Patent ID: 7570198

Claim:
An obstacle recognition system comprising: a radar for detecting existence of an object around a vehicle; an image taking device for taking an image of the object; an obstacle detecting element for detecting an obstacle to travel of the vehicle on the basis of an output from the radar; and a criterion value changing element for selectively raising and lowering a criterion value in the obstacle detection of the obstacle detecting element on the basis of image information of the image taken by the image taking device, wherein when an obstacle indication is provided based on the image of the object, and a possibility of a presence of the obstacle is higher than a threshold value, the criterion value changing element reduces a determination threshold of detecting the obstacle, in order to change a likelihood of detecting the obstacle, and when the obstacle indication is provided based on the image of the object, and the possibility of the presence of the obstacle is low, the criterion value changing element increases the determination threshold of detecting the obstacle to change the likelihood of detecting the obstacle; an electronic control unit performing an obstacle absence flag operation and an obstacle presence flag operation based on the image of the object taken by the image taking device and estimating a magnitude that the determination threshold of detecting the obstacle should change based on a calculation of the number of obstacle absence flags and obstacle presence flags set; and a collision avoidance/relieving unit responsive to detection of a possible collision with the object, comprising at least one selected from the group consisting of an automatic brake control actuator, an automatic steering control actuator, an automatic head rest position movement actuator, or an automatic vehicle suspension characteristic change actuator; wherein a possibility of an activation of the collision avoidance/relieving unit is reduced when the possibility of the presence of the obstacle is lower than the threshold value, and the possibility of activation of the collision avoidance/relieving unit is increased when the possibility of the presence of the obstacle is higher than the threshold value.