Estimation device, estimation method, tracking device including estimation device, and tracking method including estimation method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2018239015-A1
Application number	US-201715636935-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jun 29, 2017
Priority date	Feb 23, 2017
Publication date	Aug 23, 2018
Grant date	—

Abstract

To estimate the condition of an object precisely, even while the object performs a turning motion, an estimation device for calculating a predicted position of an object existing on the periphery of a host vehicle includes: position calculating circuit for detecting a position of the object; Doppler velocity calculating circuit for calculating a Doppler velocity of the object; host vehicle velocity obtaining circuit for obtaining a host vehicle velocity; host vehicle turning radius obtaining circuit for obtaining a turning radius of the host vehicle; and predicted position calculating circuit for calculating the predicted position of the object on the basis of the position of the object, the Doppler velocity, the host vehicle velocity, and the turning radius of the host vehicle.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . An estimation device for calculating a predicted position of an object existing on the periphery of a host vehicle,
the estimation device comprising:
position calculating circuit for detecting a position of the object;
Doppler velocity calculating circuit for calculating a Doppler velocity of the object;
host vehicle velocity obtaining circuit for obtaining a host vehicle velocity;
host vehicle turning radius obtaining circuit for obtaining a turning radius of the host vehicle; and
predicted position calculating circuit for calculating the predicted position of the object on the basis of the position of the object, the Doppler velocity, the host vehicle velocity, and the turning radius of the host vehicle.

2 . The estimation device according to claim 1 , wherein the predicted position calculating circuit
calculates a ground velocity of the object using a following equation:
Vob =( V ×cos ϕ+ Vdop )/cos(ξ)

where Vob is the ground velocity of the object, V is the host vehicle velocity, ϕ is a bearing direction angle of the object, Vdop is the Doppler velocity, and ξ is an angle formed by an advancement direction and a bearing direction of the object, and
calculates the predicted position of the object using the calculated ground velocity of the object.

3 . The estimation device according to claim 1 , further comprising target condition determining circuit for determining whether or not the object is stationary,
wherein, when the object is stationary, the predicted position calculating circuit calculates the predicted position of the object along a host vehicle turn using the host vehicle velocity, the turning radius of the host vehicle, and the position of the object.

4 . The estimation device according to claim 1 , further comprising host vehicle course change determining circuit for determining whether or not the host vehicle is changing course,
wherein, when the host vehicle is determined to be changing course, the predicted position calculating circuit calculates the predicted position of the object in accordance with the position of the object and variation in the position of the object.

5 . The estimation device according to claim 1 , further comprising vehicle determining circuit for determining whether or not the object is a vehicle,
wherein, when the object is not a vehicle, the predicted position calculating circuit calculates the predicted position of the object in accordance with the position of the object and variation in the position of the object.

6 . The estimation device according to claim 1 , further comprising host vehicle lane vicinity determining circuit for determining whether or not the object is positioned near a lane of the host vehicle,
wherein, when the object is not positioned near the lane of the host vehicle, the predicted position calculating circuit calculates the predicted position of the object in accordance with the position of the object and variation in the position of the object.

7 . The estimation device according to claim 1 , further comprising target course change determining circuit for determining whether or not the object is changing course,
wherein, when the object is determined to be changing course, the predicted position calculating circuit calculates the predicted position of the object in accordance with the position of the object and variation in the position of the object.

8 . The estimation device according to claim 1 , wherein the predicted position calculating circuit detects a road shape in the position of the object on the basis of either image information relating to a road image captured by a camera installed in the host vehicle or map information registered in advance, and calculates the predicted position of the object on the basis of the detected road shape.

9 . An estimation method executed by the estimation device according to claim 1 , which calculates a predicted position of an object existing on the periphery of a host vehicle, the estimation method comprising:
a first step for calculating a position of the object; a second step for calculating a Doppler velocity of the object; a third step for obtaining a host vehicle velocity; a fourth step for obtaining a turning radius of the host vehicle; and a fifth step for calculating the predicted position of the object on the basis of the position of the object, the Doppler velocity, the host vehicle velocity, and the turning radius of the host vehicle.

10 . The estimation method according to claim 9 , wherein, in the fifth step, a ground velocity of the object is calculated using a following equation:
Vob =( V ×cos ϕ+ Vdop )/cos(ξ)
where Vob is the ground velocity of the object, V is the host vehicle velocity, ϕ is a bearing direction angle of the object, Vdop is the Doppler velocity, and ξ is an angle formed by an advancement direction and a bearing direction of the object, and the predicted position of the object is calculated using the calculated ground velocity of the object.

11 . The estimation method according to claim 9 , further comprising a sixth step for determining whether the object is stationary or moving,
wherein, in the fifth step, when the object is stationary, the predicted position of the object is calculated along a host vehicle turn using the host vehicle velocity, the turning radius of the host vehicle, and the position of the object.

12 . The estimation method according to claim 9 , further comprising a seventh step for determining whether or not the host vehicle is changing course,
wherein, in the fifth step in, when the host vehicle is determined not to be changing course, the predicted position of the object is calculated accordance with the position of the object and variation in the position of the object.

13 . The estimation method according to claim 9 , further comprising an eighth step for determining whether or not the object is a vehicle,
wherein, in the fifth step, when the object is not a vehicle, the predicted position of the object is calculated in accordance with the position of the object and variation in the position of the object.

14 . The estimation method according to claim 9 , further comprising a ninth step for determining whether or not the object is positioned near a lane of the host vehicle,
wherein, in the fifth step, when the object is not positioned near the lane of the host vehicle, the predicted position of the object is calculated in accordance with the position of the object and variation in the position of the object.

15 . The estimation method according to claim 9 , further comprising a tenth step for determining whether or not the object is changing course,
wherein, in the fifth step, when the object is determined to be changing course, the predicted position of the object is calculated in accordance with the position of the object and variation in the position of the object.

16 . The estimation method according to claim 9 , wherein, in the fifth step, a road shape in the position of the object is detected on the basis of either image information relating to a road image captured by a camera installed in the host vehicle or map information registered in advance, and the predicted position of the object is calculated on the basis of the detected road shape.

17 . A tracking device for detecting a position of an object existing on the periphery of a host vehicle,
the tracking device comprising:
the estimation device according to claim 1 ; and
position calculating circuit for calculating a smoothed positi

Assignees

• Mitsubishi Electric Corp

Inventors

• Nishida Takaaki

Classifications

• G01S2013/932

  using own vehicle data, e.g. ground speed, steering wheel direction · CPC title

• G01S13/34

  using transmission of continuous, frequency-modulated waves while heterodyning the received signal, or a signal derived therefrom, with a locally-generated signal related to the contemporaneously transmitted signal · CPC title

• G01S13/726

  Multiple target tracking · CPC title

• G01S2013/93271

  in the front of the vehicles · CPC title

• G08G1/166

  for active traffic, e.g. moving vehicles, pedestrians, bikes · CPC title