Patent ID: 11958481
Assignee: SUBARU CORPORATION
Field: Transport (Mechanical engineering)
Classification: CPC B  G | IPC B

Claim 0:
1. A surrounding moving object detector for a vehicle comprising:
a vehicle traveling information acquiring sensor configured to acquire vehicle traveling information including data on a traveling position of the vehicle;
a contact sensor configured to detect a first contact between the vehicle and another object when an output value from a sensor installed in the vehicle is greater than a first threshold, wherein the first threshold is a default threshold, and wherein the first contact requires use of an airbag to protect an occupant of the vehicle;
a surrounding object detection radar configured to acquire surrounding object information on objects present around the traveling position;
a relative speed detection processor configured to detect a relative speed between the vehicle and a moving object present around the traveling position detected on a basis of the surrounding object information, wherein the moving object is a pedestrian or cyclist;
a determination threshold changing processor configured to:
change the first threshold to a second threshold less than the first threshold in response to the relative speed being greater than or equal to a threshold speed, wherein the second threshold is set to a current threshold; and
change the first threshold to a third threshold less than the second threshold in response to the relative speed being less than the threshold speed, wherein the third threshold is set to the current threshold;

a traveling course prediction processor configured to calculate a future traveling course of the vehicle on a basis of the vehicle traveling information and calculate a future traveling course of the moving object; and
a contact possibility calculation processor configured to calculate an estimated time-to-contact between the vehicle and the moving object on a basis of the future traveling course of the vehicle and the future traveling course of the moving object, wherein the estimated time-to-contact is an estimated time until the vehicle contacts the moving object,
wherein the determination threshold changing processor is further configured to:
change the current threshold that is the second or third threshold to a fourth threshold less than the third threshold in response to the estimated time-to-contact being equal to or shorter than a first reference time, wherein the fourth threshold is set to the current threshold;
maintain the current threshold in response to the estimated time-to-contact being longer than the first reference time, and shorter than a second reference time that is longer than the first reference time; and
change the current threshold to the first threshold in response to the estimated time-to-contact being equal to or longer than the second reference time, wherein the first threshold is set to the current threshold, and

wherein the contact sensor is configured to detect the contact between the vehicle and the another object when the output value from the sensor is greater than the current threshold.