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US6683969B1 Expired / Lapsed US ⏱️ 0.0 years remaining

Object detection system

Assignee: Honda Motor Co Ltd
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Filing: 2000-05-10
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Granted: 2004-01-27
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Expires: 2020-05-10
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Abstract

Abstract An object detection system comprises a physical object recognition unit which recognizes physical objects outside the vehicle, and a physical object memory which stores information concerning the physical objects. A controller recognizes presence of a physical object when the physical object is sensed by one or more sensors a predetermined number of times, which is larger for a central portion of the detecting area than for a peripheral portion of the detecting area. The system includes a memory for storing information about the physical objects. The controller holds the physical object stored in the memory indicating that the physical object is existent until the controller fails to recognize presence of the corresponding physical object a predetermined number of recognition cycles.

Inventors

  • 👤 Morimichi Nishigaki
  • 👤 Masakazu Saka

Bibliographic Details

Application Number —
Jurisdiction US
Data Source google_patents
Last Synchronized 2026-10-26 16:32
CPC Classifications
B; B60; B60K; B60K31/00; B60K31/0008; B60Q; B60Q9/00; B60Q9/008; G; G06; G06V; G06V10/00; G06V10/20; G06V10/22; G06V20/00; G06V20/50; G06V20/56; G06V20/58; G08; G08G; G08G1/00; G08G1/16; G08G1/166; B60W; B60W2554/00; B60W2554/80; B60W2554/801

Claims Analysis

Total Claims: 13
Claim 1
Independent Claim 71 words
An object recognition system mounted on a vehicle, comprising: at least one sensor for sensing a physical object in a predetermined detecting area; and a controller for recognizing presence of a physical object when the physical object is sensed by said sensor a predetermined number of times, said predetermined number of times being larger for a central portion of the detecting area than for a peripheral portion of the detecting area.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim 71 words
An object recognition system mounted on a vehicle, comprising: at least one sensor for sensing a physical object in a predetermined detecting area; and a controller for recognizing presence of a physical object when the physical object is sensed by said sensor a predetermined number of times, said predetermined number of times being larger for a central portion of the detecting area than for a peripheral portion of the detecting area.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim 23 words
The system of claim 1 , wherein said at least one sensor comprises two image sensors for capturing image of the detecting area.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim 23 words
The system of claim 2 , wherein said controller determines road area based on brightness values of respective windows of the captured image.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim 49 words
The system of claim 3 , wherein said controller progressively compares brightness values of respective windows using a window corresponding to an area near the vehicle as a reference window, said reference window being progressively replaced by a window that is newly identified as belonging to the road area.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim 41 words
The system of claim 4 , wherein said controller identifies a window whose brightness value differs from that of progressively replaced reference window by more than a predetermined value as belonging to a physical object or a mark on the road.
Claim 7
Independent Claim 76 words
A method for recognizing an object from a moving vehicle, comprising the steps of: capturing an image of a predetermined detecting area; processing the image to distinguish a physical object from a road area; and recognizing presence of a physical object when the physical object is detected a predetermined number of times, said predetermined number of times being larger for a central portion of the detecting area than for a peripheral portion of the detecting area.
Claim 8
Independent Claim 76 words
A method for recognizing an object from a moving vehicle, comprising the steps of: capturing an image of a predetermined detecting area; processing the image to distinguish a physical object from a road area; and recognizing presence of a physical object when the physical object is detected a predetermined number of times, said predetermined number of times being larger for a central portion of the detecting area than for a peripheral portion of the detecting area.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim 27 words
The method of claim 6 , wherein the physical object is distinguished from the road area based on brightness values of respective windows of the captured image.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim 55 words
The method of claim 6 , wherein the step of processing includes the step of progressively comparing brightness values of respective windows using a window corresponding to an area near the vehicle as a reference window, said reference window being progressively replaced by a window that is newly identified as belonging to the road area.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim 48 words
The method of claim 8 , wherein the step of processing includes the step of identifying a window whose brightness value differs from that of the progressively replaced reference window by more than a predetermined value as belonging to a physical object or a mark on the road.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim 21 words
The system of claim 1 , wherein said predetermined detecting area comprises a plurality of regions having a plurality of shapes.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim 21 words
The method of claim 6 , wherein said predetermined detecting area comprises a plurality of regions having a plurality of shapes.

References Cited (Backward Citations)

US4622636A Cited
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JPH06150196A Cited
USRE37610E1 Cited
US6088468A Cited
JPH0979821A Cited
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows

Annuity Stage Window Opens Payment Deadline Surcharge Period Until Estimated Fee Status
3.5 Years (Year 4) 2007-01-26 2007-07-28 2008-01-27 $2000.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8) 2011-01-26 2011-07-28 2012-01-27 $3760.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12) 2015-01-26 2015-07-28 2016-01-27 $7700.00 Window Closed / Lapsed

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