阅读说明：本技术 雷达的轴偏检测装置以及配备它的车载系统和雷达的轴偏检测方法 (Radar axis deviation detecting device, vehicle-mounted system equipped with the same, and radar axis deviation detecting method ) 是由 榎本良明 工藤真 于 2019-08-27 设计创作，主要内容包括：本发明提供一种可以在车辆行驶前检测到车辆的驻车中发生的雷达的轴偏的雷达的轴偏检测装置以及配备它的车载系统和雷达的轴偏检测方法。本发明中,轴偏检测装置(6)构成为执行第1处理、第2处理以及第3处理,所述第1处理是根据驾驶员下车时由雷达(5)获取到的第1周边物的数据来选定第1周边物当中满足静止而且不是移动对象这一条件的第1基准物,而且选定并存储第1基准物的相对位置,所述第2处理是在第1处理之后根据驾驶员上车时由雷达(5)获取到的第2周边物的数据来选定第2周边物当中满足静止而且不是移动对象这一条件的第2基准物,而且选定第2基准物的相对位置,所述第3处理是针对被判定为同一物标的第1基准物和第2基准物来比较它们的相对位置,由此来检测雷达(5)的轴偏。(The invention provides an off-axis detection device of a radar, an on-vehicle system equipped with the off-axis detection device and an off-axis detection method of the radar, wherein the off-axis of the radar generated during parking of a vehicle can be detected before the vehicle runs. In the present invention, an axis deviation detecting device (6) is configured to execute the 1 st process, the 2 nd process and the 3 rd process, the 1 st processing is to select the 1 st reference object satisfying the condition that the object is stationary and not a moving object among the 1 st peripheral objects based on the data of the 1 st peripheral objects acquired by the radar (5) when the driver gets off the vehicle, and the relative position of the 1 st reference object is selected and stored, the 2 nd processing is to select the 2 nd reference object satisfying the condition that it is stationary and not a moving object among the 2 nd peripheral objects based on the data of the 2 nd peripheral objects acquired by the radar (5) when the driver gets on the vehicle after the 1 st processing, the relative position of the 2 nd reference object is selected, and the 3 rd processing detects the misalignment of the radar (5) by comparing the relative positions of the 1 st reference object and the 2 nd reference object determined as the same object.)

1. An off-axis detection device for radar, which detects off-axis of radar mounted on a vehicle, is configured to execute the 1 st process, the 2 nd process and the 3 rd process,

the 1 st process is to select a 1 st reference object that satisfies a condition that the object is stationary and not a moving object among the 1 st peripheral objects based on data of the 1 st peripheral objects acquired by the radar when the driver gets off the vehicle from the vehicle, and to select and store a relative position of the 1 st reference object among relative positions of the 1 st peripheral objects acquired by the radar when the driver gets off the vehicle,

the 2 nd process is to select, after the 1 st process, a 2 nd reference object that satisfies a condition of being stationary and not being a moving object among the 2 nd peripheral objects from the data of the 2 nd peripheral objects acquired by the radar when the driver sits in the vehicle, and to select the relative position of the 2 nd reference object among the relative positions of the 2 nd peripheral objects acquired by the radar when the driver sits in the vehicle,

the 3 rd process is to determine whether the 1 st reference object and the 2 nd reference object are the same target object, and detect an off-axis of the radar by comparing relative positions of the 1 st reference object and the 2 nd reference object determined to be the same target object.

2. The radar axis deviation detecting apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the 4 th process and the 5 th process are executed,

the 4 th process is to determine whether the misalignment of the radar is within a correctable range,

the 5 th process is to output a correction instruction of the reference axis of the radar when the misalignment of the radar is within a correctable range.

3. The radar axis deviation detecting apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the processing is configured to execute processing No. 6,

the 6 th process is to output an alarm command when the radar axis deviation is not within a correctable range.

4. An in-vehicle system, comprising:

a radar that detects a peripheral object present in the periphery of the vehicle;

an electronic control unit that controls driving assistance or automatic driving of the vehicle according to data of the surrounding object acquired by the radar; and

an off-axis detection device that detects an off-axis of the radar, the in-vehicle system being characterized in that,

the misalignment detection device is configured to execute a 1 st process, a 2 nd process, a 3 rd process, a 4 th process, a 5 th process, and a 6 th process,

the 1 st process is to select a 1 st reference object that satisfies a condition that the object is stationary and not a moving object among the 1 st peripheral objects based on data of the 1 st peripheral objects acquired by the radar when the driver gets off the vehicle from the vehicle, and to select and store a relative position of the 1 st reference object among relative positions of the 1 st peripheral objects acquired by the radar when the driver gets off the vehicle,

the 2 nd process is to select, after the 1 st process, a 2 nd reference object that satisfies a condition of being stationary and not being a moving object among the 2 nd peripheral objects from the data of the 2 nd peripheral objects acquired by the radar when the driver sits in the vehicle, and to select the relative position of the 2 nd reference object among the relative positions of the 2 nd peripheral objects acquired by the radar when the driver sits in the vehicle,

the 3 rd process is to determine whether the 1 st reference object and the 2 nd reference object are the same target object, and detect an off-axis of the radar by comparing relative positions of the 1 st reference object and the 2 nd reference object determined to be the same target object,

the 4 th process is to determine whether the misalignment of the radar is within a correctable range,

the 5 th process is to output a correction instruction of a reference axis of the radar when the misalignment of the axis of the radar is within a correctable range,

the 6 th process is to output an alarm command when the misalignment of the radar is not within a correctable range, and output information of the misalignment of the radar to the electronic control unit,

the electronic control unit is configured to execute a 7 th process, an 8 th process, and a 9 th process,

the 7 th process is to determine whether or not an undetected area is generated based on information of the radar's misalignment,

the 8 th process is to determine whether the non-detection area would cause an obstacle to control of driving assistance or automatic driving of the vehicle when the non-detection area is generated,

the 9 th process is to restrict traveling of the vehicle when the non-detection area may cause an obstacle to control of driving assistance or automated driving of the vehicle.

5. An off-axis detection method for a radar for detecting an off-axis of a radar mounted on a vehicle, characterized by executing a 1 st process, a 2 nd process and a 3 rd process,

the 1 st process is to select a 1 st reference object that satisfies a condition that the object is stationary and not a moving object among the 1 st peripheral objects based on data of the 1 st peripheral objects acquired by the radar when the driver gets off the vehicle from the vehicle, and to select and store a relative position of the 1 st reference object among relative positions of the 1 st peripheral objects acquired by the radar when the driver gets off the vehicle,

the 2 nd process is to select, after the 1 st process, a 2 nd reference object that satisfies a condition of being stationary and not being a moving object among the 2 nd peripheral objects from the data of the 2 nd peripheral objects acquired by the radar when the driver sits in the vehicle, and to select the relative position of the 2 nd reference object among the relative positions of the 2 nd peripheral objects acquired by the radar when the driver sits in the vehicle,

the 3 rd process is to determine whether the 1 st reference object and the 2 nd reference object are the same target object, and detect an off-axis of the radar by comparing relative positions of the 1 st reference object and the 2 nd reference object determined to be the same target object.

6. The radar axis deviation detecting method according to claim 5, wherein a 4 th process and a 5 th process are performed,

the 4 th process is to determine whether the misalignment of the radar is within a correctable range,

the 5 th process is to output a correction instruction of the reference axis of the radar when the misalignment of the radar is within a correctable range.

7. The radar axis deviation detecting method according to claim 6, wherein a 6 th process is performed,

the 6 th process is to output an alarm command when the radar axis deviation is not within a correctable range.

8. The radar axis deviation detecting method according to claim 7, wherein 7 th, 8 th, and 9 th processes are performed,

the 7 th process is to determine whether or not an undetected area is generated from information of an misalignment of the radar when the misalignment of the radar is not within a correctable range,

the 8 th process is to determine whether the non-detection area would cause an obstacle to control of driving assistance or automatic driving of the vehicle when the non-detection area is generated,

the 9 th process is to restrict traveling of the vehicle when the non-detection area may cause an obstacle to control of driving assistance or automated driving of the vehicle.

Technical Field

The present invention relates to an off-axis detection device for radar, a vehicle-mounted system equipped with the same, and an off-axis detection method for radar.

Background

In recent years, in-vehicle systems for performing driving assistance or automatic driving of a vehicle have been developed. The vehicle-mounted system includes, for example, a radar that detects a peripheral object (specifically, another vehicle, a person, a roadside structure, or the like) present in the periphery of the vehicle, and an electronic control unit that controls driving assistance or automatic driving of the vehicle based on data of the peripheral object acquired by the radar.

The radar is attached to the vehicle such that a reference axis (in other words, a central axis of the detection area) is oriented in a predetermined direction. The radar acquires data (specifically, relative position or the like) of a peripheral object by transmitting an electromagnetic wave (specifically, an electric wave or light) to the periphery of the vehicle and receiving a reflected wave from the peripheral object. If the radar is misaligned for some reason, an error occurs in data of a peripheral object acquired by the radar, and the driving assistance or automatic driving control of the vehicle is affected.

Patent document 1 discloses a method of correcting a reference axis of a radar mounted on a vehicle. In this method, assuming that the vehicle stops at a predetermined position, the corner reflector is provided in advance at a predetermined relative position. The radar receives the reflected wave from the corner reflector, thereby acquiring the azimuth of the corner reflector, and thereby correcting the reference axis accordingly.

Documents of the prior art

Patent document

Patent document 1: japanese patent laid-open No. 2003-270327

Disclosure of Invention

Problems to be solved by the invention

Further, for example, when the vehicle is parked in a public parking area, the vehicle may be deformed by the collision of an object and the radar may be misaligned in the period from when the driver gets off the vehicle to when the driver gets on the vehicle again. Further, even if the radar is misaligned, the driver may not be aware of the misalignment. In the method described in patent document 1, it is impossible to detect and correct the misalignment of the radar without driving the vehicle to a specific place where the corner reflector is provided in advance.

The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and an object thereof is to provide an off-axis detection device for a radar, which can detect an off-axis of the radar occurring while a vehicle is parked before the vehicle travels, an on-vehicle system equipped with the same, and an off-axis detection method for a radar.

Means for solving the problems

In order to achieve the above object, a representative invention is an eccentricity detection device that detects an eccentricity of a radar mounted on a vehicle, the eccentricity detection device being configured to execute a 1 st process, a 2 nd process, and a 3 rd process, the 1 st process being a process of selecting a 1 st reference object that satisfies a condition that the 1 st reference object is stationary and not a moving object among the 1 st peripheral objects based on data of the 1 st peripheral object acquired by a driver from the radar when the vehicle is unloaded, and selecting and storing a relative position of the 1 st reference object among relative positions of the 1 st peripheral objects acquired by the radar when the driver is unloaded from the vehicle, the 2 nd process being a process of selecting a 2 nd reference object that satisfies a condition that the 2 nd peripheral object is stationary and not a moving object among the 2 nd peripheral objects based on data of the 2 nd peripheral object acquired by the radar when the driver sits in the vehicle after the 1 st process, and a relative position of the 2 nd reference object among relative positions of the 2 nd peripheral object acquired by the radar when the driver sits in the vehicle is selected, wherein the 3 rd process is to determine whether the 1 st reference object and the 2 nd reference object are the same target object, and to detect an off-axis of the radar by comparing relative positions of the 1 st reference object and the 2 nd reference object determined to be the same target object.

ADVANTAGEOUS EFFECTS OF INVENTION

According to the present invention, it is possible to detect the misalignment of the radar occurring in the parking of the vehicle before the vehicle travels.

Drawings

Fig. 1 is a block diagram showing a configuration of an in-vehicle system according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 2 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a radar unit according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 3 is a plan view of a vehicle showing an arrangement of radars and a detection area of the radars in an embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 4 is a flowchart showing preprocessing executed when the driver gets off the vehicle in the processing of the misalignment detection device in the embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 5 is a plan view of a vehicle showing a specific example of a peripheral object detected by a radar in an embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 6 is a flowchart showing a post-process executed when the driver sits in the vehicle among the processes of the misalignment detection device in the embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 7 is a plan view of a vehicle for explaining a specific example of the misalignment of the radar axis in the embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 8 is a block diagram showing a configuration of an in-vehicle system according to a modification of the present invention.

Fig. 9 is a flowchart showing a process of the electronic control unit in another modification of the present invention.

Fig. 10 is a plan view of a vehicle for explaining a specific example of a non-detection region due to an off-axis of a radar in another modification of the present invention.

Detailed Description

An embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

Fig. 1 is a block diagram showing a configuration of an in-vehicle system according to the present embodiment. Fig. 2 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a radar unit in the present embodiment. Fig. 3 is a plan view of a vehicle showing the arrangement of the radar and the detection area of the radar in the present embodiment.

The in-vehicle system according to the present embodiment is mounted on a vehicle 1 (see fig. 3), and includes a plurality of radar units 3 and an Electronic Control Unit (ECU) 4 that are communicably connected to each other via a network 2. Each radar unit 3 includes a radar 5 and an axis deviation detection device 6. The electronic control unit 4 and the misalignment detection device 6 are constituted by a computer or the like.

As shown in fig. 3, for example, the plurality of radars 5 are disposed at the front right side, the rear left side, the front left side, and the front center of the vehicle 1 so as to be housed in the bumper of the vehicle 1, and detect peripheral objects (specifically, other vehicles, people, structures on the road side, and the like) present in the detection region 7 at the front right side, the detection region 8 at the rear right side, the detection region 9 at the rear left side, the detection region 10 at the front left side, and the detection region 11 at the front center of the vehicle 1. The radar 5 is, for example, a millimeter wave radar using a millimeter wave (in other words, a radio wave of a high frequency), and transmits a radio wave to the periphery of the vehicle 1 and receives a reflected wave from a peripheral object, thereby acquiring data of the peripheral object.

The radar 5 includes a Radio Frequency module (RF) 12, a signal processing board 13, a control board 14 connected to the network 2 and controlling the Radio Frequency module 12 and the signal processing board 13, and the like. The high frequency module 12 includes an antenna for transmitting and receiving radio waves and a Monolithic Microwave Integrated Circuit (MMIC) for converting radio waves received by the antenna (in other words, reflected waves from peripheral objects) into electric signals. The signal processing board 13 performs processing such as Fast Fourier Transform (FFT) on the electric signal from the high-frequency module 12. Thereby, data (specifically, relative position, relative velocity, radar cross-sectional area, and the like) of the peripheral object is acquired.

The electronic control unit 4 controls driving assistance or automatic driving of the vehicle 1 by inputting data of surrounding objects from the radar 5 via the network 2. The driving assistance and the automatic driving-related control of the vehicle 1 are well known, and therefore, the description thereof is omitted.

The plurality of misalignment detection devices 6, which are essential parts of the present embodiment, input data of peripheral objects from the plurality of radars 5, and detect the misalignment of the plurality of radars 5, respectively, based on the input data. The misalignment detection device 6 has a functional configuration including a reference object selection unit 15, a database (DB: Data Base)16, a storage unit 17, a common target object determination unit 18, a misalignment detection unit 19, and a correction determination unit 20. The database 16 and the storage unit 17 are configured by a flash memory or the like.

The database 16 stores reference information for determining whether or not a peripheral object is a moving object in advance. Specifically, for example, a Radar Cross Section (RCS) of a moving object (more specifically, another vehicle, a person, or the like) corresponding to the frequency of the radio wave used by the Radar 5 is stored in advance. For example, when the frequency of the electric wave used by the radar 5 is 76GHz, the radar cross-sectional area of other vehicles is 5-15 dBsm, and the radar cross-sectional area of people is-10-0 dBsm.

The processing of the misalignment detection device 6 is roughly divided into preprocessing performed when the driver gets off the vehicle 1 and post-processing thereafter performed when the driver sits in the vehicle 1. First, preprocessing performed when the driver gets off the vehicle 1 will be described. Fig. 4 is a flowchart showing preprocessing executed when the driver gets off the vehicle in the processing of the misalignment detection device in the present embodiment.

The misalignment detection device 6 determines that the driver has got OFF the vehicle 1 when, for example, information on ignition OFF (engine stop) and information on the opening operation of the door, the closing operation of the door thereafter, and the lock-down operation of the door thereafter are input via the network 2. Thereby, the pretreatment shown in fig. 4 is started.

First, in step S101, the reference object selection unit 15 of the misalignment detection device 6 determines whether or not data of a peripheral object is input from the radar 5 when the driver gets off the vehicle 1.

For example, when the vehicle 1 is parked in an open space, no surrounding object is present in the detection area of the radar 5. In this case, since the data of the peripheral object is not input, the determination in step S101 is no, and the preprocessing is ended.

For example, as shown in fig. 5, when the vehicle 1 is parked in a public parking area, the metal fence 21A and the light pole 22 exist in the detection area 7 on the front right side, the metal fence 21A and the light pole 22 exist in the detection area 8 on the rear right side, the logo 23, the other vehicle 24, and the metal fence 21B exist in the detection area 9 on the rear left side, the other vehicle 24, the metal fence 21B, the person 25, and the building 26A exist in the detection area 10 on the front left side, and the building 26B and the metal fence 21A exist in the detection area 11 on the front center. In this case, since the data of the peripheral object is input, the determination in step S101 is yes, and the process proceeds to step S102. The peripheral object detected by the radar 5 when the driver gets off the vehicle 1 will be referred to as a 1 st peripheral object hereinafter.

In step S102, the reference object selection unit 15 of the misalignment detection device 6 determines whether or not the 1 st peripheral object is stationary based on the relative speed of the 1 st peripheral object acquired by the radar 5.

The reference object selecting unit 15 determines whether or not the 1 st peripheral object is a moving object based on whether or not the radar cross-sectional area of the 1 st peripheral object acquired by the radar 5 matches the radar cross-sectional area of the moving object stored in advance in the database 16. Then, the reference object selecting unit 15 selects the 1 st reference object that satisfies the condition that the 1 st peripheral object is stationary and not a moving object.

To explain using a specific example of the peripheral object shown in fig. 5, among the metal fence 21A and the street lamp pole 22 existing in the detection area 7 on the front right side, the metal fence 21A and the street lamp pole 22 are selected as the 1 st reference object. Among the metal fence 21A and the light pole 22 existing in the detection area 8 on the rear right side, the metal fence 21A and the light pole 22 are selected as the 1 st reference. The logo 23 and the metal fence 21B are selected as the 1 st reference object from the logo 23, the other vehicles 24 and the metal fence 21B existing in the rear left detection area 9. Of the other vehicles 24, the metal fence 21B, the person 25, and the building 26A existing in the detection area 10 on the front left side, the metal fence 21B and the building 26A are selected as the 1 st reference object. Of the building 26B and the metal fence 21A existing in the detection area 11 at the front center, the building 26B and the metal fence 21A are selected as the 1 st reference.

The process proceeds to step S103, and the reference object selection unit 15 of the misalignment detection device 6 determines whether or not the 1 st reference object is present. If the 1 st reference object is not present, the determination in step S103 is no, and the preprocessing is ended. On the other hand, if the 1 st reference object is present, the determination in step S103 is yes, and the process proceeds to step S104.

In step S104, the reference object selection unit 15 of the misalignment detection device 6 selects and stores the relative position of the 1 st reference object in the storage unit 17, out of the relative positions of the 1 st peripheral objects acquired by the radar 5. The reference object selection unit 15 of the misalignment detection device 6 may select and store the shape and size (or radar cross-sectional area) of the 1 st reference object in the storage unit 17, not just the relative position of the 1 st reference object.

Next, the post-processing executed when the driver sits in the vehicle 1 will be described. Fig. 6 is a flowchart showing a post-process executed when the driver sits in the vehicle among the processes of the misalignment detection device in the present embodiment.

The misalignment detection device 6 determines that the driver is seated in the vehicle 1 when, for example, information on the unlocking operation of the door is input via the network 2. Thereby, the post-processing shown in fig. 6 is started.

First, in step S201, the reference object selection unit 15 of the misalignment detection device 6 determines whether or not data of a peripheral object is input from the radar 5 when the driver sits in the vehicle 1. If the data of the peripheral object is not input from the radar 5, the determination in step S201 is no, and the post-processing is ended. On the other hand, when the data of the peripheral object is input from the radar 5, the determination in step S201 is yes, and the process proceeds to step S202. The peripheral object detected by the radar 5 when the driver sits in the vehicle 1 will be referred to as "2 nd peripheral object" hereinafter.

In step S202, the reference object selection unit 15 of the misalignment detection device 6 determines whether or not the 2 nd peripheral object is stationary based on the relative speed of the 2 nd peripheral object acquired by the radar 5.

The reference object selecting unit 15 determines whether or not the 2 nd peripheral object is a moving object based on whether or not the radar cross-sectional area of the 2 nd peripheral object acquired by the radar 5 matches the radar cross-sectional area of the moving object stored in advance in the database 16. Then, the reference object selection unit 15 selects the 2 nd reference object that satisfies the condition that the 2 nd peripheral object is stationary and not a moving object.

Thereafter, the process proceeds to step S203, and the reference object selection unit 15 of the misalignment detection device 6 determines the presence or absence of the 2 nd reference object. If there is no 2 nd reference object, the determination in step S203 is no, and the post-processing is terminated. On the other hand, if the 2 nd reference substance is present, the determination in step S203 is yes, and the process proceeds to step S204. In step S204, the reference object selection unit 15 of the misalignment detection device 6 selects the relative position of the 2 nd reference object in the data of the 2 nd peripheral object acquired by the radar 5. The reference object selection unit 15 of the misalignment detection device 6 may select the shape and size (or radar cross-sectional area) of the 2 nd reference object instead of the relative position of the 2 nd reference object.

Thereafter, the process proceeds to step S205, and the identical object determination unit 18 of the misalignment detection device 6 determines whether or not the 1 st reference object and the 2 nd reference object are identical objects, based on whether or not the difference between the relative position of the 1 st reference object stored in the storage unit 17 in step S104 and the relative position of the 2 nd reference object selected in step S204 is within a predetermined range set in advance, for example. The identical object determination unit 18 of the misalignment detection device 6 may determine whether or not the 1 st reference object and the 2 nd reference object are identical objects based on whether or not the shape and size (or the radar cross-sectional area) of the 1 st reference object stored in the storage unit 17 in step S104 are similar to the shape and size (or the radar cross-sectional area) of the 2 nd reference object selected in step S204.

Thereafter, the process proceeds to step S206, and the identical object determining unit 18 of the misalignment detection device 6 determines whether or not the identical object is present. If there is no target object, the determination at step S206 is no, and the post-processing is terminated. On the other hand, if the same target object is present, the determination in step S206 is yes, and the process proceeds to step S207.

In step S207, the misalignment detection unit 19 of the misalignment detection device 6 determines that the target object is the same as the target objectThe 1 st reference object and the 2 nd reference object of (a) are compared with each other in their relative positions (in particular, relative directions), and the axial displacement of the radar 5 (more specifically, the displacement angle of the reference axis in at least one of the horizontal direction and the vertical direction) is detected. Thereafter, the process proceeds to step S208, and the misalignment detection unit 19 of the misalignment detection device 6 determines whether or not there is misalignment of the radar 5 based on whether or not the misalignment angle of the reference axis of the radar 5 is equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold value. If there is no misalignment of the radar 5 (in other words, if the offset angle of the reference axis is less than the threshold), the determination at step S208 is no, and the post-processing is terminated. On the other hand, as shown in fig. 7, for example, the radar 5 mounted on the front right side of the vehicle 1 is misaligned (specifically, the offset angle θ of the reference axis in the horizontal direction)_A) When the detection area 7 is shifted to the detection area 7A, the relative position 27 of the lamp post 22 is shifted to the relative position 27A. Then, when the radar 5 is misaligned (in other words, when the offset angle of the reference axis is equal to or larger than the threshold value), the determination at step S208 is yes, and the process proceeds to step S209.

In step S209, the correction determination unit 20 of the misalignment detection device 6 determines whether or not the misalignment of the radar 5 is within a range that can be corrected by software. If the misalignment of the radar 5 is within the correctable range, the determination at step S209 is yes, and the process proceeds to step S210.

In step S210, the correction determination unit 20 of the misalignment detection device 6 outputs a reference axis correction command to the radar 5. The control board 14 of the radar 5 corrects the reference axis (in other words, the central axis of the detection region) in accordance with the correction command.

On the other hand, if the misalignment of the radar 5 is not within the correctable range, the determination at step S209 is no, and the process proceeds to step S211. In step S211, the correction determination unit 20 of the misalignment detection device 6 outputs an alarm command to an alarm (specifically, a display, a buzzer, or the like) to generate an alarm. The correction determination unit 20 of the misalignment detection device 6 outputs a travel restriction command to the electronic control unit 4 via the network 2 to restrict the travel of the vehicle 1.

As described above, in the present embodiment, the misalignment of the radar 5 occurring while the vehicle 1 is parked can be detected before the vehicle 1 travels. Further, if the misalignment of the radar 5 is within the range that can be corrected by software, the misalignment of the radar 5 is corrected by software, and therefore, errors in data of peripheral objects can be eliminated. On the other hand, if the misalignment of the radar 5 is not within the range that can be corrected by software, the driver can be informed of the need for hardware adjustment by warning.

In the above-described embodiment, the case where the reference object selection unit 15 of the misalignment detection device 6 determines whether or not the peripheral object is a moving object based on whether or not the radar scattering cross-sectional area of the peripheral object acquired by the radar 5 matches the radar scattering cross-sectional area of the moving object stored in advance in the database 16 has been described as an example, but the present invention is not limited thereto, and modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. For example, the reference object selection unit 15 of the misalignment detection device 6 may determine whether or not the peripheral object is a moving object based on whether or not the radar cross-sectional area of the peripheral object acquired by the radar 5 is equal to or less than a predetermined value set in advance. Alternatively, the database 16 may store in advance the radar scattering cross-sectional area of the non-moving object corresponding to the frequency of the electric wave used by the radar 5. Then, the reference object selecting unit 15 of the misalignment detection device 6 can determine whether or not the peripheral object is a non-moving object based on whether or not the radar cross-sectional area of the peripheral object acquired by the radar 5 matches the radar cross-sectional area of the non-moving object stored in advance in the database 16.

Alternatively, the database 16 may store the shape and size of the moving object in advance. Then, the reference object selecting unit 15 of the misalignment detection device 6 can determine whether or not the peripheral object is a moving object based on whether or not the shape and size of the peripheral object acquired by the radar 5 are similar to those of the moving object stored in advance in the database 16. Alternatively, the database 16 may also store the shape and size of the non-moving objects in advance. Then, the reference object selecting unit 15 of the misalignment detection device 6 can determine whether or not the peripheral object is a non-moving object based on whether or not the shape and size of the peripheral object acquired by the radar 5 are similar to the shape of the non-moving object stored in advance in the database 16.

In the above-described embodiment, the case where the in-vehicle system includes the plurality of radar units 3 and the electronic control unit 4 that are connected to each other so as to be communicable via the network 2 (in other words, the case where the in-vehicle system includes the plurality of misalignment detection devices 6 that respectively detect the misalignments of the plurality of radars 5) has been described as an example, but the present invention is not limited thereto, and modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the technical idea of the present invention. For example, as in the modification shown in fig. 8, the in-vehicle system may include a plurality of radars 5, an misalignment detection device 6A, and an electronic control unit 4 that are connected so as to be able to communicate with each other via a network 2 (in other words, may include 1 misalignment detection device 6A that detects misalignment of the plurality of radars 5). In the present modification, the same effects as those of the above-described embodiment can be obtained.

The misalignment detection device 6A can detect misalignment of the radar 5 by comparing relative positions of the reference objects acquired by the 2 radars 5 with respect to the reference objects existing in the portions where the detection areas of the 2 radars 5 overlap.

In the above-described embodiment and the above-described modification, the case where the correction determining unit 20 of the misalignment detection device 6 or 6A outputs the travel restriction command to the electronic control unit 4 via the network 2 to restrict the travel of the vehicle 1 when the misalignment of the radar 5 is not within the correctable range has been described as an example, but the present invention is not limited thereto, and modifications may be made within a range not departing from the spirit and technical idea of the present invention. For example, the correction determining unit 20 of the misalignment detection device 6 or 6A may output information of the misalignment of the radar 5 to the electronic control unit 4 via the network 2 when the misalignment of the radar 5 is not within the correctable range. The processing of the electronic control unit 4 in the modification will be described with reference to fig. 9 and 10. Fig. 9 is a flowchart showing the processing of the electronic control unit in the present modification.

In step S301, the electronic control unit 4 determines whether or not information on the misalignment of the radar 5 is input. If the information of the misalignment of the radar 5 is not input, the determination in step S301 is no, and the process ends. On the other hand, when the information of the misalignment of the radar 5 is input, the determination in step S301 is yes, and the process proceeds to step S302.

In step S302, the electronic control unit 4 determines whether or not the undetected area is generated from the information of the misalignment of the radar 5. If no undetected area is generated, the determination in step S302 is no, and the process ends. On the other hand, as shown in fig. 10, for example, the radar 5 mounted on the front right side of the vehicle 1 is misaligned (specifically, the offset angle θ of the reference axis in the horizontal direction)_B) When the detection region 7 is shifted to the detection region 7B, a non-detection region 28 is generated between the detection region 7B and the adjacent detection region 11. When such an undetected region occurs, the determination at step S302 is yes, and the process proceeds to step S303.

In step S303, the electronic control unit 4 determines whether the undetected area may hinder the control of the driving assistance or the automated driving of the vehicle 1. Specifically, it is determined whether the undetected area is at a position where it would cause an obstacle to the driving assistance or the control of the automated driving of the vehicle 1 or at a size where it would cause an obstacle to the driving assistance or the control of the automated driving of the vehicle 1. If the undetected area does not hinder the control of the driving assistance or the automated driving of the vehicle 1, the determination at step S303 is no, and the process ends. On the other hand, if the non-detection region may hinder the control of the driving assistance or the automated driving of the vehicle 1, the determination at step S303 is yes, and the process proceeds to step S304. In step S304, the electronic control unit 4 restricts the travel of the vehicle 1.

In the above-described embodiment and the above-described modified examples, the case where the radar 5 is a millimeter wave radar is described as an example, but the present invention is not limited thereto, and modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. The radar 5 may be, for example, a laser radar using a laser (in other words, light).

In the above-described embodiment and the above-described modification, although not particularly described, the in-vehicle system may include a camera that captures an image of the periphery of the vehicle 1 and an image processing device that processes the image of the camera to detect a peripheral object. Then, the electronic control unit 4 can control the driving assistance or the automatic driving of the vehicle 1 based on the data of the surrounding objects acquired by the image processing device. The in-vehicle System may further include a vehicle position acquiring device for acquiring the position of the vehicle 1 by a Positioning System (GPS) and a map information storage device for storing map information. Then, the electronic control unit 4 may control driving assistance or automatic driving of the vehicle 1 according to the position of the vehicle 1 and the map information.

Description of the symbols

1 … vehicle

5 … radar

6. 6A … off-axis detection device

21A, 21B … metal fence (periphery, standard)

22 … road lamp post (periphery object, standard object)

23 … logo (peripheromone, benchmark)

24 … other vehicles (surroundings)

25 … human being (peripheral article)

26A, 26B … building (reference).