Obstacle detecting device, method and computer program product

• Main Authors: OHMURA, HIROSHI, OKAZAKI, HARUKI, NAKAGAMI, TAKASHI, SETO, TAKAYUKI
• Format: Patent
• Language: English; French; German
• Published: 22.05.2013
• Subjects: ANALOGOUS ARRANGEMENTS USING OTHER WAVES; ARRANGEMENT OF BRAKING ELEMENTS ON VEHICLES IN GENERAL; ARRANGEMENT OR MOUNTING OF PLURAL DIVERSE PRIME-MOVERS INVEHICLES; ARRANGEMENT OR MOUNTING OF PROPULSION UNITS OR OFTRANSMISSIONS IN VEHICLES; ARRANGEMENTS IN CONNECTION WITH COOLING, AIR INTAKE, GASEXHAUST OR FUEL SUPPLY OF PROPULSION UNITS, IN VEHICLES; AUXILIARY DRIVES FOR VEHICLES; BRAKE CONTROL SYSTEMS OR PARTS THEREOF, IN GENERAL; CONJOINT CONTROL OF VEHICLE SUB-UNITS OF DIFFERENT TYPE ORDIFFERENT FUNCTION; CONTROL SYSTEMS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR HYBRID VEHICLES; DETERMINING DISTANCE OR VELOCITY BY USE OF RADIO WAVES; INSTRUMENTATION OR DASHBOARDS FOR VEHICLES; LOCATING OR PRESENCE-DETECTING BY USE OF THE REFLECTION ORRERADIATION OF RADIO WAVES; MEASURING; PERFORMING OPERATIONS; PHYSICS; PORTABLE DEVICES FOR PREVENTING UNWANTED MOVEMENT OFVEHICLES; RADIO DIRECTION-FINDING; RADIO NAVIGATION; ROAD VEHICLE DRIVE CONTROL SYSTEMS FOR PURPOSES NOT RELATED TOTHE CONTROL OF A PARTICULAR SUB-UNIT; SIGNALLING; TESTING; TRAFFIC CONTROL SYSTEMS; TRANSPORTING; VEHICLE BRAKE CONTROL SYSTEMS OR PARTS THEREOF; VEHICLE MODIFICATIONS TO FACILITATE COOLING OF BRAKES; VEHICLES IN GENERAL; VEHICLES, VEHICLE FITTINGS, OR VEHICLE PARTS, NOT OTHERWISEPROVIDED FOR

An offset distance of an obstacle from a traveling-path center line of a vehicle at the time the obstacle is detected is calculated, and then this offset distance of the obstacle from the traveling-path center line of the vehicle is corrected based on a turning radius of the traveling vehicle detected at the time a specified period of time has lapsed. Thereby, even in a case where the vehicle travels on a road with a curve that changes a radius of curvature of the traveling-path center line (turning radius of the traveling vehicle) quickly during the specified period of traveling time, the above-described offset distance can be properly corrected based on an updated turning radius of the traveling vehicle. Thus, a relative position of the obstacle with respect to the vehicle can be predicted accurately.