Patent · US Expired

Method and device for operating an ultrasonic sensor

US5531118A · kind A · utility

10Cited by
10References
12Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateOct 20, 1994
Grant dateJul 2, 1996
Priority date
Expiry dateOct 20, 2014

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC G)Physics
  • CPC primaryG01S2015/938
  • WIPO fieldMeasurement
  • WIPO sectorInstruments

Abstract

A method and a device for operating an ultrasonic sensor, in which the measuring sensitivity is monitored and the measuring result is compensated for temperature. This is accomplished by measuring the distance of a fixed marking, which is situated on the vehicle and has a known distance from the ultrasonic sensor, to extract a signal, whose amplitude is a measure of the sensitivity of the ultrasonic sensor. From the measured delay time and the theoretical delay time to the marking, a value is attained, which is a measure of the temperature of the ambient air. Suited as a marking is, for example, an edge of a raised license plate frame, which is mounted on a bumper bar of a motor vehicle and lies within the detecting range of the ultrasonic sensor.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.