US 5,424,711 AGranted

Ultrasonic monitoring system for the interior of a motor vehicle

AssigneeSiemens Aktiengesellschaft

InventorsNorbert Muller, Berthold Wolfram

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Abstract

An ultrasonic monitoring system for the interior of a motor vehicle having two mutually spatially separately secured emission elements (S1, S2), the main lobes of the directional characteristics of which are oriented in different directions, and having at least one reception element (E1, E2), but at as a rule having at least two mutually physically separate reception elements (E1, E2). The reception elements (E1, E2) are not formed by the emission elements (S1, S2), but are physically separate from all emission elements (S1, S2). The two emission elements (S1, S2) are operated alternately with pauses in such a manner that in each instance firstly only one of the emission elements (e.g. S1) emits an ultrasonic pulse, which is thereafter received by the reception element (E1 ) associated with this emission element (S1), and only after such reception does the other emission element (S2) emit ultrasound, which is thereafter received by the reception element (E2) associated with this emission element (S2 ). The main lobes of the directional characteristics of the emission elements (S1, S2) and reception elements (E1, E2) are oriented so that each reception element (E1, E2) receives particularly clearly those emission signals of the emission element (S1, S2) associated with it (E1, E2) which propagate by repeated reflections in each instance via a plurality of panes (VS1/VS2, HS1/HS2) in the V interior of the motor vehicle.

An ultrasonic monitoring system for an interior of a motor vehicle having side panes and, at a front and at a rear of the motor vehicle, having lateral panes, comprising:

two emission elements which, in operation, emit ultrasound with a substantially marked directional characteristic, located in the motor vehicle interior and/or in the boundary thereof, and
main lobes of the directional characteristics of the emission elements in the motor vehicle oriented in different directions,
at least one reception element located in the motor vehicle interior and/or at the boundary thereof, the at least one reception element, in operation, receiving components of the emitted ultrasound,
the at least one reception element being physically separate from all emission elements, the two emission elements being operated alternately with pauses, in such a manner
that in each instance only a first one of the emission elements emits an ultrasonic pulse, which is thereafter received by the reception element associated with this emission element, and
that only after this reception does the other emission element emit an ultrasonic pulse, which is thereafter received by the reception element associated with the other emission element, before the first one of the emission elements again emits an ultrasonic pulse,
the main lobes of the directional characteristics of the emission elements and main lobes of space pattern/patterns of the reception element/elements oriented in such a manner
that the reception element associated with the first emission element clearly receives emission signals of the first emission element which propagate by repeated reflections in each instance via a plurality of panes in the interior of the motor vehicle, and
that the reception element associated with the second emission element clearly receives emission signals of the second emission element which propagate by repeated reflections in each instance via a plurality of panes in the interior of the motor vehicle.

6 more elements

Facts

Application

07/927,276Filed 21 Sep 1992

Priority

DE 90114483.227 Jul 1990

Granted

13 Jun 1995

Term ends

Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification6 codes

B60R 25/1009
Alarm systems characterised by the type of sensor, e.g. current sensing means: sonic sensors; Signal treatment therefor
G01S 15/04
Using reflection of acoustic waves: systems determining presence of a target
G01S 15/523
Discriminating between fixed and moving objects or between objects moving at different speeds: for presence detection
G01S 15/87
Systems using the reflection or reradiation of acoustic waves, e.g. sonar systems: combinations of sonar systems

Abstract

Claims23