Evaluation device

Abstract

This system accurately evaluates, using a simple configuration, whether bumper repairs have prevented the vehicle from properly detecting the target object. [Solution] The evaluation device 100 includes an acquisition unit 102a that acquires near-field reflected power, which is the radio wave intensity when radio waves emitted from the radar device are reflected by the bumpers 12 and 14 of a vehicle 10 equipped with a radar device, both before and after repair; a comparison unit 102b that compares the near-field reflected power before and after repair and determines whether there is a difference of more than a predetermined value; and a determination unit 102c that, based on the comparison result, determines that if there is a difference of more than a predetermined value between the near-field reflected power before and after repair, the repair of the bumpers 12 and 14 is unsuitable and the radar device cannot properly detect the target.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to an evaluation device.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, it is known to determine that an abnormality has occurred in a bumper when a first reception level of a first reception wave including a bumper reflection wave obtained by reflecting a transmission wave transmitted from the inside to the outside of the bumper by the bumper and a transmission / reception leak by the transmission wave is greater than a threshold value (see Patent Document 1).

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] When the bumper is repaired such as by sheet metal painting, the transmittance when radio waves radiated from the radar device toward the outside of the vehicle pass through the bumper changes. Then, due to the influence of the repair, the radio waves are attenuated, and if the transmittance after the repair is lower than the transmittance before the repair, the detection target may not be detected normally.

[0005] However, in the technique described in Patent Document 1 above, since it is determined that an abnormality has occurred in the bumper by comparing the first reception level of the first reception wave including the bumper reflection wave and the transmission / reception leak with the threshold value, there is a problem that complicated processing is required. Also, depending on the magnitude of the transmission / reception leak, there is a problem that it is not possible to specify what bumper abnormality causes the radar device to malfunction.

[0006] Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide an evaluation device capable of accurately evaluating with a simple configuration whether or not the detection target cannot be detected normally due to the repair of the bumper. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] The gist of this disclosure is as follows:

[0008] (1) An acquisition unit that acquires near-field reflected power, which is the radio wave intensity when radio waves emitted from a radar device are reflected by the bumper of a vehicle equipped with a radar device, both before and after repair of the bumper, A comparison unit compares the reflected power in the vicinity before and after repair and determines whether there is a difference of more than a predetermined value, Based on the results of the comparison, if there is a difference of more than the predetermined value between the near-field reflected power before and after repair, the determination unit determines that the bumper repair is inadequate and the radar device cannot properly detect the target object. An evaluation device equipped with the following features. [Effects of the Invention]

[0009] According to the present invention, an evaluation device is provided that can accurately evaluate, with a simple configuration, whether or not the target can no longer be detected properly due to bumper repair. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0010] [Figure 1] This diagram schematically shows the vehicle as viewed from above. [Figure 2] This is a schematic diagram of an evaluation system according to one embodiment. [Figure 3] This is a schematic diagram showing the functional blocks of the processor in the evaluation device. [Figure 4] This figure shows the difference in near-field reflected power before and after bumper repair. [Figure 5] This flowchart shows the processing performed by the processor of the evaluation device at predetermined control cycles. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0011] Several embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. However, these descriptions are intended to be merely illustrative of preferred embodiments of the present invention and are not intended to limit the present invention to such specific embodiments.

[0012] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram showing the vehicle 10 as viewed from above. The vehicle 10 is equipped with bumpers 12 and 14 at the front and rear, respectively. Radar devices are installed inside the bumpers 12 and 14. Specifically, radar sensors 20 and 22 are built into the left and right sides of bumper 12, respectively. Similarly, radar sensors 24 and 26 are built into the left and right sides of bumper 14, respectively.

[0013] Radio waves (millimeter waves) emitted from each radar sensor toward the outside of the vehicle 10 are reflected by detection targets (people, motorcycles, other vehicles, etc.) outside the vehicle 10 and received by each radar sensor. To explain using radar sensor 20 as an example, the radio waves emitted from radar sensor 20 pass through the resin bumper 12 and are emitted toward the outside of the vehicle 10. Then, the reflected waves reflected by the detection target 40 outside the vehicle 10 pass through the bumper 12 and are received by radar sensor 20. Similarly, radio waves emitted from radar sensor 24 pass through the bumper 14 and are emitted toward the outside of the vehicle 10, and the reflected waves reflected by the detection target 42 pass through the bumper 14 and are received by radar sensor 24. Then, by analyzing the received reflected waves, the position of the detection target 40 relative to the vehicle 10 is obtained. That is, the bearing and distance of the detection target 40 relative to the vehicle 10 are obtained.

[0014] The acquired location of the detected object 40 is used to control the advanced safety system. For example, on a highway, if another vehicle traveling in the right lane approaches vehicle 10, the driver of vehicle 10 is notified of the approaching other vehicle in the right lane.

[0015] On the other hand, there are cases where the radar system cannot properly detect a target even though a target exists around the vehicle 10. For example, if the bumpers 12 and 14 are repaired, such as by sheet metal work or painting, the transmittance of the radio waves emitted from each radar sensor toward the outside of the vehicle 10 changes as they pass through the bumpers 12 and 14. As a result of the repair, the radio waves are attenuated, and if the transmittance after the repair is lower than the transmittance before the repair, the system may not be able to properly detect the target.

[0016] To determine whether the repair of bumpers 12 and 14 has made it impossible to properly detect the target, the maximum distance at which the target can be detected is predetermined. If the repair reduces the signal strength during reception and thus the maximum detectable distance decreases, it can be determined that the target cannot be properly detected. For example, if the target is another vehicle, the maximum distance at which that other vehicle can be detected before the repair of bumpers 12 and 14 is predetermined. If the maximum distance at which another vehicle can be detected decreases after the repair, it can be determined that the repair has reduced the signal strength and made it impossible to properly detect the target.

[0017] However, because the reflectivity of radio waves differs depending on the type of object being detected, the maximum detectable distance varies depending on the type of object. Therefore, without information indicating the extent to which the radar device can recognize the object, that is, information indicating what type of object it is (for example, a person, a motorcycle, or another vehicle), it is impossible to determine whether the maximum detectable distance has decreased. For this reason, after the repairs are completed, it is necessary to actually drive the vehicle 10 to identify the type of object being detected and then determine whether the maximum detectable distance has decreased. However, it is often practically difficult for dealers and repair shops to actually drive the vehicle 10 after repairing the bumpers 12 and 14, considering various factors such as insurance coverage in the event of an accident. Therefore, after handing over the repaired vehicle 10 to the owner, it may be discovered that the object cannot be detected properly when the vehicle 10 is actually driven. In such cases, it becomes necessary to bring the vehicle 10 back to the dealer or repair shop for further repairs.

[0018] In this embodiment, when the radio wave reflection at bumpers 12 and 14 increases, the property that the radio wave permeability at bumpers 12 and 14 decreases is utilized. Based on the near-field reflected power when the radiated radio wave is reflected by bumpers 12 and 14, it is determined whether the detection target can no longer be detected normally due to the influence of repair. Specifically, after the ignition switch is turned on and the vehicle 10 is in a stopped state, the near-field reflected power after repair is compared with the near-field reflected power which is past data before repair. When there is a difference of a predetermined value or more between the near-field reflected power before and after repair, it is determined that the repair of the bumper is inappropriate and the detection target cannot be detected normally by the radar device. Thereby, it becomes possible to early determine whether the detection target can no longer be detected normally due to the influence of repair without actually running the vehicle 10 after the repair of bumpers 12 and 14. Therefore, after delivering the vehicle 10 to the owner after repair, the risk of the vehicle 10 being restocked can be reduced.

[0019] FIG. 2 is a schematic configuration diagram of an evaluation system 1000 according to one embodiment. The evaluation system 1000 includes a notification device 50 and an evaluation device 100.

[0020] As shown in FIG. 2, the evaluation device 100 includes a processor 102, a memory 104, and a communication interface 106. The processor 102 includes one or more CPUs (Central Processing Units) and their peripheral circuits. The processor 102 may further include other arithmetic circuits such as a logical arithmetic unit, a numerical arithmetic unit, or a graphic processing unit. The memory 104 includes, for example, a volatile semiconductor memory and a non-volatile semiconductor memory, and stores data related to the processing according to this embodiment as necessary. The communication interface 106 includes an interface circuit for connecting the evaluation device 100 to the notification device 50 or an external network (such as the Internet).

[0021] The notification device 50 includes a display device and a speaker. The display device is composed of, for example, a liquid crystal display (LCD), and in response to instructions from the evaluation device 100, it displays a notification to that effect if the detection target can no longer be properly detected due to the repair of the bumpers 12 and 14. The speaker, in response to instructions from the evaluation device 100, notifies the evaluation device 50 by voice if the detection target can no longer be properly detected due to the repair of the bumpers 12 and 14.

[0022] Figure 3 is a schematic diagram showing the functional blocks of the processor 102 of the evaluation device 100. The processor 102 has an acquisition unit 102a, a comparison unit 102b, a determination unit 102c, and a notification unit 102d. Each of these parts of the processor 102 is a functional module realized, for example, by a computer program running on the processor 102. In other words, the functional blocks of the processor 102 consist of the processor 102 and a program (software) to make it function. The program may also be recorded in the memory 104 of the evaluation device 100 or on an externally connected recording medium. Alternatively, each of these parts of the processor 102 may be a dedicated arithmetic circuit provided on the processor 102.

[0023] The acquisition unit 102a of the processor 102 acquires the nearby reflected power, which is the radio wave intensity when radio waves emitted from the radar device are reflected by the bumpers 12 and 14 of the vehicle 10, which is equipped with a radar device, both before and after repair. Specifically, the acquisition unit 102a first acquires the radio wave intensity corresponding to the distance from the radar device based on the difference between the transmitted radio waves of the radar device (radar sensors 20, 22, 24, 26) and the received radio waves of the reflected waves of the transmitted radio waves, for both before and after repair of the bumpers 12 and 14. At this time, the acquisition unit 102a determines the distribution of transmitted radio waves and reflected waves of the transmitted radio waves for both before and after repair, based on the radar analysis model of the radar device, a post-processing calculation tool, and CAD data representing the internal structure of the bumpers 12 and 14, and then post-processes the difference between the transmitted radio waves and the received radio waves to distance-decompose the radio wave intensity and acquires the radio wave intensity corresponding to the distance from the radar device. The acquisition unit 102a then acquires the near-field reflected power as the radio wave intensity at a distance (approximately 10 cm) from the radar device to the housing of the bumpers 12 and 14 through which the radio waves pass, for both before and after the repair of the bumpers 12 and 14. For the near-field reflected power before the repair of the bumpers 12 and 14, the acquisition unit 102a may acquire the value acquired before the repair of the bumpers 12 and 14 and stored in the memory 104. The near-field reflected power before and after the repair may each be an average of multiple measured values.

[0024] Here, the radar analysis model is a model that represents the distribution of transmitted radio waves emitted from the radar device, and is determined by the specifications of the radar device. The post-processing calculation tool is a tool that post-processes the difference between transmitted and received radio waves to decompose the radio wave intensity by distance. The CAD data represents the internal structure of bumpers 12 and 14.

[0025] The comparison unit 102b compares the near-field reflected power before and after repair acquired by the acquisition unit 102a and determines whether there is a difference of more than a predetermined value.

[0026] Figure 4 shows the difference in near-field reflected power before and after repair of bumpers 12 and 14. Figure 4 shows that, due to the repair of bumpers 12 and 14, the near-field reflected power after repair is greater than before repair, indicating that there is a difference of more than a predetermined value between the near-field reflected power before and after repair.

[0027] If the reflected power in the vicinity after repair is greater than that before repair, it is considered that radio waves are less able to penetrate the bumpers 12 and 14 after repair than before repair, and that the repair is making it more difficult for radio waves to reach the target object. For this reason, the determination unit 102c determines, based on the comparison result by the comparison unit 102b, that if there is a difference of a predetermined value or more between the reflected power in the vicinity before and after repair, the bumper repair is inadequate and the radar device cannot properly detect the target object.

[0028] If the notification unit 102d of the processor 102 determines that it is no longer able to properly detect the target due to the effects of the repair, it will notify the system accordingly. Specifically, the notification unit 102d will notify the system via the notification device 50 that it is no longer able to properly detect the target due to the effects of the repair.

[0029] Figure 5 is a flowchart showing the processing performed by the processor 102 of the evaluation device 100 at predetermined control cycles. First, the acquisition unit 102a acquires the nearby reflected power after the bumpers 12 and 14 have been repaired (step S10). Next, the acquisition unit 102a acquires the nearby reflected power that was acquired before the repair of the bumpers 12 and 14 and stored in the memory 104 from the memory 104 (step S12). Next, the comparison unit 102b compares the nearby reflected power before and after the repair and determines whether there is a difference of more than a predetermined value (step S14).

[0030] In step S14, if there is a difference of a predetermined value or more between the near-field reflected power before and after repair, the determination unit 102c determines that the radar device cannot properly detect the target due to the effects of the repair (step S16, abnormality determination). After step S16, the notification unit 102d notifies that there is an abnormality. Specifically, the notification unit 102d notifies via the notification device 50 that the radar device can no longer properly detect the target due to the effects of the repair. Upon receiving the notification, appropriate measures are taken, such as repeating the repair.

[0031] On the other hand, in step S14, if there is no difference of more than a predetermined value between the nearby reflected power before and after repair, the determination unit 102c determines that the detection target can be detected normally (step S18, normal determination). After step 18, the nearby reflected power acquired in step S10 is stored in memory 104 (step S20). The nearby reflected power stored in memory 104 is acquired in step S12 when the process shown in Figure 5 is performed the next time the bumpers 12 and 14 are repaired.

[0032] As described above, according to this embodiment, when the bumpers 12 and 14 are repaired, it is possible to determine whether the radar device can properly detect the target object without driving the vehicle 10. Therefore, it is possible to prevent situations where, after handing over the vehicle 10 to the customer after repair, it is discovered that the radar device cannot properly detect the target object, requiring further repairs. [Explanation of symbols]

[0033] 12,14...Bumper, 20,22,24,26...Radar sensor, 40,42...Detection target, 50...Notification device, 100...Evaluation device, 102...Processor, 102a...Acquisition unit, 102b...Comparison unit, 102c...Determination unit, 102d...Notification unit, 104...Memory, 106...Communication interface, 1000...Evaluation system

Claims

[Claim 1] An acquisition unit that acquires near-field reflected power, which is the radio wave intensity when radio waves emitted from a radar device are reflected by the bumper of a vehicle equipped with a radar device, both before and after repair of the bumper, A comparison unit compares the reflected power in the vicinity before and after repair and determines whether there is a difference of more than a predetermined value, Based on the results of the comparison, if there is a difference of more than the predetermined value between the near-field reflected power before and after repair, the determination unit determines that the bumper repair is inadequate and the radar device cannot properly detect the target object. An evaluation device equipped with the following features.

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