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Obstacle detection apparatus for vehicles

  • US 5,745,050 A
  • Filed: 04/26/1995
  • Issued: 04/28/1998
  • Est. Priority Date: 10/21/1994
  • Status: Expired due to Term
First Claim
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1. An obstacle detecting apparatus, comprising:

  • a light emitting means;

    a light projecting means for projecting a light generated in said light emitting means in a predetermined direction via a light emitting path;

    a light introducing means for introducing the light reflected by an obstacle via a light receiving path that is different from said light emitting path over an entire length of said light emitting path and said light receiving path within said obstacle detecting apparatus;

    a light receiving means for detecting the light introduced by said light introducing means;

    a driving means for rotatably supporting said light projecting means and at least a portion of said light introducing means, and for driving said light projecting means and said at least a portion of said light introducing means in a circumferential direction; and

    a calculating means for calculating a distance to the obstacle based on a delay time between a time the light is emitted by said light emitting means until a time the light is received by said light receiving means.

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