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

Claim 2:
3. A surrounding moving object detector for a vehicle comprising circuitry configured to:
acquire vehicle traveling information including data on a traveling position of the vehicle;
acquire contact information on 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;
acquire surrounding object information on objects present around the traveling position;
detect a relative speed between the vehicle and a moving object present around the traveling position on a basis of the surrounding object information, wherein the moving object is a pedestrian or cyclist;
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
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;

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