US 12,286,061 B2
Object detector and method for object detection
Kensuke Inagaki, Tokyo-to (JP)
Assigned to TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA, Toyota (JP)
Filed by TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA, Toyota (JP)
Filed on Nov. 13, 2023, as Appl. No. 18/507,237.
Claims priority of application No. 2023-000905 (JP), filed on Jan. 6, 2023.
Prior Publication US 2024/0227693 A1, Jul. 11, 2024
Int. Cl. B60R 11/04 (2006.01); B60R 11/00 (2006.01)
CPC B60R 11/04 (2013.01) [B60R 2011/004 (2013.01); B60R 2300/406 (2013.01); B60R 2300/802 (2013.01); B60R 2300/8093 (2013.01)] 5 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. An object detector comprising a processor configured to
detect, for each of environmental sensors mounted on a vehicle, an object in an area around the vehicle from each piece of time-series environmental data generated by the environmental sensor, the environmental data representing the surroundings of the vehicle;
identify a blind spot in the area around the vehicle, wherein the blind spot is not represented in any of pieces of environmental data respectively generated by the environmental sensors;
select, from the environmental sensors, an environmental sensor generating environmental data that can be omitted in detection of the object, based on a travel condition of the vehicle;
request blind spot data representing the blind spot from an external device equipped with an external sensor capable of generating the blind spot data, the external device being communicably connected to the vehicle; and
stop detection of the object from environmental data generated by the selected environmental sensor, when the blind spot data is obtained from the external device,
wherein in detection of the object, an object in the blind spot is detected from the obtained blind spot data when the blind spot data is obtained from the external device.