Method and an arrangement for detecting an obstacle

US6384718B1 · kind B1 · utility

Assignee

• Robert Bosch GmbH · DE

Inventors

• Thilo Nass · Rutesheim, DE
• Frank Seidel · Schnaittenbach, DE
• Martin Noll · Nentershausen, DE
• Frank Hoenes · Ditzingen, DE

Key dates

• Filing date: Dec 7, 1999
• Grant date: May 7, 2002
• Expiry date: Dec 7, 2019

Classification

• Technology area (CPC G): Physics
• CPC primary: G01S15/878
• WIPO field: Measurement
• WIPO sector: Instruments

Abstract

An arrangement for detecting the presence of an obstacle in the vicinity of an object includes art least one transmitter that emits a pulsed signal from a predetermined location of the object, at least two receivers capable of receiving echoes of such a pulsed signal as reflected from the obstacle each at a different location of the object, and an evaluating device that measures respective time intervals elapsing between the emission of the pulsed signal and the receipt of the respective echo by the associated receiver. The evaluating device furthermore establishes the presence of the obstacle in a first environmental region of the object when either the time interval to a first one of the two locations is smaller than a first threshold or the time interval to a second one of the two locations is smaller than a second threshold, as well as the presence of the obstacle in a second environmental region of the object when the time interval to the first location is smaller than a third threshold exceeding the first threshold and the time interval to the second location is simultaneously greater than a fourth threshold exceeding the second threshold.