JPH0694836A - Control device of on-vehicle radar - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To detect a moving substance without waiting the completion of sweepage so as to carry out a collision avoiding process by deciding a danger of collision instantly every time when the present sweeping angle and the position angle of an obstacle stored in a collision object memory are coincident. CONSTITUTION:When an obstacle is detected, the position angle of the obstacle stored in a collision object angle memory 35 in the former sweeping is read in order to decide whether the obstacle is a still obstacle or a moving obstacle, and this position angle and the present sweeping angle are compared. At each time when the angles are coincident, a specific image processing is carried out by an image processer 33 instantly, it is compared with the image data stored in an image memory 32 in a collision object deciding member 34, so as to detect whether the object has moved or not, and the dangerous condition of the collision is decided by taking in the running angle 22 and the running speed 23 of the wheels. When it is decided to be in the dangerous condition, a warning is output from an output interface 41, and a specific collision avoiding process is carried out. When one sweepage is finished in such a way, the image processing for one sweepage of all the data is carried out again by the processor 33.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an on-vehicle radar control device for monitoring the front of a vehicle by an on-vehicle radar and performing collision avoidance processing if necessary.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art With recent advances in electronics technology, electronic control devices have come to be widely used for controlling various driving states in addition to fuel supply in vehicles.

In such traveling control, collision avoidance technology by mounting an in-vehicle radar system is becoming very important for safety protection of passengers and pedestrians.
Up to now, the in-vehicle radar device for the above-mentioned purpose does not sweep the transmission wave (beam) emitted for detecting the obstacle in a predetermined angle range, and irradiates the traveling wave while fixing the traveling wave in a fixed direction. The thing was the main. Although such a fixed beam irradiation method is simple in equipment, there are problems such as difficulty in detecting lateral obstacles, and detection of lateral non-obstacles when the beam width is wide. there were.

For this reason, a vehicle-mounted radar device of the type in which the beam is swept up, down, left and right in the traveling direction within a predetermined angle range has been studied.

An embodiment of this sweep type on-vehicle radar device is shown in FIG.
5, reference numeral 11 denotes a laser beam emitting unit such as a semiconductor laser, and the emission beam is rotated by a sweep drive unit 13 within a predetermined range by a galvanometer mirror 12.
The reflected light from the obstacle, which is swept vertically and horizontally, is received by the light receiving unit 14, and the distance to the obstacle is detected by the distance calculation unit 20 from the time difference from the emitted light.

In the image memory 131, the galvano mirror 1
The sweep angle detection value 21 of 2 and the distance data of the direction are sequentially input and stored. (Step 105).

The image processing unit 33 performs preprocessing necessary for obstacle determination such as noise removal and edge detection on the data transferred from the image memory 131 every time one sweep is completed (step 403) to determine the collision target. The unit 34 compares the image data with the image data before one sweep stored in the image memory 232 to determine and detect the collision target. (Step 403).

When the existence of the collision object is confirmed (step 502), data is acquired from the traveling vehicle speed and traveling angle sensors 22 and 23 (step 504), and if the vehicle continues traveling as it is, there is a risk of collision with the collision object. It is determined whether the risk is high (step 505). If it is determined that the risk is high, the output interface 41 determines the accelerator 4
2, a predetermined output is sent to the brake 43, the display device 44, and the alarm device 45 (step 506), and processing for avoiding a collision is performed (step 507).

Upon completion of the series of processes, the image processing section 33 sends one sweep of image data to the image memory 232 for storage (step 601).

[0010]

As described above,
In the collision avoidance processing according to the flow of FIG. 5, image processing is performed until the radar sweep is completed for one sweep (step 403).
Since the subsequent processing is not executed, the collision avoidance processing is delayed by one sweep time in the worst case.

Conventionally, the beam sweep of a radar device is
For example, because it relies on a mechanical means such as a galvanometer mirror, one sweep takes 2 seconds or more, and a vehicle having a speed of 72 KM travels about 40 M during this sweep period.
There was a situation where collision avoidance was not in time.

[0012]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made to solve such a problem, and when an object having a risk of collision is recognized in the image processing data for one sweep, the collision occurs. The coordinate angle of the object is stored in the collision target angle storage means, and image processing is performed immediately each time the next sweep angle of the radar falls within a predetermined angle difference from the data stored in the collision target angle storage means. The following collision avoidance processing is performed.

In the second invention, when the coordinate angle data of the collision object is stored in the collision object angle storage means, the angular range of the sweep irradiation of the transmission wave of the radar is stored in the collision object sweep angle storage. The angle stored in the means is limited within a predetermined range.

[0014]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to FIGS. 1, 2 and 3, but the same reference numerals are used for the same parts as those in FIGS. 4 and 5, and the re-explanation will be omitted.

In the three-dimensional space image of FIG. 3, reference numeral 60 denotes a laser beam sweep range. When the sweep is started (step 101 in FIG. 2), the laser beam is swept one step in the Y direction (step 102). ), X from the sweep start position 61
Direction is swept to the right end (step 103), then swept by one step in the Y direction and then swept to the left end in the -X direction, and this sweep is repeated until the sweep end position 62 is reached and one sweep is completed. After this, the sweep is performed in the reverse order to the previous one, and the sweep start position 61 is returned.

During this time, the reflected light is received by the light receiving / amplifying section 14.
After being amplified, the distance calculation unit 20 calculates the distance to the reflecting object from the time difference between the pulsed emitted light and the reflected light (step 10).
4) While storing in the image memory 131 together with the laser beam sweep angle from the sweep angle detector 21 (step 10).
5) It is transferred to the image processing unit 33 and converted into a three-dimensional space image as shown in FIG.

Curves 64 and 65 in FIG. 3 are virtual planned running lines on the left and right obtained from the running angle and running speed of the vehicle. Even if an obstacle is detected outside the planned running lines 64 and 65, a collision occurs. It is judged that the risk of is small.

When an obstacle 66 is detected on or inside the planned traveling line 64, it is determined whether this is a stationary object or a moving object such as a person or vehicle trying to cross the road. The position angle of the obstacle stored in the collision target memory 35 is read (step 201), and this is compared with the current sweep angle (step 206). Every time the angles substantially match, the image processing unit 33 immediately determines a predetermined angle. Image processing is performed (step 203), and the collision object determination unit 34 compares the image data stored in the image memory 232 to detect whether the object has moved (step 204).
Capture the traveling angle and traveling speed of the vehicle (step 20
5) Determine the risk of collision (step 206).

When it is determined that there is a risk of collision, a collision warning is output from the output interface 41 (step 20).
7) Execute a predetermined collision avoidance process (step 20)
8).

In this way, when one sweep is completed (step 402), the image processing section 33 again performs image processing of all data for one sweep (step 403), and the collision target determination section 34 is provided with an image memory. The image data stored in 232 is read (step 404), and the collision object is detected over the entire screen (step 405).

If a collision target is present, the position angle of the obstacle is stored in the collision target memory 35 (step 406).

Thereafter, the image processing unit 33 transfers the data to one sweep 32 for storage (step 601) and finishes the processing for one sweep (step 602).

In the above description, the sweep of the radar is constant, but if there is a collision target, the sweep may be limited to only the periphery of the target. (Claim 2).

[0024]

As described above, when the radar is swept,
Every time the current sweep angle and the position angle of the obstacle stored in the collision target memory almost match, a predetermined process is immediately executed to judge the risk of collision. One moving object such as a person or vehicle trying to cross
It has become possible to detect without waiting for the end of the sweep and to carry out collision avoidance processing as needed.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 shows a block example of a control device for an on-vehicle radar.

FIG. 2 shows an example of a processing flow of a control device for an on-vehicle radar.

FIG. 3 shows an example of a three-dimensional space image of a vehicle-mounted radar control device.

FIG. 4 shows a block conventional example of a control device for an on-vehicle radar.

FIG. 5 shows a conventional example of a processing flow of a vehicle-mounted radar control device.

[Explanation of symbols]

 10 Radar Device 11 Laser Beam Emitting Unit 12 Galvano Mirror 13 Emitting Beam Sweeping Driving Unit 14 Light Receiving / Amplifying Unit 20 Distance Computing Unit 21 Sweeping Angle Detector 22 Traveling Angle Sensor 23 Traveling Vehicle Speed Sensor 31 Image Memory 1 32 Image Memory 2 33 Image Processing unit 34 Collision target determination unit 35 Collision target angle memory 41 Output interface 42 Accelerator 43 Brake 44 Display device 45 Alarm device

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. A sweeping type radar means for detecting a distance to an object existing in front by sweeping and irradiating a transmitted wave over a predetermined angle range in front of the host vehicle, and the radar means. The detection result of is subjected to predetermined image processing to determine the collision object existing in front, the collision object sweep angle storage means for storing the determination result, the determination result and the traveling speed of the own vehicle. Estimating the danger of a collision from the traveling angle and providing avoidance means for performing a predetermined collision avoidance process as necessary, the sweep angle of the radar is within a predetermined angle difference from the data stored in the collision angle storage means. A control device for an on-vehicle radar, which immediately executes a collision avoidance process after the image processing each time. 2. A control of a vehicle-mounted radar, characterized in that a predetermined angle range of sweep irradiation of the transmitted wave is limited to a predetermined range of angles stored in the collision object sweep angle storage means for a predetermined time. apparatus.