Object detection apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016116584-A1
Application number	US-201514919498-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Oct 21, 2015
Priority date	Oct 22, 2014
Publication date	Apr 28, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

An object detection apparatus is installed in a movable body and detects an object. The apparatus includes a first detection section which transmits search waves in a moving direction of the moving object, and receives reflected waves as detection information to detect the object, a second detection section which transmits search waves in the moving direction, and receives reflected waves as detection information, an obstacle determination section which determines that an obstacle is present in the moving direction, based on detection results of the first and second detection sections, and a crossing determination section which determines that the obstacle has crossed, in a state where the obstacle determination section determines that the obstacle is present, if the determination that the obstacle is present is made by continuous detection, and if a state where the object is continuously detected changes to a state where the object is not detected.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . An object detection apparatus which is installed in a movable body and detects an object present around the movable body, the apparatus comprising:
a first detection section which transmits search waves in a moving direction of the moving object, and receives reflected waves of the search waves as detection information of the object, to detect the object; a second detection section which transmits search waves in the moving direction of the movable body from a position different from that of the first detection section, and receives reflected waves of the search waves as detection information of the object, to detect the object; an obstacle determination section which determines that an obstacle is present in the moving direction of the moving object, based on a detection result of the object of the first detection section and a detection result of the object of the second detection section; and a crossing determination section which determines that the obstacle has crossed, in a state where the obstacle determination section determines that the obstacle is present, if the determination that the obstacle is present is made by continuous detection for a predetermined time period by the first and second detection sections, and if a state where the object is continuously detected changes to a state where the object is not detected by any of the first and second detection sections.

2 . The object detection apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
the crossing determination section determines that the obstacle has crossed in a state where the movable body is stopped.

3 . The object detection apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
the crossing determination section determines that the obstacle has crossed in a state where a distance between the movable body and the object is within a predetermined short distance range.

4 . The object detection apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising an absence determination section which determines that the obstacle is absent, in a state where the obstacle determination section determines that the obstacle is present, if the determination that the obstacle is present is not made by continuous detection for a predetermined time period by the first and second detection sections, and if an absence determination time period is passed after any of the first and second detection sections does not detect the object, wherein
the crossing determination section determines that the obstacle has crossed before the absence determination time period passes, if any of the first and second detection sections does not detect the object.

5 . The object detection apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the apparatus is applied to a system including a restriction section which restricts movement of the movable body when the obstacle is present in the moving direction of the movable body, and the apparatus further comprising:
an instruction section which instructs the restriction section to release the restriction when the crossing determination section determines that the obstacle has crossed.

Assignees

• Denso Corp
• Toyota Motor Co Ltd

Inventors

• Fukuman Masumi
• Ohbayashi Motonari
• Kida Akihiro

Classifications

• G01S2015/938

  in the bumper area · CPC title

• G01S15/931 Primary

  of land vehicles · CPC title

• G01S15/04 Primary

  Systems determining presence of a target · CPC title

• G01S15/46

  Indirect determination of position data · CPC title

• G01S2015/465

  by Trilateration, i.e. two transducers determine separately the distance to a target, whereby with the knowledge of the baseline length, i.e. the distance between the transducers, the position data of the target is determined · CPC title