JP2024134137A - Object detection device - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide an object determination device capable of determining whether or not to pass an object through a space between wheels in accordance with the width of the object and make a vehicle travel when the object is detected in front of the vehicle travelling in a mode where traffic lane change by automatic control is not allowed.SOLUTION: An object determination device includes: a first determination part determining whether or not a vehicle can travel so as not to come in contact with an object in a travelling lane when the object standing still in front of the vehicle driven by automatic control is detected in a mode where travel over a traffic lane division line is not allowed; a second determination part determining whether or not the width of the object is narrower than the width of a space between right and left wheels of the vehicle when the vehicle cannot travel so as to avoid contact with the object; and a third determination part determining that it is possible to make the object pass through a space between the right and left wheels of the vehicle and allow the vehicle to travel when the width of the object is narrower than the width of the space between the right and left wheels of the vehicle, and it is impossible to make the object pass through the space between the right and left wheels of the vehicle and allow the vehicle to travel when the width of the object is equal to or wider than the space between the right and left wheels of the vehicle.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

This disclosure relates to an object determination device.

The automatic control system installed in the vehicle generates a driving route for the vehicle based on the current position of the vehicle, the destination position of the vehicle, and map information, and controls the vehicle to travel along this driving route.

The automatic control system has a non-permissible mode in which lane changes through automatic control are not permitted, and a permissible mode in which lane changes through automatic control are permitted. In the non-permissible mode, the automatic control system does not permit the vehicle to travel across lane markings.

Automatic vehicle control systems use cameras and other sensors to detect objects in front of the vehicle while it is moving. There may be objects that have fallen onto the road in the lane ahead of the vehicle.

Examples of fallen objects include plastic bags, tires, and lumber. Falling objects come in a variety of types and sizes, and some objects may be difficult to detect. As a result, a falling object may only be detected when the vehicle approaches the object relatively close.

When a fallen object is detected ahead of the driving lane while the vehicle is driving in the non-permissive mode, the automatic control system drives the vehicle within the driving lane to avoid the fallen object. On the other hand, if the fallen object cannot be avoided unless the vehicle straddles the lane markings that separate the driving lanes, the automatic control system, with the driver's permission, drives the vehicle to straddle the lane markings to avoid the obstacle (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

JP 2019-171893 A

However, if a fallen object is detected relatively close to the vehicle, there may not be enough time to notify the driver and obtain permission to drive the vehicle across lane markings.

In addition, if a fallen object is detected relatively close to the vehicle, it may not be possible to avoid contact between the vehicle and the fallen object even if the vehicle applies sudden braking. Furthermore, if a wheel comes into contact with the fallen object, the vehicle's direction of travel may change in an unintended direction.

If the dimensions of the falling object are small, it is preferable to drive the vehicle so that the falling object passes between the left and right wheels of the vehicle, from the standpoint of avoiding contact between the wheels and the falling object and ensuring the safe running of the vehicle.

The present disclosure therefore aims to provide an object determination device that, when an object is detected ahead of a vehicle traveling in a non-permissible mode in which lane changes through automatic control are not permitted, can determine, based on the width of the object, whether or not the object can pass between the left and right wheels of the vehicle and the vehicle can continue traveling.

According to one embodiment, an object determination device is provided. The object determination device has a first determination unit that, when a stationary object is detected in front of a vehicle that is automatically driven in a non-permissible mode that does not permit driving across lane markings, determines whether the vehicle can travel in the lane in which the vehicle is traveling without coming into contact with the object, a second determination unit that determines whether the width of the object is narrower than the width between the left and right wheels of the vehicle if the vehicle cannot travel in a manner that avoids contact with the object, and a third determination unit that determines that the vehicle can travel with the object passing between the left and right wheels of the vehicle if the width of the object is narrower than the width between the left and right wheels of the vehicle, and determines that the vehicle cannot travel with the object passing between the left and right wheels of the vehicle if the width of the object is equal to or greater than the width between the left and right wheels of the vehicle.

When an object is detected ahead of a vehicle traveling in a non-permissible mode in which lane changes through automatic control are not permitted, the object determination device according to the present disclosure can determine whether or not it is possible to allow the object to pass between the left and right wheels of the vehicle and continue traveling, depending on the width of the object.

1A and 1B are diagrams illustrating an overview of the operation of the object detection device of the present embodiment. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram of a vehicle in which an object detection device according to an embodiment of the present invention is implemented. 5 is an example of an operational flowchart relating to an object determination process of the object detection device of the present embodiment.

FIGS. 1(A) and 1(B) are diagrams for explaining an overview of the operation of the object detection device 11 of this embodiment. Below, an overview of the operation related to the object determination process of the object detection device 11 disclosed in this specification will be explained with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2. The object detection device 11 is an example of an object determination device.

The vehicle 10 is traveling on a road 50. The road 50 has a lane 51 and a lane 52. The lane 51 and the lane 52 are separated by a lane dividing line (lane boundary line) 53.

The vehicle 10 has an object detection device 11 and an automatic control device 12. The object detection device 11 detects objects in front of the vehicle 10 using a sensor such as a camera. The automatic control device 12 drives the vehicle 10 based on object detection information related to the objects detected by the object detection device 11. The vehicle 10 is, for example, an autonomous vehicle.

The automatic control device 12 has a non-permissible mode in which the automatically controlled vehicle 10 is not permitted to travel across lane markings, and a permissible mode in which the automatically controlled vehicle 10 is permitted to travel across lane markings.

In the example shown in FIG. 1(A), the vehicle 10 is traveling in a lane 51 in a non-permissive mode. The object detection device 11 detects a stationary object 60 ahead of the lane 51 in which the vehicle 10 is traveling, based on environmental information such as a camera image that represents the environment ahead of the vehicle 10. The object 60 is an example of a fallen object.

The object detection device 11 determines that the vehicle 10 cannot travel without coming into contact with the object 60 in the lane 51 in which the vehicle 10 is traveling, and therefore determines whether the width of the object 60 is narrower than the width between the left and right wheels of the vehicle 10.

Because the width of the object 60 is narrower than the width between the left and right wheels of the vehicle 10, the object detection device 11 determines that the object 60 can pass between the left and right wheels of the vehicle 10 and the vehicle 10 can move forward.

The object detection device 11 notifies the automatic control device 12 of object detection information including the position and width of the object 60, together with a determination result indicating that the object 60 can pass between the left and right wheels of the vehicle 10 and the vehicle 10 can travel. The automatic control device 12 drives the vehicle 10 so that the object 60 passes between the left and right wheels of the vehicle 10 and the vehicle 10 travels on the lane 51. By passing over the object 60, the vehicle 10 travels within the lane 51 without crossing the lane markings 53. The vehicle 10 can also avoid sudden braking and the wheels coming into contact with fallen objects.

In the example shown in FIG. 1B, the vehicle 10 is also traveling in the lane 51 in the non-permissive mode. The object detection device 11 detects a stationary object 61 ahead of the lane 51 in which the vehicle 10 is traveling, based on environmental information such as a camera image that represents the environment ahead of the vehicle 10.

The object detection device 11 determines that the vehicle 10 cannot travel without coming into contact with the object 61 in the lane 51 in which the vehicle 10 is traveling, and therefore determines whether the width of the object 61 is narrower than the width between the left and right wheels of the vehicle 10.

Because the width of the object 61 is greater than or equal to the width between the left and right wheels of the vehicle 10, the object detection device 11 determines that the object 61 cannot pass between the left and right wheels of the vehicle 10 and the vehicle 10 cannot move forward.

The object detection device 11 notifies the automatic control device 12 of the object detection information including the position and width of the object 61, together with the determination result indicating that the vehicle 10 cannot travel without coming into contact with the object 61 within the lane 51 in which the vehicle 10 is traveling. The automatic control device 12 stops the vehicle 10.

The automatic control device 12 may also notify a control transfer request to transfer the driving control of the vehicle 10 from the automatic control device 12 to the driver after stopping the vehicle 10 in front of the object 61 or before stopping the vehicle 10. In this case, after accepting the control transfer request, the driver drives the vehicle 10 so that the vehicle 10 does not come into contact with the object 61. For example, the driver drives the vehicle 10 so as to move from lane 51 to lane 52 across the lane marking 53.

As described above in detail, when objects 60, 61 are detected in front of the vehicle 10 traveling in a non-permissible mode in which lane changes through automatic control are not permitted, the object detection device 11 can determine, depending on the width of the objects 60, 61, whether or not it is possible for the objects 60, 61 to pass between the left and right wheels of the vehicle 10 and allow the vehicle 10 to continue traveling.

As a result, when the width of the object 60 is narrower than the width between the left and right wheels of the vehicle 10, the object detection device 11 can allow the object 60 to pass between the left and right wheels of the vehicle 10 without stopping the vehicle 10, allowing the vehicle 10 to continue traveling.

Figure 3 is a schematic diagram of a vehicle 10 in which an object detection device 11 is implemented. The vehicle 10 has a camera 2, a LiDAR sensor 3, a user interface (UI) 4, the object detection device 11, an automatic control device 12, etc. Furthermore, the vehicle 10 may have other distance measuring sensors (not shown), such as a radar sensor, for measuring distances to objects around the vehicle 10, etc.

The camera 2, LiDAR sensor 3, UI 4, object detection device 11, and automatic control device 12 are communicatively connected via an in-vehicle network 13 that complies with a standard such as a controller area network.

The camera 2 is attached to the vehicle 10 so as to face forward of the vehicle 10. The camera 2 captures camera images showing the environment of a predetermined area ahead of the vehicle 10, for example at a predetermined cycle. The camera images may show the road included in the predetermined area ahead of the vehicle 10 and road features such as lane markings on the road surface. The camera images captured by the camera 2 may show other vehicles located in front of the vehicle 10. The camera 2 has a two-dimensional detector composed of an array of photoelectric conversion elements sensitive to visible light, such as a CCD or C-MOS, and an imaging optical system that forms an image of the area to be captured on the two-dimensional detector. The camera image is an example of environmental information showing the environment ahead of the vehicle 10.

Each time the camera 2 captures a camera image, it outputs the camera image and the time the camera image was captured to the object detection device 11, etc., via the in-vehicle network 13. The camera image is used by the object detection device 11 in a process for detecting objects around the vehicle 10.

The LiDAR sensor 3 is attached to, for example, the outer surface of the vehicle 10 so as to face the front of the vehicle 10. The LiDAR sensor 3 emits a pulsed laser to scan the front of the vehicle 10 at the reflected wave information acquisition time set at a predetermined cycle, and receives the reflected wave reflected by the reflecting object. The time required for the reflected wave to return contains distance information between the object located in the direction of the laser irradiation and the vehicle 10. The LiDAR sensor 3 outputs reflected wave information including the laser irradiation direction and the time required for the reflected wave to return, together with the reflected wave information acquisition time when the laser was emitted, to the object detection device 11 via the in-vehicle network 13. The reflected wave information is used in the object detection device 11 to detect objects around the vehicle 10. The reflected wave information is an example of environmental information that represents the environment in front of the vehicle 10.

UI4 is an example of a notification unit. UI4 is controlled by the automatic control device 12, etc., and notifies the driver of driving information of the vehicle 10, etc. The driving information of the vehicle 10 includes information on the current and future routes of the vehicle, such as the current position of the vehicle, the legal speed limit of the road, and the navigation route. UI4 also notifies the driver of a change request requesting a change in mode from a non-permissive mode in which the automatically controlled vehicle 10 is not permitted to drive across lane markings to a permissive mode in which the automatically controlled vehicle 10 is permitted to drive across lane markings. Furthermore, UI4 notifies the driver of a control transfer request requesting that the subject of driving the vehicle 10 be transferred from the automatic control device 12 to the driver.

The UI 4 has a display device 4a such as a liquid crystal display or a touch panel for displaying driving information, etc. The UI 4 may also have an audio output device (not shown) for notifying the driver of driving information, etc.

The UI4 also generates an operation signal in response to an operation from the driver to the vehicle 10. Examples of the operation information include a destination location, a route point, the vehicle speed (driver-set speed), and other control information. The operation information also includes mode information indicating whether the vehicle 10 is not permitted to travel across lane markings (non-permissible mode) or is permitted to travel across lane markings (permissible mode) for the automatically controlled operation of the vehicle 10. Furthermore, the operation information includes approval information that approves a change request or a control transfer request.

The UI 4 has, for example, a touch panel or operation buttons as an input device for inputting operation information from the driver to the vehicle 10. For example, the UI 5 outputs the input operation information to the navigation device 4, the driving plan device 15, the vehicle control device 16, etc. via the in-vehicle network 13.

The object detection device 11 executes detection processing and determination processing. To this end, the object detection device 11 has a communication interface (IF) 21, a memory 22, and a processor 23. The communication interface 21, the memory 22, and the processor 23 are connected via a signal line 24. The communication interface 21 has an interface circuit for connecting the object detection device 11 to the in-vehicle network 13.

The memory 22 is an example of a storage unit, and includes, for example, a volatile semiconductor memory and a non-volatile semiconductor memory. The memory 22 stores computer programs and various data of applications used in the information processing executed by the processor 23.

All or part of the functions of the object detection device 11 are functional modules realized by, for example, a computer program running on the processor 23. The processor 23 has a detection unit 231 and a determination unit 232. The detection unit 231 detects an object in front of the vehicle 10 based on a camera image and/or reflected wave information, and outputs object detection information including information about the object to the automatic control device 12 via the in-vehicle network 13. Alternatively, the functional module of the processor 23 may be a dedicated arithmetic circuit provided in the processor 23. The processor 23 has one or more CPUs (Central Processing Units) and their peripheral circuits. The processor 23 may further have other arithmetic circuits such as a logic arithmetic unit, a numerical arithmetic unit, or a graphic processing unit. The object detection device 11 is, for example, an electronic control unit (ECU). Details of the operation of the object detection device 11 will be described later.

The automatic control device 12 controls the operation of the vehicle 10, including the driving. The automatic control device 12 generates a driving plan that controls operations such as steering, driving, and braking, based on the object detection information output from the object detection device 11. The automatic control device 12 outputs an automatic control signal based on this driving plan via the in-vehicle network 13 to an actuator (not shown) that controls the steering wheels, a driving device (not shown), or a brake (not shown).

The automatic control device 12 has a non-permissible mode in which the automatically controlled vehicle 10 is not permitted to cross lane markings, and a permissible mode in which the automatically controlled vehicle 10 is permitted to cross lane markings. The automatic control device 12 drives the vehicle 10 in the non-permissible mode or the permissible mode based on mode information input by the driver via the UI 4. The automatic control device 12 outputs mode information indicating the non-permissible mode or the permissible mode to the object detection device 11 via the in-vehicle network 13.

In the non-permissive mode, the automatic control device 12 does not permit the vehicle 10 to deviate from the lane in which it is traveling. For example, if it is determined that the vehicle 10 will come into contact with an object on the lane in which it is traveling, the automatic control device 12 will stop the vehicle 10 to prevent the vehicle 10 from coming into contact with the obstacle.

On the other hand, in the permissive mode, the automatic control device 12 allows the vehicle 10 to deviate from the lane in which it is traveling. For example, if it is determined that the vehicle 10 will come into contact with an object on the lane in which it is traveling, the automatic control device 12 can move the vehicle 10 to an adjacent lane to prevent the vehicle 10 from coming into contact with the obstacle.

In FIG. 2, the object detection device 11 and the automatic control device 12 are illustrated as separate devices, but all or part of these devices may be configured as a single device.

Figure 3 is an example of an operational flowchart relating to the object determination process of the object detection device 11 of this embodiment. Below, the object determination process of the object detection device 11 will be described with reference to Figure 3. The object detection device 11 executes the object determination process according to the operational flowchart shown in Figure 3 at an object determination time having a predetermined period.

The detection unit 231 determines whether an object has been detected in front of the vehicle 10 based on the camera image and the reflected wave information (step S101).

The detection unit 231 detects an object and its type on the vehicle 10 located within a predetermined range ahead of the vehicle 10 based on the camera image captured by the camera 2. The object includes a fallen object in front of the vehicle 10. The detection unit 231 has, for example, a classifier that detects an object shown in an image by inputting a camera image. As the classifier, for example, a deep neural network (DNN) that has been trained in advance to detect an object shown in an input image from the image can be used. The detection unit 231 may use a classifier other than a DNN. For example, the detection unit 231 may use, as the classifier, a support vector machine (SVM) that has been trained in advance to input a feature amount (e.g., Histograms of Oriented Gradients, HOG) calculated from a window set on the camera image and output a confidence level that the object to be detected is shown in the window. Alternatively, the detection unit 231 may detect an object area by performing template matching between a template showing the object to be detected and the image.

The detection unit 231 also detects an object in front of the vehicle 10 based on the reflected wave information output by the LiDAR sensor 3. The detection unit 231 determines the orientation of the object relative to the vehicle 10 based on the position of the object in the camera image, and determines the distance between this object and the vehicle 10 based on this orientation and the reflected wave information output by the LiDAR sensor 3. The detection unit 231 estimates the position of the other object, expressed for example in the world coordinate system, based on the current position of the vehicle 10 and the distance and orientation of the other object relative to the vehicle 10. If no object is detected in front of the vehicle 10 (step S101-No), the series of processes ends.

On the other hand, if an object is detected ahead of the vehicle 10 (step S101-Yes), the determination unit 232 determines whether the object is a stationary object that is stationary (step S102). If the speed of the object is equal to or less than the reference speed, the determination unit 232 determines that the object is stationary. On the other hand, if the speed of the object is faster than the reference speed, the determination unit 232 determines that the object is not stationary.

The detection unit 231 tracks the object detected from the latest camera image by associating the object detected from the past image with the object detected from the past image according to a tracking process based on optical flow. Then, the detection unit 231 determines the trajectory of the other object being tracked based on the position of the object in the world coordinate system in the latest image from the past image. The detection unit 231 estimates the speed of the other object relative to the vehicle 10 based on the change in the position of the other object over time. The detection unit 231 determines the speed of the object relative to the ground based on the estimated speed of the object relative to the vehicle 10 and the speed of the vehicle 10. Furthermore, the detection unit 231 identifies the driving lane in which the object is traveling based on the lane markings shown in the map information and the position of the object. For example, the detection unit 231 determines that the object is traveling in a lane identified by two adjacent lane markings located on either side of the horizontal center position of the object. The detection unit 231 stores object detection information in the memory 22, including information indicating the type of detected object, information indicating its position, speed, acceleration, and information indicating the driving lane.

The determination unit 232 determines whether the speed of the object is equal to or less than a predetermined reference speed. The determination unit 232 determines whether the speed of the object is equal to or less than a reference speed in order to determine whether the object is a stationary object. The reference speed can be, for example, 5 km/hour. If the object is light, such as a plastic bag, it may move when caught by the wind even if it is a stationary object.

If the speed of the object is faster than the reference speed (step S102-No), the determination unit 232 determines that the object is not a stationary object. The determination unit 232 notifies the automatic control device 12 of object detection information including information indicating the type of the detected object, information indicating its position, speed, acceleration, and information indicating the driving lane (step S112), and ends the series of processes. The automatic control device 12 controls the vehicle 10 based on the object detection information.

On the other hand, if the speed of the object is equal to or lower than the reference speed (step S102-Yes), the determination unit 232 determines whether or not the vehicle 10 can travel in the travel lane in which the vehicle 10 is traveling without coming into contact with the object (step S103). For example, the determination unit 232 determines whether or not the vehicle 10 can travel in the travel lane in a manner that does not cause the vehicle 10 to come into contact with the object based on the distance between the object and the lane marking that divides the travel lane and the width of the vehicle 10. The distance is the distance in a direction perpendicular to the direction in which the travel lane extends. The determination unit 232 estimates the distance based on, for example, the number of pixels between the object and the lane marking in the camera image and the distance from the vehicle 10 to the object. The width of the vehicle 10 is stored in the memory 22.

When the separation distance is equal to or greater than a reference distance obtained by adding a predetermined length (e.g., 20 cm) to the width of the vehicle 10, the determination unit 232 determines that the vehicle 10 can travel without coming into contact with the object. On the other hand, when the separation distance is less than the reference distance, the determination unit 232 determines that the vehicle 10 cannot travel without coming into contact with the object.

If the vehicle 10 cannot travel without coming into contact with the object (step S103-No), the determination unit 232 determines whether the automatic control device 12 is in the non-permissible mode or the permissible mode (step S104). The determination unit 232 determines whether the automatic control device 12 is in the non-permissible mode or the permissible mode based on the mode information.

If the automatic control device 12 is in the non-permissible mode (step S104-Yes), the judgment unit 232 notifies the driver via the UI 4 of a change request to change the mode from the non-permissible mode to the permissible mode (step S105).

If approval information approving the change request is input via UI4 within a specified waiting time, the determination unit 232 determines that the change request has been approved by the driver. On the other hand, if approval information is not input via UI4 within the waiting time, the determination unit 232 determines that the change request has not been approved by the driver.

If the change request is not approved (step S106-No), the determination unit 232 determines whether the width of the object is narrower than the width between the left and right wheels of the vehicle 10 (step S107). The determination unit 232 estimates the width of the object based on, for example, the number of pixels in the width direction of the object in the camera image and the distance from the vehicle 10 to the object. The width between the left and right wheels of the vehicle 10 is stored in the memory 22.

When the width of the object is equal to or greater than a reference width obtained by adding a predetermined length (e.g., 10 cm) to the width between the left and right wheels of the vehicle 10, the determination unit 232 determines that the width of the object is equal to or greater than the width between the left and right wheels of the vehicle 10. On the other hand, when the width of the object is less than the reference width, the determination unit 232 determines that the width of the object is narrower than the width between the left and right wheels of the vehicle 10.

If the width of the object is narrower than the width between the left and right wheels of the vehicle 10 (step S107-Yes), the determination unit 232 determines that the object can pass between the left and right wheels of the vehicle 10 and the vehicle 10 can travel (step S108).

Next, the determination unit 232 notifies the automatic control device 12 of the object detection information including the position and width of the object together with the determination result indicating that the object can pass between the left and right wheels of the vehicle 10 and the vehicle 10 can travel (step S113), and ends the series of processes. The automatic control device 12 drives the vehicle 10 so that the object passes between the left and right wheels of the vehicle 10 and the vehicle 10 travels on the travel lane.

On the other hand, if the width of the object is equal to or greater than the width between the left and right wheels of the vehicle 10 (step S107-No), the determination unit 232 determines that the object cannot pass between the left and right wheels of the vehicle 10 and the vehicle 10 cannot travel (step S109).

Next, the determination unit 232 notifies the automatic control device 12 of the object detection information including the position and width of the object together with the determination result indicating that the object cannot pass between the left and right wheels of the vehicle 10 and the vehicle 10 cannot travel (step S113), and ends the series of processes. The automatic control device 12, for example, stops the vehicle 10.

After or before stopping the vehicle 10, the automatic control device 12 may notify, via the UI 4, a control transfer request to transfer the driving control of the vehicle 10 from the automatic control device 12 to the driver. In this case, after accepting the control transfer request, the driver drives the vehicle 10 so that the vehicle 10 does not come into contact with an object. For example, the driver moves the vehicle 10 so that the vehicle 10 crosses a lane marking from the driving lane to an adjacent lane.

Also, if the automatic control device 12 is not in a non-permissive mode (is in a permissive mode) (step S104-No) or if the change request has been approved (step S106-Yes), the determination unit 232 determines that the vehicle 10 is capable of traveling across the lane markings that separate the travel lanes (step S110).

Next, the determination unit 232 notifies the automatic control device 12 of the object detection information including the position and width of the object, together with the determination result that the vehicle 10 can travel across the lane markings that divide the travel lane (step S113), and ends the series of processes. The automatic control device 12 drives the vehicle 10 so as to cross the lane markings from the travel lane to the adjacent lane, so as not to cause contact between the vehicle 10 and the object. Note that if it is determined that the vehicle 10 will come into contact with another object if the vehicle 10 is moved across the lane markings from the travel lane to the adjacent lane, the automatic control device 12 may stop the vehicle 10.

Furthermore, if the vehicle 10 is capable of traveling without coming into contact with an object (step S103-Yes), the determination unit 232 determines that the vehicle 10 is capable of traveling without coming into contact with an object (step S111).

Next, the determination unit 232 notifies the automatic control device 12 of the object detection information including the object's position and width, together with the determination result that the vehicle 10 can travel without coming into contact with the object (step S113), and ends the series of processes. The automatic control device 12 drives the vehicle 10 so that the vehicle 10 does not come into contact with the object within the travel lane in which the vehicle 10 is traveling.

As described above in detail, when an object is detected ahead of a vehicle traveling in a non-permissible mode in which lane changes by automatic control are not permitted, the object detection device of this embodiment can determine whether or not it is possible to allow the object to pass between the left and right wheels of the vehicle and continue traveling, depending on the width of the object. As a result, when the width of the object is small, the object detection device of this embodiment can ensure the safe traveling of the vehicle by allowing the object to pass between the left and right wheels of the vehicle, thereby avoiding sudden braking and contact between the wheels and fallen objects.

In addition, if a fallen object is detected at a relatively short distance from the vehicle, it may not be possible to avoid contact between the vehicle and the fallen object even if sudden braking is applied. In the object detection device of this embodiment, when the width of the object is small, the vehicle is driven so that the object passes between the left and right wheels of the vehicle, thereby preventing the wheels from coming into contact with the object and ensuring safe driving of the vehicle.

In this disclosure, the object detection device of the above-mentioned embodiments can be modified as appropriate without departing from the spirit of this disclosure. Furthermore, the technical scope of this disclosure is not limited to those embodiments, but extends to the inventions described in the claims and their equivalents.

For example, in the above-described embodiment, the object determination process shown in FIG. 3 is performed regardless of the distance between the detected object and the vehicle, but the object determination process shown in FIG. 3 may be performed when the distance between the detected object and the vehicle is shorter than a predetermined distance. For example, the object determination process shown in FIG. 3 may be performed when the distance between the detected object and the vehicle is shorter than the distance at which the vehicle can be stopped by braking so as not to come into contact with the object.

In the above embodiment, the driver is notified of the change request in the object determination process shown in FIG. 3, but this process (steps S105 and S106) may be omitted. In this case, if the automatic control device 12 is in the non-permissive mode (step S104-Yes), the determination unit 232 determines whether the width of the object is narrower than the width between the left and right wheels of the vehicle 10 (step S107).

2 Camera 3 LiDAR sensor 4 User interface 10 Vehicle 11 Object detection device 21 Communication interface 22 Memory 23 Processor 231 Detection unit 232 Determination unit 12 Automatic control device 13 In-vehicle network

Claims (1)

a first determination unit that, when a stationary object is detected in front of a vehicle driven under automatic control in a non-permissible mode in which driving across a lane marking is not permitted, determines whether or not the vehicle can travel in a lane in which the vehicle is traveling without coming into contact with the object;
a second determination unit that determines whether or not a width of the object is narrower than a width between left and right wheels of the vehicle when the vehicle is not capable of traveling in a manner to avoid contact with the object;
a third determination unit that determines that the object can pass between the left and right wheels of the vehicle and the vehicle can travel if the width of the object is narrower than the width between the left and right wheels of the vehicle, and that the object cannot pass between the left and right wheels of the vehicle and the vehicle can travel if the width of the object is equal to or greater than the width between the left and right wheels of the vehicle;
The present invention is characterized in that it has the following features:

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