OBSTACLE DETECTION APPARATUS FOR VEHICLES

• US 20170242120A1
• Filed: 10/21/2015
• Published: 08/24/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 10/22/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: DENSO Corporation, Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: DENSO Corporation, Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Matsuura, Mitsuyasu, Atarashi, Yasutaka, Ando, Tsuyoshi, Ohbayashi, Motonari
• Granted Patent: US 11,067,688 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 15/46 Indirect determination of position data
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 15/878 wherein transceivers are operated, either sequentially or simultaneously, both in bi-static and in mono-static mode, e.g. cross-echo mode
• 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 7/527 Extracting wanted echo signals Doppler systems G01S15/50
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/56 Display arrangements short-range imaging G01S7/52053
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/62 Cathode-ray tube displays

Abstract

An obstacle detection apparatus for vehicles includes: a first ultrasonic sensor for detecting a distance to an obstacle; a second ultrasonic sensor at a position of the vehicle for receiving a reflection wave from the obstacle of an ultrasonic wave from the first ultrasonic wave; a notifier that gives a notification of detecting the obstacle present within a preset distance in one or more of predetermined notification areas including a first notification area for the first ultrasonic sensor, and a second notification area for the second ultrasonic sensor detects the obstacle for the vehicle; and a controller that controls contents to be notified by the notifier. Furthermore, the controller determines whether a first indirect wave distance and a second indirect wave distance are used to determine whether to give the notification of detecting the obstacle in the first notification area.

Claims

1. An obstacle detection apparatus for vehicles, the obstacle detection apparatus mounted to a vehicle and comprising:

a first ultrasonic sensor that is arranged at a predetermined part of the vehicle to detect a distance to an obstacle by transmitting and receiving an ultrasonic wave;

a second ultrasonic sensor that is arranged at a position of the vehicle where the second ultrasonic sensor receives a reflection wave of an ultrasonic wave transmitted from the first ultrasonic wave and reflected by the obstacle to detect a distance to the obstacle by transmitting and receiving an ultrasonic wave;

a notifier that gives a notification of detecting the obstacle present within a preset distance in one or more of predetermined notification areas including

a first notification area indicative of a range where the first ultrasonic sensor detects the obstacle for the vehicle, and

a second notification area being different from the first notification area and indicative of a range where the second ultrasonic sensor detects the obstacle for the vehicle; and

a controller that controls contents to be notified by the notifier, wherein;

the controller determines whether a first indirect wave distance and a second indirect wave distance are used to determine whether to give the notification of detecting the obstacle in the first notification area based on a first direct wave distance and a second direct wave distance;

the first indirect wave distance is a distance to the obstacle calculated from an ultrasonic wave, which is transmitted from the first ultrasonic sensor and received by the second ultrasonic sensor;

the second indirect wave distance is a distance to the obstacle calculated from an ultrasonic wave, which is transmitted from the second ultrasonic sensor and received by the first ultrasonic sensor;

the first direct wave distance is a distance to the obstacle calculated by the first ultrasonic sensor from an ultrasonic wave, which is transmitted and received by the first ultrasonic sensor; and

the second direct wave distance is a distance to the obstacle calculated by the second ultrasonic sensor from an ultrasonic wave, which is transmitted and received by the second ultrasonic sensor.

2. The obstacle detection apparatus for vehicles according to claim 1,

wherein the controller uses the first indirect wave distance and the second indirect wave distance to determine whether to give the notification of detecting the obstacle in the first notification area, when the first direct wave distance is not calculated with the first ultrasonic sensor and the second direct wave distance is not calculated with the second ultrasonic sensor.

3. The obstacle detection apparatus for vehicles according to claim 1,

wherein the controller does not use the first indirect wave distance and the second indirect wave distance to determine whether to give the notification of detecting the obstacle in the first notification area, when the first direct wave distance is not calculated with the first ultrasonic sensor while the second direct wave distance is calculated with the second ultrasonic sensor.

4. The obstacle detection apparatus for vehicles according to claim 1,

wherein the controller uses the first indirect wave distance and the second indirect wave distance to determine whether to give the notification of detecting the obstacle in the first notification area, when the first direct wave distance is calculated with the first ultrasonic sensor.

5. The obstacle detection apparatus for vehicles according to claim 1,

wherein the controller gives a notification regarding the first notification area based on a shortest one of the first indirect wave distance, the second indirect wave distance and the first direct wave distance, when the controller determines that the first indirect wave distance and the second indirect wave distance are used to determine whether to give the notification of detecting the obstacle in the first notification area.

6. The obstacle detection apparatus for vehicles according to claim 1,

wherein the controller gives a notification regarding the first notification area based on the first direct wave distance, when the controller determines that the first indirect wave distance and the second indirect wave distance are not used to determine whether to give the notification of detecting the obstacle in the first notification area.