APPARATUS FOR DETECTING POSITION OF OBJECT CAPABLE OF SIMULTANEOUSLY DETECTING PLURAL OBJECTS AND DETECTION METHOD THEREFOR

An apparatus for detecting a position of an object, including a signal output portion for generating a predetermined signal to radiate the signal into a space toward an arbitrary object, a signal input portion having a plurality of sensors for individually receiving signals reflected from the object, an impulse response calculating portion for obtaining an impulse response for each sensor in accordance with the signal radiated from the signal output portion and the signals received by the plural sensors, and an object position estimating portion for calculating the weight of a virtual position determined at an arbitrary point on the assumption that the signal radiated to the space by the signal output portion is reflected by the virtual position in such a manner that transmission time required for the signal to reach the signal input portion is measured and the components of each impulse response calculated in accordance with the transmission time are used to calculate the weight and calculating the weight while shifting the virtual position to estimate a virtual position, at which the weight exceeds a predetermined threshold value, to be the position of the object.