Object detection apparatus

• US 9,945,927 B2
• Filed: 09/10/2015
• Issued: 04/17/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 09/24/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Original Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Inventors: Baba, Takahiro
• Primary Examiner(s): Pope, Daryl
• Application Number:
  US15/513,522
• Publication Number:
  US 20170315207A1
• Time in Patent Office: 950 Days
• Field of Search: 340435, 340436, 3404255, 340937
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/00 Arrangements or fittings on vehicles for protecting or preventing injuries to occupants or pedestrians in case of accidents or other traffic risks safety belts or body harnesses in vehicles B60R22/00; devices, apparatus or methods for life-saving in general A62B; safety devices for propulsion unit control specially adapted for, or arranged in, vehicles B60K28/00; seats constructed to protect the occupant from the effect of abnormal g-forces, e.g. crash or safety seats, B60N2/42; energy-absorbing arrangements for hand wheels for steering vehicles B62D1/11; energy-absorbing arrangements for vehicle steering columns B62D1/19; harnessing in aircraft B64D25/00
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/06 including control of combustion engines
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/18 including control of braking systems
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2050/143 Alarm means
• 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 2554/00 Input parameters relating to objects
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/08 Active safety systems predicting or avoiding probable or impending collision or attempting to minimise its consequences
• 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: B60W 50/14 Means for informing the driver, warning the driver or prompting a driver intervention
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/867 Combination of radar systems with cameras
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/93 for anti-collision purposes
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/931 of land vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 17/86 Combinations of lidar systems with systems other than lidar, radar or sonar, e.g. with direction finders
• 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 3/86 with means for eliminating undesired waves, e.g. disturbing noises
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/40 Means for monitoring or calibrating
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/4026 Antenna boresight
• 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 1/166 : for active traffic, e.g. moving vehicles, pedestrians, bikes

Abstract

In an object detection apparatus, a first region definition unit defines a first object region including a first detection point representing a relative position of a first object detected by a millimeter-wave radar with respect to a reference point in an XY-plane. An X-axis direction of the XY-plane is a vehicle widthwise direction, and a Y-axis direction of the XY-plane is a vehicle lengthwise direction. A second region definition unit defines a second object region including a second detection point representing a relative position of a second object detected based on a captured image with respect to the reference point. A region size modification unit modifies the size of the first region in the presence of axial misalignment of the radar. A determination unit determines that the first and second objects are the same if there is an overlap of the first and second object regions in the XY-plane.

Claims

1. An object detection apparatus mounted in a vehicle, comprising:

a first region definition unit configured to define a first object region including a first detection point, the first detection point representing a relative position of a first object detected based on information acquired by a radar with respect to a reference point in an XY-plane, the reference point representing a position of the vehicle, an X-axis direction of the XY-plane being a vehicle widthwise direction, and a Y-axis direction of the XY-plane being a vehicle lengthwise direction;

a second region definition unit configured to define a second object region including a second detection point, the second detection point representing a relative position of a second object detected based on an image captured by a monocular camera with respect to the reference point in the XY-plane;

an axial misalignment detection unit configured to detect the presence or absence of axial misalignment that represents a deviation of a direction of an axis of the radar from a reference direction;

a region size modification unit configured to, in the presence of the axial misalignment, modify the size of the first region; and

a determination unit configured to determine whether or not there is an overlap of the first and second object regions in the XY-plane, and if it is determined that there is an overlap of the first and second object regions in the XY-plane, then determine that the first and second objects are the same, wherein

the region size modification unit is configured to, in the presence of the axial misalignment, narrow the first region.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the axial misalignment detection unit is configured to, in the presence of the axial misalignment, acquire information as to whether a reference direction of the monocular camera is rightward or leftward misaligned with a reference direction of the radar, and

the region size modification unit is configured to, in the presence of the axial misalignment, narrows one of right side and left side portions of the first region that is situated in the direction that the axial misalignment is occurring.

3. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a relative speed acquisition unit configured to acquire, as a relative speed, a speed difference between the first or second object and the own vehicle, wherein

the region size modification unit is configured to, when the relative speed is negative, narrow the first region as compared to when the relative speed is positive.

4. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the first region definition unit is configured to define a range of angles including an azimuth angle of the first object with respect to the reference point as a width of the first region, and

the region size modification unit is configured to modify the size of the first region by modifying only the width of the first object region.

5. An object detection apparatus mounted in a vehicle, comprising:

a first region definition unit configured to define a first object region including a first detection point, the first detection point representing a relative position of a first object detected based on information acquired by a radar with respect to a reference point in an XY-plane, the reference point representing a position of the vehicle, an X-axis direction of the XY-plane being a vehicle widthwise direction, and a Y-axis direction of the XY-plane being a vehicle lengthwise direction;

a second region definition unit configured to define a second object region including a second detection point, the second detection point representing a relative position of a second object detected based on an image captured by a monocular camera with respect to the reference point in the XY-plane;

an axial misalignment detection unit configured to detect the presence or absence of axial misalignment that represents a deviation of a direction of an axis of the radar from a reference direction;

a region size modification unit configured to, in the presence of the axial misalignment, modify the size of the first region;

a determination unit configured to determine whether or not there is an overlap of the first and second object regions in the XY-plane, and if it is determined that there is an overlap of the first and second object regions in the XY-plane, then determine that the first and second objects are the same; and

a relative speed acquisition unit configured to acquire, as a relative speed, a speed difference between the first or second object and the own vehicle, wherein

the region size modification unit is configured to, when the relative speed is negative, narrow the first region as compared to when the relative speed is positive.