MONITORING APPARATUS AND METHOD
First Claim
1. An apparatus for monitoring one or more target objects in an environment external to a host vehicle by means of at least one sensor, the apparatus being arranged to trigger at least one action responsive to the detection of prescribed relative movement between the host vehicle and the one or more target objects,wherein the apparatus is arranged to determine whether the at least one sensor is correctly aligned with respect to the host vehicle whereby when the apparatus commences monitoring of the environment the apparatus is arranged not to trigger the at least one action until the apparatus has determined that the at least one sensor is correctly aligned.
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Accused Products
Abstract
An apparatus for monitoring one or more target objects in an environment external to a host vehicle by means of at least one sensor, the apparatus being arranged to trigger at least one action responsive to the detection of prescribed relative movement between the host vehicle and the one or more target objects. The apparatus is arranged to determine whether the at least one sensor is correctly aligned with respect to the host vehicle whereby, when the apparatus commences monitoring of the environment, the apparatus is arranged not to trigger the at least one action until the apparatus has determined that the at least one sensor is correctly aligned.
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Citations
17 Claims
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1. An apparatus for monitoring one or more target objects in an environment external to a host vehicle by means of at least one sensor, the apparatus being arranged to trigger at least one action responsive to the detection of prescribed relative movement between the host vehicle and the one or more target objects,
wherein the apparatus is arranged to determine whether the at least one sensor is correctly aligned with respect to the host vehicle whereby when the apparatus commences monitoring of the environment the apparatus is arranged not to trigger the at least one action until the apparatus has determined that the at least one sensor is correctly aligned.
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16. A host vehicle comprising an apparatus for monitoring one or more target objects in an environment external to the vehicle by means of at least one sensor, the apparatus being arranged to trigger at least one action responsive to the detection of prescribed relative movement between the host vehicle and the one or more target objects,
wherein the apparatus is arranged to determine whether the at least one sensor is correctly aligned with respect to the host vehicle whereby when the apparatus commences monitoring of the environment the apparatus is arranged not to trigger the at least one action until the apparatus has determined that the at least one sensor is correctly aligned, the apparatus comprising range determination means operable to determine the range of the target object from the host vehicle and the rate of change of the range, the range determination means comprising either a radar transmitter and a radar receiver or an ultrasonic transmitter and an ultrasonic receiver, the apparatus being arranged to determine the range of the target object from the vehicle by means of a signal transmitted from the transmitter and received at the receiver following reflection by the target object.
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17. A method of monitoring one or more target objects in an environment external to a host vehicle by means of at least one sensor,
the method comprising detecting a position of the one or more target objects with respect to the vehicle and triggering at least one action responsive to the detection of prescribed relative movement between the host vehicle and the one or more target objects, the method further comprising determining whether the at least one sensor is correctly aligned with respect to the vehicle, whereby when the monitoring apparatus commences monitoring of the environment the method comprises not triggering the at least one action until the apparatus has determined that the at least one sensor is correctly aligned.
Specification