Patent ID: 9002631
Filing Date: 2015-04-07
Classification: B60W,G01S,G08G

Abstract:
1. A vicinity environment estimation device that detects obstacles traveling in a vicinity of a host vehicle and notifies a user, the vicinity environment estimation device comprising: a plurality of obstacle detection portions that detect an obstacle present in a vicinity of a host vehicle; a no-entry region acquisition portion that acquires an untravelable region where it is not possible for a vehicle to travel; an estimation portion that, when a closed region surrounded by detectable regions of the plurality of obstacle detection portions and the untravelable region acquired by the no-entry region acquisition portion is formed, estimates presence of an obstacle in the closed region by managing the closed region and a result of detection of the obstacle detection portions in a time-series fashion; and a vehicle-to-vehicle communication instrument that receives from another vehicle a result of detection of obstacle detection portions, which detect an obstacle present in a vicinity of the other vehicle, mounted in the other vehicle and detectable regions of the obstacle detection portions mounted in the other vehicle, wherein when the vehicle-to-vehicle communication instrument receives the result of detection of the obstacle detection portions mounted in the other vehicle, and a closed region, which is surrounded by the detectable regions of the other vehicle is received by the vehicle-to-vehicle communication instrument, the detectable regions of the host vehicle, and the untravelable region is formed, the estimation device estimates presence of an obstacle in the closed region by managing, in a time-series fashion, the closed region and the result of detection of the obstacle detection portions in the host vehicle and the other vehicle received by the vehicle-to-vehicle communication instrument in a time-series fashion.