JP2011191237A - Device for target recognition - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To improve an accuracy in target detection by preventing incorrect determination that a target coming near to a driver's own vehicle does not collide therewith in the case where a radar is offset-mounted. <P>SOLUTION: It is determined by a collision determination avoiding processing part 8 whether a distance between the driver's own vehicle 1 and the target 200 is within a prescribed distance set on the basis of a detection angle of the radar 5 in the horizontal direction and an offset amount of a mounting position thereof. When the target 200 comes near within the prescribed distance, a collision determination area set at about the vehicle width of the driver's own vehicle 1, is modified to expand the mounting position side of the radar 5, according to the detection angle, as the target 200 approaches. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2011,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention determines the possibility of a collision between a front (or rear) target that is captured by a radar that is offset from the vehicle center line of the host vehicle in the vehicle width direction and is detected every moment and the host vehicle. More specifically, the present invention relates to improvement of target detection accuracy.

  Conventionally, in a vehicle equipped with a collision prevention support function, a mounted object recognition device supplements a target such as a vehicle in front of the host vehicle with a radar such as a laser radar, and detects the moment from time to time. The possibility of collision is determined from the traveling direction of the target and the host vehicle, the vehicle speed, and the like.

  By the way, the radar is often mounted offset by being shifted in the vehicle width direction (left-right direction) from the vehicle center line based on the avoidance of the influence of heat generated by the own vehicle, the convenience of the vehicle design, etc. Generally, it is mounted on the left end or right end of a bumper or the like (see, for example, Patent Document 1 (abstract, paragraphs [0004], [0026], FIG. 7)).

JP-A-11-316278

  When the radar is offset mounted on the host vehicle as in the object recognition device of Patent Document 1, the offset of the radar mounting position is less affected by a remote target, but the target vehicle such as a preceding vehicle or an oncoming vehicle is not affected. However, if the vehicle approaches 10 m due to deceleration of the preceding vehicle or forward travel of the oncoming vehicle, the influence of the offset of the radar mounting position becomes large, and the possibility of collision may be erroneously determined.

  FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram of the radar detection range 111 of the host vehicle 100 and a target 200 such as a vehicle that approaches from time to time within a close distance in front of the host vehicle. As is apparent from this schematic diagram, when the radar 110 of the host vehicle 100 is mounted on the left end of the front bumper, the center axis of the radar detection range 111 is shifted to the left side from the vehicle center line 100c of the host vehicle 100. ing. In this case, although the target 200 is approaching the host vehicle 100 from the front, the right side of the target 200 gradually becomes missing. Therefore, the target 200 captured by the radar 110 is shifted from the temporal change (solid arrow α) of the trajectory of the center in the width direction (the middle point in the left-right direction of the target 200) to the mounting position side (left side) of the radar 110. Predicted to proceed. When predicted in this way, the object 200 is detected from the collision determination area set to the vehicle width of the own vehicle when the collision with the own vehicle 100 is predicted even though the target 200 is approaching the own vehicle 100 from the front. There is a possibility of misjudging that the mark 200 protrudes and does not collide.

  An object of the present invention is to improve the target detection accuracy by preventing erroneous determination that a target approaching the host vehicle does not collide when the radar is mounted with an offset.

  In order to achieve the above-described object, the target recognition apparatus of the present invention has the possibility of collision with a target that is detected every moment by a radar that is offset from the vehicle center line in the vehicle width direction. A target recognition device for determining whether a distance between the host vehicle and the target is within a predetermined distance set based on a horizontal detection angle of the radar and an offset amount of the mounting position. The collision determination area set to a predetermined width as the target approaches is expanded to the mounting position side of the radar according to the detection angle by the approach determination unit that performs the determination within the predetermined distance by the approach determination unit. It is characterized by comprising a determination area correcting means for correcting (claim 1).

  Further, the target recognition apparatus of the present invention is characterized in that the side opposite to the offset mounting position widened by the enlargement correction of the collision determination area is narrowed by the determination area correction means (claim 2). .

  In the case of the target recognition apparatus according to the first aspect of the present invention, when the target approaches within a predetermined distance set based on the horizontal detection angle of the radar and the offset amount of the mounting position, the determination by the approach determination means Based on the above, the collision determination area, which is set to have a predetermined width as it approaches, enlarges and corrects the collision determination area toward the radar mounting position according to the detection angle. Therefore, even when it is judged that the radar is offset and the approaching target is shifted to the radar boarding position, the collision judgment area is expanded to the radar boarding position accordingly, and no collision occurs. Can be prevented from being erroneously determined. In addition, since the collision determination area is expanded according to the horizontal detection angle of the radar, the collision determination area is not unnecessarily expanded.

  In the case of the target recognizing device of the present invention according to claim 2, the judgment area correction means narrows the side opposite to the offset mounting position side widened by the enlargement correction of the collision judgment area, so that it is not necessary to judge the possibility of collision. It is possible to further improve the collision determination accuracy by cutting the portion to prevent erroneous collision determination at that portion.

It is a block diagram of the target recognition apparatus of one embodiment of the present invention. It is explanatory drawing of expansion correction of the collision determination area | region of FIG. It is explanatory drawing of expansion correction and reduction correction of the collision determination area | region of FIG. It is a flowchart for operation | movement description of FIG. It is explanatory drawing of the possibility of misjudgment of a prior art example.

  Next, in order to describe the present invention in more detail, an embodiment will be described in detail with reference to FIGS.

  FIG. 1 shows an object recognition apparatus of the present embodiment mounted on a host vehicle 1. In FIG. 1, 2 is a control switch for operating and setting control mode switching and the like, and 3 is a wiper switch linked to a wiper operation.

  Reference numeral 4 denotes a vehicle speed sensor of the host vehicle 1, and reference numeral 5 denotes a ranging radar, which includes various scanning radars such as a laser radar and a millimeter wave radar. In this embodiment, for example, an offset is mounted on the left end of the front bumper. Thus, the front of the host vehicle 1 is searched while scanning in the left-right direction (horizontal width direction). Reference numerals 6 and 7 denote a steering angle sensor and a yaw rate sensor, which detect the steering angle and yaw rate of the behavior of the host vehicle 1.

  Reference numeral 8 denotes a collision judgment avoidance processing unit of the ECU composed of a microcomputer or the like, which executes a preset collision prediction program of FIG. A target in front of the host vehicle such as an object is recognized to determine the possibility of a collision, and a collision avoidance warning, a control command, or the like is given according to the determination result.

  Reference numerals 9 and 10 denote a display alarm unit and a brake control unit that operate according to a command of the collision avoidance processing unit 8. The display alarm unit 9 is provided at an appropriate position on the instrument panel, for example, and provides warning information and avoidance of collision. Is displayed and alarmed, and the brake control unit 10 controls the brake mechanism of the host vehicle 1 in accordance with the braking command.

  Next, main processing means of the collision determination avoidance processing unit 8 will be described.

  The collision determination avoidance processing unit 8 is a data acquisition unit, a lateral velocity calculation unit, a predicted collision time calculation unit, a predicted collision lateral position calculation unit, an approach determination unit, a determination area correction unit, and a collision determination unit by executing software (program). And various means for collision prediction such as avoidance support processing means.

  The data acquisition means repeatedly captures the contact signals of the switches 2 and 3, the detection signals of the sensors 4, 6 and 7, and the search result of the radar 5.

  The lateral velocity calculation means calculates the lateral direction of the target (vehicle width direction) from the amount of change in the lateral position (center position in the vehicle width direction within the radar detection range) of the target captured by the radar 5 within a predetermined time. Find the speed (lateral speed).

  The collision prediction time calculation means obtains the target collision prediction time obtained from the distance (inter-vehicle distance) obtained from the radar reflection distance of the target captured by the radar 5 and the change and the vehicle speed of the vehicle speed sensor 4.

  The predicted collision lateral position calculation means calculates the lateral position of the target when the predicted collision time determined by the collision prediction time calculation means has elapsed to the original (current) lateral position, and the lateral speed calculated by the lateral speed calculation means. And the movement distance in the horizontal direction of the product of the collision avoidance inter-vehicle time (TTC) obtained from the collision prediction time obtained by the collision prediction time calculation means.

  The approach determining means determines in advance that the target is based on the horizontal detection angle of the radar 5 and the offset amount of the mounting position of the radar 5 based on the distance between the host vehicle 1 and the target obtained by the collision prediction time calculating means. It is determined whether or not the vehicle 1 has been approached within a predetermined distance (several meters).

  The determination area correction means is based on the determination of the approach within the predetermined distance by the approach determination means, and is at least approximately the self set before the host vehicle 1 as the target approaches the target within the predetermined distance. The range in the vehicle width direction of the collision determination area of the vehicle width of the vehicle 1 is enlarged and corrected to the mounting position side of the radar 5 according to the horizontal detection angle of the radar 5. More specifically, when the distance is the predetermined distance, the correction amount is 0, and when the distance is 0 m (that is, at the time of collision), the center position of the collision determination area is enlarged and corrected according to the approach distance so that the center position becomes the radar mounting position. .

  FIG. 2 schematically shows the enlargement correction, and the radar 5 is mounted on the radar 5 even though the target 200 decelerates and approaches the host vehicle 1 from the front as described with reference to FIG. Since the trajectory of the midpoint in the left-right direction of the target 200 captured by is shifted toward the mounting position side (left side) of the radar 5, for example, the predicted path vector of the target 200 at times tn, tn + 1, tn + 2 is shown in FIG. As indicated by the arrow lines a, b, and c in the middle, the vehicle center position shifts to the radar 5 mounting side. Therefore, the collision determination area W in the drawing is enlarged and corrected toward the mounting position side of the radar 5 as indicated by a broken line as the target 200 approaches.

  In the case of the present embodiment, the determination area correction means performs the enlargement correction, and at the same time, the offset mounting position side widened by the enlargement correction of the collision determination area W is reduced by the same amount (length). Correct it. This is because that portion is not necessary for collision determination, and erroneous collision determination at that portion is prevented to further improve the collision determination accuracy.

  FIG. 3 schematically shows an enlargement correction and a reduction correction of the collision determination area W by the determination area correction means. At time tx when the host vehicle 1 and the target 200 approach the predetermined distance, the collision determination area W is determined by the host vehicle 1. However, as the target 200 approaches, the offset mounting position side (the left side of the drawing) of the collision determination area W expands by enlargement correction, and at the same time, the opposite side of the offset mounting position side. Are reduced and reduced by the same amount (length). In the figure, ty is the timing when approaching the collision position.

  The collision determination means determines the possibility of collision by a known method from the velocity vector of the approach of the target 200 every moment and the collision determination area W corrected as described above, and if there is a possibility of collision, the collision The flag is turned on (ON), and if there is no possibility of collision, the collision flag is held off (OFF). Note that the position and orientation of the collision determination area W on the travel locus vary depending on the travel posture (behavior) of the vehicle by the steering angle sensor 6 and the yaw rate sensor 7 of the vehicle 1.

  The avoidance support processing means instructs the display alarm unit 9 to issue a collision warning based on the determination result based on the number of times and the like based on the continuous time of the collision flag of the collision determination means, and further to the brake control unit 10. Command automatic braking.

  FIG. 4 shows the procedure of the above-described collision determination area W correction and collision determination processing of the collision determination avoidance processing unit 8. First, the distance, lateral position, relative speed, etc. from the radar 5 to the target 200 by the data acquisition means. Is taken in (step S1). Next, the lateral speed of the target 200 is calculated by the lateral speed calculation means (step S2), and the predicted collision time is obtained by the collision prediction time calculation means (step S3). Next, the lateral position of the target 200 when the predicted collision time calculated by the predicted collision time calculation means has elapsed is obtained by the predicted collision lateral position calculation means. Next, it is determined whether or not the target 200 has approached within a predetermined distance by the approach determination means, and the enlargement correction of the collision determination area W to the mounting position side of the radar 5 and the reduction to the opposite side by the determination area correction means. Correction is performed and the collision possibility is determined by the collision determination means (steps S5 and S6).

  If there is a possibility of collision, the collision flag is turned on (step S7), and if there is no possibility of collision, the collision flag is turned off (step S8).

  Therefore, in the case of the embodiment, when the target 200 approaches within a predetermined distance set based on the horizontal detection angle of the radar 5 and the offset amount of the mounting position, the target is determined based on the determination of the approach determination means. As the vehicle 200 approaches, the collision determination region W, which is set to a predetermined width (in the present embodiment, approximately the vehicle width of the host vehicle 1) by the determination region correction means, is set on the radar 5 mounting position side according to the detection angle. Thus, it is possible to prevent the erroneous determination that the collision does not occur due to the radar 5 being mounted on the offset. At this time, since the collision determination area W is enlarged according to the detection angle of the radar 5 in the horizontal direction, the collision determination area W is not unnecessarily enlarged, and the collision determination system is not inadvertently lowered.

  In addition, since the determination area correction means narrows the side opposite to the offset mounting position side that has been widened by the expansion correction of the collision determination area W, an unnecessary collision determination is made at that part by cutting away the unnecessary portion of the collision possibility determination. There is also an advantage that the collision determination accuracy can be further improved.

  The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and various modifications other than those described above can be made without departing from the spirit thereof. For example, the collision determination area W is as follows. The collision determination accuracy may be further improved by adding a correction (correction). (1) The collision determination area W is further corrected (corrected) in consideration of the estimated curve radius of the travel path. Specifically, the collision determination area W is narrowed when the absolute value of the estimated curve radius of the travel path is small. (2) The collision determination area W is further corrected (corrected) by distinguishing the moving object (with tracking) / stopped object of the target 200. Specifically, since the target 200 is highly likely to be a roadside object if it is a stop object, the collision determination area W is narrowed. (3) The tolerance (for example, ldeg) of the radar 5 is taken into consideration (variation is large at a long distance), and correction (correction) of the collision determination area W proportional to the distance of the target 200 is also added. For example, the collision determination area W is corrected (corrected) in a direction in which the filter is heavy at a long distance or the lateral velocity change is suppressed.

  Next, the mounting position of the radar 5 in the host vehicle 1 may be, for example, the right end portion of the front bumper, or may be another position. Further, the “predetermined width” of the present invention is not limited to the vehicle width of the substantially own vehicle 1 described above, and may be a width that is suitably set in advance.

  Further, the present invention can be similarly applied to a target recognition device that mounts the radar 5 on a rear bumper or the like and determines the possibility of collision between a target such as a vehicle behind and the host vehicle.

  Furthermore, the host vehicle 1 is also equipped with a camera that captures the front and rear, and can be applied to a target recognition device that determines the possibility of collision between the target and the host vehicle by so-called sensor fusion between the radar 5 and the camera.

  The present invention is applicable to various vehicle target recognition devices.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Own vehicle 5 Radar 8 Collision judgment avoidance processing part 200 Target

Claims (2)

A target recognition device that judges the possibility of collision with a target that is detected momentarily by a radar that is offset from the vehicle center line in the vehicle width direction on the host vehicle,
An approach determining means for determining whether the distance between the host vehicle and the target is within a predetermined distance set based on a detection angle in a horizontal direction of the radar and an offset amount of the mounting position;
Determination area correction means for expanding and correcting the collision determination area set to a predetermined width as the target approaches by the determination within the predetermined distance by the approach determination means to the radar mounting position side according to the detection angle. And a target recognition device. The target recognition apparatus according to claim 1,
The target recognition apparatus characterized in that the determination area correcting means further narrows the side opposite to the offset mounting position side widened by the enlargement correction of the collision determination area.

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