Object detection using sonic waves
AssigneeCanon Kabushiki Kaisha
InventorHiroshi Fukada
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A transmission unit is caused to transmit a first wave from a transmission unit that transmits waves, and a second wave. Based on a first reflected wave of the first wave and a second reflected wave of the second wave, it is determined whether there is an object outside of the apparatus.
Claims12
An apparatus having a sensor including an output unit for outputting a sonic wave and an input unit for inputting a sonic wave from outside, the apparatus comprising:
- a control unit configured to cause the output unit to output a first sonic wave for a first time period and a second sonic wave for a second time period following the first time period and which is shorter than the first time period;
- and
- a determination unit configured to determine whether there is an object in a first area, based on a first reflected wave of the first sonic wave input to the input unit after the output unit outputs the first sonic wave and after a first masking period longer than the first time period and overlapping with the first time period, and to determine whether there is an object in a second area which is closer to the apparatus than the first area, based on a second reflected wave of the second sonic wave input to the input unit after the output unit outputs the second sonic wave and after a second masking period longer than the second time period and overlapping the second time period and which is shorter than the first masking period.
A method executed in an apparatus having a sensor including an output unit for outputting a sonic wave and an input unit for inputting a sonic wave from outside, the method comprising:
- causing the output unit to output a first sonic wave for a first time period and to output and a second sonic wave for a second time period following the first time period and which is shorter than the first time period;
- and
- determining whether there is an object in a first area, based on a first reflected wave of the first sonic wave input to the input unit after the output unit outputs the first sonic wave and after a first masking period longer than the first period and overlapping with the first time period, and determining whether there is an object in a second area which is closer to the apparatus than the first area, based on a second reflected wave of the second sonic wave input to the input unit after the output unit outputs the second sonic wave and after a second masking period longer than the second time period and overlapping the second time period and which is shorter than the first masking period.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.