Patent ID: 7262710

Claim:
A collision time estimation apparatus for vehicles that is provided in a vehicle and estimates a time of collision with an object, comprising: imaging means for picking up an image of an area around a vehicle; edge extraction means for extracting an edge image from the image picked up by the imaging means; edge width standardization means for standardizing an edge width of the edge image extracted by the edge extraction means; counting means for incrementing a count value corresponding to a position where the edge image standardized by the edge width standardization means is detected, and also initializing a count value corresponding to a position where the edge image standardized by the edge width standardization means is not detected; moving speed detection means for calculating a moving direction and moving speed of the edge image extracted by the edge extraction means based on an inclination of the count values; and collision time calculation means for calculating a time of collision with an object by utilizing the position and the moving speed of the edge image calculated by the moving speed detection means.