Obstacle detection device

• US 20060271296A1
• Filed: 05/10/2006
• Published: 11/30/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 05/10/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Original Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Inventors: Horikawa, Kenichiro, Makino, Masahisa, Takeichi, Masakazu
• Granted Patent: US 7,664,600 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/300
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 15/931 of land vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2015/938 in the bumper area radar in bumper area G01S2013/93275; bumper with obstacle sensor of electric or electronic type B60R19/483
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/52004 Means for monitoring or calibrating short-range imaging G01S7/5205

Abstract

An obstacle detection device has detection units, each of which performs a signal transmission-reception operation for sending detection signal to a detection area allotted thereto and receiving reflection signal from the detection area, an operation control unit for controlling the detection unit so that the detection unit performs the signal transmission-reception operation responding to at least one of a plurality of kinds of operation timing signals repeated at a predetermined periodicity, and a determination unit which counts a number of continuous reception times of the reflection signal of the detection unit and determines an obstacle detection in the detection area when the number of the continuous reception times thereof is larger than or equal to a predetermined value. The transmission-reception operation of the detection unit which commenced to receive the reflection signal is provided by the operation control unit with the operation timing signal having a periodicity shorter than the predetermined periodicity.

Claims

1. An obstacle detection device, comprising:

a plurality of detection units which are respectively assigned to a plurality of detection areas to perform signal transmission-reception operations with respect to the detection areas, the signal transmission-reception operation of the detection unit including send of detection signal to the detection area allotted thereto and reception of reflection signal from the detection area allotted thereto;

an operation control unit which controls the detection unit so that the detection unit performs the signal transmission-reception operation responding to at least one of a plurality of kinds of operation timing signals, which are repeated at a predetermined periodicity; and

a determination unit which counts a number of continuous reception times of the reflection signal of the detection unit, and determines a detection of an obstacle in the detection area allotted to the detection unit when the number of the continuous reception times of the detection unit is larger than or equal to a predetermined value, wherein

the signal transmission-reception operation of the detection unit which commenced to receive the reflection signal is provided by the operation control unit with the operation timing signal having a periodicity shorter than the predetermined periodicity.

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

when the reception of the reflection signal by the detection unit dies before the number of the continuous reception times thereof reaches the predetermined value, the periodicity of the operation timing signal to which the detection unit responds is converted by the operation control unit back into the predetermined periodicity.

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

when the number of the continuous reception times of the detection unit reached the predetermined value, the periodicity of the operation timing signal to which the detection unit responds is converted by the operation control unit back into the predetermined periodicity.

4. The obstacle detection device according to claim 1, wherein

the detection unit is an ultrasound sensor, which sends ultrasound signal to the detection area allotted thereto based on the operation timing signal and receives ultrasound signal reflected from the detection area.

5. The obstacle detection device according to claim 1, wherein:

the signal transmission-reception operations of the plurality of the detection units are sequentially performed; and

when the one detection unit commenced to receive the reflection signal, a sequent periodicity of the operation timing signal to which the one detection unit responds is controlled to be shorter than the predetermined periodicity and a periodicity of the different operation timing signal from that of the one detection unit is controlled to be longer than the predetermined periodicity, on condition that an obstacle detection via the other detection unit has been determined and the reception of the reflection signal by the other detection unit is continuous,

the other detection unit performing the signal transmission-reception operation at the different operation timing signal from that of the one detection unit.

6. The obstacle detection device according to claim 1, wherein:

the signal transmission-reception operations of the plurality of the detection units are sequentially performed; and

when the one detection unit commenced to receive the reflection signal, a sequent periodicity of the operation timing signal to which the one detection unit responds is controlled to be shorter than the predetermined periodicity and a periodicity of the different operation timing signal from that of the one detection unit is controlled to be longer than the predetermined periodicity, on condition that obstacle detections via the other detection units have been determined and the receptions of the reflection signal by the other detection units are continuous,

the other detection units including all of the detection units which perform the signal transmission-reception operations at the different operation timing signals from that of the one detection unit.

7. The obstacle detection device according to claim 5, wherein

when the reception of the reflection signal by the one detection unit dies before the number of the continuous reception times thereof reaches the predetermined value, the periodicity of the operation timing signal to which the one detection unit responds is converted by the operation control unit back into the predetermined periodicity.

8. The obstacle detection device according to claim 5, wherein

when the number of the continuous reception times of the one detection unit reached the predetermined value, the periodicity of the operation timing signal to which the one detection unit responds is converted by the operation control unit back into the predetermined periodicity.

9. The obstacle detection device according to claim 1, wherein:

the signal transmission-reception operations of the plurality of the detection units are sequentially performed; and

when the one detection unit commenced to receive the reflection signal, an average of sequent periodicities of the operation timing signal to which the one detection unit responds is controlled to be shorter than the predetermined periodicity and the different operation timing signal from that of the one detection unit is delayed a predetermined period, on condition that an obstacle detection via the other detection unit has been determined and the reception of the reflection signal by the other detection unit is continuous,

the other detection unit performing the signal transmission-reception operation at the different operation timing signal from that of the one detection unit.

10. The obstacle detection device according to claim 5, wherein

the detection unit is an ultrasound sensor, which sends ultrasound signal to the detection area allotted thereto based on the operation timing signal and receives ultrasound signal reflected from the detection area allotted thereto.

11. The obstacle detection device according to claim 1, wherein the operation control unit and the determination unit are constructed of an ECU, which selectively sends the plurality of kinds of operation timing signals to the plurality of the detection units and determines the obstacle detection in the detection areas respectively allotted to the detection units based on the reflection signals therefrom.

12. The obstacle detection device according to claim 11, wherein the ECU is constructed of a microcomputer.

13. The obstacle detection device according to claim 6, wherein

when the reception of the reflection signal by the one detection unit dies before the number of the continuous reception times thereof reaches the predetermined value, the periodicity of the operation timing signal to which the one detection unit responds is converted by the operation control unit back into the predetermined periodicity.

14. The obstacle detection device according to claim 6, wherein

when the number of the continuous reception times of the one detection unit reached the predetermined value, the periodicity of the operation timing signal to which the one detection unit responds is converted by the operation control unit back into the predetermined periodicity.