Vehicle body structure quality determination device and vehicle body structure quality determination method

Abstract

The present invention is to solve the problem of providing a determination device capable of determining the quality of a bumper protecting a radar device with high accuracy in order to prevent the detection accuracy of the radar device, which contributes to the improvement of traffic safety, from decreasing. In order to solve the above problem, a determination device 1 determines the quality of a bumper 3 in a vehicle equipped with a radar device 2 and the bumper 3, the radar device 2 detecting a target T by radiating an electromagnetic wave toward the outside of a vehicle body B along an optical axis and receiving a reflected wave from the target T, the bumper 3 shielding between the radar device 2 and the target T. The determination device 1 includes: an intensity parameter measuring section 11 measuring an intensity parameter value of the reflected wave from the target T transmitted through the bumper 3 and received by the radar device 2; an angle information acquiring section 12 acquiring angle information related to the angle of the arrival direction of the reflected wave from the target T with respect to the optical axis; and a quality determining section 15 determining the quality of the bumper 3 based on the intensity parameter value, a reference value determined in advance with respect to the intensity parameter value, and the angle information.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to a device and method for determining the quality of vehicle body structures. More specifically, it relates to a device and method for determining the quality of vehicle body structures in a vehicle, wherein the vehicle has a sensing device and a vehicle body structure that shields the sensing device from an object. Background Technology

[0002] In recent years, to improve the convenience of public transportation, there has been a push to equip vehicles with driver assistance functions such as adaptive cruise control and automatic braking systems, as well as autonomous driving functions. Furthermore, to realize these driver assistance and autonomous driving functions, vehicles are equipped with sensors that transmit and receive electromagnetic waves using devices such as radar or lidar to detect external objects. To protect these sensors from external impacts or contamination, they are often installed on the vehicle body, typically covered by a bumper. However, if the coating formed on the bumper's surface exceeds the required thickness, the intensity of electromagnetic waves emitted from the sensor through the bumper towards the external object, or reflected waves received by the sensor from the external object through the bumper, may decrease, thus reducing accuracy.

[0003] Patent Document 1 describes an invention concerning a device for determining whether a bumper is abnormal, as this is a major cause of reduced accuracy in sensing devices. In the invention shown in Patent Document 1, a radar module located inside the bumper transmits a transmitted wave to the outside of the bumper, and receives object reflections of the transmitted wave after it is reflected by an external object, bumper reflections of the transmitted wave after it is reflected by the bumper, and transmission / reception leakage caused by the transmitted wave. By comparing the received levels and threshold values ​​of the received waves, including the bumper reflection and the transmission / reception leakage, the invention determines whether the bumper is abnormal.

[0004] [Previous Technical Documents]

[0005] (Patent Documents)

[0006] Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2017-215236 Summary of the Invention

[0007] [The problem the invention aims to solve]

[0008] However, it is known that the intensity of the reflected wave from the object, which is an electromagnetic wave, varies depending on the angle between the direction of arrival of the reflected wave and the optical axis of the sensing device. However, in the invention shown in Patent Document 1, since the influence of the angle on the intensity of this reflected wave is not taken into account, the accuracy of the determination may decrease.

[0009] The purpose of this invention is to provide a vehicle body structure condition determination device and a vehicle body structure condition determination method. The vehicle body structure condition determination device is designed to prevent the detection accuracy of vehicle-mounted sensors that help improve traffic safety from decreasing, and can determine the condition of the vehicle body structure that protects the sensors with high accuracy.

[0010] [Technical means to solve the problem]

[0011] (1) The vehicle body structure quality determination device of the present invention (e.g., determination device 1 described later) determines the quality of a vehicle body structure, wherein the vehicle includes a sensing device (e.g., radar device 2 described later) and the aforementioned vehicle body structure (e.g., bumper 3 described later). The sensing device detects an object by irradiating electromagnetic waves along an optical axis outside the vehicle body (e.g., vehicle body B described later) and receiving reflected waves from an object (e.g., target T described later) receiving the electromagnetic waves. The vehicle body structure is disposed on the vehicle body in such a way that it is shielded between the aforementioned sensing device and the aforementioned object. The device is characterized by comprising: an intensity parameter measuring unit (e.g., intensity parameter measuring unit 11 described later) for measuring the intensity parameter value of a reflected wave from the object that passes through the aforementioned vehicle body structure and is received by the aforementioned sensing device; an angle information acquiring unit (e.g., angle information acquiring unit 12 described later) for acquiring angle information related to the angle between the direction of arrival of the reflected wave from the aforementioned object and the aforementioned optical axis; and a good / bad determination unit (e.g., good / bad determination unit 15 described later) for determining the good / bad condition of the aforementioned vehicle body structure based on the aforementioned intensity parameter value, a predetermined reference value, and the angle information acquired by the aforementioned angle information acquiring unit.

[0012] (2) In this case, it is preferable that the aforementioned good or bad determination unit takes the moving body, traffic participant or object existing around the aforementioned vehicle as the aforementioned object and determines the good or bad of the aforementioned vehicle body structure during the driving of the vehicle.

[0013] (3) In this case, it is preferable that the aforementioned good or bad determination unit corrects the aforementioned strength parameter value based on the aforementioned angle information, thereby calculating a correction value, and if the difference between the aforementioned correction value and the aforementioned reference value is less than a predetermined threshold, the aforementioned vehicle body structure is determined to be normal, and if the aforementioned difference is greater than or equal to the aforementioned threshold, the aforementioned vehicle body structure is determined to be abnormal.

[0014] (4) In this case, it is preferable that the larger the absolute value of the elevation angle or azimuth angle of the aforementioned direction of arrival relative to the aforementioned optical axis, the larger the value of the aforementioned strength parameter will be corrected by the aforementioned good or bad determination unit.

[0015] (5) In this case, it is preferable that the aforementioned vehicle body structure quality determination device further includes a temperature information acquisition unit (for example, the temperature information acquisition unit 13 described later), which acquires temperature information related to the temperature of the aforementioned sensing device, and the aforementioned quality determination unit corrects the aforementioned strength parameter value based on the aforementioned angle information and the aforementioned temperature information, thereby calculating the aforementioned correction value.

[0016] (6) In this case, it is preferable that the aforementioned strength parameter value is corrected to a larger value when the temperature of the aforementioned sensing device is higher than the specified reference temperature, and the aforementioned strength parameter value is corrected to a smaller value when the temperature of the aforementioned sensing device is lower than the aforementioned reference temperature.

[0017] (7) In this case, it is preferable that the aforementioned vehicle body structure quality determination device further includes a distance information acquisition unit (e.g., the distance information acquisition unit 14 described later), which acquires distance information related to the distance from the aforementioned vehicle to the aforementioned object, and the aforementioned quality determination unit corrects the aforementioned strength parameter value based on the aforementioned angle information and the aforementioned distance information, thereby calculating the aforementioned correction value.

[0018] (8) The method for determining the quality of a vehicle body structure according to the present invention determines the quality of a vehicle body structure in a vehicle, the vehicle having a sensing device and the aforementioned vehicle body structure, the sensing device detecting an object by irradiating an electromagnetic wave outside the vehicle body along an optical axis and receiving a reflected wave from an object receiving the electromagnetic wave, the vehicle body structure being disposed on the vehicle body in such a way that it is shielded between the aforementioned sensing device and the aforementioned object, the method for determining the quality of a vehicle body structure being characterized by comprising: a step of measuring the intensity parameter value of a reflected wave from the aforementioned object that passes through the aforementioned vehicle body structure and is received by the aforementioned sensing device; a step of acquiring angle information related to the angle of the direction of arrival of the reflected wave from the aforementioned object relative to the aforementioned optical axis; and a step of determining the quality of the aforementioned vehicle body structure based on the aforementioned intensity parameter value, a predetermined reference value and the aforementioned angle information.

[0019] (The effect of the invention)

[0020] (1) The vehicle body structure condition determination device of the present invention measures intensity parameter values ​​and obtains angle information related to the angle between the direction of arrival of the reflected wave and the optical axis. Based on these intensity parameter values, a reference value predetermined relative to the intensity parameter values, and the angle information, the condition of the vehicle body structure is determined. The intensity parameter values ​​increase or decrease according to the intensity of the reflected wave transmitted through the vehicle body structure and received by the sensing device from the object. Therefore, according to the present invention, when determining the condition of a vehicle body structure, the influence of the angle between the direction of arrival of the reflected wave and the optical axis on the intensity of the reflected wave can be taken into account, thus enabling the determination of the condition of the vehicle body structure with higher accuracy than before. Furthermore, this prevents a decrease in the detection accuracy of the vehicle-mounted sensing device due to defects in the vehicle body structure, thereby improving traffic safety.

[0021] (2) According to the present invention, the vehicle body structure condition determination device takes moving bodies, traffic participants, or objects existing around the vehicle as objects and determines the condition of the vehicle body structure during vehicle operation, thereby enabling the user to know whether any abnormalities have occurred in the vehicle body structure during vehicle operation. In addition, this allows for immediate awareness of any abnormalities in the vehicle body structure, for example, due to the user's own painting of the vehicle body structure, thereby improving traffic safety.

[0022] (3) According to the present invention, since the vehicle body structure quality determination device corrects the strength parameter value based on the angle information between the direction of arrival and the optical axis, calculates the correction value, and determines the quality of the vehicle body structure based on the difference between the correction value and a predetermined reference value and a threshold value, it can take into account the influence of the angle between the direction of arrival of the reflected wave and the optical axis on the intensity of the reflected wave, and determine the quality of the vehicle body structure with high precision, thereby improving traffic safety.

[0023] (4) According to the present invention, the larger the absolute value of the elevation angle or azimuth angle of the incoming direction relative to the optical axis, the larger the strength parameter value will be corrected by the vehicle body structure quality determination device. This can appropriately reduce the influence of the angle of the incoming direction relative to the optical axis on the intensity of the reflected wave. Therefore, the quality of the vehicle body structure can be determined with high precision regardless of the orientation of the incoming direction, thereby improving traffic safety.

[0024] (5) According to the present invention, the vehicle body structure quality determination device acquires temperature information related to the temperature of the sensing device, corrects the intensity parameter value of the reflected wave based on the angle information and temperature information, and calculates the correction value. In addition to taking into account the angle between the direction of arrival and the optical axis, it also takes into account the influence of the temperature of the sensing device on the intensity of the reflected wave, and can determine the quality of the vehicle body structure with high precision, thereby improving traffic safety.

[0025] (6) According to the present invention, when the temperature of the sensing device is higher than the reference temperature, the strength parameter value is corrected to a larger value, and when the temperature of the sensing device is lower than the reference temperature, the strength parameter value is corrected to a smaller value. This can appropriately reduce the influence of the temperature of the sensing device on the intensity of the reflected wave. Therefore, the quality of the vehicle body structure can be determined with high accuracy regardless of the temperature of the sensing device, thereby improving traffic safety.

[0026] (7) According to the present invention, the vehicle body structure quality determination device acquires distance information related to the distance from the vehicle to the object, corrects the intensity parameter value of the reflected wave based on the angle information and the distance information, and calculates the correction value therefrom. In addition to taking into account the angle between the direction of arrival and the optical axis, it also takes into account the influence of the distance of the object on the intensity of the reflected wave, and can determine the quality of the vehicle body structure with high precision, thereby improving traffic safety.

[0027] (8) In the method for determining the quality of a vehicle body structure according to the present invention, an intensity parameter value is measured, and angle information related to the angle between the direction of arrival of the reflected wave and the optical axis is obtained. Based on these intensity parameter values, a reference value predetermined relative to the intensity parameter values, and the angle information, the quality of the vehicle body structure is determined. The intensity parameter value increases or decreases according to the intensity of the reflected wave transmitted through the vehicle body structure and received by a sensing device from the object. Therefore, according to the present invention, the influence of the angle between the direction of arrival of the reflected wave and the optical axis on the intensity of the reflected wave can be taken into account, thus enabling the determination of the quality of the vehicle body structure with higher accuracy than before, thereby improving traffic safety. Attached Figure Description

[0028] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram illustrating the structure of a portion of the vehicle body equipped with a determination device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0029] Figure 2 It is a schematic diagram illustrating the dependence of radar cross-section on elevation and azimuth.

[0030] Figure 3 This is a flowchart illustrating the specific sequence of a method for determining the quality of a bumper using a judging device. Detailed Implementation

[0031] Hereinafter, with reference to the accompanying drawings, an embodiment of the vehicle body structure quality determination device and the vehicle body structure quality determination method of the present invention will be described.

[0032] Figure 1This is a schematic diagram illustrating the structure of the determination device 1 of this embodiment and a part of the vehicle body B of the vehicle equipped with the determination device 1.

[0033] The vehicle body B is equipped with: a radar device 2 as a sensing device for detecting a target T outside the vehicle body B; a bumper 3 as a vehicle body structure; a temperature sensor 4 for detecting the temperature of the radar device 2 and its surroundings; and a determination device 1 for using the radar device 2 to determine the condition of the bumper 3.

[0034] The bumper 3 is plate-shaped and is installed on the vehicle body B in such a way that it shields the radar device 2 and the target T. The bumper 3 has, for example, a plate-shaped substrate 31 formed of resin and a coating layer 32 formed on the outer surface of the substrate 31.

[0035] The radar device 2 is installed inside the bumper 3 in the vehicle body B. The radar device 2 detects the target T by irradiating electromagnetic waves (e.g., millimeter waves) onto the outside of the vehicle body B along the optical axis and receiving the reflected wave of the electromagnetic waves from the target T.

[0036] The radar device 2 includes a transmitting antenna 21, receiving antennas 22a and 22b, a transmitting unit 23, a receiving unit 24, and a control unit 25. In this embodiment, a radar device 2 using a so-called single-pulse method will be described. This radar device 2 detects the angle of a target T relative to the optical axis based on the phase difference or amplitude difference of signals received by multiple receiving antennas 22a and 22b, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, radar devices using mechanical scanning or electronic scanning methods can also be used.

[0037] The transmitting unit 23 generates a high-order harmonic pulse signal by modulating the high-frequency signal supplied from the control unit 25, and supplies it to the transmitting antenna 21. The transmitting antenna 21 irradiates the outer side of the vehicle body B along the optical axis of the high-order harmonic pulse signal supplied from the transmitting unit 23 as an electromagnetic wave.

[0038] Receiving antennas 22a and 22b respectively receive the reflected waves generated by the electromagnetic wave target T irradiated by transmitting antenna 21, and supply them as electrical signals to receiving unit 24. Receiving unit 24 demodulates the electrical signals supplied from receiving antennas 22a and 22b using high-order harmonic signals supplied from control unit 25, and supplies them to control unit 25.

[0039] The control unit 25 detects the angle of the target T relative to the optical axis, the distance between the radar device 2 and the target T, and the speed of the target T by performing known signal processing such as A / D conversion or DFT on the signal supplied from the receiving unit 24, and sends information related to these angles, distances and speeds to a vehicle control device (not shown).

[0040] As described above, since electromagnetic waves irradiated by radar device 2 or reflected waves received by radar device 2 from target T pass through bumper 3, if an anomaly occurs in bumper 3 (e.g., uneven thickness of paint layer 32, or foreign matter attached to bumper 3), the detection accuracy of radar device 2 for target T will be reduced.

[0041] To prevent the detection accuracy of the radar device 2 from being reduced due to the abnormality of the bumper 3, the determination device 1 uses the information obtained by detecting the target T in the radar device 2 to determine whether the bumper 3 is good or bad, that is, whether the bumper 3 is abnormal.

[0042] In this embodiment, it is assumed that the determination device 1 determines the condition of the bumper 3 while the vehicle is in motion (including when it is temporarily stopped). The case where a moving object, traffic participant, or object existing around the vehicle during the driving process is used as the target T of the radar device 2 is described, but the present invention is not limited thereto. For example, when determining the condition of the bumper 3 at the inspection site during vehicle inspection, a corner reflector or sphere installed at the inspection site may also be used as the target T of the radar device 2.

[0043] The judgment device 1 includes an intensity parameter measuring unit 11, an angle information acquisition unit 12, a temperature information acquisition unit 13, a distance information acquisition unit 14, and a good / bad judgment unit 15.

[0044] The angle information acquisition unit 12 acquires angle information related to the angle between the direction of arrival of the reflected wave from the target T (i.e., the orientation of the target T as observed from the radar device 2) and the optical axis of the radar device 2, and sends the acquired angle information to the good / bad determination unit 15. Here, the angle information acquired by the angle information acquisition unit 12 includes at least one of elevation angle [rad] and azimuth angle [rad], where the elevation angle [rad] is the angle of the target T relative to the optical axis of the radar device 2 in the vertical direction, and the azimuth angle [rad] is the angle of the target T relative to the optical axis in the horizontal direction. In this embodiment, the case where the angle information includes both elevation angle and azimuth angle is described, but the present invention is not limited thereto.

[0045] In this embodiment, assuming the condition of the bumper 3 is determined while the vehicle is in motion, the angle information acquisition unit 12 will be described as acquiring the angle information of the target T observed by the radar device 2 using the detection results of the radar device 2. However, the present invention is not limited to this. The angle information acquisition unit 12 may also acquire the angle information of the target T observed by the radar device 2 using the detection results of a sensor mounted on the vehicle and different from the radar device 2. Furthermore, as described above, when determining the condition of the bumper 3 at the inspection site during vehicle inspection, and the elevation angle and azimuth angle of the target T observed by the radar device 2 are known preset angles, the angle information acquisition unit 12 may also acquire these preset angles as angle information.

[0046] The temperature information acquisition unit 13 acquires the device temperature [°C] equivalent to the temperature of the radar device 2, and sends the acquired device temperature to the good / bad determination unit 15. The temperature information acquisition unit 13 acquires the device temperature, for example, by using the detection signal of the temperature sensor 4.

[0047] The distance information acquisition unit 14 acquires a target distance [m] equivalent to the distance from the radar device 2 to the target T, and sends the acquired target distance to the intensity parameter measurement unit 11 and the good / bad determination unit 15. In this embodiment, assuming the condition of the bumper 3 is determined while the vehicle is in motion, the method of acquiring the target distance using the detection results of the radar device 2 will be described, but the present invention is not limited thereto. The distance information acquisition unit 14 may also acquire the target distance using the detection results of a sensor mounted on the vehicle and different from the radar device 2. In addition, as described above, when the condition of the bumper 3 is determined at the inspection site during vehicle inspection, and the distance from the radar device 2 to the target T is a known set distance, the distance information acquisition unit 14 may also acquire this set distance as the target distance.

[0048] The intensity parameter measuring unit 11 measures the intensity parameter value of the reflected wave from the target T, which is transmitted through the bumper 3 and received by the radar device 2, based on information obtained by the radar device 2 through the detection of the target T, and sends the acquired intensity parameter value to the good / bad determination unit 15. Here, the intensity parameter is a parameter that increases or decreases based on the intensity of the reflected wave from the target T received by the radar device 2 through the bumper 3. In this embodiment, the radar cross section (σ[m]) is... 2 The intensity parameter of the reflected wave will be explained here. The radar cross-section is equivalent to a measure of the ability to reflect electromagnetic waves toward the antenna when the radar is irradiated by electromagnetic waves, but the present invention is not limited thereto. The intensity parameter can be any parameter as long as it is a parameter that increases or decreases according to the intensity of the reflected wave.

[0049] More specifically, the intensity parameter measuring unit 11 calculates the intensity parameter value using the following formula (1) based on information obtained by the radar device 2 by detecting the target T in the radar device 2, predetermined values, etc.

[0050]

[0051] Here, in the above formula (1), "R" corresponds to the target distance [m] from the radar device 2 to the target T. In the intensity parameter measuring unit 11, for example, the value obtained by the distance information acquisition unit 14 is used. Furthermore, in the above formula (1), "Pt", "Pr", and "G" are used... t “G” r “λ” and “A” respectively correspond to the transmit power [W] of radar device 2, the receive power [W] of radar device 2, the gain of transmit antenna 21 of radar device 2, the gain of receive antenna 22 of radar device 2, the wavelength [m] and attenuation [dB] of transmit wave of radar device 2. In intensity parameter measurement unit 11, by detecting target T in radar device 2, information obtained from radar device 2 or predetermined values ​​are used.

[0052] Furthermore, the radar cross-section defined by equation (1) above varies depending on the material, shape, and size of the target T. Therefore, it is preferable to use a target T whose material, shape, and size are as close as possible to the reference target described later.

[0053] The quality determination unit 15 determines the quality of the bumper 3 based on the strength parameter value measured by the strength parameter measuring unit 11, a reference value predetermined relative to the strength parameter value, angle information obtained by the angle information acquisition unit 12, device temperature obtained by the temperature information acquisition unit 13, and target distance obtained by the distance information acquisition unit 14.

[0054] More specifically, the good / bad determination unit 15 corrects the strength parameter value based on angle information, device temperature, and target distance, thereby calculating a corrected value for the strength parameter value. If the difference between the corrected value and the reference value (= reference value - corrected value) is less than a predetermined threshold, the bumper 3 is determined to be normal (i.e., the bumper 3 is of good quality); if the difference is greater than or equal to the threshold, the bumper 3 is determined to be abnormal (i.e., the bumper 3 is of poor quality). Furthermore, in this embodiment, the good / bad determination unit 15 corrects the strength parameter value based on three parameters: angle information, device temperature, and target distance. However, the present invention is not limited to this. The good / bad determination unit 15 may correct the strength parameter value based solely on the angle information, or based on both the angle information and device temperature, or based on both the angle information and target distance.

[0055] Furthermore, in the good / bad determination unit 15, the intensity parameter value obtained by the radar device 2 detecting a predetermined reference target under predetermined reference measurement conditions is used as the aforementioned reference value. Here, in this embodiment, the temperature of the radar device 2 is set to a predetermined reference temperature, and the distance between the radar device 2 and the reference target is set to a predetermined reference distance. The reference target is then positioned on the optical axis of the radar device 2 (i.e., the elevation and azimuth angles of the reference target observed from the radar device 2 are both set to 0 rad) as the reference measurement conditions. Additionally, it is preferable to remove the bumper 3 from the vehicle body beforehand and remove any obstructions between the radar device 2 and the reference target beforehand.

[0056] Furthermore, as mentioned above, when determining the condition of the bumper 3 while the vehicle is in motion, the strength parameter value obtained during vehicle manufacturing inspection under the aforementioned benchmark measurement conditions can be used as a benchmark value. Additionally, when determining the condition of the bumper 3 at the inspection site during vehicle inspection, the strength parameter value can be measured each time at the inspection site under the aforementioned benchmark measurement conditions, and used as a benchmark value to determine the condition of the bumper 3.

[0057] Furthermore, the radar cross-section, which is the intensity parameter defined by the above formula (1), varies depending on the actual measurement conditions, characterized by angle information, device temperature, and target distance. Therefore, the intensity parameter value measured by the intensity parameter measuring unit 11 cannot be compared with the reference value measured under reference measurement conditions that are different from the actual measurement conditions. Therefore, in the good / bad determination unit 15, the intensity parameter value is corrected based on the angle information, device temperature, and target distance in the order described below, thereby eliminating the deviation of the intensity parameter value from the reference value caused by the difference between the actual measurement conditions and the reference measurement conditions.

[0058] Figure 2 It is a schematic diagram illustrating the dependence of radar cross-section on elevation and azimuth.

[0059] like Figure 2 As shown, the radar cross-section is largest when both the elevation and azimuth angles of the target relative to the optical axis are 0 rad, and tends to decrease as the elevation or azimuth angle moves further away from 0 rad. Therefore, in the good / bad determination unit 15, the larger the absolute value of the elevation or azimuth angle, the larger the intensity parameter value is corrected to. This eliminates the deviation between the intensity parameter value and the reference value caused by differences in elevation and azimuth angles, particularly in the differences between actual measurement conditions and reference measurement conditions.

[0060] Furthermore, the gain of the radar device 2's antenna changes when the temperature of the radar device 2 changes. Therefore, there is a tendency for the radar device 2 to have a smaller radar cross-section as the temperature of the radar device 2 increases. Therefore, in the good / bad determination unit 15, when the device temperature is higher than the reference temperature, the intensity parameter value is corrected to a larger value; when the device temperature is lower than the reference temperature, the intensity parameter value is corrected to a smaller value. More specifically, in the good / bad determination unit 15, when the device temperature is higher than the reference temperature, the greater the difference between the device temperature and the reference temperature (device temperature - reference temperature), the larger the intensity parameter value is corrected to; conversely, when the device temperature is lower than the reference temperature, the greater the difference between the reference temperature and the device temperature (reference temperature - device temperature), the smaller the intensity parameter value is corrected to. This eliminates the deviation between the intensity parameter value and the reference value caused, particularly, by the temperature difference of the radar device 2, from the difference between the actual measurement conditions and the reference measurement conditions.

[0061] Furthermore, the radar cross-section varies depending on the distance between the radar device 2 and the target. Therefore, in the good / bad determination unit 15, the intensity parameter value is corrected by retrieving a mapping diagram predetermined based on the difference between the target distance and the reference distance, so as to eliminate the deviation between the intensity parameter value and the reference value caused by the difference in distance between the actual measurement conditions and the reference measurement conditions.

[0062] Furthermore, the aforementioned radar cross-section varies depending on the material, shape, and size of the target. Therefore, when determining the condition of the bumper 3 during vehicle operation, the determination device 1 preferably uses an object among the moving bodies, traffic participants, or objects around the vehicle that is similar in material, shape, and size to the reference target as the target T of the radar device 2.

[0063] Furthermore, since the radar cross-section varies depending on the target's material, shape, and size, multiple reference targets with different materials, shapes, and sizes can be used to measure the intensity parameter values ​​under the aforementioned reference measurement conditions, and a reference value can be set for each reference target. In this case, the determination device 1 can also use the reference value corresponding to the reference target whose material, shape, and size are closest to that of the target T selected for determining the condition of the bumper 3 to determine the condition of the bumper 3.

[0064] The above describes the case where the strength parameter value is corrected based on angle information, device temperature, and target distance in the good / bad determination unit 15, but the present invention is not limited thereto. In the good / bad determination unit 15, since the good / bad of the bumper 3 is determined based on a comparison between the measured strength parameter value and a reference value, the reference value can also be corrected based on angle information, device temperature, and target distance. A correction value for this reference value is then calculated, and the good / bad of the bumper 3 is determined by comparing the difference between the measured strength parameter value and the correction value (=correction value of the reference value - strength parameter value) with a predetermined threshold. However, in this case, the direction of correction for the reference value is opposite to the direction of correction for the strength parameter value, as described above.

[0065] Figure 3 This is a flowchart illustrating the specific sequence of the determination method for judging the condition of the bumper 3 using the judgment device 1. In response to the radar device 2 identifying the target T, the process begins... Figure 3 The processing shown.

[0066] First, in step ST1, the angle information acquisition unit 12, the distance information acquisition unit 14, and the temperature information acquisition unit 13 acquire the angle information relative to the target T, the target distance, and the device temperature, respectively, and then proceed to step ST2.

[0067] In step ST2, the intensity parameter measuring unit 11 measures the intensity parameter value of the reflected wave from the target T that is transmitted through the bumper 3 and received by the radar device 2 based on the information obtained by the radar device 2 by detecting the target T in the radar device 2, and proceeds to step ST3.

[0068] In step ST3, the good / bad determination unit 15 corrects the strength parameter value measured in step ST2 based on the angle information, target distance and device temperature obtained in step ST1, thereby calculating the corrected value of the strength parameter value and proceeding to step ST4.

[0069] In step ST4, the good / bad determination unit 15 calculates the difference between the correction value calculated in step ST3 and a predetermined reference value (= reference value - correction value), and determines whether the difference is less than the predetermined reference value. If the determination result of step ST4 is YES (difference < threshold), the good / bad determination unit 15 determines that the bumper 3 is normal (refer to step ST5); if the determination result of step ST4 is NO (difference ≥ threshold), the bumper 3 is determined to be abnormal (refer to step ST6), and the process ends. Figure 3 The processing shown.

[0070] According to the determination device 1 and determination method of the bumper 3 in this embodiment, the following effects are achieved.

[0071] (1) The determination device 1 measures the radar cross-section as an intensity parameter value and obtains angle information related to the angle between the direction of arrival of the reflected wave and the optical axis of the radar device 2. Based on these intensity parameter values, a predetermined reference value, and the angle information, the condition of the bumper 3 is determined. The radar cross-section increases or decreases according to the intensity of the reflected wave from the target T that passes through the bumper 3 and is received by the radar device 2. Therefore, according to the determination device 1, when determining the condition of the bumper 3, the influence of the angle between the direction of arrival of the reflected wave and the optical axis on the intensity of the reflected wave can be taken into account, thus enabling the determination of the condition of the bumper 3 with higher accuracy than before. In addition, this prevents the reduction in the detection accuracy of the radar device 2 due to the condition of the bumper 3, thereby improving traffic safety.

[0072] (2) The determination device 1 uses moving objects, traffic participants, or objects existing around the vehicle as targets T to determine the condition of the bumper 3 during the vehicle's operation. This allows the user to know whether the bumper 3 has malfunctioned during the vehicle's operation. Furthermore, this allows the user to immediately detect, for example, malfunctions in the bumper 3 caused by the user's own painting of the bumper 3, thereby improving traffic safety.

[0073] (3) The determination device 1 corrects the intensity parameter value based on the angle information between the direction of arrival and the optical axis, thereby calculating the correction value, and determines the quality of the bumper 3 based on the difference between the correction value and the predetermined reference value and the threshold value. This allows the influence of the angle between the direction of arrival of the reflected wave and the optical axis on the intensity of the reflected wave to determine the quality of the bumper 3 with high precision, thereby improving traffic safety.

[0074] (4) The larger the absolute value of the elevation angle or azimuth angle of the direction of arrival relative to the optical axis, the larger the intensity parameter value will be corrected by the determination device 1. This can appropriately reduce the influence of the angle of the direction of arrival relative to the optical axis on the intensity of the reflected wave. Therefore, the quality of the bumper 3 can be determined with high precision regardless of the orientation of the direction of arrival, thereby improving traffic safety.

[0075] (5) The determination device 1 obtains the device temperature of the radar device 2, and corrects the intensity parameter value of the reflected wave based on the angle information and device temperature. The correction value is calculated accordingly. In addition to taking into account the angle between the direction of arrival and the optical axis, the influence of the device temperature of the radar device 2 on the intensity of the reflected wave is also taken into account. The device 1 can determine the quality of the bumper 3 with high precision, thereby improving traffic safety.

[0076] (6) When the device temperature of the radar device 2 is higher than the reference temperature, the determination device 1 corrects the intensity parameter value to a larger value, and when the device temperature of the radar device 2 is lower than the reference temperature, the intensity parameter value is corrected to a smaller value. Thus, the influence of the device temperature of the radar device 2 on the intensity of the reflected wave can be appropriately reduced. Therefore, the condition of the bumper 3 can be determined with high precision regardless of the temperature of the radar device 2, thereby improving traffic safety.

[0077] (7) The determination device 1 obtains the target distance from the vehicle to the target T, corrects the intensity parameter value of the reflected wave based on the angle information and the target distance, and calculates the correction value. In addition to taking into account the angle between the direction of arrival and the optical axis, it also takes into account the influence of the distance of the target T on the intensity of the reflected wave. It can determine the quality of the bumper 3 with high precision, thus improving traffic safety.

[0078] (8) In the determination method of the present invention, the radar cross-section is measured as an intensity parameter value, and angle information related to the angle of the direction of arrival of the reflected wave relative to the optical axis is obtained. Based on these intensity parameter values, a predetermined reference value, and the angle information, the condition of the bumper 3 is determined. The radar cross-section increases or decreases according to the intensity of the reflected wave from the target T that passes through the bumper 3 and is received by the radar device 2. Therefore, according to the determination method, the influence of the angle of arrival of the reflected wave relative to the optical axis on the intensity of the reflected wave can be considered, thus enabling the determination of the condition of the bumper 3 with higher accuracy than before, thereby improving traffic safety.

[0079] The above description illustrates one embodiment of the present invention, but the invention is not limited thereto. Appropriate modifications to the detailed structure are possible within the scope of the present invention.

[0080] For example, in the above embodiment, it is assumed that the condition of the bumper 3 is determined by the determination device 1 during vehicle operation, and the case of mounting the determination device 1 on the vehicle has been described, but the present invention is not limited thereto. As described above, when determining the condition of the bumper 3 at the inspection site during vehicle inspection, the determination device 1 can also be mounted on an inspection device that is separate from the vehicle.

[0081] Figure Labels

[0082] B body

[0083] T target (object)

[0084] 1. Determination device (device for determining the condition of vehicle body structure)

[0085] 11 Strength Parameter Measurement Department

[0086] 12-Angle Information Acquisition Department

[0087] 13 Temperature Information Acquisition Department

[0088] 14 Distance Information Acquisition Department

[0089] 15 Good / Bad Judgment Department

[0090] 2 radar devices

[0091] 3. Bumpers (body structure)

Claims

1. A vehicle body structure quality determination device for determining the quality of a bumper in a vehicle, the vehicle having a sensing device and the aforementioned bumper, the sensing device detecting an object by irradiating electromagnetic waves along an optical axis outside the vehicle body and receiving reflected waves from an object receiving the electromagnetic waves, the bumper being disposed on the vehicle body in a manner that shields the aforementioned sensing device and the aforementioned object, the vehicle body structure quality determination device being characterized by comprising: The intensity parameter measuring unit measures the intensity parameter value of the reflected wave from the aforementioned object that passes through the aforementioned bumper and is received by the aforementioned sensing device. The angle information acquisition unit acquires angle information related to the angle between the direction of arrival of the reflected wave from the aforementioned object and the aforementioned optical axis; and, The good / bad determination unit corrects the strength parameter value based on the aforementioned angle information, calculates the correction value, and determines that the bumper is normal if the difference between the correction value and the specified benchmark value is less than a specified threshold, and determines that the bumper is abnormal if the difference is greater than or equal to the specified threshold.

2. The vehicle body construction quality determination device according to claim 1, wherein The aforementioned quality determination unit takes moving objects, traffic participants, or objects existing around the aforementioned vehicle as the aforementioned objects, and determines the quality of the aforementioned bumper during the vehicle's operation.

3. The vehicle body construction condition determination device according to claim 1, wherein The larger the absolute value of the elevation angle or azimuth angle of the aforementioned direction of arrival relative to the aforementioned optical axis, the larger the value of the aforementioned intensity parameter will be corrected by the aforementioned good / bad determination unit.

4. The vehicle body construction condition determination device according to claim 1, wherein It also includes a temperature information acquisition unit to acquire temperature information related to the temperature of the aforementioned sensing device. The aforementioned good / bad determination unit corrects the aforementioned strength parameter value based on the aforementioned angle information and the aforementioned temperature information, and thereby calculates the aforementioned correction value.

5. The vehicle body construction quality determination device according to claim 4, wherein When the temperature of the aforementioned sensing device is higher than the specified reference temperature, the aforementioned strength parameter value is corrected to a larger value by the aforementioned good / bad determination unit; when the temperature of the aforementioned sensing device is lower than the aforementioned reference temperature, the aforementioned strength parameter value is corrected to a smaller value.

6. The vehicle body construction condition determination device according to claim 1, wherein It also includes a distance information acquisition unit to acquire distance information related to the distance from the aforementioned vehicle to the aforementioned object. The aforementioned good / bad determination unit corrects the aforementioned intensity parameter value based on the aforementioned angle information and the aforementioned distance information, and thereby calculates the aforementioned correction value.

7. The vehicle body construction condition determination device according to claim 3, wherein It also includes a distance information acquisition unit to acquire distance information related to the distance from the aforementioned vehicle to the aforementioned object. The aforementioned good / bad determination unit corrects the aforementioned intensity parameter value based on the aforementioned angle information and the aforementioned distance information, and thereby calculates the aforementioned correction value.

8. The vehicle body construction quality determination device according to claim 4, wherein It also includes a distance information acquisition unit to acquire distance information related to the distance from the aforementioned vehicle to the aforementioned object. The aforementioned good / bad determination unit corrects the aforementioned intensity parameter value based on the aforementioned angle information and the aforementioned distance information, and thereby calculates the aforementioned correction value.

9. A method for determining the quality of a vehicle body structure, comprising determining the quality of a bumper in a vehicle, the vehicle having a sensing device and the aforementioned bumper, the sensing device detecting an object by irradiating electromagnetic waves along an optical axis outside the vehicle body and receiving reflected waves from an object receiving the electromagnetic waves, the bumper being disposed on the vehicle body in a manner that shields the aforementioned sensing device and the aforementioned object, the method for determining the quality of a vehicle body structure being characterized by comprising: a step of measuring an intensity parameter value of a reflected wave from the object that has passed through the bumper and is received by the sensor device; a step of acquiring angle information related to an angle of a direction of arrival of the reflected wave from the object with respect to the optical axis; correcting the intensity parameter value on the basis of the angle information, thereby calculating a correction value; in a case where a difference value between the correction value and a prescribed reference value is smaller than a prescribed threshold value, determining that the bumper is normal; and in a case where the difference value is equal to or greater than the threshold value, determining that the bumper is abnormal.

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