Other-vehicle detection apparatus, driving assistance apparatus, and other-vehicle detection method

1. An other-vehicle detection apparatus comprising:

a sound source device mounted on a first vehicle and configured to output a non-audible region sound of a predetermined frequency range set in advance;

a sound collection device mounted on the first vehicle and configured to collect sound information around the first vehicle; and

a distinction device configured to distinguish a second vehicle based on a non-audible region sound included in the sound information collected by the sound collection device of the first vehicle,

wherein the distinction device distinguishes the second vehicle approaching the first vehicle based on a difference between a frequency of the non-audible region sound included in the sound information collected by the sound collection device of the first vehicle and a frequency of a non-audible region sound output from a sound source device of the second vehicle.

2. An other-vehicle detection apparatus comprising:

a sound source device mounted on a first vehicle and configured to output a non-audible region sound of a predetermined frequency range set in advance;

a sound collection device mounted on the first vehicle and configured to collect sound information around the first vehicle; and

a distinction device configured to distinguish a second vehicle based on a non-audible region sound included in the sound information collected by the sound collection device of the first vehicle,

wherein at a time a frequency of the non-audible region sound output from the sound source device of the first vehicle is same as a frequency of a non-audible region sound output from a sound source device of the second vehicle, the distinction device distinguishes between the first vehicle and the second vehicle, which is traveling, based on a difference between the frequency of the non-audible region sound included in the sound information collected by the sound collection device of the first vehicle and the frequencies of the non-audible region sounds output from the sound source devices of the first vehicle and the second vehicle.

3. An other-vehicle detection apparatus comprising:

a sound source device mounted on a first vehicle and configured to output a non-audible region sound of a predetermined frequency range set in advance;

a sound collection device mounted on the first vehicle and configured to collect sound information around the first vehicle;

a distinction device configured to distinguish a second vehicle based on a non-audible region sound included in the sound information collected by the sound collection device of the first vehicle; and

a vehicle state detection device configured to detect a state of the first vehicle,

wherein the sound source device outputs a non-audible region sound including information relating to the state of the first vehicle detected by the vehicle state detection device and corresponding to the non-audible region sound of the predetermined frequency range.

4. A driving assistance apparatus comprising:

a sound source device mounted on a first vehicle and configured to output a non-audible region sound of a predetermined frequency range set in advance;

a sound collection device mounted on the first vehicle and configured to collect sound information around the first vehicle;

a distinction device configured to distinguish a second vehicle based on a non-audible region sound included in the sound information collected by the sound collection device of the first vehicle;

an assistance device mounted on the first vehicle and configured to assist a driving operation in the first vehicle; and

a control device configured to assist the driving operation by controlling the assistance device of the first vehicle at a time the distinction device distinguishes the second vehicle,

wherein the control device calculates a vehicle speed of the second vehicle based on a difference between a frequency of the non-audible region sound included in the sound information collected by the sound collection device of the first vehicle and a frequency of the non-audible region sound output from a sound source device of the second vehicle as the information relating to the second vehicle, and changes a driving assistance content of the assistance device in the first vehicle based on the calculated vehicle speed of the second vehicle.

5. A driving assistance apparatus comprising:

a sound source device mounted on a first vehicle and configured to output a non-audible region sound of a predetermined frequency range set in advance;

a sound collection device mounted on the first vehicle and configured to collect sound information around the first vehicle;

a distinction device configured to distinguish a second vehicle based on a non-audible region sound included in the sound information collected by the sound collection device of the first vehicle;

an assistance device mounted on the first vehicle and configured to assist a driving operation in the first vehicle;

a control device configured to assist the driving operation by controlling the assistance device of the first vehicle at a time the distinction device distinguishes the second vehicle; and

a vehicle state detection device configured to detect a state of the first vehicle,

wherein the sound source device outputs a non-audible region sound including information relating to the state of the first vehicle detected by the vehicle state detection device and corresponding to the non-audible region sound of the predetermined frequency range, and

wherein the control device changes a driving assistance content of the assistance device in the first vehicle in accordance with information relating to a state of the second vehicle obtained by analyzing the sound information collected by the sound collection device of the first vehicle.

6. An other-vehicle detection method comprising:

outputting a non-audible region sound of a predetermined frequency range set in advance, by using a sound source device mounted on a first vehicle;

collecting sound information around the first vehicle, using a sound collection device mounted on the first vehicle; and

distinguishing, using a distinction device, a second vehicle based on a non-audible region sound included in the sound information collected by the sound collection device of the first vehicle,

wherein the distinction device distinguishes the second vehicle approaching the first vehicle based on a difference between a frequency of the non-audible region sound included in the sound information collected by the sound collection device of the first vehicle and a frequency of a non-audible region sound output from a sound source device of the second vehicle.