Ultrasonic object detection apparatus

An ultrasonic object detection apparatus mounted to a vehicle and comprising:

• at least one transceiver—that transmits a transmission wave as an ultrasonic wave to outside of the vehicle and receives a reflection wave of the transmission wave reflected by an object;
• at least one reception circuit that detects a signal level of the reflection wave received by the transceiver;
• at least one object detector that detects an object, based on a comparison between the signal level detected by the reception circuit and an object detection threshold;
• at least one sensor temperature detector that detects an ambient temperature of the transceiver;
• and
• a detection sensitivity adjuster that performs a detection sensitivity adjustment, which is an adjustment of at least one of a detection sensitivity of the reception circuit and the object detection threshold, based on the ambient temperature detected by the at least one sensor temperature detector, and further comprising:
• an outside air temperature acquisition device that acquires an outside air temperature from an outside air temperature sensor set at a location of the vehicle other than a location where the at least one transceiver detects the ambient temperature and that detects outside air temperatures,
• wherein the detection sensitivity adjuster performs the detection sensitivity adjustment
• using the outside air temperature detected by the outside air temperature sensor based on a determination in which a temperature difference between the outside air temperature acquired by the outside air temperature acquisition device and the ambient temperature detected by one of the plurality of sensor temperature detectors is smaller than a predetermined value, and
• using the ambient temperature detected by the sensor temperature detector based on a determination in which the temperature difference is larger than a predetermined value.

An ultrasonic object detection apparatus mounted to a vehicle and comprising:

• at least one transceiver—that transmits a transmission wave as an ultrasonic wave to outside of the vehicle and receives a reflection wave of the transmission wave reflected by an object;
• at least one reception circuit that detects a signal level of the reflection wave received by the transceiver;
• at least one object detector that detects an object, based on a comparison between the signal level detected by the reception circuit and an object detection threshold;
• at least one sensor temperature detector that detects an ambient temperature of the transceiver;
• and
• a detection sensitivity adjuster that performs a detection sensitivity adjustment, which is an adjustment of at least one of a detection sensitivity of the reception circuit and the object detection threshold, based on the ambient temperature detected by the at least one sensor temperature detector, and further comprising:
• an outside air temperature acquisition device that acquires an outside air temperature from an outside air temperature sensor set at a location of other than a location where the at least one transceiver detects the ambient temperature and that detects outside air temperatures, and
• a stopped state determinator that determines whether the vehicle is stopped or running,
• wherein the detection sensitivity adjuster performs the detection sensitivity adjustment
• using the outside air temperature detected by the outside air temperature sensor based on a determination in which the vehicle is stopped carried out by the stopped state determinator, and
• using the ambient temperature detected by the at least one sensor temperature detector, based on a determination in which the vehicle is running carried out by the stopped state determinator.

An ultrasonic object detection apparatus mounted to a vehicle and comprising:

• at least one transceiver—that transmits a transmission wave as an ultrasonic wave to outside of the vehicle and receives a reflection wave of the transmission wave reflected by an object;
• at least one reception circuit that detects a signal level of the reflection wave received by the transceiver;
• at least one object detector that detects an object, based on a comparison between the signal level detected by the reception circuit and an object detection threshold;
• at least one sensor temperature detector that detects an ambient temperature of the transceiver;
• and
• a detection sensitivity adjuster that performs a detection sensitivity adjustment, which is an adjustment of at least one of a detection sensitivity of the reception circuit and the object detection threshold, based on the ambient temperature detected by the at least one sensor temperature detector, wherein:
• the at least one transceiver includes a plurality of transceivers,
• the at least one reception circuit includes a plurality of reception circuits,
• the at least one object detector includes a plurality of object detectors,
• the at least one sensor temperature detector includes a plurality of sensor temperature detectors,
• the plurality of transceivers, the plurality of reception circuits, the plurality of object detectors, and the plurality of sensor temperature detectors configure a plurality of ultrasonic sensors, respectively,
• the detection sensitivity adjuster uses a weighted average of a plurality of ambient temperatures respectively detected by the plurality of sensor temperature detectors arranged at the plurality of ultrasonic sensors correspondingly, to perform the detection sensitivity adjustment, the weighted average being obtained by using a weight coefficient determined based on installation positions of the plurality of ultrasonic sensors.

An ultrasonic object detection apparatus mounted to a vehicle and comprising:

• at least one transceiver—that transmits a transmission wave as an ultrasonic wave to outside of the vehicle and receives a reflection wave of the transmission wave reflected by an object;
• at least one reception circuit that detects a signal level of the reflection wave received by the transceiver;
• at least one object detector that detects an object, based on a comparison between the signal level detected by the reception circuit and an object detection threshold;
• at least one sensor temperature detector that detects an ambient temperature of the transceiver;
• and
• a detection sensitivity adjuster that performs a detection sensitivity adjustment, which is an adjustment of at least one of a detection sensitivity of the reception circuit and the object detection threshold, based on the ambient temperature detected by the at least one sensor temperature detector, wherein:
• the at least one transceiver includes a plurality of transceivers,
• the at least one reception circuit includes a plurality of reception circuits,
• the at least one object detector includes a plurality of object detectors,
• the at least one sensor temperature detector includes a plurality of sensor temperature detectors,
• the plurality of transceivers, the plurality of reception circuits, the plurality of object detectors, and the plurality of sensor temperature detectors configure a plurality of ultrasonic sensors, respectively, and at least one of the plurality of ultrasonic sensors is arranged at a side face of the vehicle, and
• the detection sensitivity adjuster uses the ambient temperature detected by the at least one sensor temperature detector arranged at the at least one of the plurality of ultrasonic sensors arranged at the side face of the vehicle, to perform the detection sensitivity adjustment to all of the plurality of ultrasonic sensors.