Method and apparatus for detecting vehicle running in blind spot, and method and apparatus for giving warning in changing cruising lane

摘要

An apparatus for detecting a vehicle running in a blind spot detects, with a predetermined accuracy, a first target position of a target which is present in a first detection area that extends obliquely rearward of the vehicle, detects, with an accuracy lower than the predetermined accuracy, a second target position related to a target which is present in a second detection area adjacent to the first detection area; calculates a first estimated position that corresponds to a subsequent position of the target that has been detected by the detection section as the first target position; and adopts the first estimated position as a position of the target when the first estimated position is included in a predetermined range centering on the second target position, adopts the second target position as a position of the target when the first estimated position is outside the predetermined range.

主权项

1. A vehicle detection apparatus comprising:
a detection section of the vehicle detection apparatus which is mounted to a vehicle and detects, with a predetermined accuracy, a first target position of a target when the target is present in a first detection area that extends obliquely rearward of the vehicle, and also detects, with an accuracy lower than the predetermined accuracy, a second target position of the target when the target is present in a second detection area different from and immediately adjacent to the first detection area, the adjacent first and second detection areas being simultaneously set and used; and a controller comprising: an estimation section which is mounted to the vehicle and calculates a first estimated position based on the detected first target position, the first estimated position corresponding to a first subsequent position of the target; and a determination section which is mounted to the vehicle and adopts the first estimated position as a position of the target when the first estimated position is included in a predetermined range centering on the second target position, and adopts the second target position as the position of the target when the first estimated position is outside the predetermined range; wherein the second detection area is configured as a range in which a desired detection accuracy is ensured; the second target position and the first estimated position have a degree of error compared to an actual position of the target; the degree of error of the first estimated position becomes larger in proportion to the time elapsed from a start of the estimation; the degree of error of the second target position is constant, irrespective of the time elapsed from the start of the estimation but is larger than the degree of error of the first estimated position before expiration of a predetermined time from the start of the estimation; when the first estimated position is included in the predetermined range centering on the second target position, the first estimated position has a first degree of error and the first estimated position is adopted as the position of the target; when the first estimated position is outside the predetermined range, the second target position has a second degree of error larger than the first degree of error and the second target position is adopted as the position of the target.