EP0918232A2
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EP
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Distance measuring apparatus
Assignee: Takata Corp
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Filing: 1998-11-11
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Granted: —
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Expires: 2018-11-11
Abstract
Abstract Distance sensors (101, 102) are mounted on both ends of a vehicle (100) and have light transmitting and receiving sections. A distance to an object (106) is independently measured by alternately transmitting "one-side-only enlarged light beams" (103, 104) at a time interval and receiving corresponding reflected beams from the object (106). In an overlapped area (105) of the "one-side-only enlarged light beams" (103, 104), the distance from the vehicle to the object (106), as well as the azimuth of the object, is measured by a triangulation distance measurement using an interval between the distance sensors (101, 102) as a baseline. The lengths of the "one-side-only enlarged light beams" (103, 104) in the running direction of the vehicle are about 50m and a width vertical to the running direction of the overlapped area (105) is about 2m slightly greater than a width of the vehicle (100). <IMAGE>
Inventors
- 👤 Masahiko c/o Intell. Prop. & Leg. Dep. Kato
- 👤 Eiji c/o Takata Corporation Yanagi
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-30 00:09
CPC Classifications
G; G01; G01S; G01S17/00; G01S17/02; G01S17/06; G01S17/42; G01S17/46; G01S17/48; G01S17/87; G01S17/88; G01S17/93; G01S17/931
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 13
Claim 1
Independent Claim
129 words
A distance measuring apparatus, provided on
a movable body (100), for measuring a distance up to
and an azimuth of an object (106) present in a forward
direction, comprising: a wave transmitting device (101a,
102a) for transmitting waves (103, 104) in a forward
direction; a wave detecting device (101b, 102b) for
detecting the waves reflected by the object (106) and
returning to the apparatus; and a processing device
(112) for processing a distance up to and an azimuth of
the object (106) from outputs of the wave detecting
device (101b, 102b), characterized in that a measurable area (105) formed by the waves (103,
104) transmitted from the wave transmitting device
(101a, 102a) has a shape with a generally constant
width extending for a predetermined length in the
forward direction.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
43 words
The apparatus according to claim 1,
characterized in that the apparatus includes one wave
transmitting device or two wave transmitting devices
(101a, 102a), and the apparatus includes two wave
detecting devices (101b, 102b) which are mounted on
both ends of the movable body.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
66 words
The apparatus according to claim 2,
characterized in that the apparatus includes two wave
transmitting devices (101a, 102a), and an area which is
inside an overlapped area of two waves (103, 104)
transmitted from the two wave transmitting devices
(101a, 102a) and in which waves are received by the
wave detecting devices (101b, 102b) with higher
intensity than a predetermined value defines the
measurable area (105).
Claim 4
Independent Claim
27 words
The apparatus according to any one of claims 2
and 3, characterized in that the two wave transmitting
devices (101a, 102a) alternately transmit the waves
(103, 104).
Claim 5
Independent Claim
44 words
The apparatus according to any one of claims 1
to 4, characterized in that the constant width of the
measurable area (105) extending for a predetermined
length in the forward direction is between a width of
the movable body (100) and twice of that.
Claim 6
Independent Claim
50 words
The apparatus according to any one of claims 1
to 5, characterized in that the predetermined lengths
in which the measurable area (105) by the transmitted
waves (103, 104) extends with the constant width
includes a length from 0.5m to 50m in a forward
direction of the movable body (100).
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
126 words
A distance measuring apparatus, provided on
a movable body (100), for measuring a distance up to
and an azimuth of an object (106) present in a forward
direction, comprising: wave transmitting means (101a,
102a) for transmitting waves (103, 104) in a forward
direction; wave detecting means (101b, 102b) for
detecting the waves reflected by the object (106) and
returning to the apparatus; and processing means (112)
for processing a distance up to and an azimuth of the
object (106) from outputs of the wave detecting means
(101b, 102b), characterized in that a measurable area (105) formed by the waves (103,
104) transmitted from the wave transmitting means (101a,
102a) has a shape with a generally constant width
extending for a predetermined length in the forward
direction.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
41 words
The apparatus according to claim 7,
characterized in that the apparatus includes one or two
wave transmitting means (101a, 102a), and the apparatus
includes two wave detecting means (101b, 102b) which
are mounted on both ends of the movable body (100).
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
66 words
The apparatus according to claim 8,
characterized in that the apparatus includes two wave
transmitting means (101a, 102a), and an area which is
inside an overlapped area of two waves (103, 104)
transmitted from the two wave transmitting means
(101a, 102a) and in which waves are received by
the wave detecting means (101b, 102b) with higher
intensity than a predetermined value defines the
measurable area (105).
Claim 10
Independent Claim
27 words
The apparatus according to any one of claims 8
and 9, characterized in that the two wave transmitting
means (101a, 102a) alternately transmit the waves
(103, 104).
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
44 words
The apparatus according to any one of claim 7
to 10, characterized in that the constant width of the
measurable area (105) extending for a predetermined
length in the forward direction is between a width of
the movable body (100) and twice of that.
Claim 12
Independent Claim
50 words
The apparatus according to any one of claims 7
to 11, characterized in that the predetermined lengths
in which the measurable area (105) by the transmitted
waves (103, 104) extends with the constant width
includes a length from 0.5m to 50m in a forward
direction of the movable body (100).
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
112 words
A distance measuring method for measuring
a distance up to and an azimuth of an object (106)
present in a forward direction, comprising: a wave
transmitting step for transmitting waves (103, 104) in
a forward direction; a wave detecting step for the
waves reflected by the object (106); and a processing
step for processing a distance up to and an azimuth of
the object (106) on the basis of information obtained
by the wave detecting step, characterized in that a measurable area (105) formed by the waves (103,
104) transmitted by the wave transmitting step has
a shape with a generally constant width extending for
a predetermined length in the forward direction.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
No citation records indexed.
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