Vehicle surroundings monitoring device

• US 6,665,592 B2
• Filed: 11/19/2001
• Issued: 12/16/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 05/24/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Mitsubishi Denki Kabushiki Kaisha (Mitsubishi Electric Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Mitsubishi Denki Kabushiki Kaisha (Mitsubishi Electric Corporation)
• Inventors: Kodama, Katsuhisa
• Primary Examiner(s): Chin, Gary
• Application Number:
  US09/988,403
• Publication Number:
  US 20020177927A1
• Time in Patent Office: 757 Days
• Field of Search: 701/1, 701/29, 343/872, 343/873, 340/903, 340/904, 342/70, 342/71, 342/72, 342/175, 361/600
• US Class Current: 701/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 1/12 Mirror assemblies combined with other articles, e.g. clocks
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2001/1261 with antennae

Abstract

A transmitting antenna (2) which is mounted in the interior of a door mirror of a vehicle and radiates transmitted waves through the surface of said door mirror, and a receiving antenna (3) that receives reflective waves from an object existing near the vehicle through the surface of said door mirror are rotated by a drive portion equipped within the door mirror. Also, the transmitting antenna and the receiving antenna are fixed to a support portion (15) that supports the surface of the door mirror; and the support portion is joined to the drive portion by a joint portion (14) and rotates vertically and horizontally with the joint portion (14) as a fulcrum, to thereby vertically and horizontally rotate the transmitting antenna (2) and the receiving antenna (3) with the joint portion as the fulcrum. Further, the support portion of the door mirror surface, the transmitting antenna and the receiving antenna are molded integrally.

Claims

1. A vehicle surroundings monitoring device which monitors surroundings of a vehicle, said device comprising:

a transmitting antenna which is mounted in the interior of a door mirror of the vehicle and radiates transmitted waves through the surface of said door mirror; and

a receiving antenna that receives reflective waves from an object existing near the vehicle through the surface of said door mirror,

wherein said transmitting antenna and said receiving antenna are rotated by a drive portion equipped within said door mirror, and

wherein a distance d from the opening surfaces of said transmitting antenna and said receiving antenna to the door mirror surface is set to λ

/2 (λ

is a wavelenght) or more so that a reflection from the door mirror surface becomes small.

2. A vehicle surroundings monitoring device as claimed in claim 1,

wherein said transmitting antenna and said receiving antenna are fixed to a support portion that supports the surface of said door mirror; and

wherein said support portion is joined to the drive portion by a joint portion and rotates vertically and horizontally with the joint portion as a fulcrum, to thereby vertically and horizontally rotate said transmitting antenna and said receiving antenna with the joint portion as the fulcrum.

3. A vehicle surroundings monitoring device as claimed in claim 2, wherein said support portion of said door mirror surface, said transmitting antenna and said receiving antenna are molded integrally.

4. A vehicle surroundings monitoring device which monitors surroundings of a vehicle, said device comprising:

a transmitting antenna which is mounted in the interior of a door mirror of a vehicle and radiates transmitted waves through the surface of said door mirror; and

a receiving antenna that receives reflective waves from an object existing near the vehicle through the surface of said door mirror,

wherein a support portion of said door mirror surface, said transmitting antenna and said receiving antenna are molded integrally, and

wherein a distance d from the opening surfaces of said transmitting antenna and said receiving antenna to the door mirror surface is set to λ

/2 (λ

is a wavelenght) or more so that a reflection from the door mirror surface becomes small.