JP2007292541A - Object detector for vehicle - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an object detector for vehicle capable of judging the possibility that detected data are ghost and for changing a control object determination condition to determine the interruption vehicle or the like as a control object in an early stage, and capable of avoiding detection precision from getting low. <P>SOLUTION: The detected target is determined as the control object when a detection condition gets consistent with the determination condition, in a determination area of the detected target, at least either of a position detected in the last of the target detected in this time, or a position detected in the next is estimated (S102, S112) based on a relative relation between a relative distance and a relative speed or the like, and the determination condition is changed (S104-S118) based on the this-time position of the detected target and an estimated position. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2008,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a vehicle object detection device, and more specifically, to a device that determines the possibility that detection data is ghost (invalid data), and determines data with low possibility as a control target at an early stage. .

  Recently, it is often performed to detect an object such as a preceding vehicle in the vehicle traveling direction using a radar or the like. As an example, the technique described in Patent Document 1 below can be cited. In the prior art, when detecting an object using a scanning radar, the unit scan is performed in consideration of the disadvantage that the detection data such as the relative speed cannot be updated until one scan in the left or right direction is completed. By updating the detection data for each angle, the response of object detection is improved.

Also, using such detection technology, an ACC (Adaptive Cruise Control) device that automatically travels following the preceding vehicle, a Stop & Go device, an alarm device when an object such as a preceding vehicle is detected, A collision speed reduction brake device that automatically activates a brake or an inter-vehicle warning device is also well known.
JP-A-11-344563

  In the prior art described above, the responsiveness of object detection is improved by updating the data for each unit scan angle, but apart from that, reflection similar to that of an actual object from airborne dust or electrical noise. A ghost (invalid data) may be detected by receiving a wave.

  Since detection data consisting of such ghosts decreases the accuracy of object detection, it is usually determined that the object to be controlled when it is detected several times. This causes a disadvantage that it is delayed to determine that the object is a control target object.

  Accordingly, the object of the present invention is to solve the above-described problems, determine the possibility that the detection data is a ghost, and change the condition to be determined as a control target object accordingly, thereby interrupting a vehicle from a short distance, etc. Is to be determined as an object to be controlled at an early stage, and to provide a vehicle object detection device that avoids a decrease in detection accuracy.

  In order to solve the above object, in the vehicle object detection device according to claim 1, target detection means for detecting an object present in a predetermined detection region in the traveling direction of the host vehicle as a target every predetermined time. A relative relationship calculating means for calculating a relative relationship consisting of a relative position and a relative speed between the host vehicle and the detected target based on a detection result of the target detecting means, and a target detected by the target detecting means. In a vehicle object detection device including a control target object determination unit that determines that the detected target is a control target object when the detection state matches a predetermined determination condition, the current detection is performed based on the relative relationship. Provided with target position estimation means for estimating at least one of the position at the previous detection of the target and the position at the next detection. The control object determination means, and as configured to change the determination condition based on the position estimated by the current position and the target position estimating means the target detected by the target detecting means.

  In the vehicle object detection device according to claim 2, the control target object determination unit is configured such that the previous position of the target estimated by the target position estimation unit is within a predetermined distance from the detection region, and the target When the current position is within the detection area, the determination condition is changed to a direction in which it is easily determined as the control target object.

  In the vehicle object detection device according to claim 3, a travel locus estimation means for estimating a travel locus on which the host vehicle travels, and a determination region in which a determination region is set in the detection region with reference to the travel locus. A setting unit, and the control target object determination unit is configured such that the previous position of the target estimated by the target position estimation unit is outside the determination region and the current position of the target is within the determination region. The determination condition is changed so as to be easily determined as the control target object.

  In the vehicle object detection device according to claim 4, the control target object determination unit detects a second object between the target and the host vehicle by the target detection unit, and the target position When the previous position of the target estimated by the estimation means is at a position where the blind spot of the second object is present, and the current position of the target is within the determination area, the determination condition is set as the control target object. It is configured to change the direction so that it can be easily determined.

  In the vehicle object detection device according to claim 5, the control object determination unit determines the determination condition when the next position of the target estimated by the target position estimation unit is outside the detection region. It was configured to cancel the change.

  In the vehicle object detection device according to claim 6, when the control target object determination unit is a position where the next position of the target estimated by the target position estimation unit is separated from the host vehicle, The change of the determination condition is stopped.

  In the vehicle object detection device according to claim 7, the determination condition is configured to be the number of times that the target is detected in the determination region.

  In the vehicle object detection device according to claim 8, the determination condition is configured to be a time during which the target is continuously detected in the determination region.

  In the vehicle object detection device according to claim 1, when the detected state of the detected target matches a predetermined determination condition, a control target object determining unit that determines the detected target as a control target object; A target position estimating means for estimating at least one of a position at the previous detection time and a position at the next detection time of the target detected this time based on the relative relationship; The configuration is such that the determination condition is changed based on the current position and the estimated position. In other words, the possibility that the target (detection data) is a ghost is determined, and the condition to be determined as the control target object is determined accordingly. Since it is configured to change, an interrupted vehicle from a short distance can be determined as an object to be controlled early. On the other hand, since a target that is highly likely to be a ghost is not determined as an object to be controlled at an early stage, a decrease in detection accuracy can be avoided.

  In the vehicle object detection device according to claim 2, the control object determination unit includes the estimated previous position of the target within a predetermined distance from the detection area and the current position of the target within the detection area. In this case, since the determination condition is changed so as to be easily determined as an object to be controlled, an interrupted vehicle or the like in the vicinity of the previous detection area can be determined as an object to be controlled early, and a decrease in detection accuracy is avoided. be able to.

  In the vehicle object detection device according to claim 3, traveling locus estimation means for estimating a traveling locus on which the host vehicle travels, and determination area setting means for setting a determination area with reference to the traveling locus in the detection area; And the control target object determination means easily determines the determination condition as the control target object when the estimated previous position of the target is outside the determination area and the current position of the target is within the determination area. Since the configuration is such that the direction is changed, an interrupted vehicle or the like that was in the vicinity of the previous determination region can be determined as a control target object at an early stage, and a decrease in detection accuracy can be avoided.

  In the vehicle object detection device according to claim 4, the control object determination unit detects the second object between the target and the vehicle, and the estimated previous position of the target is the first object. When the current position of the target is within the determination region and the target position is within the blind spot of the second object, the determination condition is changed to a direction that is easily determined as the control target object. An interrupted vehicle or the like whose detection is delayed can be determined as an object to be controlled at an early stage, and a decrease in detection accuracy can be avoided.

  In the vehicle object detection device according to claim 5, the control target object determination unit is configured to stop changing the determination condition when the estimated next position of the target is outside the detection region. In addition to the effects described above, it is possible to prevent the number of objects to be controlled from increasing unnecessarily, and to further avoid a decrease in detection accuracy.

  In the vehicle object detection device according to claim 6, the control target object determination means cancels the change of the determination condition when the estimated next position of the target is a position away from the own vehicle. Since it comprised, similarly, while being able to determine the interruption vehicle etc. which were late in detection as an object to be controlled early, the fall of detection accuracy can also be avoided.

  In the vehicle object detection device according to the seventh aspect, since the determination condition is configured such that the target is the number of times the target is detected in the determination region, in addition to the above-described effect, whether or not the control target object should be determined. It can be easily determined.

  In the vehicle object detection device according to the eighth aspect, since the determination condition is configured to be a time during which the target is continuously detected in the determination region, in addition to the above-described effect, whether or not to be a control target object. Can be easily determined.

  DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The best mode for carrying out a vehicle object detection device according to the present invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

  FIG. 1 is a schematic view generally showing a vehicle object detection device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

  In FIG. 1, reference numeral 10 denotes a vehicle, and an internal combustion engine (shown as “ENG” in FIG. 1, hereinafter referred to as “engine”) 12 is mounted on the front portion thereof. The output of the engine 12 is input to an automatic transmission (shown as “T / M” in FIG. 1) 14. The output of the engine 12 is appropriately shifted by the automatic transmission 14 and transmitted to the left and right front wheels 16, and the left and right rear wheels 20 are driven while the left and right rear wheels 16 are driven to drive the vehicle 10.

  The driver's seat of the vehicle 10 is provided with an alarm device 22 including an audio speaker and an indicator. When the alarm device 22 is operated, the driver is warned by sound and vision. A brake pedal 24 disposed on the driver's seat floor of the vehicle 10 is a brake (disc brake) mounted on each of the left and right front wheels 16 and rear wheels 20 via a master back 26, a master cylinder 30 and a brake hydraulic mechanism 32. 34.

  When the driver operates (depresses) the brake pedal 24, the depressing force (depressing force) is increased by the master back 26, and the master cylinder 30 generates a braking pressure with the increased depressing force, via the brake hydraulic mechanism 32. Then, the brakes 34 attached to the front wheels 16 and the rear wheels 20 are operated to decelerate (brake) the vehicle 10. A brake switch 36 is disposed in the vicinity of the brake pedal 24 and outputs an ON signal when the driver operates the brake pedal 24.

  The brake hydraulic mechanism 32 includes an electromagnetic solenoid valve group inserted in an oil passage connected to a reservoir, a hydraulic pump, and an electric motor (all not shown) that drives the hydraulic pump. The electromagnetic solenoid valve group is connected to an ECU (Electronic Control Unit) 40 via a drive circuit (not shown). Therefore, the four brakes 34 are mutually connected by the ECU 40 separately from the operation of the brake pedal 24 by the driver. Configured to operate independently.

  A radar 42 is provided at the front of the vehicle 10 and transmits (irradiates) a detection beam made of millimeter waves (electromagnetic waves or carrier waves) to the front (vehicle traveling direction) while scanning left and right. Reference numeral 42a indicates a detection area (scan range).

  The output of the radar 42 is sent to a radar output processing ECU (electronic control unit) 44 comprising a microcomputer. In the radar output processing ECU 44, the electromagnetic wave transmitted from the radar 42 is mixed with the reflected wave received via the antenna (not shown), and the preceding vehicle or the like existing in the detection area 42 a ahead of the traveling direction of the vehicle 10. A distance to the object (relative distance amount), a moving speed (relative speed), an angle (azimuth of the object), and the like are detected.

  The output of the radar output processing ECU 44 is sent to an ECU (electronic control unit) 40. Although illustration is omitted, the ECU 40 is constituted by a microcomputer including a CPU, a RAM, a ROM, an input / output circuit, and the like.

  A wheel speed sensor 46 is disposed in the vicinity of the front wheel 16 and the rear wheel 20 and outputs a pulse signal for each predetermined rotation angle of each wheel. A steering angle sensor 52 is disposed in the vicinity of the steering wheel 50 provided in the driver's seat of the vehicle 10 and generates an output proportional to the steering angle of the steering wheel 50 input by the driver.

  A group of operation switches 54 for executing, stopping, and restarting ACC (Adaptive Cruise Control follow-up running control or low-speed running control) is disposed near the steering wheel 50. A yaw rate sensor 56 is disposed near the center of the vehicle 10 and generates an output corresponding to the yaw rate (angular velocity) around the gravity axis of the vehicle 10.

  Further, a throttle opening sensor 62 is disposed near a throttle valve (not shown) of the engine 12 and outputs a signal corresponding to the throttle opening.

  The sensor output described above is also sent to the ECU 40. The ECU 40 counts the outputs of the four wheel speed sensors 46, calculates the average value thereof, and detects the vehicle speed indicating the traveling speed of the vehicle 10.

  Further, the ECU 40 calculates a target yaw rate based on outputs from the wheel speed sensor 46 and the yaw rate sensor 56, and then calculates a travel locus on which the vehicle 10 travels. The details are described in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2006-85524 previously proposed by the present applicant, and thus detailed description thereof is omitted.

  Although not shown, a second ECU is provided in addition to the ECU 40, and the second ECU controls the operation of the ACC device and the like according to the output of the operation switch 54.

  FIG. 2 is a flowchart showing the operation of the apparatus shown in FIG. The illustrated program is executed by the ECU 40 every predetermined time (for example, 100 msec).

  In the following, the reflection from the target is detected step by step in S10. In this flow chart, “target” is used to include a truly existing object such as a preceding vehicle and a ghost (invalid data) detected due to dust in the air.

  Next, the process proceeds to S12, and the relative distance (separation distance) from the own vehicle (vehicle) 10 to the target, the left and right position of the target, and the relative speed of the target with respect to the own vehicle 10 are calculated for one of the detected targets. These are data indicating the relative relationship of the target with respect to the host vehicle 10.

  FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram showing the detection area 42 a of the radar 42. In the detection range 42a, a target such as a preceding vehicle is captured as reflection of electromagnetic waves. The target detected in FIG. 3 is indicated by a black circle. In the process of the flow chart of FIG. 2, traveling on the traveling path 100 composed of three lanes is scheduled. The “left / right position” of the target indicates a position in the left / right direction perpendicular to the traveling direction of the host vehicle 10 in FIG. 3.

  Next, the process proceeds to S14, an output determination flag (described later) for the target is cleared, more specifically, the bit is reset to 0, and the process proceeds to S16 to confirm the takeover of the previous target. That is, it is confirmed whether or not the target is the same as the target detected last time. This confirmation is performed by judging a change in the position of the target on the coordinates.

  Next, the process proceeds to S18, where it is determined whether the target has succeeded the previous data. If the result is affirmative, the process proceeds to S20, where it is determined whether the target is the second detection target (the previous time was new). When the result in S20 is negative, the program proceeds to S22, in which the output determination flag for the target is set, more specifically, the bit is set to 1. Setting this flag means that the target is determined to be a control target object.

  Next, the process proceeds to S24, and it is determined whether or not the above-described processing has been performed for all the targets detected in S10. This is the same when the result in S20 is affirmative. When the result in S24 is negative, the process returns to S12. When the result is affirmative, the process proceeds to S26, and data such as a relative relationship for the target for which the output determination flag is set is output. Thus, the operation of the ACC device, the collision speed reduction brake device, the inter-vehicle warning device, or the like is controlled based on the output data.

  Further, when the result in S18 is negative, the process proceeds to S28 to determine whether or not the new target output determination process, that is, the possibility that the new target is a true target (not a ghost) is an output target (control target object). Judge whether or not.

  FIG. 4 is a subroutine flowchart showing the processing.

  First, in S100, it is determined whether the reception level is equal to or higher than the detection threshold value +5 dB. This is because a target with a weak reception level near or below the detection threshold may not be detected stably due to noise or the like. Therefore, when the result in S100 is negative, the subsequent processing is skipped and the target is removed from the output target candidates.

  When the result in S100 is affirmative, the process proceeds to S102, and an estimated previous position is calculated (estimated previous position) based on the current data. Although it is possible to calculate relative distance and relative speed data for the current detection target from the output of the radar 42 in the vehicle traveling direction, it is difficult to estimate the previous accurate position because the relative speed in the left-right direction is unknown. is there. Therefore, on the extension line connecting the host vehicle 10 and the target detected this time, a range of about 2 m in the left-right direction and about 1 m in the vehicle traveling direction is calculated (calculated). The same applies to the next position.

  Next, in S104, it is determined whether the estimated previous position is within αm (for example, 2 m) in the left-right direction outside the detection area.

  That is, if the estimated previous position is outside the detection area (and therefore cannot be detected last time) and the target is detected for the first time, the estimated previous position is far from the detection area. Since it is highly likely that the ghost is caused by interference with other radars, it is not regarded as an output target candidate.

  Conversely, since it is unlikely that a ghost is not far away from the detection area, it should be an output target candidate (in the case indicated by symbol a in FIG. 3). That is, when the estimated previous position of the target is within αm (predetermined distance) from the detection area and the current position of the target is within the detection area, the determination condition is changed, specifically, the detected target The determination condition should be changed based on the current position and the estimated position. More specifically, the determination condition should be changed in a direction in which it is easy to determine the control target object. Accordingly, when the result in S104 is affirmative, as will be described later, the process proceeds to S112 and subsequent steps, and such processing is performed.

  When the result in S104 is negative, the program proceeds to S106, in which it is determined whether the estimated previous position is outside the left and right ± βm (for example, ± 5.4 m) of the previous travel locus in the detection area, in other words, outside the determination area. When the result in S106 is affirmative, the routine proceeds to S108, where it is determined whether or not the current detection position is within ± βm (eg, ± 5.4m) of the left and right of the previous travel locus.

  Assuming that the width of one lane is 3.6 m and half of it is 1.8 m, as shown in FIG. 3, the host vehicle 10 is located at the center of the driving road 100 consisting of three lanes (traveling lane + right one lane + left lane). Assuming that the vehicle has traveled, the travel locus ± 5.4 m indicates the width of the travel path 100 (in FIG. 3 and the like, the right direction is positive and the left direction is negative).

  Thus, the target that was outside the traveling road 100 last time (and therefore could not be detected) and appeared on the traveling road 100 for the first time this time is, for example, the case where the vehicle that was in the merged lane appeared behind the road structure. Yes (indicated by b in FIG. 3). In such a case, since the possibility of being a ghost is low, that is, the estimated previous position of the target is within the detection area, and the current position of the target is within ± βm (judgment area) to the left and right of the previous travel locus. The determination condition is changed, specifically, the determination condition is changed based on the detected current position of the target and the estimated position, and more specifically, the determination condition is determined to be a control target object. It should be changed in an easy direction. Accordingly, when affirmative determinations are made in S106 and S108, the process proceeds to S112 and later, and such processing is performed as described later.

  When the result in S106 or S108 is negative, the program proceeds to S110, in which it is determined whether or not there was another previous target within the range of ± γm (for example, 1.8 m) from the host vehicle 10 to the estimated previous position. FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram showing the detection area 42a of the radar 42 as in FIG. 3, but the processing of S110 in FIG. 5 is a case where the other target (second object 102) exists and is indicated by reference sign c. It is.

  That is, the target that was hidden behind the other target 102 last time (cannot be detected) and detected for the first time this time is not likely to be a ghost, and therefore should be an output target candidate. Specifically, the second object 102 is detected between the target and the vehicle 10, the estimated previous position of the target is at a position where the second object 102 is a blind spot, and the current time of the target If the position is within the determination region, the determination condition is changed, more specifically, in a direction in which it is easy to determine that the object is a control target object.

  Accordingly, when the result in S110 is affirmative, as will be described later, the process proceeds to S112 and subsequent steps, and such processing is performed. If the result in S110 is negative, the subsequent processing is skipped. In other words, the target detected for the first time this time has a high possibility of being a ghost and is not regarded as an output target candidate.

  On the other hand, if the result is affirmative in any of S104, S108, and S110, the possibility of being a ghost is low, so it is determined as an output target candidate, and the process proceeds to S112 to calculate the estimated next position based on the current data (estimate the next position) ) As described above, this calculation is performed by obtaining a range of about 2 m in the left-right direction on the extension line connecting the own vehicle 10 and the target detected this time and about 1 m in the vehicle traveling direction.

  Next, in S114, it is determined whether or not the estimated next position is within the detection area. When the determination in S114 is negative, since continuation detection is not possible, the subsequent processing is skipped and is not set as an output target candidate. That is, when the estimated next position of the target is outside the detection area, the change of the determination condition is stopped.

  On the other hand, when the result in S114 is affirmative, the routine proceeds to S116, where it is determined whether or not the estimated next relative speed is in a direction approaching the host vehicle 10.

  The estimated next relative speed is a relative speed of the target with respect to the host vehicle 10 calculated from the estimated next position and the current detected position. From the value, it is determined whether or not the target is in a direction approaching the host vehicle 10. When the result in S116 is negative, since the target is moving away from the host vehicle 10, the subsequent processing is skipped and is not set as an output target candidate.

  On the other hand, when the result in S116 is affirmative, the process proceeds to S118, and an output determination flag for the target is set (determined to be an output target (control target object)). As described above, when the estimated next position of the target is a position approaching the host vehicle, the determination condition is changed, and more specifically, the direction is easily changed to be determined as the control target object.

  As a result, in S26 of the flow chart of FIG. 2, data such as the relative relationship for the target is output, and based on the data, for example, the operation of the ACC device is controlled based on the data output in the ACC ECU (not shown). The Alternatively, the operation of the collision speed reduction brake device or the like is controlled by the ECU 40.

  As described above, in this embodiment, in principle, a target detected three times or more is set as a control target object (S20, S22), and a target having a high possibility of being a ghost is determined as a control target object at an early stage. Therefore, a decrease in detection accuracy can be avoided. Further, since the determination condition is configured to be the number of times or the time that the target is detected in the determination region (because the flow chart in FIG. 2 is executed at a predetermined time interval), it is determined whether or not the target should be a control target object. It can be easily determined.

  For example, the target indicated by the symbol d in FIG. 3 should have been detected because it was also in the detection region last time, but the first detection this time is likely to be a ghost. Therefore, in this embodiment, the object to be controlled is not used until it is detected three times in succession.

  However, even if the target is detected for the first time, it is necessary to quickly determine an interrupted vehicle or the like from a short distance as an object to be controlled. Therefore, in the flow chart of FIG. 4, the processing after S104 is performed and the determination condition is changed based on the detected current position of the target and the estimated position. In other words, the target (detection data) Is determined to be a ghost, and the conditions to be determined as a control target object are changed accordingly, so that an interrupted vehicle from such a short distance is determined as a control target object at an early stage Can do.

  In this embodiment, as described above, target detection means (radar 42, radar output processing ECU 44, ECU 40, and so on) that detects an object existing in a predetermined detection area 42a in the traveling direction of the host vehicle (vehicle) 10 every predetermined time. S10), a relative relationship calculating means (ECU 40, S12) for calculating a relative relationship composed of a relative position and a relative speed between the vehicle and the detected target based on the detection result of the target detecting means, and the target detection Control target object determination means (ECU 40, S22, S28, S100 to S118) that determines the detected target as a control target object when the detection state of the target detected by the means matches a predetermined determination condition. In the vehicle object detection device, the target detected this time based on the relative relationship Target position estimating means (ECU 40, S28, S102, S112) for estimating at least one of the position at the time of previous detection (estimated previous position) and the position at the next detection (estimated next position) The object determination means is configured to change the determination condition based on the current position of the target detected by the target detection means and the position estimated by the target position estimation means (ECU 40, S28, S104 to S118). . In this way, the determination condition is changed based on the detected current position and the estimated position of the target, in other words, the possibility that the target (detection data) is a ghost is determined, and accordingly Since the condition to be determined as the control target object is changed, an interrupted vehicle from a short distance can be determined as the control target object at an early stage. On the other hand, since a target that is highly likely to be a ghost is not determined as an object to be controlled at an early stage, a decrease in detection accuracy can be avoided.

  Further, the control target object determination means has the previous position of the target estimated by the target position estimation means within a predetermined distance (αm) from the detection area, and the current position of the target is within the detection area. In such a case, the determination condition is changed to a direction in which the determination condition is easily determined as the control target object (ECU 40, S28, S104, S118). As a result, an interrupted vehicle or the like in the vicinity of the previous detection area can be determined as an object to be controlled at an early stage, and a decrease in detection accuracy can be avoided.

  Further, a travel locus estimating means (ECU 40) for estimating a travel locus on which the host vehicle travels, a determination region setting means (ECU 40) for setting a determination region based on the travel locus in the detection region, and the control The target object determination means, when the previous position of the target estimated by the target position estimation means is outside the determination area and the current position of the target is within the determination area, the determination condition is It changed so that it might change to the direction which is easy to determine with a control object (ECU40, S28, S106, S108, S118). As a result, similarly, an interrupted vehicle or the like in the vicinity of the previous detection area can be determined as an object to be controlled at an early stage, and a decrease in detection accuracy can be avoided.

  Further, the control target object determining means detects a second object between the target and the vehicle by the target detecting means, and the previous position of the target estimated by the target position estimating means is the first object. If the current position of the target is within the determination area, the determination condition is changed to a direction that is easily determined as the control target object (ECU 40, S28). , S110, S118). As a result, an interrupted vehicle or the like whose detection is delayed by the second object 102 can be determined as an object to be controlled early, and a decrease in detection accuracy can be avoided.

  In addition, when the next position of the target estimated by the target position estimation unit is outside the detection area, the control target object determination unit stops changing the determination condition (ECU 40, S28, S114). Since it comprised, in addition to the above-mentioned effect, while being able to prevent that a control target object increases unnecessarily, the fall of detection accuracy can also be avoided much better.

  Further, the control target object determination means stops changing the determination condition when the next position of the target estimated by the target position estimation means is a position away from the host vehicle (ECU 40, S28, Since it is configured as S116, S118), similarly, an interrupted vehicle or the like whose detection is delayed can be determined as an object to be controlled early, and a decrease in detection accuracy can be avoided.

  In addition, since the determination condition is configured as (ECU 40, S20, S22), which is the number of times (3 times) the target is detected in the determination region, in addition to the above-described effects, whether or not to be a control target object. Can be easily determined.

  In addition, since the determination condition is configured to be the time (the execution interval of the program of the flow chart in FIG. 2) during which the target is continuously detected in the determination area (ECU 40, S28, S116, S118), it is described above. In addition to the effect, it can be easily determined whether or not the object should be controlled.

  In the above description, the object is detected from the output of the millimeter wave radar, but a laser radar may be used instead of or in addition thereto.

1 is a schematic diagram showing an overall vehicle object detection device according to the present invention. It is a flowchart which shows operation | movement of the detection apparatus shown in FIG. It is explanatory drawing which shows the detection area | region of the radar shown in FIG. 3 is a sub-routine flowchart of the new target output determination process of FIG. FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram illustrating a detection area of the radar illustrated in FIG. 1, as in FIG. 3.

Explanation of symbols

  DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 Vehicle (own vehicle), 12 Engine (internal combustion engine), 16 Front wheel, 20 Rear wheel, 22 Alarm device, 34 Brake, 36 Brake switch, 40 ECU (electronic control unit), 42 Radar, 44 Radar output processing ECU, 46 Wheel speed sensor, 50 steering wheel, 52 steering angle sensor, 54 operation switch, 56 yaw rate sensor, 60 crank angle sensor, 62 intake pipe absolute pressure sensor, 64 throttle opening sensor, 100 travel path, 102 second object

Claims (8)

  Target detection means for detecting an object existing in a predetermined detection region in the traveling direction of the own vehicle as a target every predetermined time, and a relative position between the own vehicle and the detected target based on a detection result of the target detection means And a relative relationship calculating means for calculating a relative relationship consisting of relative speeds, and when the detection state of the target detected by the target detection means matches a predetermined determination condition, the detected target is determined as a control target object. In the vehicle object detection device including the control target object determination unit, a target position estimation unit that estimates at least one of a position at the previous detection and a position at the next detection of the target detected this time based on the relative relationship And the control target object determining means is detected by the target detecting means. The vehicle object detection system and changes the determination condition based on the position estimated by the current position and the target position estimating means Getto.   The control target object determination means, when the previous position of the target estimated by the target position estimation means is within a predetermined distance from the detection area and the current position of the target is within the detection area, The vehicle object detection device according to claim 1, wherein the determination condition is changed in a direction in which the determination target object is easily determined.   A travel locus estimating means for estimating a travel locus on which the host vehicle travels; a determination area setting means for setting a determination area in the detection area with reference to the travel locus; and the control target object determining means, When the previous position of the target estimated by the target position estimating means is outside the determination area and the current position of the target is within the determination area, the determination condition is determined as the control target object. The vehicle object detection device according to claim 1, wherein the vehicle object detection device is changed to an easy direction.   The control target object determining means detects a second object between the target and the vehicle by the target detecting means, and the previous position of the target estimated by the target position estimating means is the second object. The determination condition is changed to a direction in which it is easy to determine the object to be controlled when the object is in a blind spot and the current position of the target is within the determination region. The vehicle object detection device according to any one of 1 to 3.   5. The control target object determining unit, when the next position of the target estimated by the target position estimating unit is outside the detection area, stops changing the determination condition. The vehicle object detection device according to any one of the above.   The control target object determination unit, when the next position of the target estimated by the target position estimation unit is a position away from the host vehicle, stops changing the determination condition. The vehicle object detection device according to any one of 1 to 5.   The vehicle object detection device according to claim 1, wherein the determination condition is the number of times the target is detected in the determination region.   The vehicle object detection device according to claim 1, wherein the determination condition is a time during which the target is continuously detected in the determination region.

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