Vehicle perimeter monitor

• US 20020039064A1
• Filed: 04/30/2001
• Published: 04/04/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 10/04/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Mitsubishi Denki Kabushiki Kaisha (Mitsubishi Electric Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Mitsubishi Denki Kabushiki Kaisha (Mitsubishi Electric Corporation)
• Inventors: Yamada, Yuusuke
• Granted Patent: US 6,825,757 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/435
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 1/12 Mirror assemblies combined with other articles, e.g. clocks
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2001/1261 with antennae
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/931 of land vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2013/93274 on the side of the vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/032 Constructional details for solid-state radar subsystems
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/3233 particular used as part of a sensor or in a security system, e.g. for automotive radar, navigation systems
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/3266 using the mirror of the vehicle

Abstract

A vehicle perimeter monitor having a high range-finding performance of a short distance and capable of presenting correct information to a driver is provided. A radar 1 including a transmitting antenna 2 and a receiving antenna 3 is fixed on a support member 8 which is a support member integral with a door mirror 7. Accordingly, even if the driver changed viewing direction of the door mirror 7, the positions the transmitting antenna 2 and the receiving antenna 3 relative to the door mirror 7 are kept constant. Therefore, though a part of the radiated transmit wave may be reflected by the door mirror 7, by measuring the reflected wave by the door mirror 7 beforehand, the reflected wave can be canceled by a signal processing circuit part 5.

Claims

1. A vehicle perimeter monitor carried by a vehicle having a door mirror consisting of the material which allows radio wave to pass sufficiently, a support member for supporting the door mirror and an actuator for moving the door mirror with the support member to change viewing direction, said monitor comprising:

a transmitting antenna fixed on the support member for radiating transmit wave generated by a transmitting circuit to the perimeter of the vehicle through the door mirror;

a receiving antenna fixed on the support member for receiving the reflected wave from obstacles existing in the perimeter of the vehicle through the door mirror to send a receiving information to a receiving circuit;

a processing unit for calculating the distance between the vehicle and the obstacles based on the receiving information and determining danger degree of collision; and

a indicator for notifying the result of calculating by said processing to a driver of said vehicle.

2. The vehicle perimeter monitor claimed in claim 1, wherein said transmitting antenna is installed at such a distance from said door mirror that the reflection of said transmit wave by said door mirror becomes smallest.

3. The vehicle perimeter monitor claimed in claim 2, wherein said transmitting antenna has a radiation pattern shaped to cover a wide area so as to be capable of covering required detection area even in the case that the driver changed viewing direction.

4. The vehicle perimeter monitor claimed in claim 1, wherein said transmitting antenna and receiving antenna are attached to the support member by holder members of different shapes, respectively, at left and right door mirror apparatus.