Multi-sonic sensor

• US 9,002,582 B2
• Filed: 08/29/2013
• Issued: 04/07/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 08/29/2013
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Danfoss Power Solutions Inc. (Danfoss A/S)
• Original Assignee: Sauer-Danfoss Incorporated (Danfoss A/S)
• Inventors: Bloms, Kevin W., Wolf, Richard J., Olson, Michael, Kessler, Scott Lee, Zeng, Jack
• Primary Examiner(s): Olszewski, John R
• Assistant Examiner(s): McPherson, James M
• Application Number:
  US14/013,496
• Publication Number:
  US 20150066297A1
• Time in Patent Office: 586 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 701/41
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 6/002 computing target steering angles for front or rear wheels B62D7/159 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/52006 with provision for compensating the effects of temperature
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/521 Constructional features
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 17/15 Performance testing

Abstract

A multi-sonic sensor having a housing, a removable clamp member, a sonic sensor array, and a magnetically connected temperature bail that operates in three modes—a running average, an outlier average, and a string line steering mode.

Claims

1. A multi-sonic sensor, comprising:

a housing having a top, sides, and a bottom;

a mounting clamp connected to the top of the housing;

an array of sonic sensors aligned longitudinally along the bottom surface of the housing; and

a temperature bail magnetically connected to the bottom surface of the housing and extending longitudinally in spaced relation to the array of sensors.

2. The sensor of claim 1 wherein the mounting clamp includes a mounting plate secured to the top of the housing wherein the mounting plate has a plurality of locking grooves that surround a centrally located mounting tube, a mount member that fits onto the mount tube and has a plurality of feet that extend outwardly from a bottom edge of the mount member and are rotatably received within the locking grooves of the mounting plate, and a releasable clamp member that fits around the mount member.

3. The sensor of claim 1 wherein the array of sonic sensors includes six sonic sensors.

4. The sensor of claim 1 wherein the bottom of the housing has a groove formed to receive the temperature bail for storage.

5. The sensor of claim 1 wherein each sensor in the array of sonic sensors takes a temperature compensated measurement that is sent to a controller wherein the controller calculates a running average height of all sensors.

6. The sensor of claim 1 wherein each sensor in the array of sonic sensors takes a temperature compensated measurement that is sent to a controller wherein the controller compares the measurements with stored predetermined set points and calculates a running average height of three sensors that have a measurement closest to the stored predetermined set point.

7. The sensor of claim 1 wherein a controller calculates an average distance for each sensor in the array of sensors, determines whether each sensor is within a specified range, and calculates a string line position by assigning a sensor position value to each sensor within the predetermined specified range, multiplying the sensor position value by a sonic return for each sensor, adding the product of the multiplied sensor returns, and dividing by the sum of the sonic return for each sensor.

8. The sensor of claim 1 wherein a controller calculates a string line height by triangulating a distance using two sensor measurements.

9. The sensor of claim 7 wherein the computer calculates a running average based upon the last eight calculated string line positions.

10. The sensor of claim 7 wherein the running average position is compared by the controller with a set of predetermined specified ranges.

11. The sensor of claim 1 wherein the sensor senses a top of a curb for an elevation reference and the sensor sense an edge of a curb for a steering reference.

12. The sensor of claim 1 wherein when the bail encounters an object from any direction it detaches from the housing.

13. The sensor of claim 1 wherein the temperature bail extends the length of the array of sensors.

14. The sensor of claim 1 wherein the sensors detect the presence of the temperature bail.

15. The sensor of claim 2 wherein a RFID tag disk is secured under the mounting member.

16. The sensor of claim 4 wherein the groove selectively receives the temperature bail in both a stowed and operating position.