SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR DETECTING OBSTACLES

• US 20160071416A1
• Filed: 09/03/2015
• Published: 03/10/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 09/05/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hyundai Mobis Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Hyundai Mobis Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: KIM, Young shin, Kim, Won gyum, Ryu, Soo youn
• Granted Patent: US 9,805,603 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 2201/022 Collision avoidance systems
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 7/12 for automatic initiation; for initiation not subject to will of driver or passenger limiting speed of vehicles other than rail vehicles B60K31/00
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 7/22 initiated by contact of vehicle, e.g. bumper, with an external object, e.g. another vehicle , or by means of contactless obstacle detectors mounted on the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 17/42 Simultaneous measurement of distance and other co-ordinates indirect measurement G01S17/46
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 17/931 of land vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2013/93185 Controlling the brakes
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/4802 using analysis of echo signal for target characterisation; Target signature; Target cross-section
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/4817 relating to scanning
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/58 Recognition of moving objects or obstacles, e.g. vehicles or pedestrians; Recognition of traffic objects, e.g. traffic signs, traffic lights or roads
• 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

The present invention provides an obstacle detecting system and method. The obstacle detecting system includes: a transmitting unit which emits a laser signal; a MEMS scanning mirror which scans detecting regions set at an angle of view at which obstacles in front of a vehicle are detected and a cut-in situation when a vehicle in a next lane suddenly cuts in is detected, and divides the detecting regions into a plurality of regions to scan the plurality of regions at different point intervals; a receiving unit which receives the laser signal transmitted from the MEMS scanning mirror to detect information on an object detected in the detecting regions; and a processing unit which detects the obstacles and the cut-in situation through the information detected in the receiving unit to issue an alarm or transmit a braking command.

Claims

1. An obstacle detecting system, comprising:

a transmitting unit which emits a laser signal;

a micro electro mechanical system (MEMS) scanning mirror which reflects the laser signal to scan detecting regions and divides the detecting regions into a plurality of regions to scan the plurality of regions at point intervals different among the plurality of regions;

a receiving unit which receives the laser signal transmitted from the MEMS scanning mirror to detect information of an object detected in the detecting regions; and

a processing unit which issues an alarm or transmit a braking command through the information detected in the receiving unit,

wherein the detecting regions are set at an angle of view at which obstacles in front of a vehicle are detected and a cut-in situation when a vehicle in a next lane suddenly cuts in is detected.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the point interval is adjusted in accordance with a rotating speed of the MEMS scanning mirror.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the detecting region includes an obstacle detecting region with a narrow point interval and a cut-in detecting region with a wide point interval.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the cut-in detecting regions are formed at both sides in a diagonal direction with respect to the obstacle detecting region.

5. The system of claim 3, wherein the MEMS scanning mirror scans the obstacle detecting region and the cut-in detecting region while moving horizontally and vertically with respect to at least one axis.

6. The system of claim 3, wherein the point interval at which the obstacle detecting region is scanned is narrower than the point interval at which the cut-in detecting regions are scanned.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the receiving unit is formed of at least one pixel to continuously detect information of the object in accordance with the rotating speed of the MEMS scanning mirror.

8. The system of claim 3, wherein the receiving unit includes:

an obstacle detecting region detector which detects information of an object including at least one of a coordinate value, a distance value, and a reflection value of an object which is scanned in the obstacle detecting region; and

a cut-in detecting region detector which detects information of an object including at least one of a coordinate value, a distance value, and a reflection value of the object which is scanned in the cut-in detecting region.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the processing unit includes:

an obstacle detecting unit which detects whether there is an obstacle through the information of the object including at least one of the coordinate value, the distance value, and the reflection value of the object detected in the obstacle detecting region;

an obstacle classifying unit which classifies the obstacle into a vehicle and a pedestrian through the information detected in the obstacle detecting unit;

a cut-in detecting unit which detects whether there is a cut-in situation through the information of the object including at least one of the coordinate value, the distance value, and the reflection value of the object detected in the cut-in detecting region; and

a control unit which issues an alarm or transmits a braking command through the information which is classified by the obstacle classifying unit and the cut-in detecting unit.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the MEMS scanning mirror transmits the laser signal which hits the objects and returns, to the receiving unit.

11. A method for detecting an obstacle, comprising steps of:

emitting a laser signal;

reflecting by a micro electro mechanical system (MEMS) scanning mirror the laser signal to scan a plurality of regions which is obtained by dividing detecting regions set at an angle of view at which obstacles in front of a vehicle are detected and a cut-in situation when a vehicle in a next lane suddenly cuts in is detected at different point intervals;

receiving the laser signal transmitted from the MEMS scanning mirror to detect information of an object detected in the detecting regions; and

detecting the obstacles and the cut-in situation through the information detected in the receiving unit to issue an alarm or transmit a braking command.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the point interval is adjusted in accordance with a rotating speed of the MEMS scanning mirror.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the scanning of the plurality of regions at different point intervals includes:

distributing the laser signal by a beam splitter so that the laser signal reaches the MEMS scanning mirror; and

dividing the detecting region in which the laser signal is distributed into an obstacle detecting region in which an obstacle in front of the vehicle is detected and a cut-in detecting region in which a cut-in situation when a vehicle in a next lane suddenly cuts in is detected.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein the point interval at which the obstacle detecting region is scanned is narrower than the point interval at which the cut-in detecting regions are scanned.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein detecting of information of an object detected in the detecting region further comprises:

transmitting a laser signal to a receiving unit of scanning the obstacle detecting region and the cut-in detecting regions and then transmitting the laser signal which hits the object and returns to the MEMS scanning mirror to the receiving unit.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the receiving unit is formed of at least one pixel to continuously detect information of the object in accordance with the rotating speed of the MEMS scanning mirror.

17. The method of claim 11, wherein issuing of an alarm or transmitting of a braking command further comprises:

detecting information of an object including at least one of a coordinate value, a distance value, and a reflection value of an object which is detected in the obstacle detecting region;

classifying the obstacle into a vehicle and a pedestrian through the information detected in the obstacle detecting region; and

issuing an alarm or transmitting a braking command through the information classified.

18. The method of claim 11, wherein issuing of an alarm or transmitting of a braking command further comprises:

detecting whether there is a cut-in situation through a coordinate value, a distance value, and a reflection value of an object which is detected in the cut-in detecting region; and

issuing an alarm or transmitting a braking command through the information detected.