Patent ID: 8199046

Claim:
An object detection system comprising: a first object detection unit that detects an object in an area near the system using a radar; a second object detection unit that detects the object in the area near the system; and an object determination section that determines whether the object in the area near the system is a subject of detection, using a result of detection by the first object detection unit, wherein the object determination section treats the object as the subject of detection: if (i) an intensity of a radio wave from the object that is currently received by the first object detection unit is equal to or higher than a first threshold value; or if (ii) an intensity of a radio wave from the object that was received in the past by the first object detection unit was equal to or higher than the first threshold value and the intensity of the radio wave from the object that is currently received by the first object detection unit is equal to or higher than a second threshold value that is lower than the first threshold value, wherein the object determination section determines whether the object in the area near the system is the subject of detection, using a result of detection by the second object detection unit in addition to the result of detection by the first object detection unit, and wherein the object determination section treats the object as the subject of detection, if the object is being currently detected by the second object detection unit and the intensity of the radio wave from the object that is currently received by the first object detection unit is equal to or higher than the second threshold value.