead of the host vehicle and receive resultant reflected radar waves, and to produce radar information based on the received reflected waves, and a camera apparatus configured to capture successive images of contents of a second external region located ahead of the host vehicle and to produce image information based on the captured images, the second external region at least partially overlapping the first external region; -
wherein the intersection judgement apparatus comprises; distance measurement circuitry configured for periodically calculating updated values of a relative distance of a target object from the host vehicle based on the radar information and updated values of the relative distance of the target object based on the image information, direction angle measurement circuitry configured for periodically calculating updated values of a relative direction angle of the target object with respect to the host vehicle based on the radar information and updated values of the relative direction angle of the target object based on the image information, displacement amount calculation circuitry configured for periodically calculating updated amounts of lateral displacement of the target object based upon the relative distance values and relative direction angle values of the target object, each lateral displacement amount being measured along an intersection direction oriented towards and at right angles to a longitudinal motion direction of the host vehicle, and intersection judgement circuitry configured for applying the periodically calculated lateral displacement amounts in judgement processing for judging whether the target object is moving substantially continuously along the intersection direction; wherein the intersection judgement circuitry is configured to; execute the judgement processing based on utilizing a plurality of threshold condition groups, each threshold condition group comprising a combination of a corresponding lower displacement threshold and a corresponding count threshold having respectively predetermined values, the corresponding lower displacement thresholds being respectively different and the corresponding count thresholds being respectively different, consecutively apply each of the threshold condition groups in a count operation of counting a number of times that each of sequential ones of the lateral displacement amounts exceeds the corresponding lower displacement threshold of the threshold condition group, and of judging that the threshold condition group changes from a non-satisfied status to a satisfied status when the counted number attains the corresponding count threshold of the threshold condition group, and judge whether the target object is moving laterally towards intersection with the longitudinal motion direction of the host vehicle, based upon evaluating respective statuses of the plurality of threshold condition groups, with results of the judgement being used by the PCS in calculating the TTC with the target object; wherein designating a No. 1 lateral displacement amount as an amount of lateral displacement of the target object calculated based on a relative distance value derived from the radar information and on a relative direction angle value derived from the image information, the displacement amount calculation circuitry is configured to; calculate a first position error region by adding predetermined estimated image measurement error amounts to a first obtained position of the target object, the first obtained position being expressed by the values of relative distance and relative direction angle calculated based on the image information; calculate a second position error region by adding predetermined estimated radar measurement error amounts to a second obtained position for the target object, the second obtained position being expressed by the values of relative distance and relative direction angle calculated based on the radar information; and calculate the No. 1 displacement amount, by employing the image information and the radar information, only under condition that at least some degree of overlap exists between the first position error region and the second position error region. - View Dependent Claims (21, 22)
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Specification