Abstract: An object detection device includes a signal generation unit, a drive unit, an object determination unit, and a drive control unit. The signal generation unit generates at least one pulse signal that includes an identification code for identifying the ultrasonic wave. The drive unit drives the wave transceiver unit using a current or a voltage according to the at least one pulse signal. The object determination unit compares a code included in the received ultrasonic wave with the identification code and determines whether the received ultrasonic wave is a wave resulting from reflection of the ultrasonic wave transmitted by the wave transceiver unit, and determines whether an object is present in a predetermined detection range based on the amplitude of the received ultrasonic wave. The drive control unit reduces the current or the voltage used by the drive unit when a predetermined amplitude rise time has elapsed.

Abstract: A perimeter monitoring device is applied to a vehicle comprising a distance measuring sensor for transmitting a probing wave and receiving a reflected wave of the probing wave and an imaging device for capturing an image of the surroundings of the vehicle. The perimeter monitoring device comprises: an information acquisition unit for acquiring distance information, directional information, and object width information of an object existing in the vicinity of the vehicle as detection information of the object provided by the distance measuring sensor; an area setting unit for setting an image processing area on which image processing is performed in the image captured by the imaging device based on the distance information, the directional information, and the object width information acquired by the information acquisition unit; and an object recognition unit for performing the image processing on the image processing area set by the area setting unit to recognize the object.

Abstract: An object detection apparatus includes an object detecting unit detecting an object present around a subject vehicle based on received waves, in a case of receiving reflected waves, from the object, of ultrasonic waves transmitted from an ultrasonic sensor as transmitted waves. The object detection apparatus includes a temperature sensor detecting a temperature of the ultrasonic sensor, and based on a detected value of the temperature of the ultrasonic sensor, corrects at least one of a reception sensitivity for the received waves received by the ultrasonic sensor and a transmission intensity for the transmitted waves from the ultrasonic sensor. The object detection apparatus then detects the object using the corrected received waves.

Abstract: An ultrasonic sensor includes a sensor body, a cushion member, a retainer unit, and a drainage path. The sensor body includes an ultrasonic microphone and a microphone support unit which allows a protruding part of the ultrasonic microphone located at a distal end in an axial direction to protrude and supports the protruding part. The cushion member covers the protruding part. The retainer unit allows exposure of a portion of the cushion member that is located at the distal end in the axial direction, and a portion of the cushion member that is located at a proximal end in the axial direction is sandwiched between the retainer unit and an outer peripheral surface of the protruding part. The drainage path penetrates the retainer unit in a radial direction to allow water to be discharged out of the retainer unit from a gap between the retainer unit and the cushion member.

Abstract: An ultrasonic sensor is provided with a sensor body, a cushion member, a retainer part and a waterproof seal. The sensor body has an ultrasonic microphone and a microphone support part. The cushion member covers a protrusion part of the ultrasonic microphone. The retainer part sandwiches a sandwiched part on a proximal end side between the retainer part and an outer peripheral surface of the ultrasonic microphone, while exposing an exposed part on a tip end side in the axial direction of the cushion member. The waterproof seal blocks a gap between a vehicle body component and the exposed part of the cushion member in an on-board state.

Abstract: In an object detection device to be installed to a vehicle and detect an object outside the vehicle, a position calculator sets multiple candidate points representing a candidate position of the object, based on positions of feature points extracted from a first image captured at a first time. The multiple candidate points are set to be denser within a detection range set based on a distance to the object detected by the ultrasonic sensor than outside the detection range. The position calculator estimates positions of the multiple candidate points at a second time which is after the first time, based on the positions of the multiple candidate points and movement information of the vehicle, and calculates the position of the object by comparing the estimated positions of the multiple candidate points at the second time and the positions of the feature points extracted from a second image captured at the second time.

Abstract: An object detection device comprises a transmission sound pressure adjustment unit adjusting a sound pressure of the search wave so that the sound pressure of the search wave or a reflected wave based on the search wave is within a predetermined transmission target range. The transmission unit transmits, as the search wave, a first search wave with a first frequency changing with time at a first rate and a second search wave with a second frequency changing with time at a second rate that is different from the first rate. The transmission sound pressure adjustment unit is configured to adjust the sound pressure of each of the first and second search waves so that the sound pressure of the corresponding one of the first and second search waves or the reflected wave based on the corresponding one of the first and second search waves is within the transmission target range.

Abstract: A perimeter monitoring device is applied to a vehicle comprising a distance measuring sensor for transmitting a probing wave and receiving a reflected wave of the probing wave and an imaging device for capturing an image of the surroundings of the vehicle. The perimeter monitoring device comprises: an information acquisition unit for acquiring distance information, directional information, and object width information of an object existing in the vicinity of the vehicle as detection information of the object provided by the distance measuring sensor; an area setting unit for setting an image processing area on which image processing is performed in the image captured by the imaging device based on the distance information, the directional information, and the object width information acquired by the information acquisition unit; and an object recognition unit for performing the image processing on the image processing area set by the area setting unit to recognize the object.

Abstract: An object detector includes: an acquiring unit that acquires an oscillation signal corresponding to an oscillation of a microphone, the microphone transmitting a transmission wave, which is an ultrasonic wave, on a basis of a driving signal, and being caused to oscillate by a reflected wave generated as a result of the transmission wave being reflected from an object; a fall identifying unit that identifies a fall time point of a first drop from a value more than a threshold to the threshold or less after termination of the driving signal; a rise estimating unit that estimates a rise-in-reverberation time point of the reflected wave, the rise-in-reverberation time point being before the fall time point and after a time point of start of the driving signal; and a distance determining unit that determines a distance to the object on a basis of the rise-in-reverberation time point.

Abstract: An object detection device includes: a wave receiver that receives a reflected wave generated by reflection, by an object, of a transmission wave incident on the object; a determination section that determines whether, in a change over time in an amplitude of the reflected wave received by the wave receiver, an amplitude of a falling portion is greater than a predetermined criterion, the amplitude of the falling portion being decreased after the amplitude has reached a maximum value; and a processing section that, on the basis of a determination by the determination section that the amplitude of the falling portion is greater than the predetermined criterion, performs a process in which the object is treated as an object to be avoided.

Abstract: An object detection apparatus drives a piezoelectric vibrator to transmit an ultrasonic wave, and receives a reflected wave that is reflected from an object. The object detection apparatus includes the piezoelectric vibrator, a drive circuit that supplies drive power which drives the piezoelectric vibrator, and a resistor section that is connected in parallel with the piezoelectric vibrator and has a resistance value that is variable.

Abstract: A parking assistance device is applied to a vehicle equipped with a camera for capturing an image of an area in front of the vehicle and is configured to assist forward parking of the vehicle in a parking space. The parking assistance device includes: a position estimation unit which, in a situation where the vehicle is advancing toward the parking space in a lateral passage of the parking space, estimates, based on an image captured by the camera, at least one of a first corner position, which is a near-side corner position at a vehicle entrance part of the parking space, and a second corner position, which is a far-side corner position at the vehicle entrance part, before the vehicle passes by the parking space; and a space recognition unit which recognizes the parking space for forward parking based on the at least one estimated corner position.

Abstract: A position acquisition unit acquires relative position information between an own vehicle and an obstacle based on a reception wave received by a distance measurement sensor. A shape recognition unit executes shape recognition of the obstacle based on image information acquired by an image capturing unit. A detection processing unit detects the obstacle based on the relative position information acquired by the position acquisition unit and a shape recognition result obtained by the shape recognition unit. The detection processing unit determines whether the height of the obstacle is equal to or greater than a predetermined height or not. The detection processing unit discards the relative position information corresponding to the obstacle in a case where the shape recognition result obtained by the shape recognition unit indicates that the height of the obstacle is less than the predetermined height.

Abstract: An object detection device which determines an amplitude Ar of an ultrasonic wave received by a receiving unit, detects a frequency fr of the ultrasonic wave, sweeps a frequency fp of a pulse signal after a predetermined time has elapsed from start of generation of the pulse signal, and determines that the received ultrasonic wave is a reflected wave of the probe wave when the frequency fr after the amplitude Ar becomes a predetermined reference value or more from start of transmission of the probe wave makes the same change as the frequency fp. When an ultrasonic wave received by a receiver is determined to be a reflected wave of the probe wave, the object detection unit calculates a distance to an object based on a time from transmission of the probe wave to reception of the ultrasonic wave.

Abstract: An object detection device is applied to an object detection system configured such that connection to a control device is made via a communication line to perform power supply via the communication line and a signal is superimposed on current flowing through the communication line to transfer information. The object detection device is configured to drive a piezoelectric vibrator in a predetermined control period and transmit a survey wave and receive a wave reflected by an object. The object detection device includes a capacitor connected in parallel with a driver circuit configured to drive the piezoelectric vibrator, and a current control unit configured to control the current value of the communication line after the end of supplying power to the driver circuit.

Abstract: An ultrasonic sensor, that transmits probe waves which are ultrasonic waves and acquires detection waves including reflected waves which have been reflected from surrounding objects, includes a transmitter/receiver that transmits the probe waves and acquires the detection waves, a detection wave processing section that executes processing for passing a predetermined frequency band which includes the frequency of the probe waves, an amplitude measurement section which measures the amplitude of the detection waves, and a judgement section which judges whether there is adherence of foreign matter on the transmitter/receiver, based on a relationship between a time axis and values of the amplitude of the detection waves during a reverberation interval following the termination of transmitting the probe waves.

Abstract: An object detection device is applied to an object detection system configured such that connection to a control device is made via a communication line to perform power supply via the communication line and a signal is superimposed on current flowing through the communication line to transfer information. The object detection device is configured to drive a piezoelectric vibrator in a predetermined control period and transmit a survey wave and receive a wave reflected by an object. The object detection device includes a capacitor connected in parallel with a driver circuit configured to drive the piezoelectric vibrator, and a current control unit configured to control the current value of the communication line after the end of supplying power to the driver circuit.

Abstract: A parking assistance device is applied to a vehicle equipped with a camera for capturing an image of an area in front of the vehicle and is configured to assist forward parking of the vehicle in a parking space. The parking assistance device includes: a position estimation unit which, in a situation where the vehicle is advancing toward the parking space in a lateral passage of the parking space, estimates, based on an image captured by the camera, at least one of a first corner position, which is a near-side corner position at a vehicle entrance part of the parking space, and a second corner position, which is a far-side corner position at the vehicle entrance part, before the vehicle passes by the parking space; and a space recognition unit which recognizes the parking space for forward parking based on the at least one estimated corner position.

Abstract: An obstacle detection apparatus includes: a transceiver transmitting a transmission wave and receiving an ultrasonic wave; a transmission controller; a receiver circuit detecting a signal level of a receiving wave; a distance calculator sequentially calculating a distance to an object reflecting the transmission wave; a memory storing the distance to the object; an obstacle determination device determining whether the object is an obstacle; and a reception level monitoring device monitoring the signal level of the receiving wave before the transmission wave being transmitted. When the signal level exceeds a predetermined threshold, the obstacle determination device sets a first number of determination data elements to an increased number of determinations for a predetermined period to be used for determining whether the object is the obstacle, as being larger than a second number of determination data elements used when the signal level does not exceed the predetermined threshold.

Abstract: An ECU is applied to a vehicle system that is provided with lateral sensors which acquire distance information expressing a distance to an object that is located at a position on a lateral side of a vehicle. When distance information on the object is acquired by the lateral sensors, a judgement is made by the ECU as to whether or not the object is a predetermined moving object that moves relative to the vehicle. The ECU determines that the object is a target to be subjected to contact avoidance processing for avoiding contact with the object, based on a result of judging whether or not the object for which the distance information is acquired is a moving object.