Abstract: An object detecting apparatus detects an object by using a laser beam emitted from a laser diode. The apparatus has a current adjuster. An amount of electric current supplied from the current adjuster to the laser diode is controlled to change an intensity of the laser beam, and is adjusted by a feedforward control based on a signal from a temperature sensor in the apparatus to compensate a drift of the laser diode characteristics.

Abstract: An object recognition apparatus for vehicles is provided which is equipped with a radar. The apparatus is designed to detect adhesion of any dirt to the radar which will disturbs emission of radar waves to and reception radar echoes from a target. When the number of radar waves is great which cause the times required by the radar waves to travel to and return from a target to be measured as being shorter than a predetermined period of time and the intensities of the radar returns to be greater than a predetermined value, it is determined that the dirt is adhered to the radar, thereby improving the accuracy of detecting the adhesion of dirt to the radar.

Abstract: A radar system of a vehicle has a zero-cross comparator, an integrator, and a sensor. The comparator compares a light reception signal output from each one of photoreceptive elements with a predetermined standard signal and outputs a comparison signal indicating two different states corresponding to a result of the comparison. The integrator samples the comparison signal and converts the comparison signal into one-bit digital data. The integrator integrates the digital data for each photoreceptive element. The sensor compares the integrated data of each photoreceptive element with a predetermined integration standard value. The sensor senses a reflection object based on the integrated data equal to or greater than the integration standard value.

Abstract: An integrator of a vehicular radar system has multiple switches and multiple capacitors, which are connected with the switches, for each one of photoreceptive elements. The integrator integrates light reception signals, which are output from the photoreceptive elements, by switching the switches to a connected state one after another in a predetermined order at a predetermined time interval until a predetermined time passes after every emission of the laser light and by switching the switches to the connected state one after another in a predetermined order at a predetermined time interval if the laser light is emitted predetermined times. Thus, the integrator can integrate the light reception signals, which are output from the multiple photoreceptive elements, in parallel.

Abstract: A radar system of a vehicle has a zero-cross comparator, an integrator, and a sensor. The comparator compares a light reception signal output from each one of photoreceptive elements with a predetermined standard signal and outputs a comparison signal indicating two different states corresponding to a result of the comparison. The integrator samples the comparison signal and converts the comparison signal into one-bit digital data. The integrator integrates the digital data for each photoreceptive element. The sensor compares the integrated data of each photoreceptive element with a predetermined integration standard value. The sensor senses a reflection object based on the integrated data equal to or greater than the integration standard value.

Abstract: A light receiver apparatus for a vehicle comprises a photo diode for receiving an incident light form a surrounding environment, a FET connected in series with the photo diode and a filter for extracting an a.c. signal from a received light signal developed at a junction with the photo diode when a reverse-bias voltage is applied to the photo diode. The a.c. signal is produced by removing from the received light signal a signal corresponding to a background light in the incident light. The FET varies a resistance thereof in accordance with the received light signal so that a d.c. signal in the received light signal is regulated to a fixed level irrespective of the intensity of the background light in the received light.

Abstract: In an object recognition apparatus for a vehicle which uses intensities of reflected waves from reflecting objects to make a recognition on whether a reflecting object is a vehicle or a non-vehicle, a plurality of transmission waves are emitted to receive a plurality of reflected waves from the reflecting objects, and a decision is made as to whether or not the reflecting object producing the plurality of reflected waves is a unitary reflecting object. If the decision shows a unitary reflecting object, the highest intensity of intensities of the reflected waves from the unitary reflecting object is compared with a reference intensity to makes a decision on whether the reflecting object is a vehicle or a non-vehicle. This enables univocally making a decision for each unitary reflecting object as to whether the reflecting object is more likely to be a vehicle or to be a non-vehicle, thus improving the recognition accuracy.

Abstract: In a vehicle radar device, a predetermined number of received light signals output based on a predetermined number of laser beams radiated from a radar sensor are integrated by an integrator to produce an integrated signal. Integration of the predetermined number of received light signals helps amplify the received light signal components corresponding to the waves reflected by reflecting objects, making it possible to improve the sensitivity for detecting the waves reflected by the reflecting object. There are set a plurality of ranges of the received light signals to be integrated, each being shifted by one received light signal. This minimizes a drop in the angular resolution based on the integrated signals.

Abstract: An object detecting apparatus for a vehicle has a light radiation unit and a light receiver unit disposed in a case having a light radiating window and a light receiving window for detecting an object or a distance to the object. The apparatus further has a case inside condition sensor for detecting a case inside condition, which changes when the case is broken. The case inside condition sensor may detect temperatures, humidity or pressures in the case. A breakage of the case is detected from a change in the detected case inside conditions. A case outside condition may be additionally used to detect the breakage of the case.

Abstract: In an object recognition apparatus for a vehicle which uses intensities of reflected waves from reflecting objects to make a recognition on whether a reflecting object is a vehicle or a non-vehicle, a plurality of transmission waves are emitted to receive a plurality of reflected waves from the reflecting objects, and a decision is made as to whether or not the reflecting object producing the plurality of reflected waves is a unitary reflecting object. If the decision shows a unitary reflecting object, the highest intensity of intensities of the reflected waves from the unitary reflecting object is compared with a reference intensity to makes a decision on whether the reflecting object is a vehicle or a non-vehicle. This enables univocally making a decision for each unitary reflecting object as to whether the reflecting object is more likely to be a vehicle or to be a non-vehicle, thus improving the recognition accuracy.

Abstract: An object detecting apparatus for detecting an object or a distance with the object includes at least one light receiving element for detecting a light quantity entering from a sensor window portion for example, a projection window portion and an entrance window portion through which an electromagnetic wave from an electromagnetic wave generation portion toward an object and a reflected electromagnetic wave from the object pass. Furthermore, an irregularity determining portion determines a state of at least one of the projection window portion and the entrance window portion using at least the detected light quantity of the light receiving element. For example, the light receiving element includes a first light receiving portion and a second light receiving portion which receive the light quantities of direct current part of light entering from the first and second light receiving portions.

Abstract: An object recognition apparatus in a subject vehicle includes a radar unit for transmitting a plurality of laser beams in a scan range spread in horizontal and vertical directions of the subject vehicle and receiving a reflection, a recognition unit for recognizing the object in front of the subject vehicle based on the reflection, a determination sub-unit in the radar unit, a calculation sub-unit in the radar unit; and an adjustment sub-unit in the radar unit. The radar unit is so disposed in the subject vehicle with a center axis of one of the plurality of the laser beams aligned with a target angle that the determination sub-unit uses coverage in the vertical direction of the laser beam being sufficient for variation of heights of the reflector on the object at a first distance detected by the radar unit as the predetermined condition for selecting of the object.

Abstract: An integrator of a vehicular radar system has multiple switches and multiple capacitors, which are connected with the switches, for each one of photoreceptive elements. The integrator integrates light reception signals, which are output from the photoreceptive elements, by switching the switches to a connected state one after another in a predetermined order at a predetermined time interval until a predetermined time passes after every emission of the laser light and by switching the switches to the connected state one after another in a predetermined order at a predetermined time interval if the laser light is emitted predetermined times. Thus, the integrator can integrate the light reception signals, which are output from the multiple photoreceptive elements, in parallel.

Abstract: A light receiver apparatus for a vehicle comprises a photo diode for receiving an incident light form a surrounding environment, a FET connected in series with the photo diode and a filter for extracting an a.c. signal from a received light signal developed at a junction with the photo diode when a reverse-bias voltage is applied to the photo diode. The a.c. signal is produced by removing from the received light signal a signal corresponding to a background light in the incident light. The FET varies a resistance thereof in accordance with the received light signal so that a d.c. signal in the received light signal is regulated to a fixed level irrespective of the intensity of the background light in the received light.

Abstract: A laser radar sensor includes a photoreceptor, a dummy circuit, an amplifier, a selector, and the first and the second detection circuits. A photoreception signal outputted from the photoreceptor and an output signal of the dummy circuit are amplified by the amplifier, and inputted to the second detection circuit. A noise component included in the photoreception signal based on the output signal of the dummy circuit when distance detection is not performed. The distance detection is performed based on the reception signal from which the noise component is removed. As a result, a reduction in detectable distance of the laser radar sensor is less likely to occur. Furthermore, the noise component is detected using the dummy circuit and the selector. Thus, the consideration of the predetermined rotation angle is not required in optical system design and limiting factors in the optical system design can be reduced.

Abstract: An object detecting apparatus for a vehicle has a light radiation unit and a light receiver unit disposed in a case having a light radiating window and a light receiving window for detecting an object or a distance to the object. The apparatus further has a case inside condition sensor for detecting a case inside condition, which changes when the case is broken. The case inside condition sensor may detect temperatures, humidity or pressures in the case. A breakage of the case is detected from a change in the detected case inside conditions. A case outside condition may be additionally used to detect the breakage of the case.

Abstract: An object detecting apparatus for detecting an object or a distance with the object includes at least one light receiving element for detecting a light quantity entering from a sensor window portion for example, a projection window portion and an entrance window portion through which an electromagnetic wave from an electromagnetic wave generation portion toward an object and a reflected electromagnetic wave from the object pass. Furthermore, an irregularity determining portion determines a state of at least one of the projection window portion and the entrance window portion using at least the detected light quantity of the light receiving element. For example, the light receiving element includes a first light receiving portion and a second light receiving portion which receive the light quantities of direct current part of light entering from the first and second light receiving portions.

Abstract: An object detecting apparatus for a vehicle has a light radiation unit and a light receiver unit disposed in a case for detecting an object or a distance to the object. When a vehicle is at a stop, the apparatus detects an output power of a laser light radiated from the light radiation unit by the light receiving unit and feedback-controls the output power of the laser light to a predetermined level based on the detected output power of the laser light. The feedback control is effected by an amplifier circuit, a pulse width detector circuit and a current regulator circuit. Thus, the output power of the laser light is reduced not to damage human eyes when the vehicle is at a stop.

Abstract: An object detecting apparatus detects an object by using a laser beam emitted from a laser diode. The apparatus has a current adjuster. An amount of electric current supplied from the current adjuster to the laser diode is controlled to change an intensity of the laser beam, and is adjusted by a feedforward control based on a signal from a temperature sensor in the apparatus to compensate a drift of the laser diode characteristics.

Abstract: In an object recognition apparatus for a vehicle which uses intensities of reflected waves from reflecting objects to make a recognition on whether a reflecting object is a vehicle or a non-vehicle, a plurality of transmission waves are emitted to receive a plurality of reflected waves from the reflecting objects, and a decision is made as to whether or not the reflecting object producing the plurality of reflected waves is a unitary reflecting object. If the decision shows a unitary reflecting object, the highest intensity of intensities of the reflected waves from the unitary reflecting object is compared with a reference intensity to makes a decision on whether the reflecting object is a vehicle or a non-vehicle. This enables univocally making a decision for each unitary reflecting object as to whether the reflecting object is more likely to be a vehicle or to be a non-vehicle, thus improving the recognition accuracy.