Patent ID: 8847792

Claim:
An object detection apparatus provided in a vehicle, the object detection apparatus comprising: a relative position detection section configured to radiate an electromagnetic wave to another vehicle present in front of the vehicle, and receive a reflection wave reflected from the other vehicle, thereby detecting the relative position of an electromagnetic wave reflection point on the other vehicle reflecting the electromagnetic wave, with respect to the vehicle; a movement amount estimation section configured to, based on the relative position of the electromagnetic wave reflection point with respect to the vehicle, estimate, as continuous values, a movement amount by which the electromagnetic wave reflection point will move on the other vehicle from a predetermined timing until the other vehicle approaches a vicinity of the vehicle; and a collision determination section configured to determine whether or not there is a possibility that the vehicle will collide with the other vehicle, based on the position of the electromagnetic wave reflection point and a collision determination reference that is set in advance, wherein the movement amount is calculated as a product of a width of the other vehicle, which is set in advance, and a reflection point movement rate, which is obtained in advance in accordance with the relative position, in a vehicle width direction of the vehicle, of the other vehicle with respect to the vehicle.