JP2591116Y2 - Radar equipment for vehicles - Google Patents

Description

[Detailed description of the invention]

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a radar apparatus for a vehicle having a window dirt display function of detecting and displaying a window dirt based on the reflected and scattered light of the emitted laser light at a light transmitting window.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Recently, a vehicle radar device has been proposed for the purpose of preventing a rear-end collision due to a drowsy driving or an inattentive driving on an expressway. FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a situation in which a laser radar 3 is mounted on a truck 1 as a vehicle radar device of this type, and an inter-vehicle distance D to a preceding vehicle 2 is measured. In FIG. 1, reference numeral 3-1 denotes a laser radar head having a light transmitting unit and a light receiving unit. The laser beam LS sent from the light transmitting unit is reflected by a reflector 4 attached to the rear end of the front vehicle 2, and is guided to the light receiving unit as reflected laser light LR. In the laser radar 3, the emission timing of the laser light LS and the reflected laser light LR
And the calculated inter-vehicle distance D is displayed on the display unit 3-2 (see FIG. 5) provided in the driver's seat. The display unit 3-2 has an inter-vehicle distance display unit 3-21 on its front surface.
Is provided, and the measured inter-vehicle distance D is digitally displayed on the inter-vehicle distance display section 3-21. When the truck 1 approaches the preceding vehicle 2 and the inter-vehicle distance D becomes equal to or less than the safe inter-vehicle distance, a buzzer (not shown) provided in the display unit 3-2 sounds. The laser radar 3 automatically stops when the traveling speed of the truck 1 becomes 35 km / h or less. In other words, when the speed is 35 km / h or less, the drive of the laser diode is automatically stopped for the purpose of prolonging the service life and reducing the power consumption, and the measurement of the distance to the front object is prohibited. . At this time, the display in the following distance display section 3-21 is
It becomes “−−”.

On the other hand, in the light transmitting portion and the light receiving portion of the laser radar head 3-1, if the light transmitting window and the light receiving window through which the laser beam passes are contaminated, the detection capability is reduced. For this reason, in the related art, the reflected scattered light of the laser light emitted from the laser diode at the light transmission window is captured, and when the scattered light is larger than a predetermined amount, it is detected as window dirt and provided in the display unit 3-2. The displayed window dirt indicator lamp 3-22 is turned on. When prompted by the lighting of the window dirt indicator light 3-22, the truck 1 is stopped, and the light transmitting window and the light receiving window are wiped, so that the deterioration of the detection ability can be returned to the original state.

[0004]

However, according to such a conventional laser radar 3, when the traveling speed of the truck 1 becomes 35 km / h or less, the emission of the laser beam LS is stopped. The scattered light reflected by the light window is also lost, and as a result, a situation in which the window dirt is not detected is obtained.
Therefore, when the window dirt indicator light 3-22 is turned off in the display unit 3-2, and the truck 1 is stopped for the purpose of loading or the like and the user wishes to wipe the window dirt, the window dirt indicator lamp 3-22 during traveling. You may forget that was lit.

[0005]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made in order to solve such a problem. Even when the traveling speed is lower than a predetermined speed while displaying the window dirt, the display of the window dirt is mainly performed. This is to continue until the power is turned off.

[0006]

Therefore, according to the present invention, even when the traveling speed is lower than the predetermined speed during the display of the window dirt, the display of the window dirt does not disappear unless the main power supply is turned off.

[0007]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, a vehicle radar device according to the present invention will be described in detail.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a main configuration of a control unit of a laser radar which is one embodiment of the vehicle radar apparatus. The control unit 3-3 is provided inside the display unit 3-2 shown above. Is built on.

The control unit 3-3 includes a CPU 3-31, a ROM
3-32 and a RAM 3-33. Various input information is provided to the CPU 3-31 via the interface 3-34, and various processing information in the CPU 3-31 is output via the interface 3-34.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a main configuration of a light transmitting section in a laser radar head of the laser radar. In the figure, 3-11 is a laser diode, 3-12 is a light transmitting lens, and 3-13 is a light transmitting window. Light transmission lens 3-12
Is provided with a light receiving element 3-14 in close proximity.

The light receiving element 3-14 includes a laser diode 3
The scattered light reflected from the light transmitting window 3-13 of the laser light emitted from -11 is captured through the light transmitting lens 3-12, and a signal corresponding to the amount of the reflected scattered light is transmitted to the amplifier 3-15.
The amplifier 3-15 amplifies the signal sent from the light receiving element 3-14 and sends it to the level comparator 3-16. The judgment value is given to the level comparator 3-16, and when the value of the signal sent from the amplifier 3-15 is larger than the judgment value, that is, the reflected scattered light in the light transmission window 3-13 is a certain value. If it is larger than the fixed amount, a window stain signal is output.

Next, a processing operation specific to the present embodiment in the CPU 3-31 will be described with reference to the flowchart shown in FIG.

The CPU 3-31 monitors the running speed in step 101 according to the program stored in the ROM 3-32. If the traveling speed is 35 km / h or more, the routine proceeds to step 102.

In step 102, interface 3
It is determined whether or not the light transmitting window 3-13 is dirty based on the window dirt signal input via -34. If a window dirt signal has been generated, it is determined that the light transmission window 3-13 is dirty and the detection capability is degraded, and the following distance display unit 3-21 is determined.
Is displayed as "---" (step 10).
3) Turn on the window dirt indicator lamp 3-22 (step 10).
4) Return to step 101.

If it is determined in step 102 that the light transmitting window 3-13 is not contaminated, an operation in a normal alarm mode (back-end collision alarm mode) is executed via step 105 (step 106). In step 105, the window dirt indicator lamp 3-22 in the lit state is turned off when the window dirt is no longer detected in step 102. For example, when the stain on the light-sending window 3-13 is naturally removed during traveling, the window stain indicator 3-22 turns off.

On the other hand, at step 101, the traveling speed becomes 35
When the speed is equal to or less than km / h, the CPU 3-31 stops driving the laser diode 3-11 and sets the display on the inter-vehicle distance display unit 3-21 to "---" (step 10).
7).

Here, during the lighting of the window dirt indicator lamp 3-22,
Consider a case where the traveling speed is reduced to 35 km / h or less.

When the traveling speed becomes 35 km / h or less, the laser diode 3-
The drive of No. 11 is stopped. When the laser light emitted from the laser diode 3-11 disappears, the scattered light reflected at the light transmitting window 3-13 disappears, and thus the level comparator 3-16
The window dirt signal from is also lost. Conventionally, the window dirt indicator light 3-22 has been turned off due to the disappearance of the window dirt signal. On the other hand, in the present embodiment, even after the disappearance of the window dirt signal in step 107, the window dirt indicator lamp 3-22 maintains its lighting state. The lighting of the window dirt indicator light 3-22 is continued even after the vehicle is decelerated and stopped, and is turned off only when the main power is turned off.

That is, according to this embodiment, even when the traveling speed is reduced to 35 km / h or less while the window dirt indicator light 3-22 is turned on, the window dirt indicator lamp 3-22 does not turn off. Since the lighting state is continued until the main power is turned off even after the vehicle stops, the driver's attention is attracted when the driver tries to clean the windows after stopping the vehicle.

[0020]

As is apparent from the above description, according to the present invention, even if the traveling speed becomes equal to or lower than the predetermined speed while the window dirt is being displayed, the window dirt display is not displayed unless the main power supply is turned off. If the driver does not disappear and tries to clean the windows after stopping, the driver's attention can be obtained.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a flowchart showing a specific processing operation of a CPU in a control unit shown in FIG. 2;

FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a main part of a control unit of a laser radar as one embodiment of the vehicle radar device according to the present invention;

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a main configuration of a light transmitting unit in a laser radar head of the laser radar.

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a situation where a laser radar is mounted on a truck and an inter-vehicle distance to a vehicle ahead is measured.

FIG. 5 is a front view showing a display unit of the laser radar.

[Explanation of symbols]

 3-11 Laser Diode 3-13 Light Transmission Window 3-14 Light Receiving Element 3-16 Level Comparator 3-2 Display Unit 3-21 Vehicle Distance Display Unit 3-22 Window Dirt Indicator Light 3-3 Control Unit 3-31 CPU 3 -32 ROM 3-33 RAM 3-34 Interface

──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continuing on the front page (72) Inventor Makoto Yamanoi 500 Kitawaki, Shimizu-shi, Shizuoka Pref. Koito Manufacturing Co., Ltd. Shizuoka Plant (56) References Japanese Utility Model 5-21140 (JP, U) Japanese Utility Model 3 121500 (JP, U) Japanese Utility Model 4-99018 (JP, U) (58) Fields investigated (Int. Cl. ⁶ , DB name) G08G 1/16 B60R 21/00 B60K 31/00

Claims (1)

(57) [Scope of request for utility model registration] A laser beam is emitted through a light-transmitting window and a forward object is emitted.
Distance measuring means for measuring the distance to the body, and window dirt display means for detecting and displaying the dirt on the basis of the reflected and scattered light of the emitted laser light at the light transmitting window, wherein the traveling speed is less than or equal to a predetermined speed. In the case where the vehicle radar device stops emitting the laser light, the main power supply is turned off to display the window dirt even if the traveling speed is equal to or lower than the predetermined speed during the display of the window dirt. A vehicle radar device comprising a window dirt display continuation unit that continues until the end of the vehicle.