SENSOR MOUNTING STATE DETERMINATION DEVICE AND SENSOR MOUNTING STATE DETERMINATION METHOD

• US 20190018122A1
• Filed: 09/14/2018
• Published: 01/17/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 03/18/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Panasonic Automotive Systems Company of America (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Panasonic Intellectual Property Corporation of America (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: OGAWA, Shinya, ICHIKAWA, Toru, YAMAGISHI, Tatsuaki
• Granted Patent: US 10,571,553 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 15/08 Systems for measuring distance only indirect measurement G01S15/46
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 15/931 of land vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2015/937 sensor installation details constructional features of transducers G01S7/521 and B06B; casing of transducers, e.g. housing, cover or filler details, G10K9/22; mounting of transducers, i.e. fixture, fitting or holder details, G10K11/004
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2015/938 in the bumper area radar in bumper area G01S2013/93275; bumper with obstacle sensor of electric or electronic type B60R19/483
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/52004 Means for monitoring or calibrating short-range imaging G01S7/5205

Abstract

A sensor mounting state determination device includes distance measurement section that measures a distance to a road surface based on time from transmission of a transmission wave to reception of a reflection wave by an ultrasonic sensor that is mounted to a vehicle to transmit a transmission wave toward a road surface and receive a reflection wave reflected off the road surface. There is further provided a determination section configured to determine not only that the ultrasonic sensor is correctly mounted when the distance measured by the distance measurement section is identical to a predetermined distance, but also that the ultrasonic sensor is incorrectly mounted when the distance measured by the distance measurement section is not identical to the predetermined distance.

Claims

1. A sensor mounting state determination device comprising:

a distance measurement section that measures a distance from an ultrasonic sensor mounted on a vehicle traveling with a given speed or higher speed to a road surface based on a time from when the ultrasonic sensor transmits a transmission wave toward the road surface until when the ultrasonic sensor receives as a reflected wave the transmission wave reflected off the road surface; and

a determination section that determines that the ultrasonic sensor is correctly mounted when the distance measured by the distance measurement section is identical to a predetermined distance, and determines that the ultrasonic sensor is incorrectly mounted when the distance measured by the distance measurement section is not identical to the predetermined distance.

2. The sensor mounting state determination device according to claim 1, wherein

the ultrasonic sensor transmits the transmission wave at a transmission gain greater than a transmission gain at normal time, and

the determination section determines that the ultrasonic sensor is incorrectly mounted when the ultrasonic sensor does not receive the reflected wave.

3. The sensor mounting state determination device according to claim 1, wherein

the ultrasonic sensor receives the reflected wave at a reception gain greater than a reception gain at the normal time, and

the determination section determines that the ultrasonic sensor is incorrectly mounted when the ultrasonic sensor does not receive the reflected wave.

4. The sensor mounting state determination device according to claim 2, wherein

the ultrasonic sensor receives the reflected wave at a reception gain greater than a reception gain at the normal time, and

the determination section determines that the ultrasonic sensor is incorrectly mounted when the ultrasonic sensor does not receive the reflected wave.

5. The sensor mounting state determination device according to claim 1, wherein

the ultrasonic sensor transmits the transmission wave at a transmission gain identical to a transmission gain at normal time, and

the determination section determines that the ultrasonic sensor is incorrectly mounted when the ultrasonic sensor receives the reflected wave.

6. The sensor mounting state determination device according to claim 1, wherein

the ultrasonic sensor receives the reflected wave at a reception gain identical to a reception gain at normal time, and

the determination section determines that the ultrasonic sensor is incorrectly mounted when the ultrasonic sensor receives the reflected wave.

7. A sensor mounting state determination method comprising:

transmitting a transmission wave from an ultrasonic sensor mounted on a vehicle traveling with a given speed or higher speed toward the road surface, receiving by the ultrasonic sensor he transmission wave reflected off the road surface as a reflected wave, and measuring a distance from the ultrasonic sensor to the road surface based on a time from the transmitting to the receiving; and

determining that the ultrasonic sensor is correctly mounted when the distance measured is identical to a predetermined distance, and determining that the ultrasonic sensor is incorrectly mounted when the distance measured is not identical to the predetermined distance.