Obstacle detecting system having a plurality of spaced laser diodes
First Claim
1. An optical detecting system, said system mounted on a vehicle and detecting the position of a preceding vehicle, said system comprising:
- an optical unit including three laser diodes, said diodes emitting a laser beam in a forward direction relative to the vehicle, said laser diodes spaced in a lateral direction relative to the vehicle and positioned so as to emit two laterally outward beams and a central beam;
a convex lens spaced from and located forwardly of said laser diodes, said lens expanding the beams so as to increase the lateral distance between the outermost extent of the two laterally outward beams;
receiving means for receiving a reflection of the laser beams from a preceding vehicle; and
driving means for causing rotation in a generally horizontal plane of the positions of the expanded beams so as to cause said optical detecting system to follow a preceding vehicle, wherein, when the positions of the expanded beams are rotated, the lateral distance between the outermost extent of the two laterally outward beams remains substantially unchanged.
1 Assignment
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Accused Products
Abstract
An obstacle detecting system comprises an optical unit having a plurality of spaced laser diodes each of which emits a laser beam, a convex lens spaced from the optical unit in the frontward direction thereof and establishing a combined beam after each the laser beam passes through the convex lens, and a driving device for adjusting the relationship between each the laser beam and the convex lens. Such structure enabling the detection of the obstacle such as a vehicle in such manner that the obstacle is fallen within the width of the combined beam by adjusting the relationship between each the laser beam and the convex lens.
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Citations
15 Claims
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1. An optical detecting system, said system mounted on a vehicle and detecting the position of a preceding vehicle, said system comprising:
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an optical unit including three laser diodes, said diodes emitting a laser beam in a forward direction relative to the vehicle, said laser diodes spaced in a lateral direction relative to the vehicle and positioned so as to emit two laterally outward beams and a central beam; a convex lens spaced from and located forwardly of said laser diodes, said lens expanding the beams so as to increase the lateral distance between the outermost extent of the two laterally outward beams; receiving means for receiving a reflection of the laser beams from a preceding vehicle; and driving means for causing rotation in a generally horizontal plane of the positions of the expanded beams so as to cause said optical detecting system to follow a preceding vehicle, wherein, when the positions of the expanded beams are rotated, the lateral distance between the outermost extent of the two laterally outward beams remains substantially unchanged. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
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12. An optical detecting system, said system mounted at a forward location on a tracking vehicle and detecting and tracking the position of a preceding road vehicle which is forward of the tracking vehicle, said system comprising:
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an optical unit including three laser diodes, said diodes each emitting a laser beam in a forward direction relative to the tracking vehicle, said laser diodes spaced in a lateral direction relative to the tracking vehicle and positioned so as to emit two laterally outward beams and a central beam; a convex lens spaced from and located forwardly of said laser diodes, said lens expanding the beams such that the expanded beams extend across substantially adjacent areas, said substantially adjacent areas jointly defining a combined beam area having a predetermined extent at a given distance from said convex lens; receiving means for receiving a reflection of the laser beams from a preceding vehicle; and tracking means for causing joint rotation about a substantially vertical axis of the positions of the expanded beams such that the position of the combined beam area is rotated about a substantially vertical axis, the combined beam area rotated so as to track the preceding vehicle. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15)
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Specification