JP2009186277A - Object detection device - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To determine easily and properly whether an object detected in an outside world of one's own vehicle is a virtual image or a real image. <P>SOLUTION: An object detection device 10 is equipped with an external sensor 11 and an object position detection part 31 for detecting an object existing in a traveling direction of one's own vehicle, a relative relation calculation part 32 for calculating a relative relation on a relative distance of the detected object to one's own vehicle, and a virtual/real determination part 34 for determining whether the detected object is a virtual image or a real image. The device 10 is also equipped with a determination object selection part 33 for selecting a first object and a second object as determination objects, when the first object and the second object moving in an opposite direction to one's own vehicle are detected, and when a vehicle right-to-left direction distance between the first object and the second object is a prescribed right-to-left direction distance or longer, and when a vehicle front-to-back direction distance between the first object and the second object is a prescribed front-to-back direction distance or shorter. The virtual/real determination part 34 determines whether the determination object selected by the determination object selection part 33 is a virtual image or a real image. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2009,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to an object detection device.

Conventionally, for example, when detecting an object such as a preceding vehicle using a radar device, a ghost (virtual image) is prevented from being erroneously detected as a real image due to the reflected laser being reflected by a wall or the like. In order to do this, a sensor that detects the position of a stationary object such as a wall in advance is known (see, for example, Patent Document 1).
JP 2001-116839 A

By the way, according to the sensor according to the above prior art, it is necessary to execute a complicated process in advance to detect the position of a stationary object such as a wall from which the laser is reflected, resulting in a problem that the processing load increases. At the same time, the device configuration may be complicated.
The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and an object of the present invention is to provide an object detection device that can easily and appropriately determine whether an object detected in the external environment of the host vehicle is a virtual image or a real image.

  In order to solve the above problems and achieve the object, the object detection apparatus according to the first aspect of the present invention is an object detection means for detecting an object existing in the traveling direction of the host vehicle (for example, in the embodiment). An external sensor 11 and an object position detecting unit 31) and a relative relationship calculating unit for calculating a relative relationship related to a relative distance of the object detected by the object detecting unit with respect to the host vehicle (for example, a relative relationship calculating unit in the embodiment) 32) and an actuality determination unit (for example, an actuality determination unit 34 in the embodiment) for determining whether the object is a virtual image or a real image, the object detection device moving in a direction opposite to the host vehicle. When one object and a second object are detected by the object detection unit, a vehicle lateral distance between the first object and the second object is calculated based on the relative relationship calculated by the relative relationship calculation unit. Is determined to be greater than or equal to a predetermined distance in the left-right direction and the vehicle front-rear direction distance between the first object and the second object is equal to or less than a predetermined distance in the front-rear direction. A selection unit (for example, a determination target selection unit 33 in the embodiment) that selects the target is provided, and the imaginary determination unit determines whether the determination target selected by the selection unit is a virtual image or a real image.

  Furthermore, in the object detection device according to the second aspect of the present invention, the truth determination means includes a relative distance between the first object as the determination target selected by the selection means and the host vehicle, and the selection. The relative distance between the second object as the determination target selected by the means and the host vehicle is compared, and the determination target corresponding to the longer relative distance of the relative distances is It is determined that the possibility of being a virtual image is higher than the determination target corresponding to the shorter relative distance.

  Further, in the object detection device according to the third aspect of the present invention, the object detection means detects the object by transmitting an electromagnetic wave and receiving a reflected wave of the electromagnetic wave, and the truth determination means is the selection The received intensity of the reflected wave reflected from the first object as the determination target selected by the means, and the reflected wave reflected from the first object as the determination target selected by the selection means. The determination object corresponding to the smaller received intensity of the received intensity compared with the received intensity may be a virtual image as compared to the determined object corresponding to the larger received intensity. Judgment is higher.

  Furthermore, the object detection apparatus according to the fourth aspect of the present invention is estimated by a trajectory estimation unit (for example, the own vehicle trajectory estimation unit 36 in the embodiment) that estimates the travel trajectory of the own vehicle and the trajectory estimation unit. Based on the travel locus of the own vehicle and the object detected by the object detection means, contact possibility determination means (for example, in the embodiment) that determines the possibility of contact between the object and the own vehicle. A contact possibility determination unit 37) and an avoidance operation detection unit (for example, an avoidance operation detection unit 38 in the embodiment) that detects a contact avoidance operation of the driver of the host vehicle. It is determined that there is a possibility of contact with the vehicle by the contact possibility determination unit with respect to any one of the first object and the second object as the determination target selected by the selection unit, and The avoidance operation When the contact avoiding operation is detected by the output means, it is determined that the determination target corresponding to any one of the above is less likely to be a virtual image than the determination target corresponding to any one of the other To do.

  Furthermore, the object detection apparatus according to the fifth aspect of the present invention is a contact avoidance support means for supporting contact avoidance between the object detected by the object detection means and the host vehicle (for example, a vehicle control unit in the embodiment). 39), and suppress means (for example, implementation) that suppresses the contact avoidance support by the contact avoidance support means for the determination target that is determined to be more likely to be a virtual image by the trueness determination means. The vehicle control unit 39 in the form also serves).

  Furthermore, in the object detection device according to the sixth aspect of the present invention, the suppression unit delays the execution start timing of the contact avoidance support by the contact avoidance support unit.

  Furthermore, in the object detection device according to the seventh aspect of the present invention, the suppression means reduces the control amount of the contact avoidance support by the contact avoidance support means.

According to the object detection device of the first aspect of the present invention, for example, a virtual image is obtained for all objects detected by the object detection unit by determining whether the determination target selected by the selection unit is a virtual image or a real image. Compared with the case of determining whether the image is a real image, it is possible to prevent excessive determination processing from being executed, to prevent an increase in the processing load of the apparatus, and to perform easy and appropriate determination.
Furthermore, according to the object detection device according to the second aspect of the present invention, since the reflected wave corresponding to the virtual image has a longer propagation path length than the reflected wave from the real image, each of the first object and the second object By comparing the relative distance with respect to the host vehicle calculated from the reflected wave, it is possible to appropriately determine a determination target that is more likely to be a virtual image.

Furthermore, according to the object detection device according to the third aspect of the present invention, the reflected wave corresponding to the virtual image has a smaller intensity than the reflected wave from the real image, and thus the reflection of each of the first object and the second object. By comparing the reception intensity of the waves, it is possible to appropriately determine a determination target that is more likely to be a virtual image.
Further, according to the object detection device of the fourth aspect of the present invention, when determining whether one of the first object and the second object is less likely to be a virtual image, The recognition result can be appropriately reflected.

  Furthermore, according to the object detection device according to the fifth to seventh aspects of the present invention, contact with the host vehicle is avoided for a determination target that is more likely to be a virtual image among the first object and the second object. Can be prevented from being excessively executed.

Hereinafter, an object detection device according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.
As shown in FIG. 1, for example, the object detection device 10 according to the present embodiment is applied to a vehicle that transmits a driving force of an internal combustion engine (E) to a driving wheel (not shown) of the vehicle via a transmission (T / M). It is equipped with an external sensor 11, a vehicle state sensor 12, a processing device 13, a throttle actuator 14, a brake actuator 15, a steering actuator 16, and an alarm device 17.

The external sensor 11 includes, for example, a beam scan type radar 21 and a radar control unit 22 using electromagnetic waves such as laser light and millimeter waves, and a camera 23 and an image processing unit such as a stereo camera capable of imaging in the visible light region and the infrared region. 24.
For example, the radar control unit 22 divides the detection target area set in front of the traveling direction of the host vehicle into a plurality of areas in the angular direction, and transmits each electromagnetic wave transmission signal so as to scan each area. A reflection signal generated by reflection of each transmission signal by an object outside the host vehicle is received, and the reflection signal and the transmission signal are mixed to generate a beat signal, which is output to the processing device 13.
In addition, for example, the image processing unit 24 performs predetermined image processing such as filtering and binarization processing on the external image in the traveling direction of the host vehicle obtained by capturing with the camera 23, and the two-dimensional array Image data composed of pixels is generated and output to the processing device 13.

  The vehicle state sensor 12 is, for example, a vehicle speed sensor that detects the speed (vehicle speed) of the host vehicle, an acceleration sensor that detects acceleration acting on the vehicle body, and a gyro that detects the posture and traveling direction of the vehicle body. Positioning signals such as sensors, yaw rate sensors that detect the yaw rate (rotational angular velocity around the vertical axis of the vehicle's center of gravity), and GPS (Global Positioning System) signals that measure the position of the vehicle using, for example, an artificial satellite And a sensor for detecting a driving operation by the driver (for example, an accelerator pedal depression amount, a brake pedal depression amount, a steering wheel steering angle, etc.).

  Furthermore, the processing device 13 includes, for example, an object position detection unit 31, a relative relationship calculation unit 32, a determination target selection unit 33, an truth determination unit 34, an object locus estimation unit 35, a host vehicle locus estimation unit 36, A contact possibility determination unit 37, an avoidance operation detection unit 38, and a vehicle control unit 39 are provided.

The object position detection unit 31 of the processing device 13 is based on a beat signal or image data output from the external sensor 11, and an object (for example, another vehicle) that is present in each detection target region set in front of the traveling direction of the host vehicle. Etc.) is detected.
For example, the object position detection unit 31 detects the distance to the object (for example, a relative distance to the host vehicle) and the direction (angle) based on the beat signal output from the radar control unit 22 of the external sensor 11.
Further, the object position detection unit 31 is based on a pair of image data output from the image processing unit 24 of the external sensor 11, for example, and a distance between the pair of cameras installed at a predetermined interval in the vehicle interior. Then, a distance to the object (for example, a relative distance to the host vehicle) is detected by a triangulation method based on the parallax of the object on the pair of image data obtained by imaging.

  The relative relationship calculation unit 32 is based on the information related to the position of the object detected by the object position detection unit 31, and the relative speed related to the relative distance of the object with respect to the host vehicle, for example, the speed of the object based on the time change of the position of the object ( For example, a relative speed with respect to the host vehicle is calculated.

The determination target selection unit 33 selects, from among a plurality of objects detected by the object position detection unit 31, an object that is a determination target of the true / false determination by the true / false determination unit 34 described later.
For example, the determination target selection unit 33 sets a combination of two objects (a first object and a second object) for a plurality of objects detected by the object position detection unit 31, and for each combination, The vehicle lateral distance between the first object and the second object is greater than or equal to a predetermined value (predetermined lateral distance, for example, the distance between two vehicles traveling on the lanes at both ends of a three-lane travel path), and the first Whether the vehicle front-rear direction distance between the object and the second object is a predetermined value (predetermined front-rear direction distance) or less, and the speed difference between the first object and the second object is a predetermined value (predetermined speed difference) or less If the determination result is “YES”, the first object and the second object are selected as determination targets.
The left-right direction and the front-rear direction of the vehicle are the left-right direction and the front-rear direction of the host vehicle.

For example, by setting the distance between two vehicles that travel on the lanes at both ends of a three-lane travel path as the predetermined left-right direction distance, an object that is a determination target of true / false determination can be appropriately selected.
For example, as shown in FIG. 2, when one object that is a real image is an oncoming vehicle that travels in an adjacent oncoming lane on one side of the running lane of the own vehicle, the reflected signal from the oncoming vehicle is When reflected by an object such as a wall W provided on the travel path, the other object as a virtual image is detected as an oncoming vehicle traveling in an adjacent lane on the other side of the traveling lane of the host vehicle. That is, two oncoming vehicles are detected that travel relative to the left and right travel lanes centered on the travel lane (travel trajectory) of the host vehicle among the three lane travel paths.
Here, since a traveling mode in which two oncoming vehicles pass each other by sandwiching the host vehicle from both sides in the left-right direction cannot normally occur on a general road, the distance in the left-right direction of the vehicle between the first object and the second object is If the distance is greater than or equal to the distance between the two vehicles traveling in the lanes at both ends of the three-lane travel path, the first object and the second object can be appropriately selected as determination targets for the true / false determination.

The true / false determining unit 34 executes the true / false determination for determining whether the determination target selected by the determination target selecting unit 33 is a virtual image or a real image.
For example, the truth determination unit 34 has an object having a long relative distance to the host vehicle out of two objects (first object and second object) selected as determination targets, compared to an object having a short relative distance to the host vehicle. It is determined that the possibility of being a virtual image is higher.
In addition, the truth determination unit 34 detects an object with a low reception intensity of a reflected signal received by the radar control unit 22 of the external sensor 11 among the two objects (first object and second object) selected as the determination target. It is determined that the possibility of a virtual image is higher than that of an object having a high reception intensity.
Further, the truth determination unit 34 is based on a detection signal indicating whether or not there is an avoidance operation output from an avoidance operation detection unit 38 to be described later, out of two objects (first object and second object) selected as determination targets. An object that has been subjected to a predetermined avoidance operation by the driver so as to avoid contact with the host vehicle is determined to be less likely to be a virtual image than an object that has not been subjected to the predetermined avoidance operation. To do.

For example, as shown in FIG. 2 or FIG. 3, when an electromagnetic wave transmission signal is transmitted from the radar 21 of the external sensor 11 of the host vehicle P, and this transmission signal is reflected by each oncoming vehicle Qr1, Qr2, Qr3, In addition to the reflected signals R1, R2, and R3 that are directed directly from the oncoming vehicles Qr1, Qr2, and Qr3 to the host vehicle P, the oncoming vehicles Qr1, Qr2, and Qr3 are reflected via reflections from other objects such as walls W, for example. When the reflected signals V1, V2, V3 directed indirectly toward the host vehicle P are received by the external sensor 11, the object position detection unit 31 of the processing device 13 causes the oncoming vehicles Qr1, Qr2, Qr3 as real images to be received. In addition, each virtual image oncoming vehicle Qv1, Qv2, Qv3 as a virtual image is detected.
For this reason, first, the determination target selection unit 33 includes two objects (a first object and a second object) for a plurality of objects that move in the direction opposite to the host vehicle detected by the object position detection unit 31. For each combination, the vehicle lateral distance between the first object and the second object is a predetermined value (predetermined lateral distance, such as the distance between two vehicles traveling on the lanes at both ends of a three-lane travel path). The vehicle front-rear direction distance between the first object and the second object is not more than a predetermined value (predetermined front-rear direction distance), and the speed difference between the first object and the second object is a predetermined value (predetermined speed difference). ) By determining whether or not, the oncoming vehicle Qr1 and the virtual image oncoming vehicle Qv1, the oncoming vehicle Qr2 and the virtual image oncoming vehicle Qv2, and the oncoming vehicle Qr3 and the virtual image oncoming vehicle Qv3 are selected as determination targets. Especially That.
Then, for each determination target, the propagation path length of the reflected signal becomes longer in the virtual image due to reflection on the other object, or in the virtual image due to reflection on the other object. Accordingly, each virtual image facing vehicle Qv1, Qv2, Qv3 having a relatively long relative distance to the host vehicle or each virtual image facing with a relatively small reception strength of the reflected signal based on the fact that the reception strength of the reflected signal becomes smaller. It is determined that the vehicles Qv1, Qv2, and Qv3 are more likely to be virtual images.

The object trajectory estimation unit 35 estimates the movement trajectory of the object based on information related to the position of the object detected by the object position detection unit 31, for example.
The own vehicle trajectory estimation unit 36 determines whether or not the vehicle's own vehicle has been detected by at least one of the positioning signal received by the vehicle state sensor 12 and the autonomous navigation calculation process based on the vehicle speed and yaw rate detected by the vehicle state sensor 12. Calculate the position (current position). Then, based on the time change of the position of the own vehicle and the vehicle speed and yaw rate detected by the vehicle state sensor 12, the traveling locus of the own vehicle is estimated.

The contact possibility determination unit 37 makes contact between the host vehicle and the object based on, for example, the movement track of the object output from the object track estimation unit 35 and the travel track of the host vehicle output from the host vehicle track estimation unit 36. It is determined whether or not there is a possibility.
For example, the contact possibility determination unit 37 estimates the time (contact time) required for the host vehicle to reach the contact prediction region, using the region where the traveling track of the host vehicle and the movement track of the object intersect as a contact prediction region. To do. Then, when the host vehicle travels over the contact time while maintaining the current traveling state (for example, the current vehicle speed, yaw rate, etc.), the object in the direction along the width direction of the object movement trajectory The amount of overlap between the movement locus and the host vehicle is calculated. For example, when the overlap amount is larger than 0, it is determined that there is a possibility that the host vehicle and the object are in contact with each other.

  The avoidance operation detection unit 38 is, for example, a predetermined driving operation performed by the driver of the own vehicle, that is, an object for an object that is determined to be in contact with the own vehicle by the contact possibility determination unit 37 An avoidance operation (for example, an accelerator pedal depressing operation, a brake pedal depressing operation, a steering wheel steering, etc.) for avoiding contact with the vehicle is detected.

The vehicle control unit 39 avoids the occurrence of contact between the host vehicle and the object or reduces damage when the contact occurs according to the determination results of the truth determination unit 34 and the contact possibility determination unit 37. At least one of the execution start timing of the travel control for controlling the state and the control amount (for example, deceleration during deceleration, etc.) is set. The control signal for controlling the transmission operation of the transmission (T / M) and the control signal for controlling the driving force of the internal combustion engine (E) by the throttle actuator 14 and the brake actuator 15 according to the set execution start timing and control amount. At least one of a control signal for controlling deceleration and a control signal for controlling turning by the steering actuator 16, and acceleration and deceleration of the host vehicle as a contact avoidance assist operation or a contact avoidance operation. , Control the steering. For example, the vehicle control unit 39 delays the execution start timing of the contact avoidance support for the object that is determined to be more likely to be a virtual image by the trueness determination unit 34 or sets the control amount of the contact avoidance support. Reduce.
Further, the vehicle control unit 39 outputs a control signal for controlling the notification operation of the alarm device 17.

The alarm device 17 includes, for example, a tactile transmission device, a visual transmission device, and an auditory transmission device.
The tactile transmission device is, for example, a seat belt device, a steering control device, or the like, and generates a predetermined tension on the seat belt, for example, in response to a control signal input from the vehicle control unit 39 so that a passenger of the own vehicle can sense the touch. There is a possibility of contact with an object by applying a perceptible tightening force or by generating vibration (steering vibration) that can be perceived tactilely by the driver of the vehicle on the steering wheel. Is recognized by the passenger.
The visual transmission device is, for example, a display device and the like, for example, by displaying predetermined alarm information on the display device or blinking a predetermined alarm light in accordance with a control signal input from the vehicle control unit 39. Let the occupant recognize that there is a possibility of contact with the object.
The auditory transmission device is, for example, a speaker or the like, and may generate contact with an object by outputting a predetermined alarm sound or voice according to a control signal input from the vehicle control unit 39. Is recognized by the passenger.

The object detection device 10 according to the present embodiment has the above-described configuration. Next, the operation of the object detection device 10, in particular, a determination target of trueness determination from among a plurality of objects detected by the external sensor 11. A process for selecting an object and a process for determining trueness will be described.
Note that a series of processing from step S01 to step S10 shown below is repeatedly executed every predetermined time.

First, for example, in step S01 shown in FIG. 4, based on the beat signal or image data output from the external sensor 11, information related to the positions of a plurality of objects moving in the direction opposite to the host vehicle is detected.
In step S02, based on the information related to the detected position of the object, the relative speed related to the relative distance of the object to the own vehicle, for example, the speed of the object based on the time change of the position of the object (for example, the relative speed relative to the own vehicle). ) Etc.
In step S03, the position of the host vehicle (current position) is calculated based on the signal output from the vehicle state sensor 12, the time change of the position of the host vehicle, and the vehicle speed and yaw rate detected by the vehicle state sensor 12 are calculated. Based on the above, the traveling locus of the host vehicle is estimated.

In step S04, a contact determination process is performed to determine whether there is an object that may come into contact with the host vehicle among the plurality of detected objects.
In step S05, in the contact determination process in step S04, if the determination result is “NO”, the process proceeds to the end, and the process ends.
On the other hand, when the determination result is “YES” in the contact determination process in step S04, the process proceeds to step S06.
And in step S06, the true / false determination process mentioned later is performed with respect to the object (contact possibility object) determined that there exists a possibility of contacting with the own vehicle.
Then, in step S07, it is determined whether or not the possibility of virtual image of the contact possibility object is determined to be relatively high in the true / false determination process in step S06.
If this determination is “NO”, the flow proceeds to step S 10 described later.
On the other hand, if the determination is “YES”, the flow proceeds to step S08.

In step S08, the control amount for assisting contact avoidance is reduced for the contactable object.
In step S09, the execution start timing of assistance for contact avoidance is delayed.
In step S10, a predetermined contact avoidance support operation is executed in accordance with the control amount and execution start timing set at this time, and the series of processing ends.

The following describes the true / false determination process in step S06 described above.
First, in step S11 shown in FIG. 5, for example, a combination of a contact possibility object that may come into contact with the host vehicle and another object is set from among the detected plurality of objects.

In step S12, a combination of the contact possibility object and another object or an appropriate combination is selected, and the vehicle lateral distance between the contact possibility object and the other object is a predetermined value (predetermined lateral distance). For example, the distance between two vehicles traveling on the lanes at both ends of the three-lane driving path).
If this determination is “NO”, the flow proceeds to step S 18 described later.
On the other hand, if the determination is “YES”, the flow proceeds to step S13.

In step S13, it is determined whether the vehicle front-rear direction distance between the contactable object and another object is equal to or smaller than a predetermined value (predetermined front-rear direction distance).
If this determination is “NO”, the flow proceeds to step S 18 described later.
On the other hand, if the determination is “YES”, the flow proceeds to step S14.

In step S14, it is determined whether or not the speed difference between the contact possibility object and another object is equal to or smaller than a predetermined value (predetermined speed difference).
If this determination is “NO”, the flow proceeds to step S 18 described later.
On the other hand, if the determination is “YES”, the flow proceeds to step S15.

In step S15, it is determined whether the relative distance between the contact possibility object and the host vehicle is longer than the relative distance between the other object and the host vehicle.
If this determination is “NO”, the flow proceeds to step S 17 described later.
On the other hand, if this determination is “YES”, the flow proceeds to step S16.
In step S16, it is assumed that the possibility of a virtual image of a contactable object is relatively high.
In step S17, it is determined whether or not the reception intensity of the reflected signal with respect to the contactable object is smaller than the reception intensity of the reflected signal with respect to another object.
If this determination is “NO”, the flow proceeds to step S18.
On the other hand, if the determination is “YES”, the flow proceeds to step S 16 described above.

In step S18, it is determined whether or not the execution of the true / false determination has been completed for all combinations of the contact possibility object and other objects.
If this determination is “YES”, the flow proceeds to step S19.
On the other hand, if this determination is “NO”, the flow returns to step S12.

In step S19, the driver performs a predetermined driving operation on the contactable object, that is, an avoiding operation for avoiding contact with the contactable object (for example, an accelerator pedal depression operation, a brake pedal depression operation). It is determined whether or not an operation, steering wheel steering, etc.) have been executed.
If this determination is “NO”, the flow proceeds to the end, and the process ends.
On the other hand, if the determination is “YES”, the flow proceeds to step S20.
In step S20, it is assumed that the possibility of a virtual image of the contact possibility object is relatively low, and the process proceeds to the end, and the process ends.

As described above, according to the object detection device 10 according to the present embodiment, for example, the object position detection unit 31 detects by determining whether the determination target selected by the determination target selection unit 33 is a virtual image or a real image. Compared with the case of determining whether all of the plurality of objects are virtual images or real images, it is possible to prevent excessive determination processing from being executed, to prevent an increase in processing load on the apparatus, and Appropriate judgments can be made.
Furthermore, by comparing the relative distance to the host vehicle with respect to the two objects (first object and second object) constituting the determination target selected by the determination target selection unit 33, and the reception intensity of the reflected signal By comparing these, it is possible to appropriately determine a determination target that is more likely to be a virtual image.

Further, when determining whether the two objects (first object and second object) constituting the determination target selected by the determination target selection unit 33 are virtual images or real images, contact with the host vehicle is avoided. Thus, by determining whether or not a predetermined avoidance operation by the driver has been executed, the recognition result of the driver of the host vehicle can be appropriately reflected.
Further, contact avoidance assistance for an object that is determined to be more likely to be a virtual image among the two objects (first object and second object) constituting the determination target selected by the determination target selection unit 33. It is possible to prevent the contact avoidance support with the host vehicle from being excessively executed by delaying the execution start timing of the vehicle or reducing the control amount of the contact avoidance support.

  In the above-described embodiment, in the determination process of trueness, the relative distance between the contactable object and the host vehicle is longer than the relative distance between the other object and the host vehicle, or the reflection to the contactable object. When the signal reception intensity is lower than the reception intensity of the reflected signal with respect to another object, the possibility of a virtual image of a contactable object is relatively high. However, the present invention is not limited to this. Is longer than the relative distance between the other object and the host vehicle, and the contact strength of the reflected signal with respect to the contactable object is smaller than the received strength of the reflected signal with respect to the other object. The possibility of a virtual image of an object may be relatively high.

  In the above-described embodiment, the determination target selection unit 33 determines that the vehicle left-right direction distance between the first object and the second object is a predetermined value regardless of the speed difference between the first object and the second object. It is determined whether or not the vehicle front-rear direction distance between the first object and the second object is equal to or smaller than a predetermined value (predetermined front-rear direction distance). In this case, the first object and the second object may be selected as determination targets.

It is a block diagram of the object detection apparatus which concerns on embodiment of this invention. It is a figure which shows the example of the own vehicle which concerns on embodiment of this invention, an oncoming vehicle, and a virtual image oncoming vehicle. It is a figure which shows the example of the own vehicle which concerns on embodiment of this invention, an oncoming vehicle, and a virtual image oncoming vehicle. It is a flowchart which shows operation | movement of the object detection apparatus which concerns on embodiment of this invention. It is a flowchart which shows the process of the truth determination which concerns on embodiment of this invention.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 Object detection apparatus 11 External field sensor (object detection means)
31 Object position detector (object detection means)
32 Relative relationship calculation unit (relative relationship calculation means)
33 judgment object selection part (selection means)
34 Trueness determination unit (trueness determination means)
36 Vehicle trajectory estimation unit (trajectory estimation means)
37 Contact possibility determination unit (contact possibility determination means)
38 Avoidance operation detection unit (avoidance operation detection means)
39 Vehicle control unit (contact avoidance support means, suppression means)

Claims (7)

Object detection means for detecting an object present in the traveling direction of the host vehicle;
A relative relationship calculating means for calculating a relative relationship related to a relative distance between the object detected by the object detecting means and the own vehicle;
An object detection device comprising: an actuality determination means for determining whether the object is a virtual image or a real image;
When the first object and the second object moving in a direction opposite to the host vehicle are detected by the object detection unit, the first object and the second object are based on the relative relationship calculated by the relative relationship calculation unit. When the vehicle lateral distance between two objects is equal to or greater than a predetermined lateral distance and the vehicle longitudinal distance between the first object and the second object is equal to or less than a predetermined longitudinal distance, Selecting means for selecting the first object and the second object as determination targets;
The object detection apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the determination unit determines whether the determination target selected by the selection unit is a virtual image or a real image. The truth determination means includes
The relative distance between the first object as the determination target selected by the selection unit and the host vehicle, and the second object as the determination target selected by the selection unit and the host vehicle. The determination target corresponding to the longer relative distance of the relative distances is compared with the relative distance, and the determination target corresponding to the shorter relative distance may be a virtual image. The object detection device according to claim 1, wherein it is determined that the property is higher. The object detection means detects the object by transmitting an electromagnetic wave and receiving a reflected wave of the electromagnetic wave,
The truth determination means includes
The reception intensity of the reflected wave reflected from the first object as the determination target selected by the selection means, and the reflection reflected from the first object as the determination target selected by the selection means Compared with the reception intensity of a wave, the determination object corresponding to the smaller reception intensity of the reception intensity is a virtual image compared to the determination object corresponding to the larger reception intensity. The object detection apparatus according to claim 1, wherein it is determined that the possibility is higher. A trajectory estimating means for estimating the travel trajectory of the host vehicle;
Contact possibility determination means for determining the possibility of contact between the object and the own vehicle based on the travel locus of the host vehicle estimated by the locus estimation means and the object detected by the object detection means; ,
An avoidance operation detecting means for detecting a contact avoidance operation of the driver of the host vehicle,
The truth determination means may contact the host vehicle by the contact possibility determination means with respect to any one of the first object and the second object as the determination target selected by the selection means. When it is determined that the contact avoidance operation is detected by the avoidance operation detection unit, the determination target corresponding to any one of the determination targets corresponding to any one of the determination target, The object detection device according to claim 1, wherein the object detection device determines that the possibility of being a virtual image is lower. Contact avoidance support means for supporting contact avoidance between the object detected by the object detection means and the host vehicle,
2. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a suppression unit that suppresses the contact avoidance support by the contact avoidance support unit with respect to the determination target that is determined to be more likely to be a virtual image by the truth determination unit. The object detection device according to claim 4. The object detection apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the suppression unit delays an execution start timing of the contact avoidance support by the contact avoidance support unit. The object detection apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the suppression unit reduces a control amount of the contact avoidance support by the contact avoidance support unit.

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