Target recognition apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016003936-A1
Application number	US-201414772719-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Mar 3, 2014
Priority date	Mar 4, 2013
Publication date	Jan 7, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

A target recognition apparatus of one embodiment is installed in a vehicle, and includes a data acquisition means which acquires received data from a transceiver having a plurality of transmission and receiving channels which transmit and receive radar waves; an image acquisition means which acquires image data from an image sensor which picks up an image of a state around an own vehicle; and a detection means which detects a target which has reflected the radar waves based on the received data and the image data.

First claim

1 . A target recognition apparatus which is installed in a vehicle, characterized in that the apparatus comprises:
a data acquisition means (S 10 ) which acquires received data from a transceiver having a plurality of transmission and receiving channels which transmit and receive radar waves; an image acquisition means (S 30 ) which acquires image data from an image sensor which picks up an image of a state around an own vehicle; and a detection means (S 40 ) which detects a target which has reflected the radar waves based on the received data and the image data.

2 . The target recognition apparatus according to claim 1 characterized in that
the detection means comprises:
an interest direction extraction means (S 210 ) which extracts one or more interest directions, in which information on the target is required to be exactly acquired, from the image data acquired by the image acquisition means, and
a target detection performing means (S 230 to S 260 ) which performs beam forming for each of the interest directions by using the received data acquired by the data acquisition means, to perform target detection by using a data row acquired by performing the beam forming.

3 . The target recognition apparatus according to claim 2 characterized in that the target detection performing means performs distance FFT for the data row acquired by performing the beam forming.

4 . The target recognition apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3 characterized in that the apparatus comprises:
a distance calculation means (S 110 , S 130 ) which performs distance FFT for the received data acquired by the data acquisition means for each of the transmission and receiving channels to detect peak frequencies, and performs direction calculation; and
a direction calculation means (S 120 , S 130 ) which performs direction detection for each of the peak frequencies detected by the distance calculation means.

5 . The target recognition apparatus according to claim 4 characterized in that, in the image data acquired by the image acquisition means, a range from which the interest direction is extracted by the interest direction extraction means is limited to a setting range set by using the distance calculated by the distance calculation means and the direction calculated by the direction calculation means.

6 . The target recognition apparatus according to any one of claims 2 to 5 characterized in that
the interest direction extraction means includes an order setting means (S 210 ) which sets priorities for a plurality of interest directions extracted from the image data; and
the target detection performing means performs the beam forming according to the priorities set by the order setting means.

7 . The target recognition apparatus according to any one of claims 2 to 6 characterized in that the interest direction extraction means uses, as the interest direction, a direction in which the target which is an obstacle is present when the vehicle runs.

8 . The target recognition apparatus according to any one of claims 2 to 7 characterized in that the interest direction extraction means uses, as the interest direction, a direction in which a roadside object is present which is used for recognizing a traveling lane on which the own vehicle runs.

Assignees

• Denso Corp

Inventors

• Hibino Katsuhiko

Classifications

• G01S13/867

  Combination of radar systems with cameras · CPC title

• G01S13/345

  using triangular modulation · CPC title

• G01S13/04

  Systems determining presence of a target (based on relative movement of target G01S13/56) · CPC title

• G01S7/41 Primary

  using analysis of echo signal for target characterisation; Target signature; Target cross-section · CPC title

• G01S13/42 Primary

  Simultaneous measurement of distance and other co-ordinates (indirect measurement G01S13/46) · CPC title