# US 2016/0355178 A1 · Surroundings monitoring apparatus and drive assistance apparatus > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2016/0355178 A1 - Document ID: US20160355178A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 15/095,309 - Filed: 2016-04-11 - Published: 2016-12-08 - Earliest claimed: 2015-06-02 - Assignees: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha - Applicants: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha - Inventors: Tatsuya SHIRAISHI - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20160355178A1 ## CPC - B60W 30/06: Automatic manoeuvring for parking - B60W 30/14: {Adaptive} cruise control - B60W 30/18163: {Lane change; Overtaking manoeuvres} - B60W 60/001: {Planning or execution of driving tasks} - B62D 15/0255: {Automatic changing of lane, e.g. for passing another vehicle} - B62D 15/027: {Parking aids, e.g. instruction means} - B62D 15/0285: {Parking performed automatically} - G05D 1/00: Control of position, course, altitude or attitude of land, water, air or space vehicles, e.g. using automatic pilots (drive control systems specially adapted for autonomous road vehicles B60W60/00) - G08G 1/167: {Driving aids for lane monitoring, lane changing, e.g. blind spot detection} - B60W 2420/403: Image sensing, e.g. optical camera - B60W 2420/408: Radar; Laser, e.g. lidar - B60W 2554/00: Input parameters relating to objects - B60W 2554/20: Static objects - B60W 2554/4026: Cycles - B60W 2554/4029: Pedestrians - B60W 2554/4041: Position - B60W 2554/4044: Direction of movement, e.g. backwards - B60W 2554/80: Spatial relation or speed relative to objects - B60W 2554/803: Relative lateral speed - B60W 2554/804: Relative longitudinal speed - B60W: CONJOINT CONTROL OF VEHICLE SUB-UNITS OF DIFFERENT TYPE OR DIFFERENT FUNCTION; CONTROL SYSTEMS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR HYBRID VEHICLES; ROAD VEHICLE DRIVE CONTROL SYSTEMS FOR PURPOSES NOT RELATED TO THE CONTROL OF A PARTICULAR SUB-UNIT - B62D: MOTOR VEHICLES; TRAILERS (steering, or guiding on a desired track, of agricultural machines or implements A01B69/00; wheels, castors, axles, increasing wheel adhesion B60B; vehicle tyres, tyre inflation or tyre changing B60C; connections between vehicles of a train or the like B60D; vehicles for use on rail and road, amphibious or convertible vehicles B60F; suspension arrangements B60G; heating, cooling, ventilating or other air treating devices B60H; windows, windscreens, non-fixed roofs, doors or similar devices, protective coverings for vehicles not in use B60J; propulsion plant arrangements, auxiliary drives, transmissions, controls, instrumentation or dashboards B60K; electric equipment or propulsion of electrically-propelled vehicles B60L; power supply for electrically-propelled vehicles B60M; passenger accommodation not otherwise provided for B60N; adaptations for load transportation or to carry special loads or objects B60P; arrangement of signalling or lighting devices, the mounting or supporting thereof or circuits therefor, for vehicles in general B60Q; vehicles, vehicle fittings or vehicle parts not otherwise provided for B60R; servicing, cleaning, repairing, supporting, lifting, or manoeuvring, not otherwise provided for, B60S; brake arrangements, brake control systems or parts thereof B60T; air-cushion vehicles B60V; motor-cycles, accessories therefor B62J, B62K; testing of vehicles G01M) - G05D: SYSTEMS FOR CONTROLLING OR REGULATING NON-ELECTRIC VARIABLES - G08G: TRAFFIC CONTROL SYSTEMS (guiding railway traffic, ensuring the safety of railway traffic B61L; arrangement of road signs or traffic signals E01F9/00; radar or analogous systems, sonar systems, lidar systems specially adapted for traffic control G01S13/91, G01S15/88, G01S17/88; {radar or analogous systems, sonar systems, lidar systems specially adapted for anti-collision purposes G01S13/93, G01S15/93, G01S17/93}) ## Abstract A surroundings monitoring apparatus includes a detection unit configured to detect information on the surroundings of a host vehicle and a tracking unit configured to track a position and a speed of an obstacle in the surroundings of the host vehicle based on the result of detection by the detection unit. The tracking unit is configured to determine whether or not a tracked first obstacle is entering a blind spot area of the detection unit. In a case where it is determined that the first obstacle is entering the blind spot area of the detection unit and when a tracked second obstacle has passed the blind spot area where the first obstacle entered, the tracking unit determines that the first obstacle is not present in the blind spot area. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A surroundings monitoring apparatus comprising: a detection unit configured to detect information on the surroundings of a host vehicle; and a tracking unit configured to track a position and a speed of an obstacle in the surroundings of the host vehicle based on the result of detection by the detection unit, wherein the tracking unit is configured to determine whether or not, a tracked first obstacle is entering a blind spot area of the detection unit, and wherein, in a case where it is determined that the first obstacle is entering the blind spot area of the detection unit and when a tracked second obstacle has passed the blind spot area where the first obstacle entered, the tracking unit determines that the first obstacle is not present in the blind spot area. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) A drive assistance apparatus comprising: the surroundings monitoring apparatus according to claim 1; a vehicle control unit configured to perform a lane change assistance for assisting the host vehicle to change lane from a current lane to an adjacent lane; and a lane changeability determination unit configured to determine whether or not the lane change assistance can be executed, wherein, in a case where the tracking unit determines that the first obstacle is entering the blind spot area in the adjacent lane, the lane changeability determination unit determines that the lane change assistance cannot be executed, wherein, in a case where the tracking unit determines that the second obstacle has passed the blind spot area and the first obstacle is not present in the blind spot area, the lane changeability determination unit determines that the lane change assistance can be executed, wherein, in a case where the lane changeability determination unit determines that the lane change assistance cannot be executed, the vehicle control unit prohibits the lane change assistance, and wherein, in a case where the lane changeability determination unit determines that the lane change assistance can be executed and in a case where a direction indicator at the adjacent lane side of the host vehicle is in an ON state and a lane change possibility condition is satisfied, the vehicle control unit executes the lane change assistance. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) A drive assistance apparatus comprising: the surroundings monitoring apparatus according to claim 1; a vehicle control unit configured to perform a parking assistance for assisting the host vehicle to park at a target parking position; and a parking determination unit configured to determine whether or not the parking assistance can be executed, wherein, in a case where the tracking unit determines that the first obstacle is entering the blind spot area within a predetermined range set in advance in the surroundings of the host vehicle, the parking determination unit determines that the parking assistance cannot be executed, wherein, in a case where the tracking unit determines that the second obstacle has passed the blind spot area and the first obstacle is not present in the blind spot area, the parking determination unit determines that the parking assistance can be executed, wherein, in a case where the parking determination unit determines that the parking assistance cannot be executed, the vehicle control unit prohibits the parking assistance, and wherein, in a case where the parking determination unit determines that the parking assistance can be executed and in a case where a parking assistance start switch which starts the parking assistance is in the ON state and the host vehicle is in a state of being stopped, the vehicle control unit executes the parking assistance.