Placement structure for peripheral information detecting sensor, and self-driving vehicle

• US 10,073,178 B2
• Filed: 01/27/2016
• Issued: 09/11/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 03/24/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Hara, Yasuhiro
• Primary Examiner(s): Patel, Harshad R
• Assistant Examiner(s): Roy, Punam
• Application Number:
  US15/007,930
• Publication Number:
  US 20160282155A1
• Time in Patent Office: 958 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 25/02 Side panels B62D33/046 takes precedence; sideboards for open load compartments B62D33/023
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 25/04 Door pillars ; windshield pillars
• CPC Class Codes: G01D 11/245 Housings for sensors
• CPC Class Codes: G01D 11/30 Supports specially adapted for an instrument; Supports specially adapted for a set of instruments
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 17/931 of land vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2013/93274 on the side of the vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2013/93276 in the windshield area
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/027 Constructional details of housings, e.g. form, type, material or ruggedness
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/4813 Housing arrangements

Abstract

A sensor placement structure has: a vehicle skeleton member of a vehicle, the vehicle skeleton member having a hollow cross-section; a peripheral information detecting sensor that is mounted to a vehicle outer side of the vehicle skeleton member, the peripheral information detecting sensor having a detecting section that detects information about a periphery of the vehicle; and a cover that covers the peripheral information detecting sensor from a vehicle outer side of the peripheral information detecting sensor, the cover being composed of a material that is transmissive of a detection medium that is detected by the detecting section.

Claims

1. A sensor placement structure comprising:

a vehicle skeleton member of a vehicle, the vehicle skeleton member having a closed cross-section defining a hollow chamber that is bounded on all sides by walls of the vehicle skeleton member;

a peripheral information detecting sensor that is mounted to a vehicle outer side of the vehicle skeleton member, the peripheral information detecting sensor having a detecting section that detects information about a periphery of the vehicle;

a cover that covers the peripheral information detecting sensor from the vehicle outer side of the peripheral information detecting sensor, the cover being composed of a material that is transmissive of a detection medium that is detected by the detecting section; and

a wire harness extending from the peripheral information detecting sensor and disposed along an outer surface of the vehicle skeleton member, wherein

a guide groove, in which the wire harness is placed, is formed in the outer surface of the vehicle skeleton member.

2. The sensor placement structure of claim 1, wherein the vehicle skeleton member is formed by a member that is electrically conductive.

3. The sensor placement structure of claim 1, wherein

the peripheral information detecting sensor detects the information about the periphery of the vehicle by transmitting and receiving radio waves at the detecting section, and

the cover is opaque and transmissive of the radio waves.

4. The sensor placement structure of claim 3, wherein the cover is a same color as a body of the vehicle.

5. The sensor placement structure of claim 1, wherein the peripheral information detecting sensor is disposed at a vehicle inner side of a fender panel.

6. The sensor placement structure of claim 1, wherein the peripheral information detecting sensor is disposed at an upper portion of a front pillar of the vehicle.

7. The sensor placement structure of claim 1, wherein the cover is transmissive of radio waves.

8. The sensor placement structure of claim 1, wherein the cover is transmissive of ultrasonic waves.

9. The sensor placement structure of claim 1, wherein the cover is transmissive of visible light.

10. The sensor placement structure of claim 1, wherein the cover is transmissive of laser light.

11. A self-driving vehicle comprising:

the sensor placement structure of claim 1; and

a processor, coupled to the peripheral information detecting sensor, and that controls traveling of the vehicle based on the information about the periphery of the vehicle detected by the peripheral information detecting sensor.

12. The sensor placement structure of claim 1, wherein the cover is attached to the vehicle skeleton member separately from the peripheral information detecting sensor.

13. The sensor placement structure of claim 1, wherein the cover is attached to the vehicle skeleton member and is spaced from the peripheral information detecting sensor.

14. A sensor placement structure comprising:

a roof rail disposed on a roof panel of a vehicle, the roof rail having a closed cross-section defining a hollow chamber that is bounded on all sides by walls of the roof rail;

a peripheral information detecting sensor that is mounted to a vehicle transverse direction outer side of the roof rail, the peripheral information detecting sensor having a detecting section that detects information about a periphery of the vehicle;

a cover that covers the peripheral information detecting sensor from the vehicle transverse direction outer side, the cover being composed of a material that is transmissive of a detection medium that is detected by the detecting section; and

a wire harness extending from the peripheral information detecting sensor and disposed along an outer surface of the roof rail, wherein

a guide groove, in which the wire harness is placed, is formed in the outer surface of the roof rail.

15. The sensor placement structure of claim 14, wherein the roof rail extends along a vehicle longitudinal direction.

16. The sensor placement structure of claim 14, wherein the cover is attached to the roof rail separately from the peripheral information detecting sensor.

17. The sensor placement structure of claim 14, wherein the cover is attached to the roof rail and is spaced from the peripheral information detecting sensor.

18. A self-driving vehicle comprising:

the sensor placement structure of claim 14; and

a processor, coupled to the peripheral information detecting sensor, and that controls traveling of the vehicle based on the information about the periphery of the vehicle detected by the peripheral information detecting sensor.