Vehicle Target Detection Using Collision Position and Optical Flow
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing target detection systems face challenges in accurately determining whether a target is a traversing pedestrian due to underestimation of transverse movement per unit of time when the distance between the target and the vehicle decreases, leading to potential inaccuracies in optical flow likelihood calculations.
Innovation Solution
A target detection apparatus equipped with a position-of-collision calculator and a first determiner, which assesses the expected position of collision and travel speed to determine if an accurate determination of a traversing target can be made based on optical flow, using a combination of millimeter-wave radar and image sensor data to adjust the optical flow likelihood calculation criteria.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Speed
If the distance between the target and the vehicle decreases, then the amount of receding movement per unit of time increases, but the optical flow likelihood becomes inaccurate leading to underestimation of transverse movement
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary determination of whether accurate traversing target detection can be made based on expected collision position and vehicle speed before calculating optical flow likelihood. This preliminary assessment prevents inaccurate calculations by identifying situations where the target distance is decreasing too rapidly, allowing the system to adjust its detection strategy in advance rather than attempting corrections after inaccurate data is collected.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the parameters used for determination by incorporating expected collision position and vehicle speed into the decision-making process. Instead of relying solely on optical flow calculations, the system adjusts its approach based on these additional parameters, switching between different detection methods or adjusting calculation criteria depending on the situation to maintain accuracy despite varying target distances.
2Measurement precision
If the target moves in a direction transverse to the forward direction at decreasing distance, then the amount of transverse movement per unit of time is underestimated, but accurate determination of traversing pedestrian becomes difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The system uses feedback from the expected collision position calculation and vehicle speed information to adjust its determination process. By continuously monitoring these parameters and comparing them against thresholds or criteria, the system can identify when transverse movement is being underestimated and compensate accordingly, improving the reliability of traversing pedestrian detection even in challenging scenarios where target distance is decreasing.
Solution Approach 2:
The system adds another dimension to the detection problem by incorporating expected collision position and vehicle speed as additional criteria for determination. Instead of relying solely on two-dimensional optical flow analysis, the system uses these additional dimensional parameters to make more accurate judgments about whether a target is a traversing pedestrian, effectively compensating for the underestimation of transverse movement in the traditional optical flow calculation.
Data Source
AI summary
In a target detection apparatus mounted in a vehicle, a target detector is configured to detect a target present in a forward direction of the vehicle based on image information acquired from an imager to capture images of a scene ahead of the vehicle. A position-of-collision calculator is configured to calculate an expected position of collision at which the target is expected to collide with the vehicle in the future based on a position of the target relative to the vehicle. A first determiner is configured to, based on the expected position of collision calculated by the position-of-collision calculator, determine whether or not a situation exists where a determination as to whether or not the target is a traversing target that is a target moving in a direction transverse to a forward direction of the vehicle can be made based on an optical flow of the target.