Abstract: An ECU of an object detection device stops transmission of search waves from a plurality of ultrasonic sensors when a vehicle travels at a predetermined speed or more, and counts the frequency of receiving waves with an intensity of not less than a threshold intensity for each of the plurality of ultrasonic sensors. The ECU acquires a first count that is a count of the frequency in a first sensor that is one of the plurality of ultrasonic sensors, and a second count that is a count of the frequency in a second sensor different from the first sensor. The ECU determines that snow accretion has occurred on the first sensor if the first count is smaller than the second count, and a difference between the first count and a representative value that is set based on the second count is not less than a predetermined value.

Abstract: An image processing unit identifies the shape of an obstacle that is identified from an area that appears in a peripheral image based on an image captured by a camera. The shape of the obstacle includes at least a tilt of a section of the obstacle in a road-surface direction. The section of the obstacle faces a vehicle. The image processing unit generates a superimposed image in which a mark image that is generated as a pattern that indicates the identified obstacle is superimposed onto a position that corresponds to the obstacle in the peripheral image. At this time, the image processing unit variably changes properties of the mark image based on the tilt of the obstacle identified by an obstacle identifying unit. The image processing unit then displays the generated superimposed image on display apparatus.

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: In a sensor system, a monitoring ECU includes a result-transmission-instruction transmission section that transmits through a signal line a measurement result transmission instruction for transmitting distance data. The result-transmission-instruction transmission section transmits, during a new detection operation, the measurement result transmission instruction to at least one of the ultrasonic sensors engaged in a last detection operation. Upon receipt of the measurement result transmission instruction, a communication section of the ultrasonic sensors transmits a detection result during the new detection operation.

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 obstacle detection device includes a plurality of ultrasonic sensors and a detection control unit. The detection control unit detects an object by using one of at least two of the ultrasonic sensors as a transmission sensor that transmits an ultrasonic wave and the other of the at least two of the ultrasonic sensors as a reception sensor that receives the ultrasonic wave transmitted by the transmission sensor and reflected. A difference of heights of the one used as the transmission sensor and the other used as the reception sensor attached to a surface of a vehicle body from a ground is a predetermined threshold height that is defined based on twice a height of a bump on the ground as a non-detection object.

Abstract: An ultrasonic object detection device includes: a first echo prolongation determination unit that sequentially determines whether a measured echo time of an ultrasonic sensor is prolonged from a reference echo time; a second echo prolongation determination unit that determines whether an addition echo time is prolonged from the reference echo time when the measured echo time is not prolonged from the reference echo time, and the ultrasonic sensor detects a reflected wave, the addition echo time being obtained by adding, to the measured echo time, a time from termination of an echo to termination of a first reflected wave; and a short distance object detection unit that determines that an object is disposed within a short distance so as to receive the reflected wave while the echo is not terminated when one of the measured echo time or addition echo time is prolonged from the reference echo time.

Abstract: An ultrasonic object detection device includes: a first echo prolongation determination unit that sequentially determines whether a measured echo time of an ultrasonic sensor is prolonged from a reference echo time; a second echo prolongation determination unit that determines whether an addition echo time is prolonged from the reference echo time when the measured echo time is not prolonged from the reference echo time, and the ultrasonic sensor detects a reflected wave, the addition echo time being obtained by adding, to the measured echo time, a time from termination of an echo to termination of a first reflected wave; and a short distance object detection unit that determines that an object is disposed within a short distance so as to receive the reflected wave while the echo is not terminated when one of the measured echo time or addition echo time is prolonged from the reference echo time.

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: In a sensor system, a monitoring ECU includes a result-transmission-instruction transmission section that transmits through a signal line a measurement result transmission instruction for transmitting distance data. The result-transmission-instruction transmission section transmits, during a new detection operation, the measurement result transmission instruction to at least one of the ultrasonic sensors engaged in a last detection operation. Upon receipt of the measurement result transmission instruction, a communication section of the ultrasonic sensors transmits a detection result during the new detection operation.

Abstract: An obstacle detection device includes a plurality of ultrasonic sensors and a detection control unit. The detection control unit detects an object by using one of at least two of the ultrasonic sensors as a transmission sensor that transmits an ultrasonic wave and the other of the at least two of the ultrasonic sensors as a reception sensor that receives the ultrasonic wave transmitted by the transmission sensor and reflected. A difference of heights of the one used as the transmission sensor and the other used as the reception sensor attached to a surface of a vehicle body from a ground is a predetermined threshold height that is defined based on twice a height of a bump on the ground as a non-detection object.

Abstract: An object detecting apparatus includes a sensor, a noise determining portion, a detected result determining portion and a warning portion. The sensor transmits an ultrasonic wave and receives a reflected wave reflected by an object. The noise determining portion determines existence or nonexistence of a noise signal received by the sensor for a plurality of detecting areas by using a different threshold value for each of the plurality of detecting areas. The detected result determining portion validates or invalidates an object detected result of the sensor for each of the detecting areas based on existence or nonexistence of the noise signal determined by the noise determining portion for each of the detecting areas. The warning portion warns about the object detected result for a detecting area that is validated by the detected result determining portion.

Abstract: A field watch apparatus uses a storage unit to store detection data of a detected obstacle from an obstacle sensor that detects objects under control of a control unit, and the detection data accumulated in the storage unit over time is used to display a mark on a captured image that is captured by a camera and shown on a screen of a display unit. The mark size and other attributes of the mark in the image are controlled in a manner that enables a view to easily recognize an old mark from a new one, thereby providing an intuitive recognition of the obstacle movement in a certain direction in the captured image, when the mark is superposed in the captured image for multiple times based on the accumulated detection data in the storage unit.

Abstract: An obstacle detection apparatus for detecting an obstacle in its surroundings is disclosed. The system includes: an ultrasonic sensor for transmitting and receiving ultrasonic wave; an obstacle detection section for performing an obstacle detection operation to determine whether the obstacle actually exists, wherein the obstacle detection section determines that the obstacle actually exists when a first voltage level associated with the ultrasonic wave received in the obstacle detection operation exceeds a determination threshold; a noise monitoring section configured to perform a noise monitoring operation to determine a noise level, wherein, the noise monitoring section recognizes a second voltage level associated with the ultrasonic wave received in the noise monitoring operation as the noise level; and a determination threshold setting section configured to set the determination threshold based on the second voltage level.

Abstract: An obstacle detection apparatus includes first and second ultrasonic sensors, a control part, and a warning device for warning in accordance with a distance between at least one of the ultrasonic sensors and an obstacle. The control part sets the first ultrasonic sensor to a transmitting and receiving mode while setting the second ultrasonic sensor to a receiving mode, and then sets the first ultrasonic sensor to the receiving mode while setting the second ultrasonic sensor to the transmitting and receiving mode. Each of the ultrasonic sensors has a reception sensitivity to a reflected wave reflected by the obstacle. Each of the ultrasonic sensors includes a reception sensitivity control portion configured to increase the reception sensitivity when the receiving mode is set compared with when the transmitting and receiving mode is set.

Abstract: A field watch apparatus uses a storage unit to store detection data of a detected obstacle from an obstacle sensor that detects objects under control of a control unit, and the detection data accumulated in the storage unit over time is used to display a mark on a captured image that is captured by a camera and shown on a screen of a display unit. The mark size and other attributes of the mark in the image are controlled in a manner that enables a view to easily recognize an old mark from a new one, thereby providing an intuitive recognition of the obstacle movement in a certain direction in the captured image, when the mark is superposed in the captured image for multiple times based on the accumulated detection data in the storage unit.

Abstract: An obstacle detection apparatus for detecting an obstacle in its surroundings is disclosed. The system includes: an ultrasonic sensor for transmitting and receiving ultrasonic wave; an obstacle detection section for performing an obstacle detection operation to determine whether the obstacle actually exists, wherein the obstacle detection section determines that the obstacle actually exists when a first voltage level associated with the ultrasonic wave received in the obstacle detection operation exceeds a determination threshold; a noise monitoring section configured to perform a noise monitoring operation to determine a noise level, wherein, the noise monitoring section recognizes a second voltage level associated with the ultrasonic wave received in the noise monitoring operation as the noise level; and a determination threshold setting section configured to set the determination threshold based on the second voltage level.

Abstract: An obstacle detection device for detecting an obstacle includes: a transmitting and receiving element for transmitting and receiving an ultrasonic wave; an amplifier for amplifying a received signal corresponding to a received ultrasonic wave; and a gain controller for controlling a gain of the amplifier The gain controller increases the gain with time elapsed from a transmission time when the transmitting and receiving element transmits the ultrasonic wave. The gain controller starts to increase the gain at a rising time when reverberation caused by the transmitted ultrasonic wave is disappeared.

Abstract: An object detecting apparatus includes a sensor, a noise determining portion, a detected result determining portion and a warning portion. The sensor transmits an ultrasonic wave and receives a reflected wave reflected by an object. The noise determining portion determines existence or nonexistence of a noise signal received by the sensor for a plurality of detecting areas by using a different threshold value for each of the plurality of detecting areas. The detected result determining portion validates or invalidates an object detected result of the sensor for each of the detecting areas based on existence or nonexistence of the noise signal determined by the noise determining portion for each of the detecting areas. The warning portion warns about the object detected result for a detecting area that is validated by the detected result determining portion.

Abstract: An obstacle detection system has multiple ultrasonic sonars. When a threshold value used for determining an existence of an obstacle is compared with a receiving signal having been amplified at a predetermined gain, the sonar having a receiving mode is provided with the gain which is higher than that of the sonar having a sending/receiving mode. Thus, the sensitivity of the sonar having the receiving mode can be improved so that a continuous sound field of the sonar is broadened. Accordingly, the distance of the border of the continuous sound field of the obstacle detection system from the vehicle can become substantially even.