Discrimination of detected objects in a vehicle path

摘要

An object sensing system is capable of distinguishing an overhead roadway object, that is not in a host vehicle path, from a substantially motionless roadway object that is in the vehicle path. Initially, a plurality of sensor scan signals are provided into an anticipated path of a host vehicle. Next, a plurality of object return signals that correspond to reflections of the plurality of sensor scan signals from at least one detected stationary object are received. Then, an average amplitude slope of the return signals as a function of the range to the at least one detected stationary object is determined. A sufficiently positive amplitude slope identifies the detected stationary object as an overhead roadway object that is not in the vehicle path. A sufficiently negative amplitude slope identifies the detected stationary object as a substantially motionless roadway object that is in the vehicle path.