Patent ID: 8055428
Filing Date: 2011-11-08
Classification: G01C

Abstract:
1. A vehicle peripheral monitoring apparatus, comprising: a forward monitoring unit that monitors an obstacle within a predetermined forward area extending in a direction forward of an own vehicle; one or a plurality of forward-lateral monitoring units that monitor an obstacle within a predetermined forward-lateral area extending in a direction lateral of the own vehicle relative to the predetermined forward area; and a traveling environment detecting unit that detects whether the own vehicle is traveling on a predetermined road including a highway, whether the own vehicle is traveling in a predetermined area, including a junction, of the predetermined road, and a lane on which the own vehicle is traveling on, wherein the monitoring with the forward-lateral monitoring units is suppressed when the traveling environment detecting unit detects that the own vehicle is traveling on the predetermined road including a highway, a level of the suppressing of the monitoring with the forward-lateral monitoring units is eased when the traveling environment detecting unit detects that the own vehicle is traveling in a predetermined area, including the junction, of the predetermined road, and when the traveling environment detecting unit detects that the own vehicle is traveling on a junction-side lane, an output and/or sensitivity of the forward monitoring unit is increased relative to a case when the traveling environment detecting unit detects that the own vehicle is not traveling on the junction-side lane.