Object detecting device
First Claim
1. An object detecting device for detecting an object in an object detecting area by transmitting an electromagnetic wave and receiving a reflected wave resulting from the reflection of said electromagnetic wave by the object, comprising a transmitting and receiving means for transmitting the electromagnetic wave and receiving the reflected wave in each of a plurality of small areas into which the object detecting area has been divided, a first storing means for storing signals indicative of reception levels of the reflected waves from the small areas in accordance with the time lag from the transmission to the reception of the waves, a second storing means for storing signals indicative of reception levels of reflected waves in a plurality of detection areas in the form of the received signals added together in accordance with the time lag from the transmission to the reception of the waves, said detection areas being defined by grouping adjacent ones of said plurality of small areas so as to have a predetermined lateral width, and an object detecting means for detecting a distance to the object, based on the result of comparison of an output from said first storing means with an output from said second storing means.
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Accused Products
Abstract
When a vehicle traveling ahead of another vehicle and a reflector on a road exist laterally adjacent each other, signals indicative of reception levels of waves reflected from the objects are added together for every beam to carry out the detection of the target. The preceding vehicle and the reflector are detected in an integrally merged form because the wave reflected from the reflector is strong. Therefore, in a region influenced by the wave reflected from the reflector, only the reflector is detected without addition of the signals indicative of reception levels of the reflected waves for every beam. In a region which is not influenced by the wave reflected from the reflector, the preceding vehicle is detected by adding the signals of the reflected waves together. Thus, the reflector and the preceding vehicle can be detected in a discriminating manner.
42 Citations
12 Claims
- 1. An object detecting device for detecting an object in an object detecting area by transmitting an electromagnetic wave and receiving a reflected wave resulting from the reflection of said electromagnetic wave by the object, comprising a transmitting and receiving means for transmitting the electromagnetic wave and receiving the reflected wave in each of a plurality of small areas into which the object detecting area has been divided, a first storing means for storing signals indicative of reception levels of the reflected waves from the small areas in accordance with the time lag from the transmission to the reception of the waves, a second storing means for storing signals indicative of reception levels of reflected waves in a plurality of detection areas in the form of the received signals added together in accordance with the time lag from the transmission to the reception of the waves, said detection areas being defined by grouping adjacent ones of said plurality of small areas so as to have a predetermined lateral width, and an object detecting means for detecting a distance to the object, based on the result of comparison of an output from said first storing means with an output from said second storing means.
Specification