Description
Following is a sample of the information contained on this CD: BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a vehicle periphery monitoring device which is mounted on a vehicle and monitors a vehicle periphery, and more particularly to a vehicle periphery monitoring device that detects, in a range extending from both sides of a subject vehicle to the rear, the presence/absence of a vehicle which is going to pass on an adjacent lane while coming close to the subject vehicle, or a vehicle which travels together, or the like, and judges whether the subject vehicle can change its lane or join in a main lane, or not, and also monitors the safety and the presence/absence of an obstacle such as a vehicle in the above range in a stationary manner. 2. Description of the Related Art Up to now, there has been proposed that a radar device is mounted on a vehicle and widely used as a vehicle periphery monitoring device, or an inter-vehicle distance control device or the like. The radar device mounted on the vehicle as the vehicle periphery monitoring device is so structured as to utilize a fender mirror or a fender portion of the vehicle, for example, as disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. Sho 54-45040. However, in the event of actually detecting a vehicle to be detected on an adjacent lane which is going to pass a subject vehicle, when the vehicle to be detected comes close to the subject vehicle at a relatively short distance, there is a case in which a distance of from the subject vehicle to the front most portion of the vehicle to be detected cannot be detected on the basis of the radial beam pattern characteristic of a radar antenna and a geometric condition. In other words, while the vehicle to be detected approaches the subject vehicle in a state where they travel together, a distance to, for example, a rear tire wheel portion which is on a side of the vehicle to be detected is
