# US 2019/0170872 A1 · Ultrasonic sensor and vehicle control system > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2019/0170872 A1 - Document ID: US20190170872A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 16/205,486 - Filed: 2018-11-30 - Published: 2019-06-06 - Earliest claimed: 2017-12-04 - Assignees: New Japan Radio Co., Ltd.; Aisin Seiki Kabushiki Kaisha - Applicants: New Japan Radio Co.,Ltd.; Aisin Seiki Kabushiki Kaisha - Inventors: Nobumitsu HIRANO; Hajime FUJIWARA; Kenji TAKEBUCHI; Hiroyuki KUCHIJI; Akira SESHIMOTO; Kimiyoshi YAMASAKI; Kenichi TAGUCHI; Masaya OTOKAWA - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20190170872A1 ## CPC - G01S 15/04: Systems determining presence of a target - B06B 1/0215: {for generating pulses, e.g. bursts of oscillations, envelopes} - E05F 15/40: Safety devices, e.g. detection of obstructions or end positions - E05F 15/73: responsive to movement or presence of persons or objects - G01S 7/521: Constructional features - G01S 15/003: {Bistatic sonar systems; Multistatic sonar systems} - B06B 1/02: making use of electrical energy (B06B1/18, B06B1/20 take precedence) - B06B 2201/70: Specific application - E05F 2015/763: {using acoustical sensors} - E05Y 2400/53: Wing impact prevention or reduction - E05Y 2400/54: Obstruction or resistance detection - E05Y 2900/531: Doors - G01S: RADIO DIRECTION-FINDING; RADIO NAVIGATION; DETERMINING DISTANCE OR VELOCITY BY USE OF RADIO WAVES; LOCATING OR PRESENCE-DETECTING BY USE OF THE REFLECTION OR RERADIATION OF RADIO WAVES; ANALOGOUS ARRANGEMENTS USING OTHER WAVES - B06B: METHODS OR APPARATUS FOR GENERATING OR TRANSMITTING MECHANICAL VIBRATIONS OF INFRASONIC, SONIC, OR ULTRASONIC FREQUENCY, {e.g.} FOR PERFORMING MECHANICAL WORK IN GENERAL (for particular applications, see the relevant subclasses, e.g. B07B1/40, B23Q17/12, B24B31/06; measurement of mechanical vibrations G01H; in direction finding, locating, distance or velocity measuring G01S; {generating seismic energy G01V1/02}; control of mechanical vibrations in general G05D; sound-producing devices, e.g. bells, sirens, whistles G10K, {e.g. methods or devices for transmitting, conducting, or directing sound in general G10K11/00}; generation of electrical oscillations H03B; electromechanical resonators in general H03H; electromechanical transducers {for communication techniques, e.g. microphones, speakers} H04R) - E05F: DEVICES FOR MOVING WINGS INTO OPEN OR CLOSED POSITION; CHECKS FOR WINGS; WING FITTINGS NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR, CONCERNED WITH THE FUNCTIONING OF THE WING - E05Y: INDEXING SCHEME ASSOCIATED WITH SUBCLASSES E05D AND E05F, RELATING TO CONSTRUCTION ELEMENTS, ELECTRIC CONTROL, POWER SUPPLY, POWER SIGNAL OR TRANSMISSION, USER INTERFACES, MOUNTING OR COUPLING, DETAILS, ACCESSORIES, AUXILIARY OPERATIONS NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR, APPLICATION THEREOF ## Abstract An ultrasonic sensor in the invention includes an ultrasonic transmitter, an ultrasonic receiver, and a detector. The ultrasonic transmitter transmits pulse-shaped ultrasonic waves to a thin plate to excite the thin plate. The ultrasonic receiver receives direct waves and reflected waves among the ultrasonic waves propagating in the thin plate excited by the pulse-shaped ultrasonic waves, the direct waves propagating only in the thin plate, and the reflected waves radiating outward, then reflected by the object, and returning to the thin plate. The detector detects the object present near the thin plate on the basis of a difference between a time at which the ultrasonic receiver receives the direct waves and a time at which the ultrasonic receiver receives the reflected waves. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An ultrasonic sensor, comprising: an ultrasonic transmitter that transmits pulse-shaped ultrasonic waves to a thin plate to excite the thin plate; an ultrasonic receiver that receives direct waves and reflected waves among the ultrasonic waves propagating in the thin plate excited by the pulse-shaped ultrasonic waves, the direct waves propagating in only the thin plate, and the reflected waves radiating outward, then reflected by an object, and returning to the thin plate; and a detector that detects the object present near the thin plate on the basis of a difference between a time at which the ultrasonic receiver receives the direct waves and a time at which the ultrasonic receiver receives the reflected waves. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The ultrasonic sensor according to claim 1, wherein the ultrasonic transmitter and the ultrasonic receiver are disposed on a rear surface of the thin plate. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The ultrasonic sensor according to claim 1, wherein the ultrasonic receiver is disposed on a front surface of the thin plate. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The ultrasonic sensor according to claim 1, wherein the ultrasonic transmitter and the ultrasonic receiver are disposed on a peripheral portion of the thin plate. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The ultrasonic sensor according to claim 1, wherein the ultrasonic transmitter transmits the pulse-shaped ultrasonic waves having a first frequency and the pulse-shaped ultrasonic waves having a second frequency, and the detector detects the object on the basis of a detection result of the object using the pulse-shaped ultrasonic waves having the first frequency and a detection result of the object using the pulse-shaped ultrasonic waves having the second frequency. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The ultrasonic sensor according to claim 1, wherein three or more ultrasonic receivers are disposed on the thin plate, and the detector detects the object on the basis of a difference between a time at which the ultrasonic receiver receives the direct waves and a time at which the ultrasonic receiver receives the reflected waves for each of the ultrasonic receivers. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The ultrasonic sensor according to claim 6, wherein three or more ultrasonic receivers are disposed on the thin plate, and the detector estimates a three-dimensional position of the object on the basis of the detection result of the object based on the difference between the time at which the ultrasonic receiver receives the direct waves and the time at which the ultrasonic receiver receives the reflected waves for each of the ultrasonic receivers, and a positional relation between the ultrasonic transmitter and each of the ultrasonic receivers. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The ultrasonic sensor according to claim 1, further comprising a signal processor that removes a reference signal indicating a signal caused by a factor other than the object from a signal received by the ultrasonic receiver and inputs the signal after the removal to the detector. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The ultrasonic sensor according to claim 8, further comprising a learning unit that learns the reference signal for each of a plurality of kinds of environments, wherein the signal processor removes the learned reference signal corresponding to a current environment from the signal received by the ultrasonic receiver. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The ultrasonic sensor according to claim 1, wherein the thin plate is a door of a vehicle. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) A vehicle control system, comprising: the ultrasonic sensor according to claim 1; and a vehicle controller that controls a vehicle using a detection result of the ultrasonic sensor.