Obstacle detecting device

• US 8,370,021 B2
• Filed: 12/03/2009
• Issued: 02/05/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 12/04/2008
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Original Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Inventors: Okada, Yoshihisa, Konishi, Toshiyuki, Hioki, Hideki, NAKAKURA, Yohei
• Primary Examiner(s): Black, Thomas
• Assistant Examiner(s): PAYNE, ROBERT T
• Application Number:
  US12/592,874
• Publication Number:
  US 20100145617A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,160 Days
• Field of Search: 701/300, 701/45, 701/301, 701/49, 356/4.01, 340/436, 340/555, 296/146.1
• US Class Current: 701/36
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 1/12 Mirror assemblies combined with other articles, e.g. clocks
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2001/1223 with sensors or transducers
• CPC Class Codes: E05F 15/43 responsive to disruption of energy beams, e.g. light or sound
• CPC Class Codes: E05F 2015/434 with cameras or optical sensors
• CPC Class Codes: E05F 2015/483 for detection during opening
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2600/46 in or on the wing
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2900/531 Doors

Abstract

A distance measuring sensor is arranged to a vehicle door, and measures a distance to an object in a direction corresponding to a scanning angle. A memory stores a standard angle and a comparison distance corresponding to the scanning angle. A distance-shortest scanning angle is defined by the shortest value of the measured distance. When the distance-shortest scanning angle is different from the standard angle, the scanning angle is corrected. The object is determined to be an obstacle having a possibility to contact with the door, when the measured distance is equal to or shorter than a corrected comparison distance corresponding to the corrected scanning angle.

Claims

1. An obstacle detecting device comprising:

a distance measuring sensor arranged adjacent to a rotation axis of a door of a vehicle, the sensor measuring a distance to an object in a direction corresponding to a scanning angle by scanning a scanning plane;

a memory to store

a standard angle defined when the sensor is mounted at a normal position, and

a comparison distance defined between a mounting position of the sensor and an end of the door in the direction corresponding to the scanning angle when the sensor is mounted at the normal position;

an initializing portion to obtain a distance-shortest scanning angle defined by a shortest value of measured distance distances which are measured by the distance measuring sensor;

a correcting portion to correct the scanning angle, when the distance-shortest scanning angle is different from the standard angle; and

an object determining portion to determine the object to be an obstacle having a possibility to contact with the door, when a distance measured by the sensor measuring sensor is equal to or shorter than a corrected comparison distance which is defined by correcting the comparison distance to correspond to the corrected scanning angle.

2. The obstacle detecting device according to claim 1, wherein

the scanning plane has a predetermined angle relative to a surface of the door in an opening direction of the door, and

the standard angle is defined in a direction extending vertically downward from the sensor.

3. The obstacle detecting device according to claim 1, wherein

the scanning plane is approximately parallel to a driving plane of the vehicle,

the standard angle is defined in a directly lateral direction of the sensor, and

the object determining portion determines the obstacle to have the possibility to contact with the door, when the door has an opening degree corresponding to the corrected scanning angle.

4. The obstacle detecting device according to claim 3, wherein

the object is a surface of the door located in the directly lateral direction of the sensor,

the comparison distance is defined between the mounting position of the sensor and the surface of the door in the directly lateral direction, and

the distance-shortest scanning angle is defined by a shortest value of the measured distance between the mounting position of the sensor and the surface of the door.

5. The obstacle detecting device according to claim 1, further comprising:

a linear part determining portion to determine the object to have a linear part having a predetermined length or not based on the distance to the object, wherein

the initializing portion obtains the distance-shortest scanning angle, when the object is determined to have the linear part having the predetermined length.

6. The obstacle detecting device according to claim 1, wherein

the distance to the object is one of a plurality of distances measured by the sensor, and

the distance-shortest scanning angle is obtained by using an average value of the plurality of distances.

7. The obstacle detecting device according to claim 1, wherein

the vehicle has a plurality of doors, and

the initializing portion obtains the distance-shortest scanning angle, when all of the plurality of doors are determined to be closed.

8. The obstacle detecting device according to claim 1, wherein,

the initializing portion obtains the distance-shortest scanning angle, when the vehicle is determined to be in a stop state.

9. The obstacle detecting device according to claim 1, further comprising a position determining portion determining if the sensor is not mounted at the normal position.