Approaching vehicle detection apparatus and drive assist system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016274253-A1
Application number	US-201615168266-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	May 31, 2016
Priority date	May 25, 2012
Publication date	Sep 22, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

An approaching vehicle detection apparatus includes: a sound information detection unit configured to detect sound information around an own vehicle; a sound source detection unit configured to detect a sound source around the own vehicle based on the detected sound information; an approaching vehicle determination unit configured to determine whether the sound source is a vehicle approaching the own vehicle; and a vehicle state changing unit configured to change a vehicle state of the own vehicle to a vehicle state where the own vehicle sound is able to be suppressed when the own vehicle sound generated from the own vehicle is able to be suppressed by changing the vehicle state of the own vehicle.

First claim

1 . An approaching vehicle detection apparatus comprising
a sound information unit configured to detect sound information around an own vehicle; a sound source detection unit configured to detect a sound source around the own vehicle based on the detected sound information; an approaching vehicle determination unit configured to determine whether the sound source is an approaching vehicle, which approaches the own vehicle; and an own vehicle state determination unit configured to determine whether a vehicle state of the own vehicle is a vehicle state which is suitable for detecting the approaching vehicle, wherein the approaching vehicle determination unit is configured to determine whether the sound source is the approaching vehicle when the own vehicle state determination unit determines that the vehicle state of the own vehicle is suitable for detecting the approaching vehicle.

2 . The approaching vehicle detection apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a vehicle state changing unit configured to change a vehicle state of the own vehicle to the vehicle state suitable for detecting the approaching vehicle when the vehicle state of the current own vehicle is not suitable for detecting the approaching vehicle, wherein when the own vehicle sound has been suppressed by the vehicle state changing unit, the approaching vehicle determination unit is configured to determine whether the sound source detected after the suppression of the own vehicle sound is the approaching vehicle.

3 . The approaching vehicle detection apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a detection prohibition unit configured to prohibit the detection for the sound source or the determination on whether the approaching vehicle exists when a current vehicle state of the own vehicle is not suitable for detecting the approaching vehicle.

4 . The approaching vehicle detection apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein when a current vehicle state of the own vehicle is not suitable for detecting the approaching vehicle, a determination that the approaching vehicle exists is not easily made compared to the case where the vehicle state is suitable for detecting the approaching vehicle.

5 . The approaching vehicle detection apparatus according to claim 2 ,
wherein the case which is not suitable for detecting the approaching vehicle refers to a case where the current vehicle state of the own vehicle is an engine operation state, and the case which is suitable for detecting the approaching vehicle refers to a case where the current vehicle state of the own vehicle is an engine stop state, a case where the own vehicle travels only by a power of a motor, or a case where the own vehicle is able to travel only by the power of the motor.

6 . The approaching vehicle detection apparatus according to claim 3 ,
wherein the case which is not suitable for detecting the approaching vehicle refers to a case where the current vehicle state of the own vehicle is an engine operation state, and the case which is suitable for detecting the approaching vehicle refers to a case where the current vehicle state of the own vehicle is an engine stop state, a case where the own vehicle travels only by a power of a motor, or a case where the own vehicle is able to travel only by the power of the motor.

7 . The approaching vehicle detection apparatus according to claim 4 ,
wherein the case which is not suitable for detecting the approaching vehicle refers to a case where the current vehicle state of the own vehicle is an engine operation state, and the case which is suitable for detecting the approaching vehicle refers to a case where the current vehicle state of the own vehicle is an engine stop state, a case where the own vehicle travels only by a power of a motor, or a case where the own vehicle is able to travel only by the power of the motor.

8 . The approaching vehicle detection apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a drive assist control unit configured to perform a drive assist of the own vehicle based on the determination result of the approaching vehicle determination unit; and an assist prohibition unit configured to prohibit any one of the detection of the sound source, the determination on whether the approaching vehicle exists, and the drive assist when the current vehicle state of the own vehicle is not suitable for detecting the approaching vehicle.

9 . The approaching vehicle detection apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a drive assist control unit configured to perform a drive assist of the own vehicle based on the determination result of the approaching vehicle determination unit, wherein when a current vehicle state of the own vehicle is not suitable for detecting the approaching vehicle, a drive assist level is decreased compared to the case where the vehicle state is suitable for detecting the approaching vehicle.

10 . The approaching vehicle detection apparatus according to claim 9 ,
wherein the case which is not suitable for detecting the approaching vehicle refers to a case where the current vehicle state of the own vehicle is an engine operation state, and the case which is suitable for detecting the approaching vehicle refers to a case where the current vehicle state of the own vehicle is an engine stop state, a case where the own vehicle travels only by a power of a motor, or a case where the own vehicle is able to travel only by the power of the motor.

Assignees

• Toyota Motor Co Ltd

Inventors

• Kaminade Takuya
• Kawamata Shinya
• Ozaki Osamu
• Nagae Akira

Classifications

• B60W20/17

  for noise reduction · CPC title

• G01V1/001 Primary

  Acoustic presence detection · CPC title

• B60L3/12

  Recording operating variables {; Monitoring of operating variables} · CPC title

• G08G1/163 Primary

  involving continuous checking · CPC title

• B60W20/40

  Controlling the engagement or disengagement of prime movers, e.g. for transition between prime movers {(power-up or power-down of the driveline B60W30/192)} · CPC title