Vehicle sensor apparatus
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A safety system for a vehicle, comprising:
- at least one sensor viewing at least one region in an interior portion of a vehicle defining a protected volume at least partially in front of a vehicle air bag; and
logic circuitry responsive to said at least one sensor for determining geometric data of objects in said protected volume, wherein said sensor transmits energy pulses into said protected volume and receives echoes of energy reflected from said protected volume during a time window and said logic circuitry is operative to ignore energy reflections from at least one object sensed by said at least one sensor during certain intervals of time within said time window.
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Abstract
A safety system for a vehicle including at least one sensor (20) viewing at least one region (22) in an interior portion of a vehicle defining a protected volume at least partially in front of the vehicle airbag, and logic circuitry responsive to the at least one sensor (20) for determining geometric data of objects (151) in the protected volume.
49 Citations
36 Claims
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1. A safety system for a vehicle, comprising:
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at least one sensor viewing at least one region in an interior portion of a vehicle defining a protected volume at least partially in front of a vehicle air bag; and
logic circuitry responsive to said at least one sensor for determining geometric data of objects in said protected volume, wherein said sensor transmits energy pulses into said protected volume and receives echoes of energy reflected from said protected volume during a time window and said logic circuitry is operative to ignore energy reflections from at least one object sensed by said at least one sensor during certain intervals of time within said time window. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5)
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6. A method for controlling operation of vehicle air bags, comprising:
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using at least one sensor to sense at least one region in an interior portion of a vehicle defining a protected volume at least partially in front of a vehicle air bag;
determining geometric data of objects in said protected volume in accordance with echoes from said at least one sensor; and
inflating said air bag in accordance with said geometric data, wherein said at least one sensor transmits energy pulses into said protected volume and receives said echoes of energy reflected from said protected volume during a time window and said logic circuitry is operative to ignore energy reflections from at least one object sensed by said at least one sensor during certain intervals of time within said time window. - View Dependent Claims (7, 8, 9)
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10. A method of warning of danger of closing a vehicle sliding door, the method comprising:
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using at least one sensor to sense at least one region in the vicinity of a sliding door of a vehicle;
outputting at least one region clear output signal from said at least one sensor to logic circuitry responsive to said at least one sensor; and
using said logic circuitry to provide a warning of danger of closing said sliding door in the absence of a region clear output signal, wherein said at least one sensor transmits energy pulses into said at least one region and receives echoes of energy reflected from said at least one region during a time window and said logic circuitry is operative to ignore energy reflections from at least one object sensed by said at least one sensor during certain intervals of time within said time window. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12)
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13. A method of warning of danger of closing a vehicle hatchback door, the method comprising;
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using at least one sensor to sense at least one region in the vicinity of a hatchback door of a vehicle;
outputting at least one region clear output signal from said at least one sensor to logic circuitry responsive to said at least one sensor; and
using said logic circuitry to provide a warning of danger of closing said hatchback door in the absence of a region clear output signal, wherein said at least one sensor transmits energy pulses into said at least one region and receives echoes of energy reflected from said at least one region during a time window and said logic circuitry is operative to ignore energy reflections from at least one object sensed by said at least one sensor during certain intervals of time within said time window. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15)
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16. A vehicle including a chassis, a body, propulsion apparatus, at least one door and door control apparatus comprising:
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at least one sensor viewing at least one region in the vicinity of said door;
logic circuitry responsive to said at least one sensor for providing at least one region clear output signal; and
an alarm device responsive at least to an absence of a region clear output signal to provide a warning signal of danger of closing said door and responsive at least to a presence of a region clear output signal to provide a signal indicating permissibility of closing said door, wherein said at least one sensor transmits energy pulses into said at least one region and receives echoes of energy reflected from said at least one region during a time window and said logic circuitry is operative to ignore energy reflections from at least one object sensed by said at leased one sensor during certain intervals of time within said time window. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18)
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19. A method for controlling operation of a vehicle door comprising the steps of:
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using at least one ultrasonic sensor to sense at least one region of a vehicle defining a protected volume at least partially in front of a leading edge of a vehicle door;
determining geometric data of objects in said protected volume in accordance with echoes from said at least one sensor; and
distinguishing between objects in said protected volume whose presence should prevent further movement of the vehicle door and objects in said protected volume whose presence should not prevent further movement of the vehicle door; and
governing operation of said vehicle door based on said distinguishing operation, wherein said at least one sensor transmits energy pulses into said protected volume and receives said echoes of energy reflected from said protected volume during a time window and said logic circuitry is operative to ignore energy reflections from at least one object sensed by said at least one sensor during certain intervals of time within said time window. - View Dependent Claims (20, 21, 22, 23)
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24. A method for controlling operation of a movable vehicle component comprising the steps of:
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using at least one ultrasonic sensor to sense at least one region of a vehicle defining a protected volume at least partially in front of a leading edge of the movable vehicle component;
determining geometric data of objects in said protected volume in accordance with echoes from said at least one sensor; and
distinguishing between objects in said protected volume whose presence should prevent further movement of the movable vehicle component and objects in said protected volume whose presence should not prevent further movement of the movable vehicle component; and
governing operation of said movable vehicle component based on said distinguishing operation, wherein said at least one sensor transmits energy pulses into said protected volume and receives said echoes of energy reflected from said protected volume during a time window and said logic circuitry is operative to ignore energy reflections from at least one object sensed by said at least one sensor during cartoon intervals of time within said time window. - View Dependent Claims (25, 26, 27)
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28. A system for controlling operation of a vehicle door comprising:
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at least one ultrasonic sensor operative to sense at least one region of a vehicle defining a protected volume at least partially in front of a leading edge of a vehicle door;
object identifying circuitry determining geometric data of objects in said protected volume in accordance with echoes from said at least one sensor; and
object distinguishing circuitry distinguishing between objects in said protected volume whose presence should prevent further movement of the vehicle door and objects in said protected volume whose presence should not prevent further movement of the vehicle door; and
a movement controller governing operation of said vehicle door based on said distinguishing operation, wherein said at least one sensor transmits energy pulses into said protected volume and receives said echoes of energy reflected from said protected volume during a time window and said logic circuitry is operative to ignore energy reflections from at least one object sensed by said at least one sensor during certain intervals of time within said time window. - View Dependent Claims (29, 30, 31, 32)
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33. A system for controlling operation of a movable vehicle component comprising:
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at least one ultrasonic sensor to sense at least one region of a vehicle defining a protected volume at least partially in front of a leading edge of the movable vehicle component;
object identifying circuitry determining geometric data of objects in said protected volume in accordance with echoes from said at least one sensor; and
object distinguishing circuitry distinguishing between objects in said protected volume whose presence should prevent further movement of the movable vehicle component and objects in said protected volume whose presence should not prevent further movement of the movable vehicle component; and
an operation controller governing operation of said movable vehicle component based on said distinguishing operation, wherein said at least one sensor transmits energy pulses into said protected volume and receives said echoes of energy reflected from said protected volume during a time window and said logic circuitry is operative to ignore energy reflections from at least one object sensed by said at least one sensor during certain intervals of time within said time window. - View Dependent Claims (34, 35, 36)
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Specification