Abstract: A target object is tracked based on dimensional information of an observation space including a relative velocity of the target object with respect to a sensing device for observing a reflection wave from the target object. An estimation state is acquired by estimating a state of the target object at a specific time. A reflection source of the reflection wave that gives an observation point observed at the specific time is assumed with respect to the estimation state. A state validity of the estimation state is acquired. The estimation state is updated based on the state validity expressed including a difference between dimensional information of the reflection source projected onto the observation space in the estimation state and the observation information.

Abstract: A tracking apparatus which tracks a target includes a predilection unit, correction unit, and updating unit. The prediction unit predicts the state distribution of the target at a specific time. The correction unit, for at least one observation point of the target, that is observed at the specific time, uses a likelihood function to define a degree of certainty of the state distribution predicted by the prediction unit, and corrects the likelihood function depending on the number of observation points. The updating unit updates the state distribution at the specific time based on the likelihood function corrected by the correction unit.

Abstract: An acquiring unit acquires, for each of reflection points detected by a radar device, reflection point information including a horizontal angle, a vertical angle, and a relative speed. A converting unit converts each of the reflection points into three-dimensional coordinates. An extracting unit extracts stationary reflection points from the reflection points. An estimating unit uses a relational expression established among unknown parameters including a traveling direction vector and a moving speed of a moving body, three-dimensional coordinates of each of the stationary reflection points, and a relative speed of the stationary reflection point, to estimate the known parameters. A calculating unit determines an axial misalignment angle from the estimated unknown parameters.

Abstract: A technique of estimating a surrounding environment with higher accuracy from observation data obtained by using sensing equipment is disclosed. According to the technique, a certain pixel in an observation data space which includes the observation data obtained by a sensor 50 is sampled. With regard to the sampled pixel, a grid-unspecified logarithm-likelihood ratio indicating whether a received signal is a signal reflected from a detected object is calculated from an intensity value of the received signal, and a distribution function of an angle indicating the degree of dispersion centering on an azimuth angle is calculated. Then, the product of the grid-unspecified logarithm-likelihood ratio and the distribution function is calculated and thereby a calculation for updating an occupation probability of the object is performed across a plurality of grids in an occupancy grid map by using a value obtained by dispersing the likelihood using the distribution function.

Abstract: An acquiring unit acquires, for each of reflection points detected by a radar device, reflection point information including a horizontal angle, a vertical angle, and a relative speed. A converting unit converts each of the reflection points into three-dimensional coordinates. An extracting unit extracts stationary reflection points from the reflection points. An estimating unit uses a relational expression established among unknown parameters including a traveling direction vector and a moving speed of a moving body, three-dimensional coordinates of each of the stationary reflection points, and a relative speed of the stationary reflection point, to estimate the known parameters. A calculating unit determines an axial misalignment angle from the estimated unknown parameters.

Abstract: A radar apparatus generates a spectrum distribution where frequencies in a beat signal are associated with intensities of respective frequency components. Based on a plurality of spectrum distributions generated over a predetermined number of measurement cycles prescribed in advance, the radar apparatus generates a reflection intensity distribution where frequencies are associated with road surface reflection intensities of the radar wave from a road surface at each frequency. In the reflection intensity distribution, the radar apparatus detects an intensity peak indicating a frequency that maximizes the road surface reflection intensity. Based on the detected intensity peak, the radar apparatus determines at least whether or not the radar apparatus is in an axis deviation state that is taken as a state where a reference axis of the radar apparatus has an inclination of not less than a prescribed angle in a vehicle height direction relative to a horizontal axis prescribed to a vehicle.

Abstract: A technique of estimating a surrounding environment with higher accuracy from observation data obtained by using sensing equipment is disclosed. According to the technique, a certain pixel in an observation data space which includes the observation data obtained by a sensor 50 is sampled. With regard to the sampled pixel, a grid-unspecified logarithm-likelihood ratio indicating whether a received signal is a signal reflected from a detected object is calculated from an intensity value of the received signal, and a distribution function of an angle indicating the degree of dispersion centering on an azimuth angle is calculated. Then, the product of the grid-unspecified logarithm-likelihood ratio and the distribution function is calculated and thereby a calculation for updating an occupation probability of the object is performed across a plurality of grids in an occupancy grid map by using a value obtained by dispersing the likelihood using the distribution function.

Abstract: A radar apparatus generates a spectrum distribution where frequencies in a beat signal are associated with intensities of respective frequency components. Based on a plurality of spectrum distributions generated over a predetermined number of measurement cycles prescribed in advance, the radar apparatus generates a reflection intensity distribution where frequencies are associated with road surface reflection intensities of the radar wave from a road surface at each frequency. In the reflection intensity distribution, the radar apparatus detects an intensity peak indicating a frequency that maximizes the road surface reflection intensity. Based on the detected intensity peak, the radar apparatus determines at least whether or not the radar apparatus is in an axis deviation state that is taken as a state where a reference axis of the radar apparatus has an inclination of not less than a prescribed angle in a vehicle height direction relative to a horizontal axis prescribed to a vehicle.

Abstract: A signal processing unit in a radar device calculates a change amount Y (=log(P)?log(Pb)) between a power P of a current arrival echo and a power of a previous arrival echo arrived before an observation period TSW. A memory unit in the radar device stores, every type of objects, a probability distribution of the change amount Y calculated from the arrival echo from the object. On the basis of the calculated change amount Y and the probability distribution, the signal processing unit determines a probability Pr to obtain the change amount Y every type of object, and determines that the object having the maximum probability Pr is the object which transmits the current arrival echo.

Abstract: A signal processing unit in a radar device calculates a change amount Y (=log(P)?log(Pb)) between a power P of a current arrival echo and a power of a previous arrival echo arrived before an observation period TSW. A memory unit in the radar device stores, every type of objects, a probability distribution of the change amount Y calculated from the arrival echo from the object. On the basis of the calculated change amount Y and the probability distribution, the signal processing unit determines a probability Pr to obtain the change amount Y every type of object, and determines that the object having the maximum probability Pr is the object which transmits the current arrival echo.

Abstract: A sampled beat signal RD is split into a plurality of short-time data SD in the time direction, for each of antenna elements. Interference component frequency of an interference wave is detected from a frequency spectrum of the short-time data SD. A digital beam forming process is performed for the interference component frequency of the interference wave to extract a peak of the electrical power of an azimuth direction and estimate an absolute value of an incoming direction of interference components. Based on the absolute value of the incoming direction of the estimated interference components, a filter for suppressing the interference components is operated to suppress the interference components.

Abstract: A FMCW-type radar device generates snapshot data from a beat signal that represents a received condition of the radar device every modulation period. Auto-correlation matrices generated by the snapshot data every modulation period are averaged every set of plural periods. The radar device calculates the target azimuth of a target object such as a preceding vehicle based on the averaged auto-correlation matrix based on MUSIC (MUltiple SIgnal Classification) method. This averaging is performed by weighting average based on an amount of mixed noise (or an interference amount) contained in the snapshot data in each modulation period. A weighting coefficient to be applied to the auto-correlation matrix in each modulation period is set to a value corresponding to the amount of mixed noise, namely, the interference amount of this modulation period. The weighting coefficient becomes large when the interference amount is small, and on the other hand, becomes small when it is large.

Abstract: A plurality of array antenna elements are divided in terms of a set constituted of an optionally selected L number of groups. The spaces between the array antenna elements are determined by obtaining a greatest common divisor of the set as a greatest common divisor of inter-group element spaces, the set having, as components, greatest common divisors of inter-element spaces of the individual L number of groups in the set, obtaining a greatest common divisor of inter-group element for every number L equal to or less than the maximum number of incoming waves by changing the number L of group components, and allowing a direction not to be caused in the radar scanning region by a number equal to or more than L+1, on the basis of the greatest common divisor of inter-group element spaces for every number L of group components, the direction being linearly dependent on an incoming wave corresponding to the greatest common divisor of inter-group element spaces.

Abstract: A technology for providing an arrival direction estimation apparatus which can greatly reduce the calculation amount in spectrum calculation and can perform precise direction estimation without setting short frequency division in spectrum calculation is disclosed.

Abstract: In a FM-CW or CW radar apparatus, when interference components are contained in channel signals obtained as beat signals from array antenna elements of respective channels, and the interference components result from directly receiving transmitted CW radar waves from an external source, phase shifting is applied to each of the channel signals to shift respective phases of the interference components of the respective channels to a condition corresponding to reception of interference waves from a predetermined direction. The interference components are then eliminated, and reverse phase shifting is applied to restore remaining components of the channel signals to their original phase condition.

Abstract: An electronic scanning radar apparatus has a cutting portion for cutting receiving data which is comprised of N numbers of data for each channel into two more short time data having M (<N) numbers of data in a time direction for each channel, an inverse matrix estimator for computing and estimating an inverse matrix of the time series correlation matrix from the short time data, and a phase information producing portion for computing CAPON phase information out of the estimated inverse matrix of the time series correlation matrix in order to detect a distance, an azimuth and a relative speed of a target on the basis of a computed CAPON phase information.

Abstract: A FMCW-type radar device generates snapshot data from a beat signal that represents a received condition of the radar device every modulation period. Auto-correlation matrices generated by the snapshot data every modulation period are averaged every set of plural periods. The radar device calculates the target azimuth of a target object such as a preceding vehicle based on the averaged auto-correlation matrix based on MUSIC (MUltiple SIgnal Classification) method. This averaging is performed by weighting average based on an amount of mixed noise (or an interference amount) contained in the snapshot data in each modulation period. A weighting coefficient to be applied to the auto-correlation matrix in each modulation period is set to a value corresponding to the amount of mixed noise, namely, the interference amount of this modulation period. The weighting coefficient becomes large when the interference amount is small, and on the other hand, becomes small when it is large.

Abstract: A plurality of array antenna elements are divided in terms of a set constituted of an optionally selected L number of groups. The spaces between the array antenna elements are determined by obtaining a greatest common divisor of the set as a greatest common divisor of inter-group element spaces, the set having, as components, greatest common divisors of inter-element spaces of the individual L number of groups in the set, obtaining a greatest common divisor of inter-group element for every number L equal to or less than the maximum number of incoming waves by changing the number L of group components, and allowing a direction not to be caused in the radar scanning region by a number equal to or more than L+1, on the basis of the greatest common divisor of inter-group element spaces for every number L of group components, the direction being linearly dependent on an incoming wave corresponding to the greatest common divisor of inter-group element spaces.

Abstract: A target detecting apparatus mounted on a vehicle has an electronically agile radar detecting a beat signal indicating a difference in frequency between transmission and reception signals and producing a time series of N reception data from the beat signal, a determining unit determining search areas placed at different ranges of distance from the vehicle while considering a running state of the vehicle and determining a data length for each search area, an extracting unit extracting (N?M+1) time series of short time data, respectively, having the data length corresponding to M reception data from the N reception data for each search area, a producing unit producing phase information from the short time data for each search area, and a detecting unit determining a target distance and a target bearing from the phase information and detecting a target from the target distance and the target bearing.

Abstract: A sampled beat signal RD is split into a plurality of short-time data SD in the time direction, for each of antenna elements. Interference component frequency of an interference wave is detected from a frequency spectrum of the short-time data SD. A digital beam forming process is performed for the interference component frequency of the interference wave to extract a peak of the electrical power of an azimuth direction and estimate an absolute value of an incoming direction of interference components. Based on the absolute value of the incoming direction of the estimated interference components, a filter for suppressing the interference components is operated to suppress the interference components.