Radar system to determine whether an object is subject of detection based on intensity of a radio wave emission of the object

1. 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.

2. The object detection system according to claim 1 , wherein the second object detection unit detects the object by using image recognition.

3. 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 takes an image of the area near the system, and detects an object in the area near the system based on the image; and

an object determination section that determines whether the object in the area near the system detected by at least one of the first and second object detection units is a subject of detection, using a result of detection by the first object detection unit, and a result of detection by the second 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.

4. The object detection system according to claim 3 , 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.

5. A drive assist system for a vehicle provided with the object detection system according to claim 3 , further comprising:

a fusion detection section that detects parameters indicating a distance, a relative speed, and a lateral offset between a host vehicle and the subject of detection;

a sensor that detects a drive status of the host vehicle;

a preceding vehicle-selecting section that compares a result of detection by the sensor with a position of the subject of detection based on the detected parameters to determine whether the object is in a path of the host vehicle, and selects a preceding vehicle based on the determination result; and

a drive control section that controls running speed of the host vehicle based on the parameters detected by the fusion detection section, and based on the determination and selection result of the preceding vehicle-selecting section.

6. A drive assist system for a vehicle provided with an object detection system comprising:

a first object detection unit that detects an object in an area near the system using a radar; 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,

the drive assist system further comprises:

a fusion detection section that detects parameters indicating a distance, a relative speed, and a lateral offset between a host vehicle and the subject of detection;

a sensor that detects a drive status of the host vehicle;

a preceding vehicle-selecting section that compares a result of detection by the sensor with a position of the subject of detection based on the detected parameters to determine whether the object is in a path of the host vehicle, and selects a preceding vehicle based on the determination result; and

a drive control section that controls running speed of the host vehicle based on the parameters detected by the fusion detection section, and based on the determination and selection result of the preceding vehicle-selecting section.

7. An object detection method, comprising:

detecting an object using a radar;

taking an image, and detecting an object based on the image; and

determining whether the object detected in at least one of the preceding steps is a subject of detection,

wherein the subject of detection includes any one of: (i) the object from which a radio wave whose intensity is equal to or higher than a first threshold value is being currently received by the radar; (ii) the object that is detected using the image, and from which a radio wave whose intensity is equal to or higher than a second threshold value that is lower than the first threshold value is being currently received; and (iii) the object from which a radio wave whose intensity was equal to or higher than the first threshold value was received in the past, and from which a radio wave whose intensity is equal to or higher than the second threshold value that is lower than the first threshold value is being currently received.