JPH0396884A - Obstacle detecting device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To efficiently detect an obstacle in a necessary detection area by varying a receiving time of a reflected wave in accordance with the transmitting direction. CONSTITUTION:In an obstacle detecting device 1, a step-motor 4 for varying the transmitting direction of an ultrasonic wave by a CPU 3, an ultrasonic oscillation/output circuit 6 for oscillating an ultrasonic wave and providing a transmitting output to a transmitting sensor 5, and an amplifying/detecting circuit 8 for amplifying and detecting a received wave are connected. In this state, the transmitting an ultrasonic wave from a transmitting sensor 5, while varying the transmitting direction as indicated with (a), (b), (c),..., and receiving its reflected waves by a receiving sensor 7, an obstacle in front of a vehicle 2 is detected. The CPU varies a receiving time of the reflected wave in accordance with the transmitting direction. In such a way, before the reflected wave of outside of a necessary detection area B is received, the receiving time is brought to an end, and only an obstacle in the necessary detection area B can be detected.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Field of Application in Industry] The present invention relates to an improvement in an obstacle detection device, and more particularly, to an obstacle detection device that can efficiently detect obstacles within a required detection area. .

[Prior art]

Figures 5 and 6 are a perspective view, a schematic cross-sectional view, and a schematic vertical cross-sectional view, respectively, showing a conventional obstacle detection device.

This obstacle detection device 51 is connected to a vehicle 5 as shown in FIG.
2, and transmits ultrasonic waves from an ultrasonic transmitting sensor 53 (FIG. 5, FIG. 6) to a, bC. The transmission direction is changed by the step motor 54 as shown in FIG.

The rectangular area in front of the vehicle 52 shown in FIG. 7 is the required obstacle detection area @A.

In this conventional obstacle detection device 5I, the transmission output and the reception time of reflected waves are always constant, and obstacles outside the required detection area A (the meshed areas of a, b, etc. above) are also detected. To detect.

[Problem to be solved by the invention]

Therefore, wasted time is required to detect obstacles in areas outside the required detection area A, reducing the efficiency of detecting obstacles within the required detection area A.

Therefore, it is an object of the present invention to provide an obstacle detection device that can efficiently detect obstacles within a required detection area.

[Means to solve the problem]

To achieve the above object, the present invention provides an obstacle detection device that is installed at the front end of a vehicle and detects obstacles in front of the vehicle by transmitting ultrasonic waves while changing the transmission direction and receiving the reflected waves. The obstacle detection device is characterized in that the reception time of reflected waves is changed depending on the transmission direction.

[Effect]

Since this obstacle detection device is configured as described above, the obstacle detection range changes depending on the transmission direction.

Therefore, it is possible to detect only obstacles within the necessary detection area, and it is possible to reduce wasted time due to the conventional detection of obstacles in areas outside the necessary detection area.

Therefore, obstacles within the required detection area can be detected efficiently.

〔Example〕

Hereinafter, the present invention will be embodied with reference to the accompanying drawings, and
As shown in FIG. 4, ultrasonic waves are transmitted from the transmitting sensor 5 (FIGS. 1 and 2) to (a), (mouth), and (c). . . , transmits while changing the transmission direction, and receives the reflected wave by the reception sensor 7 to detect an obstacle in front of the vehicle 2.

The CPU 3 changes the reception time of the reflected wave depending on the transmission direction.

FIG. 3 shows an example of the ultrasonic transmission pulse transmitted from the transmission sensor 5 and the reception time of its reflected wave.

For example, in this figure, the transmission pulse (c) (Figure 4)
The reception time of the reflected wave corresponding to the transmitted pulse (2) (Fig. 4) is (1) to (2), the reception time of the reflected wave corresponding to the transmitted pulse (2) (Fig. 4) is (3) to (4), etc. Thus, the reception time of the reflected wave changes depending on the transmission direction of the transmission pulse.

As a result, as shown in FIG. 4, the reception time is terminated before the reflected waves outside the necessary detection area B are received, and only obstacles within the necessary detection area B can be detected.

Therefore, an embodiment other than the conventional required detection area B will be explained to provide an understanding of the present invention.

In addition, the following example is an example embodying the present invention,
It is not intended to limit the technical scope of the present invention.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an obstacle detection device according to an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a Bronnock diagram of the same obstacle detection device, and FIG.
The figure is a time chart showing an example of the reception time of the same obstacle detecting device, and FIG. 4 is an explanatory schematic diagram showing an example of the obstacle detection range of the same obstacle detecting device.

The obstacle detection device 1 shown in FIG. 1 is provided at the front end of the vehicle 2, as shown in FIG.

As shown in Fig. 2, this obstacle detection device 1 is configured with a microcomputer CPU (hereinafter referred to as CPU) 3 as the center, and this CPU 3 has a step motor 4 that changes the transmission direction of ultrasonic waves, and a motor that oscillates ultrasonic waves. An ultrasonic oscillation output circuit 6 that provides a transmission output to the transmission sensor 5, and an amplification and detection circuit 8 that amplifies and detects reflected waves received by the reception sensor 7 are connected.

It is possible to reduce wasted time due to the detection of obstacles in the area, and to efficiently detect obstacles in the required detection area B.

〔Effect of the invention〕

According to the present invention, in an obstacle detection device that is provided at the front end of a vehicle and detects an obstacle in front of the vehicle by transmitting ultrasonic waves while changing the transmission direction and receiving the reflected waves, the reflected waves are detected according to the transmission direction. An obstacle detection device is provided, characterized in that the reception time of the obstacle is changed.

Therefore, the obstacle detection range changes depending on the transmission direction, and it is possible to reduce wasted time due to obstacle detection in areas outside the required detection area, which was conventionally done, and improve obstacle detection efficiency.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an obstacle detection device according to an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a block diagram of the same obstacle detection device, and FIG.
The figure is a time chart showing an example of the reception time of the same obstacle detection device, FIG. 4 is an explanatory schematic diagram showing an example of the obstacle detection range of the same obstacle detection device, and FIGS. 5 and 6 (al, b
1 is a perspective view, a schematic cross-sectional view, and a schematic cross-sectional view of a conventional obstacle detection device, respectively, and FIG. 7 is an explanatory schematic diagram showing an example of an obstacle detection range of the same obstacle detection device. [Explanation of symbols] 1...Obstacle detection device 2...Vehicle 3...Microcomputer 4...Stethop motor 5...Transmission sensor 6...Ultrasonic oscillation output circuit 7...Reception sensor 8...Amplification detection circuit

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claims] 1. An obstacle detection device that is installed at the front end of a vehicle and detects obstacles in front of the vehicle by transmitting ultrasonic waves while changing the transmission direction and receiving the reflected waves, comprising: An obstacle detection device characterized in that the reception time of reflected waves is changed according to the time of reception of reflected waves.