Distance measuring equipment for a car

• US 5,160,971 A
• Filed: 09/27/1991
• Issued: 11/03/1992
• Est. Priority Date: 09/28/1990
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Isuzu Motors Limited
• Original Assignee: Isuzu Motors Limited
• Inventors: Koshizawa, Toshifumi
• Primary Examiner(s): Hellner, Mark
• Application Number:
  US07/766,134
• Time in Patent Office: 403 Days
• Field of Search: 356/5, 342/70, 342/72
• US Class Current: 356/5.05
• CPC Class Codes: B60S 1/0818 including control systems responsive to external conditions, e.g. by detection of moisture, dirt or the like
• CPC Class Codes: B60S 1/0844 including a camera
• CPC Class Codes: B60S 1/0848 Cleaning devices for cameras on vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/497 Means for monitoring or calibrating

Abstract

Distance measuring equipment for a car arranged such that a wiper is driven only when a light reflection condition of a non-reflecting protective glass is detected with the light input/output to the glass. Additionally, it can be arranged such that the measuring operation is interrupted only when a driving angle of the wiper resides in a predetermined measuring angle range on the protective glass.

Claims

1. Distance measuring equipment for a car having a non-reflecting protective glass with a wiper outside the car comprising:

first means provided inside the car for optically measuring a distance between the car and one of obstacles forward or backward of the car;

second means for optically detecting a condition where the non-reflecting protective glass reflects light and for providing an output;

third means for driving the wiper in response to the output of said second means upon the detection of the reflection condition

fourth means for detecting a driving angle of said third means; and

fifth means for interrupting the operation of said first means only when the driving angle of said third means resides within a range of a predetermined measuring angle of said first means.

2. Distance measuring equipment for a car according to claim 1, wherein said second means includes means for transmitting light to the glass and means for receiving the light reflected from the glass.

3. Distance measuring equipment for a vehicle having a window and a wiper for wiping the window, comprising:

first means, postioned inside the vehicle, for optically measuring a distance between the vehicle and an obstacle, through the window;

second means for determining a position of the wiper with respect to the window when the wiper is moving; and

third means for interrupting the operation of said first means based on the position of the wiper determined by said second means.

4. A distance measuring method for use in a vehicle having a window and a wiper for wiping the window, comprising steps of:

(a) operating optical measuring equipment to measure a distance between the vehicle and an obstacle;

(b) driving the wiper;

(c) determining a position of the wiper on the window; and

(d) interrupting the operation of the optical measuring equipment based on the determined position of the wiper.

5. Distance measuring equipment for a vehicle having a window with a wiper for wiping the window, comprising:

optical measurement apparatus to measure a distance between the vehicle and an obstacle outside the vehicle;

a sensor to detect a position of the wiper with respect to the window when the wiper is moving and generate an output signal; and

a trigger circuit, coupled to said optical measurement apparatus and said sensor, to disable the operation of said optical measurement apparatus based on the output signal of said sensor.