US-12618956-B2 - Object detection device and object detection method

US12618956B2US 12618956 B2US12618956 B2US 12618956B2US-12618956-B2

Abstract

An object detection device includes an acquisition unit that acquires, a plurality of times at different predetermined timings, an object distance that is a distance from a transmission and reception unit mounted on a vehicle to an object, the object distance being detected on the basis of a result of transmission of a transmission wave by the transmission and reception unit and reception of a reflected wave from the object by the transmission and reception unit, and acquires a travel distance of the vehicle that travels while the object distances are acquired the plurality of times, and a determination unit that determines a height of the object on the basis of a plurality of the object distances and the travel distance that are acquired by the acquisition unit.

Inventors

Kosuke Wakita
Ippei SUGAE

Assignees

AISIN CORPORATION

Dates

Publication Date: 20260505
Application Date: 20220624
Priority Date: 20210709

Claims (5)

1 . An object detection device comprising: a processor and a memory storing instructions configured to implement: an acquisition unit that acquires, a plurality of times at different predetermined timings, an object distance that is a distance from a transmission and reception unit mounted on a vehicle to an object, the object distance being detected on the basis of a result of transmission of a transmission wave by the transmission and reception unit and reception of a reflected wave from the object by the transmission and reception unit, and acquires a travel distance of the vehicle that travels while the object distances are acquired the plurality of times; and a determination unit that determines a height of the object on the basis of a plurality of the object distances and the travel distance that are acquired by the acquisition unit, wherein, in a case where an absolute value of a difference between an absolute value of a difference between the object distance at a predetermined number of times among the plurality of times and the object distance at a time subsequent to the predetermined number of times among the plurality of times, and the travel distance from the predetermined number of times to the time subsequent to the predetermined number of times is equal to or less than a threshold value, the determination unit determines that the height of the object is equal to or more than a height at which the transmission and reception unit is attached.
2 . An object detection device comprising: a processor and a memory storing instructions configured to implement: an acquisition unit that acquires, a plurality of times at different predetermined timings, an object distance that is a distance from a transmission and reception unit mounted on a vehicle to an object, the object distance being detected on the basis of a result of transmission of a transmission wave by the transmission and reception unit and reception of a reflected wave from the object by the transmission and reception unit, and acquires a travel distance of the vehicle that travels while the object distances are acquired the plurality of times; and a determination unit that determines a height of the object on the basis of a plurality of the object distances and the travel distance that are acquired by the acquisition unit, wherein, in a case where an absolute value of a difference between an absolute value of a difference between a length of an adjacent side of a first right triangle in which a length of a hypotenuse is the object distance at a predetermined number of times among the plurality of times and a length of an opposite side is a height at which the transmission and reception unit is attached, and a length of an adjacent side of a second right triangle in which a length of a hypotenuse is the object distance at a time subsequent to the predetermined number of times among the plurality of times and a length of an opposite side is a height at which the transmission and reception unit is attached, and the travel distance from the predetermined number of times to the time subsequent to the predetermined number of times is equal to or less than a threshold value, the determination unit determines that the height of the object is less than the height at which the transmission and reception unit is attached.
3 . The object detection device according to claim 2 , wherein, in a case where an absolute value of a difference between an absolute value of a difference between a length of an adjacent side of the first right triangle and a length of an adjacent side of the second right triangle, and the travel distance is equal to or greater than a threshold value, the determination unit does not determine the height of the object.
4 . The object detection device according to claim 1 , further comprising a plurality of the transmission and reception units at different positions in a width direction of the vehicle.
5 . An object detection method executed by an object detection device, the object detection method comprising: a step of acquiring, a plurality of times at different predetermined timings, an object distance that is a distance from a transmission and reception unit mounted on a vehicle to an object, the object distance being detected on the basis of a result of transmission of a transmission wave by the transmission and reception unit and reception of a reflected wave from the object by the transmission and reception unit, and acquiring a travel distance of the vehicle that travels while the object distances are acquired the plurality of times; and a step of determining a height of the object on the basis of a plurality of the object distances and the travel distance acquired, wherein, in a case where an absolute value of a difference between an absolute value of a difference between the object distance at a predetermined number of times among the plurality of times and the object distance at a time subsequent to the predetermined number of times among the plurality of times, and the travel distance from the predetermined number of times to the time subsequent to the predetermined number of times is equal to or less than a threshold value, the determination unit determines that the height of the object is equal to or more than a height at which the transmission and reception unit is attached.

Description

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS This application is a National Stage of International Application No. PCT/JP2022/025402, filed Jun. 24, 2022, claiming priority to Japanese Patent Application No. 2021-114123, filed Jul. 9, 2021, the entire contents of which are incorporated in their entirety. TECHNICAL FIELD The present disclosure relates to an object detection device and an object detection method. BACKGROUND ART Conventionally, there has been studied a technique for determining a height of an object present around a vehicle. As such a technique, for example, a technique is known in which a plurality of ultrasonic sensors are installed at different height positions of a vehicle or different front and rear positions of the vehicle, and ultrasonic waves are transmitted and received by the plurality of ultrasonic sensors to determine a height of an object. CITATIONS LIST Patent Literature Patent Literature 1: JP 2015-105915 APatent Literature 2: JP 2014-215283 APatent Literature 3: JP 2018-204964 A SUMMARY OF THE DISCLOSURE Technical Problems However, a conventional technique as described above requires installation of a plurality of ultrasonic sensors at different height positions of the vehicle or different front and rear positions of the vehicle, and thus a degree of freedom in designing the vehicle may be limited. Accordingly, one of aims of the present disclosure is to obtain an object detection device and an object detection method that allow determination of a height of an object without decreasing a degree of freedom in designing a vehicle. Solutions to Problems An object detection device as an example of the present disclosure includes an acquisition unit that acquires, a plurality of times at different predetermined timings, an object distance that is a distance from a transmission and reception unit mounted on a vehicle to an object, the object distance being detected on the basis of a result of transmission of a transmission wave by the transmission and reception unit and reception of a reflected wave from the object by the transmission and reception unit, and acquires a travel distance of the vehicle that travels while the object distances are acquired the plurality of times, and a determination unit that determines a height of the object on the basis of a plurality of the object distances and the travel distance that are acquired by the acquisition unit. According to such a configuration, the height of the object can be determined on the basis of the object distances and the travel distance, regardless of a position of the transmission and reception unit. Therefore, the height of the object can be determined without impairing a degree of freedom in designing a vehicle. In the object detection device, for example, in a case where an absolute value of a difference between an absolute value of a difference between the object distance at a predetermined number of times among the plurality of times and the object distance at a time subsequent to the predetermined number of times among the plurality of times, and the travel distance from the predetermined number of times to the time subsequent to the predetermined number of times is equal to or less than a threshold value, it is determined that the height of the object is equal to or more than a height at which the transmission and reception unit is attached. According to such a configuration, for example, an object having a height equal to or more than the height at which the transmission and reception unit is attached can be detected. In the object detection device, for example, in a case where an absolute value of a difference between an absolute value of a difference between a length of an adjacent side of a first right triangle in which a length of a hypotenuse is the object distance at a predetermined number of times among the plurality of times and a length of an opposite side is a height at which the transmission and reception unit is attached, and a length of an adjacent side of a second right triangle in which a length of a hypotenuse is the object distance at a time subsequent to the predetermined number of times among the plurality of times and a length of an opposite side is a height at which the transmission and reception unit is attached, and the travel distance from the predetermined number of times to the time subsequent to the predetermined number of times is equal to or less than a threshold value, the determination unit determines that the height of the object is less than the height at which the transmission and reception unit is attached. According to such a configuration, for example, an object having a height less than the height at which the transmission and reception unit is attached can be detected. In the object detection device, for example, in a case where an absolute value of a difference between an absolute value of a difference between a length of an adjacent side of the first right triangle and a length of an a