JP3393767B2 - Obstacle detection device for vehicles - Google Patents

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a vehicle obstacle detection device for detecting an obstacle on a road on which a vehicle travels, and more particularly to detecting the distance to the obstacle efficiently and accurately and at the same time, stains on the road. The present invention relates to an obstacle detection device for a vehicle that does not erroneously recognize an obstacle as an obstacle.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, two images formed on a two-dimensional image sensor through a pair of optical systems are compared,
A device for detecting the distance to an object using the triangulation principle is well known, and for example, Japanese Patent Publication No. 38085/1988.
It is disclosed in Japanese Patent Publication No. 63-46363.

Further, this type of distance detecting device is applied as a vehicle obstacle detecting device for detecting an obstacle on a traveling path of an automobile. FIG. 7 is a block diagram showing a conventional vehicle obstacle detection device using the distance detection device described in the above publication.

In FIG. 7, reference numerals 1 and 2 denote a pair of lenses which are arranged on the left and right sides with a base line length L apart from each other, and constitute a pair of optical systems (stereo cameras) mounted on a vehicle. Reference numerals 3 and 4 denote a pair of image sensors arranged at the positions of the focal lengths f of the lenses 1 and 2, and images formed by the lenses 1 and 2 are imaged.

Reference numeral 30 is a signal processing device including an AD converter, a memory, a microcomputer (not shown) and the like, and based on the image signals G1 and G2 from the image sensors 3 and 4, the image sensors 3 and 4 are provided. The images formed above are compared and calculated.

Reference numeral 31 denotes an object such as an obstacle located at a distance A in front of the lenses 1 and 2, and the lenses 1 and 2
And the signal processing device 30 detects the distance A. Next, the processing operation of the conventional vehicle obstacle detection device shown in FIG. 7 will be described.

The signal processing device 30 includes each image sensor 3
Image signals G1 and G2 from 4 and 4 are taken in, and one of the images obtained by each of the image signals G1 and G2 is used as a reference, and the signals are electrically overlapped while being sequentially shifted in the left-right direction pixel by pixel. If the lenses 1 and 2 are arranged in the vertical direction, the images are superimposed while shifting the images in the vertical direction.

Then, the distance A to the object 31 is calculated from the shift amount S when the respective images are best matched by the following equation (1) based on the triangulation principle.

A = f.L / S (1)

However, in the equation (1), f is the lens 1
And 2 are focal lengths, L is the baseline length. Normally, the signal processing device 30 recognizes the target object 31 as an obstacle, and when the distance A to the target object 31 approaches a predetermined distance or less, drives the vehicle-mounted alarm device, for example, drives an arbitrary alarm such as an alarm display. It is like this.

However, the object 31 on the traveling road also includes a plane image element which does not cause any actual damage (for example, a traffic sign drawn on the traveling road surface in front of the vehicle, or dirt or shadow on the road surface). Although these should not be recognized as obstacles, they will be erroneously recognized as obstacles.

On the other hand, conventionally, in order to improve the detection reliability of the object 31, for example, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 4-113212.
As referred to in Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. JP-A-2003-264, there is also proposed an apparatus that sets a window at a predetermined position of an image when measuring the distance A to the object 31 by the triangulation principle.

In this case, a plurality of windows are provided at predetermined positions in each image, and the distance A to the object 31 captured by these windows is detected.
However, even an image processing method using a window cannot sufficiently separate traffic signs, stains, shadows, and the like, which are not harmful, and may still be erroneously recognized as an obstacle.

[0014]

As described above, the conventional vehicle obstacle detection device cannot separate the traffic signs, dirt, shadows, etc. on the road surface from the obstacles.
There is a problem in that there is a possibility that the alarm may be erroneously recognized as an obstacle even if there is no actual harm, and unnecessary alarm driving may be performed.

The present invention has been made in order to solve the above-mentioned problems, and efficiently and accurately detects the distance to an obstacle and surely detects only a three-dimensional obstacle on a traveling road. An object of the present invention is to obtain a vehicle obstacle detection device.

[0016]

An obstacle detecting apparatus according to claim 1 of the present invention comprises a pair of optical systems mounted on a vehicle, and an image sensor for forming a pair of images through the respective optical systems. A window setting device for setting a window at a predetermined position of each image, an image matching means for matching each image while sequentially shifting one of the images with respect to the other, a window setting device and an image matching means. In a vehicle obstacle detection device including a signal processing device that includes a signal processing device that detects a distance to an object on a traveling path of a vehicle using a triangulation principle based on a deviation of each image, the window setting device includes sets the distance measuring windows at predetermined positions corresponding to the traffic lane marking zone of the traveling path, corresponds to the horizontal direction with respect to the distance measuring windows, impaired at predetermined positions corresponding to the road surface of each image The object detection window is set, and the signal processing device calculates the distance measurement value to the predetermined position of the distance section captured by the distance measurement window, and the travel division zone calculation means, and each of the distance division value calculation means. An obstacle determining unit for determining an obstacle by comparing each signal level captured by the obstacle detection window with respect to the image.

The obstacle detecting device according to a second aspect of the present invention is the obstacle detecting device according to the first aspect, wherein the signal processing device calculates a distance from the vehicle to the obstacle, and the distance is less than a predetermined distance. In the case shown, an alarm means for driving the alarm device is included, and the obstacle determining means includes a signal level difference calculating means for calculating a signal level difference for each pixel in each image captured by the obstacle detection window. When the signal level difference is equal to or higher than a predetermined level, the obstacle is determined.

Further, the obstacle detecting device according to claim 3 of the present invention is the obstacle detecting device according to claim 2, wherein the distance calculating means is arranged in a distance measuring window adjacent to a short distance side of the obstacle detecting window in which the obstacle is determined. The corresponding distance measurement value is determined as the distance from the vehicle to the obstacle.

According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, there is provided the obstacle detection device according to any one of the first to third aspects , in which the distance measuring window is one of the traveling division zones. The obstacle detection window includes a plurality of distance measurement windows for detecting distances to different predetermined positions, and the obstacle detection window includes a plurality of obstacle detection windows respectively corresponding to the plurality of distance measurement windows.

[0020]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Embodiment 1. Embodiment 1 of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. First Embodiment FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram showing a first embodiment of the present invention. In FIG. 1, 30A is described above (see FIG. 7).
It corresponds to the signal processing device 30 of 1 to 4, 31,
A, f and L are the same as described above.

41 and 42 are white lines drawn along the driving lane of the host vehicle (may be other running divisions such as a median strip), and 43 is drawn between the left and right white lines 41 and 42. It is a crosswalk.

In this case, the signal processing device 30A includes the following components 7 to 13. Reference numerals 7 and 8 denote AD converters connected to the image sensors 3 and 4, respectively, and image signals G1 and G2 from the image sensors 3 and 4, respectively.
Is converted from an analog signal to a digital signal.

Reference numerals 9 and 10 are memories connected to the AD converters 7 and 8, respectively, and individually store images based on the pair of digitally converted image signals G1 and G2.
A microcomputer 11 is connected to the memories 9 and 10, and controls the AD converters 8 and 9 and the memories 9 and 10.

The microcomputer 11 is adapted to compare and process the images formed by the respective image signals G1 and G2 to detect only the object 31 which is an obstacle to the vehicle, as will be described later. Reference numeral 12 denotes a display device that displays the images captured by the image sensors 3 and 4 and stored in the memories 9 and 10, and is controlled by the microcomputer 11.

Reference numeral 13 denotes a window setting device for setting a window at a predetermined position on each image, which is a distance measuring device for detecting a distance A to a traveling division zone, for example, white lines 41 and 42, which is a predetermined distance in front of the host vehicle. A window Wd and an obstacle detection window Ws for detecting an object 31 that becomes an obstacle on the road ahead are set.

FIG. 2 shows the microcomputer 11 in FIG.
3 is a functional block diagram showing a specific configuration of the above, and in FIG. 2, 9, 10, 11 and 13 are the same as those described above. D is a distance measurement value to a predetermined position of the traveling zone on the road, F1 and F2 are images stored in the memories 9 and 10 corresponding to the image signals G1 and G2, and H is an obstacle on the road. The obstacle determination signal generated at the time of extraction, S is the shift amount in the image matching processing.

Reference numeral 20 denotes an image matching means for matching the images F1 and F2. When one of the images F1 and F2 is used as a reference and the other is sequentially shifted, the image components in the distance measuring window Wd are most matched. The shift amount S of is output.

Reference numeral 21 denotes a traveling division zone calculating means for extracting and calculating the traveling division zones in the images F1 and F2, and detects the white lines 41 and 42 captured as image components in the distance measuring window Wd as the traveling division zones. At the same time, based on the shift amount S, a distance measurement value D up to a predetermined position in the traveling division zone is calculated.

Reference numeral 22 is an obstacle determining means for determining the presence or absence of an obstacle, and an obstacle detection window Ws is set in each of the images F1 and F2 used for calculating the distance measurement value D to detect an obstacle. An obstacle determination signal H is output by determining whether or not an obstacle is present in the window Ws.

The obstacle judging means 22 includes a signal level difference calculating means for calculating a difference in signal level between pixels in each of the images F1 and F2 captured by the obstacle detection window Ws, and the signal level difference is set to a predetermined level. Only the obstacle is extracted in comparison with the above, and the obstacle determination signal H is output when the signal level difference indicates a predetermined level or more.

Reference numeral 23 is a distance calculation means for calculating the distance A to the object 31 which is an obstacle, and calculates the distance measurement value D based on the distance measurement value D when the obstacle judgment signal H is obtained. Distance A to Object 31 Captured by Obstacle Detection Window Ws in Images F1 and F2 Compared at Time
Is calculated.

In this case, as will be described later, the distance calculating means 23 determines the distance measurement value corresponding to the distance measurement window adjacent to the short distance side of the obstacle detection window at the time of obstacle determination from the vehicle to the obstacle. The distance is determined as A. Reference numeral 24 is an alarm means for driving an alarm device (not shown) such as an alarm display when the distance A from the own vehicle to the object 31, that is, the obstacle is less than a predetermined distance.

FIG. 3 shows a distance measurement window Wd and an obstacle detection window W set on the reference side, for example, in the image F1.
It is an explanatory view showing s, and each window Wd and Ws are a plurality of windows Wd1-Wd4 and Ws1, respectively.
~ Ws4 is shown.

Although the image F1 in the memory 9 based on the image signal G1 from the image sensor 3 is used as the reference image here, any one of the images F1 and F2 may be used as the reference. Moreover, the number of each window Wd and Ws can be set arbitrarily.

In FIG. 3, each window Wd1 to Wd
4 and Ws1 to Ws4 are set below the image F1 corresponding to the imaging position of the traveling road, and the distance measurement window W
For example, d1 to Wd4 are set at the left end portion corresponding to the imaging position of the white line 41, and the obstacle detection windows Ws1 to Ws1.
Ws4 is set in the central portion corresponding to the imaging position of the traveling road surface.

Each of the distance measuring windows Wd1 to Wd4 is adapted to detect the distance to a different predetermined position in the traveling division zone. In addition, each obstacle detection window Ws1
Ws4 is, for each distance measurement window Wd1 to Wd4,
Each is set to correspond to the horizontal direction.

FIG. 4 is an explanatory view showing an example of an image F1 in which a window is superimposed and displayed on the screen of the display device 12, and shows a state in which the white lines 41 and 42 and the pedestrian crossing 43 in FIG. 1 are displayed. .

In FIG. 4, ΔF is each of the images F1 and F
2 is a signal level difference in the obstacle detection windows Ws1 to Ws4 for each two, and here, in the obstacle detection window Ws4 corresponding to the distance A, a signal level difference Δ of a predetermined level or more.
F has occurred, indicating that there is an object 31 that becomes an obstacle.

FIG. 5 is an explanatory view showing the processing operation of the image matching means 20 in FIG. 2. In FIG. 5, R is a calculation area where the matching processing calculation is performed on one distance measuring window Wd1. . In the calculation area R of the shift side image F2, the position of the distance measuring window Wd1 that most closely matches the image component in the distance measuring window Wd1 of the reference side image F1 is determined.

Next, the operation of the first embodiment of the present invention shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 will be described with reference to FIGS. For example, if the host vehicle is traveling on the road where the object 31 exists (see FIG. 1), the image F1 in front of the host vehicle captured by the image sensor 3 is displayed as shown in FIG. . Here, the object 31 is assumed to be a three-dimensional obstacle.

First, the traveling zone calculating means 21 in the microcomputer 11 cooperates with the image matching means 20,
As shown in FIG. 5, by comparing the image F1 on the reference side and the image F2 on the shift side, the white line 41 in one distance measuring window Wd1 is detected, and the distance measurement value D1 up to the white line 41 is detected.
Ask for.

That is, the traveling section band calculating means 21 has one distance measuring window Wd which captures the white line 41 in the image F1 on the image sensor 3 which serves as a reference for distance calculation.
The pixel signal (image component) in 1 is read from the memory 9.

Further, the image matching means 20 reads the image F2 on the other (shift side) image sensor 4 from the memory 10 and selects the calculation region R corresponding to the distance measurement window Wd1 in the image F2. Then, the image F on the reference side
With respect to 1, the image F2 on the shift side is sequentially shifted pixel by pixel, and the image position most matching the image component in the distance measurement window Wd1 is obtained.

At this time, the traveling zone calculating means 21 sets the number of pixel shifts at the time of image matching to n and the pixel pitch to P (shift amount S = nP). Using the camera base line length L and the focal length f, the distance measurement value D1 up to the white line 41 is calculated by the following equation (2).

D1 = fL / nP (2)

From the equation (2), the distance measurement value D1 up to the white line 41 in front of the vehicle captured by the distance measurement window Wd1 is detected. The traveling zone calculating means 21 for calculating the equation (2) can be configured by a processing circuit or a program.

Next, the obstacle determining means 22 determines the distance measurement value D1.
The image F1 in the memories 9 and 10 obtained during the calculation of
And F2, the respective image components in the obstacle detection window Ws1 corresponding to the distance measurement window Wd1 are compared.

In FIG. 5, it is assumed that the obstacle detection window Ws1 catches the target object 31, and the distance A to the target object 31 is the distance measurement value to the white line 41 captured by the distance measurement window Wd1. If it is the same as D1, the obstacle detection window Ws of each image F1 and F2
The image components within 1 are almost the same.

On the other hand, if the object 31 captured by the obstacle detection window Ws1 exists at a position different from the distance measurement value D1 up to the white line 41 captured by the distance measurement window Wd1, the images F1 and F2 of each image are detected. The image components in the obstacle detection window Ws1 will not match.

Therefore, when the signal level difference ΔF of the image components in the obstacle detection window Ws1 for each of the images F1 and F2 is calculated, the distance A to the object 31 captured by the obstacle detection window Ws1 is up to the white line 41. When it is the same as the distance measurement value D1, the signal level difference ΔF becomes zero, and the distance A to the object 31 is the distance measurement value D1 to the white line.
It can be seen that the signal level difference ΔF does not become zero (see FIG. 4) when the object 31 is different from the above (when the object 31 is a three-dimensional obstacle).

The image matching means 20 and the traveling zone calculating means 2
1 and the obstacle determining means 22 repeat the above-described calculation processing operation to detect the distance measurement values D1 to D4 up to the white line 41 captured in the distance measurement windows Wd1 to Wd4 and to calculate the distance measurement values D1 to D4. The image components in the obstacle detection windows Ws1 to Ws4 are compared with the most consistent images F1 and F2 obtained at times.

As a result, each obstacle detection window Ws1
The signal level difference ΔF within Ws4 to Ws4 is, for example, as shown in FIG. 4, and the three-dimensional object at a distance A different from the distance measurement values D1 to D4 to the white line 41 in each of the distance measurement windows Wd1 to Wd4. With respect to only the obstacle detection window Ws4 capturing 31 (obstacle), a difference in image component occurs, so that a predetermined level or more is exhibited.

On the other hand, another obstacle detection window Ws1.
The signal level difference ΔF regarding Ws3 becomes zero. At this time, the distance A to the object 31 which is a three-dimensional obstacle is
It can be determined that it is the same as the distance measurement value D4 up to the white line 41 detected by the distance measurement window Wd4.

However, actually, the distance measuring window Wd4
Distance value D of the distance measurement window Wd3 adjacent to the short distance side of
3 is determined as the distance A to the object 31. For example, in FIG. 4, it is assumed that the distance A to the target object 31 is directly detected in the obstacle detection window Ws4 capturing the target object 31 by using the above-described formula (1) based on the triangulation principle. Then, the following problems will occur.

That is, the obstacle detection window Ws4
Captures the pedestrian crossing 43 together with the three-dimensional object 31, it detects an intermediate distance between the distance A to the object 31 and the distance to the pedestrian crossing, and detects a distance farther than the distance A to the object 31. The detected value will be calculated.

In the present invention, the signal level difference ΔF is calculated as described above, and the signal level difference Δ above a predetermined level is calculated.
By setting the distance measurement value D of the distance measurement window on the short distance side of the position where F is detected as the distance A to the object 31, a traffic sign such as a pedestrian crossing 43 drawn on the traveling road or a road surface. It is possible to accurately detect only the distance A to the three-dimensional object 31 and to accurately detect the distance A by eliminating the influence of the background such as dirt and shadow.

Next, with reference to the flowchart of FIG. 6, each distance measurement window W according to the first embodiment of the present invention
The operation procedure for detecting the distance measurement values D1 to D4 (distance to the road surface) to the white line 41 in d1 to Wd4 and the distance A to the object 31 in the obstacle detection window Ws will be specifically described.

First, the white line 4 captured by the distance measurement windows Wd1 to Wd4 of the image F1 in the memory 9 on the reference side.
The position of the image F2 in the memory 10 that most matches the image component of No. 1 is obtained for each of the distance measurement windows Wd1 to Wd4 (step S101). Then, according to the equation (2),
Distances D1 to D4 to the white line 41 for each of the distance measurement windows Wd1 to Wd4 are obtained (step S102).

Next, the image components of the object 31 captured by the obstacle detection windows Ws1 to Ws4 in the image F1 in the memory 9 and the distance measurement windows Wd1 to Wd.
Each obstacle detection window Ws1 to W of the image F2 in the memory 10 (corresponding to the most aligned image position) obtained during the calculation of the distance measurement values D1 to D4 up to the white line 41 by d4
A signal level difference ΔF with the image component in s4 is calculated (step S103).

Then, a signal level difference Δ above a predetermined level
Obstacle detection window Wsi (i = 1, 2,
3 or 4) is selected, and the distance measurement value Di ₋ up to the white line 41 of the distance measurement window Wdi ₋₁ set beside the obstacle detection window Wsi ₋₁ set in front of this (short distance side) is selected. _It is determined that ₁ is the distance A to the three-dimensional object 31 (step S104). The above processing operation (step S1
01 to S104) are repeatedly executed.

Thus, the distance measurement value D from the images F1 and F2 including the white line 41 (traveling zone) and the object 31 to the traveling zone in the distance measuring window Wd is calculated, and the distance measurement value D is calculated. By comparing the images of the target object 31 in the obstacle detection window Ws corresponding to the pair of images used in the above, it is possible to efficiently and accurately detect only the target object 31 that is an obstacle.

Therefore, a traffic sign drawn on the road, dirt on the road surface, a shadow, or the like will not be erroneously recognized as an obstacle, and unnecessary alarm drive will not be performed.
Moreover, since the windows Wd and Ws are set at a plurality of positions, the object 31 can be efficiently detected for each window.

[0063]

As described above, according to claim 1 of the present invention, a pair of optical systems mounted on a vehicle, an image sensor for forming a pair of images through the respective optical systems, and each image. A window setting device for setting a window at a predetermined position, image matching means for matching each image while sequentially shifting one of the images with respect to the other, and the window setting device and the image matching means. In an obstacle detection device for a vehicle, which includes a signal processing device that detects a distance to an object on a traveling road of a vehicle by using a triangulation principle based on a deviation of a window, a window setting device is used to drive each image on the traveling road. Set the distance measurement window at a predetermined location corresponding to the division zone, and set it horizontal to the distance measurement window .
An obstacle detection window is set at a predetermined location corresponding to the traveling road surface of each image corresponding to the direction, and the signal processing device calculates a distance measurement value to a predetermined position of the traveling division zone captured by the distance measurement window. A traveling division zone calculating means and an obstacle judging means for judging an obstacle by comparing each signal level captured by the obstacle detection window with each image used for calculating the distance measurement value are included. Therefore, there is an effect that a vehicle obstacle detection device can be obtained that can detect the distance to the obstacle efficiently and accurately and can reliably detect only the three-dimensional obstacle on the traveling road.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the first aspect, the signal processing device includes a distance calculation means for calculating a distance from the vehicle to the obstacle, and an alarm when the distance is less than a predetermined distance. The obstacle determining means includes a signal level difference calculating means for calculating a signal level difference for each pixel in each image captured by the obstacle detecting window, and an alarm means for driving the device. Since the obstacle is judged when is above a predetermined level,
There is an effect that a vehicle obstacle detection device capable of performing alarm drive based on an accurate obstacle detection result can be obtained.

Further, according to claim 3 of the present invention, in claim 2, the distance calculating means corresponds to the distance measuring window adjacent to the short distance side of the obstacle detection window in which the obstacle is determined. Since the value is determined as the distance from the vehicle to the obstacle, there is an effect that a vehicle obstacle detection device that can detect the distance to the obstacle more accurately can be obtained.

[0066] According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, a plurality of detecting in any one of claims 1 to 3, a distance ranging window, until each different predetermined position of the traffic lane marking band Since the obstacle detection window includes a plurality of obstacle detection windows corresponding to the plurality of distance measurement windows, a vehicle obstacle detection device capable of efficiently detecting an obstacle can be obtained. It is effective.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram schematically showing an entire first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a functional block diagram showing a specific configuration of the microcomputer in FIG.

FIG. 3 is an explanatory view showing a plurality of distance measurement windows and obstacle detection windows set by the window setting device in FIG.

FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of an image in which a window is superimposed and displayed on the screen of the display device in FIG.

5 is an explanatory diagram showing a comparison processing operation and a traveling division band calculation processing operation at the time of image matching by the microcomputer in FIG. 1. FIG.

FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing an operation procedure according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 7 is a configuration diagram showing a conventional vehicle obstacle detection device.

[Explanation of symbols]

1, 2 lens, 3, 4 image sensor, 9, 10
Memory, 11 microcomputer, 12 display device, 13 window setting device, 20 image matching means,
21 traveling zone calculating means, 22 obstacle determining means, 2
3 distance calculation means, 24 alarm means, 30A signal processing device, 31 object, 41, 42 white line, A distance to object, D distance measurement value, F1, F2 image, ΔF signal level difference, R calculation area, S Shift amount, Wd, Wd1
˜Wd4 distance measurement window, Ws, Ws1 to Ws4 obstacle detection window, S101 step of aligning each image in the distance measurement window, S102 step of obtaining a distance measurement value D to the traveling division zone, S103 each of obstacle detection window Calculating the image signal level difference,
S104 A step of obtaining the distance to the obstacle determined based on the signal level difference.

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Claims (4)

(57) [Claims] 1. A pair of optical systems mounted on a vehicle, an image sensor for forming a pair of images via each of the optical systems, and a window setting device for setting a window at a predetermined position of each of the images. An image matching means for matching the respective images while sequentially shifting the other with respect to one of the respective images as a reference, and the window setting device and the image matching means, and the triangulation principle based on the deviation of the respective images. In a vehicle obstacle detection device including a signal processing device that detects a distance to an object on a traveling road of the vehicle, the window setting device, in the traveling zone on the traveling road of each image sets the distance measuring windows at predetermined locations corresponding to, corresponds to the horizontal direction with respect to the distance measuring windows, impaired at predetermined positions corresponding to the road surface of each of the image An object detection window is set, the signal processing device calculates a distance measurement value to a predetermined position of the traveling speed zone captured by the distance measurement window, and a travel zone calculation unit; An obstacle detection device for a vehicle, comprising: obstacle determination means for comparing each used image with each signal level captured by the obstacle detection window to determine an obstacle. 2. The signal processing device includes distance calculation means for calculating a distance from the vehicle to the obstacle, and warning means for driving an alarm device when the distance is equal to or less than a predetermined distance. The obstacle determination means includes a signal level difference calculation means for calculating a signal level difference for each pixel in each image captured by the obstacle detection window, and when the signal level difference indicates a predetermined level or more, The vehicle obstacle detection device according to claim 1, wherein the obstacle is determined. 3. The distance calculation means sets a distance measurement value corresponding to a distance measurement window adjacent to a short distance side of an obstacle detection window in which the obstacle is determined as a distance from the vehicle to the obstacle. The vehicle obstacle detection device according to claim 2, wherein the obstacle detection device is determined. 4. The distance measuring window is composed of a plurality of distance measuring windows for detecting distances to different predetermined positions of the traveling division zones, and the obstacle detection window corresponds to the plurality of distance measuring windows, respectively. 4. A plurality of obstacle detection windows that are configured to operate according to any one of claims 1 to 3 .
The vehicle obstacle detection device according to item 1 .