Abstract: A pulse radar device, which includes a timing control unit that controls a transmit interval of a pulse signal, a transmitting unit that transmits the pulse signal, a receiving unit that receives a receive signal including a reflection signal component from a target object and a noise component, a receive signal change detecting unit that detects a change in the assembly of the receive signals of the assembly of the pulse signals which are transmitted during a first transmit interval and the assembly of the pulse signals which are transmitted during a second transmit interval, a reflection signal rising detecting unit that detects a rising time point of the reflection signal component, and a ranging/detecting unit that obtains a distance value on the basis of the rising time point of the reflection signal and judges the presence of the target object.

Abstract: A vehicle surrounding monitoring apparatus includes an object position detecting device for periodically detecting a distance of from the self vehicle to the object that exists in the periphery of the self vehicle and an orientation directed from the self vehicle toward the object; an object position converting device for calculating the estimated values of a distance and an orientation which are estimated when said object is detected at the present time; an stop object judging means for judging whether said object is a stop object, or not; and a relative speed calculating device for judging whether the previous object and the present object which are detected by said object position detecting device are identical with each other, or not, to calculate the relative speed on the basis of the relative position of the same object.

Abstract: A pulse radar device, which includes a timing control unit that controls a transmit interval of a pulse signal, a transmitting unit that transmits the pulse signal, a receiving unit that receives a receive signal including a reflection signal component from a target object and a noise component, a receive signal change detecting unit that detects a change in the assembly of the receive signals of the assembly of the pulse signals which are transmitted during a first transmit interval and the assembly of the pulse signals which are transmitted during a second transmit interval, a reflection signal rising detecting unit that detects a rising time point of the reflection signal component, and a ranging/detecting unit that obtains a distance value on the basis of the rising time point of the reflection signal and judges the presence of the target object.

Abstract: A reinforced structure of a metallic member is described, in which a metallic member having an opening on at least one face thereof is reinforced with a resin member, deformation of the opening being inhibited by reinforcing means of (1) closing the opening with the resin member to form a rectangular closed cross-section, or (2) providing a reinforcing rib as a resin member in the inside of the opening and fixing a joint section integrally molded with the rib to the metallic member by a channel provided in the joint section or through engagement.

Abstract: The present invention provides a pulse radar apparatus which is capable of detecting properly an object and measuring a distance up to the object in a short distance even if a leakage signal is contained in a received signal.

Abstract: The present invention provides a pulse radar apparatus which is capable of detecting properly an object and measuring a distance up to the object in a short distance even if a leakage signal is contained in a received signal.

Abstract: A vehicle surrounding monitoring apparatus includes an object position detecting means for periodically detecting a distance of from the self vehicle to the object that exists in the periphery of the self vehicle and an orientation directed from the self vehicle toward the object; an object position converting means for calculating the estimated values of a distance and an orientation which are estimated when said object is detected at the present time; an stop object judging means for judging whether said object is a stop object, or not; and a relative speed calculating means for judging whether the previous object and the present object which are detected by said object position detecting means are identical with each other, or not, to calculate the relative speed on the basis of the relative position of the same object.

Abstract: In a distance measuring device, reflected pulsed light beams with respect to one transmitted light beam are amplified by plural amplifiers (22a, 22b) of different gains. The retroreflection times of the reflected pulsed light beams are detected by retroreflection time detectors (30a, 30b) respectively connected to the amplifies. Based on outputs of the retroreflection time detectors, distance calculator (40) judges the overlapping state of the reflected pulses and the power of reflection from first pulse widths of the reflected pulsed light beams, selects a distance calculating method in accordance with the state, and outputs distance measurement data of high reliability.

Abstract: A practical object recognition method and a vehicle surroundings monitoring apparatus using this method are provided which are efficient in data processing even when quite a lot of detection points data are obtained by using a scanning type laser radar. A laser radar scanningly irradiates electromagnetic waves around a subject vehicle on which the vehicle surroundings monitoring apparatus is mounted, detects the electromagnetic waves reflected from objects lying around the subject vehicle, and outputs a plurality of directions of scanning irradiation and detected distances from the subject vehicle to the objects in the respective directions of scanning irradiation. A recognition unit detects, based on the detection results of the laser radar, a relative position and a relative speed of each of the objects lying around the subject vehicle with respect to the subject vehicle. The recognition unit stores whether or not detection points data (i.e.

Abstract: A vehicular front monitoring apparatus which can reliably recognize a road configuration ahead of an own-vehicle through simpler computation. The apparatus comprises a distance measuring unit for radiating electromagnetic waves or the likes in plural directions, and detecting distances from an own-vehicle to a plurality of objects around the own-vehicle and lateral positions of the objects relative to a running direction of the own-vehicle, thereby measuring object positional data on coordinates defined by the running direction and a transverse direction of the own-vehicle; a road curvature estimating unit for estimating a curvature of a road ahead of the own-vehicle through Hough transform of the object positional data measured by the distance measuring unit; and a vehicle's own lane determining unit for determining whether other vehicles running ahead are in the same lane as the own-vehicle or not based on the curvature of the road estimated by the road curvature estimating unit.

Abstract: A camera and a beam-scan type laser radar whose optical axes are coincident are mounted on a vehicle. A lane detector detects the vehicle's own lane on a display image by processing an image picked up by the camera. A coordinate transforming device transforms the coordinates of positional information of an object, most likely a vehicle, detected by the laser radar in conformity with coordinates on the image of the camera. Another detector compares a position of the vehicle's own lane with a position of the detected object, judges whether or not the detected object is within the vehicle's own lane, and separates the detected object within the vehicle's own lane from objects detected outside the vehicle's own lane. A failure detection method and a corresponding apparatus are provided to determine whether the optical axes of the camera and the laser radar are coincident.

Abstract: A vehicle distance data processor precisely correlates or matches points of detection in a time serial manner to thereby accurately determine distances of a subject vehicle to a plurality of other vehicles or obstacles lying ahead as well as relative velocity vector data indicative of a velocity vector of each of the other vehicles or obstacles relative to the subject vehicle. Currently obtained coordinate data is correlated or matched with previously obtained coordinate data by means of a matching element 5A on the basis of coordinate data obtained by a distance data converting element 3A, reflection strength data obtained by a distance data/reflection-strength data input element 2A, and predicted coordinate data obtained by a coordinate data predicting element 4A.