US 6,018,308 A · Obstacle recognition system for automotive vehicle

Abstract

An obstacle recognition system for automotive vehicles is provided which is designed to distinguish preceding vehicles from other objects and uses data thereof in intervehicle distance control, for example. The system includes a radar unit and a preceding vehicle determining circuit. The radar unit receives a signal produced by reflection of at least one of transmitted radar signals from an obstacle present in a given obstacle detectable zone to determine a distance to the obstacle and a horizontal and a vertical angle of the obstacle from a preselected reference direction. The preceding vehicle determining circuit includes a two-dimensional shape data producing circuit that produces two-dimensional shape data of the obstacle on a two-dimensional plane in a width-wise and a vertical direction of the system vehicle based on the distance and the horizontal and vertical angles determined by the radar unit and a non-vehicle determining circuit that determines the obstacle as an object other than the vehicle when the two-dimensional shape data of the obstacle lies out of an ordinary vehicle shape range.

Claims9

Dependent claims

An obstacle recognition system for vehicles comprising:

a radar unit that transmits radar signals over a given obstacle detectable zone ranging a preselected width-wise and a vertical angle of a system vehicle equipped with this system, said radar unit receiving a signal produced by reflection of at least one of the transmitted radar signals from an obstacle present in the given obstacle detectable zone to determine a distance to the obstacle and a horizontal and a vertical angle of the obstacle from a preselected reference direction;
and
vehicle determining means for determining whether the obstacle tracked by said radar unit is a vehicle or another object, said vehicle determining means including
height determining means for determining a height of a given portion of the obstacle based on the distance and the horizontal and vertical angles determined by said radar unit, and
non-vehicle determining means for determining the obstacle as an object other than the vehicle when the height of the given portion of the obstacle determined by said height determining means falls within a given height range at least one time within a predetermined period of time.

2 more elements

An obstacle recognition system for vehicles comprising:

a radar unit that transmits radar signals over a given obstacle detectable zone ranging a preselected width-wise and a vertical angle of a system vehicle equipped with this system, said radar unit receiving a signal produced by reflection of at least one of the transmitted radar signals from an obstacle present in the given obstacle detectable zone to determine a distance to the obstacle and a horizontal and a vertical angle of the obstacle from a preselected reference direction;
and
vehicle determining means for determining whether the obstacle tracked by said radar unit is a vehicle or another object, said vehicle determining means including
two-dimensional shape data producing means for producing two-dimensional shape data of the obstacle on a two-dimensional plane in a width-wise and a vertical direction of the system vehicle based on the distance and the horizontal and vertical angles determined by said radar unit, and
non-vehicle determining means for determining the obstacle as an object other than the vehicle when the two-dimensional shape data of the obstacle produced by said two-dimensional shape data determining means lies out of an ordinary vehicle shape range.

2 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Obstacle recognition system for automotive vehicle

Life of this patent

Obstacle recognition system for automotive vehicle

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims9