Compact vehicle based rear and side obstacle detection system including multiple antennae

A rear and side obstacle detection system for detecting obstacles around a vehicle, said system comprising:

• at least one radiation beam signal source that generates a plurality of frequency signals;
• a plurality of antenna responsive to the frequency signals, each of the plurality of antenna transmitting a radiation beam in a controlled manner to define a plurality of separate sensing regions around the vehicle, wherein a first sensing region is defined adjacent to and around a front portion of a right side of the vehicle, a second sensing region is defined around a rear portion of the right side and a rear area of the vehicle and overlaps the first sensing region, a third sensing region extends behind and to the right side of the vehicle and overlaps the second sensing region, a fourth sensing region is defined adjacent to and around a front portion of a left side of the vehicle, a fifth sensing region is defined around a rear portion of the left side and the rear area of the vehicle and overlaps the second and fourth regions, and a sixth sensing region extends behind and to the left side of the vehicle and overlaps the second and fifth sensing regions, said third sensing region overlapping the fifth sensing region, and wherein a rear detection zone is defined by an overlap region between the second and fifth sensing regions, said plurality of antenna being responsive to radiation signals that are reflected off of obstacles within the sensing regions so as to generate a signal indicative of a reflected intensity of the reflected signals;
• and
• a control device responsive to the signals from the plurality of antenna, said control device determining the position of the obstacles in the sensing regions with respect to which of the plurality of antenna generated the reflected intensity signal, said control device issuing a rear warning signal if a reflection signal is detected by the antenna from both the second and fifth sensing regions if the reflection signals from the second and fifth sensing regions indicate an obstacle is at about the same position relative to the vehicle and said control device preventing the rear warning signal if a reflection signal from both the third and sixth sensing regions indicates an obstacle is at about the position of the obstacle in the second and fifth sensing regions.

A rear and side obstacle detection system for detecting obstacles around a vehicle, said system comprising:

• at least one radiation beam signal source that generates a plurality of frequency signals;
• a plurality of antenna responsive to the frequency signals, each of the plurality of antenna transmitting a radiation beam in a controlled manner to define a plurality of separate sensing regions around the vehicle, wherein a first sensing region is defined adjacent to and around a front portion of a right side of the vehicle, a second sensing region is defined around a rear portion of the right side and a rear area of the vehicle and overlaps the first sensing region, a third sensing region extends behind and to the right side of the vehicle and overlaps the second sensing region, a fourth sensing region is defined adjacent to and around a front portion of a left side of the vehicle, a fifth sensing region is defined around a rear portion of the left side and the rear area of the vehicle and overlaps the second and fourth regions, and a sixth sensing region extends behind and to the left side of the vehicle and overlaps the second and fifth sensing regions, said third sensing region overlapping the fifth sensing region, and wherein the third and sixth sensing regions define vehicle approach detection zones, said plurality of antenna being responsive to radiation signals that are reflected off of obstacles within the sensing regions so as to generate a signal indicative of a reflected intensity of the reflected signals;
• and
• a control device responsive to the signals from the plurality of antenna, said control device determining the position of the obstacles in the sensing regions with respect to which of the plurality of antenna generated the reflected intensity signal, wherein the control device will generate a left side warning signal if a reflection signal is detected by the antenna from the sixth sensing region and the control device will generate a right side warning signal if a reflection signal is detected by the antenna from the third sensing region, and wherein the control device will generate the left side warning signal if the reflection signal received from the sixth sensing region indicates that an obstacle will enter a left side detection zone within a predetermined time interval and the control device will generate the right side warning signal if the reflection signal received from the third sensing region indicates that an obstacle will enter a right side detection zone within the predetermined time interval.