System and method for detecting a turning vehicle
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A method comprising:
- transmitting, from a sensor unit including a single transmitter, a number of signal pulses distributed, by a transmission lens, over a detection area external to a host vehicle;
receiving, at the sensor unit, one or more of the signal pulses reflected from an object vehicle located in the detection area; and
detecting whether the object vehicle is turning based upon the one or more reflected signal pulses.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A sensor system for a host vehicle may detect whether another in-path vehicle is turning. The sensor system may include a transmitter, a receiver and a controller. Signals may be emitted by the transmitter over a detection area. The emitted signals may reflect off an object vehicle in the detection area and be received by the receiver. The receiver may include a number of channels, each corresponding to a different region of the detection area. The sensor system may determine whether the in-path vehicle is turning and in what direction based on the reflected signals received at each channel.
37 Citations
18 Claims
-
1. A method comprising:
-
transmitting, from a sensor unit including a single transmitter, a number of signal pulses distributed, by a transmission lens, over a detection area external to a host vehicle; receiving, at the sensor unit, one or more of the signal pulses reflected from an object vehicle located in the detection area; and detecting whether the object vehicle is turning based upon the one or more reflected signal pulses. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
-
-
9. A system comprising:
a sensor unit located on a host vehicle including; a transmitter that emits a signal distributed about a detection area external to the host vehicle, and a receiver that receives one or more left reflected signals corresponding to the transmitted signal reflected from a left rear portion of an object vehicle located in a left region of the detection area and one or more right reflected signals corresponding to the transmitted signal reflected from a right rear portion of the object vehicle located in a right region of the detection area; and a controller configured to detect whether the object vehicle is turning based upon a time difference between when the left and right reflected signals are received. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
-
17. A method comprising:
-
transmitting a number of infrared (IR) light pulses from a transmitter disposed in a sensor unit mounted on a host vehicle, the number of light pulses distributed evenly over a detection area in front of the host vehicle; receiving, at a receiver disposed in the sensor unit, one or more of the light pulses reflected from an object vehicle located in the detection area, the receiver including at least a left channel corresponding to a left region of the detection area and a right channel corresponding to a right region of the detection area, the left channel receiving reflected light pulses from a left rear portion of the object vehicle in the left region, the right channel receiving reflected light pulses from a right rear portion of the object vehicle in the right region; calculating a first distance between the left rear portion of the object vehicle and the host vehicle based upon the reflected light pulses received at the left channel of the receiver; calculating a second distance between the right rear portion of the object vehicle and the host vehicle based upon the reflected light pulses received at the right channel; calculating a difference between the first distance and the second distance; and detecting whether the object vehicle is turning based upon the difference between the first distance and the second distance. - View Dependent Claims (18)
-
Specification