Laser distance measuring apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10935662-B2
Application number	US-201916545072-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 20, 2019
Priority date	Sep 28, 2018
Publication date	Mar 2, 2021
Grant date	Mar 2, 2021

Abstract

To provide a laser distance measuring apparatus that can set the irradiation range of the laser beam to the front ground surface appropriately regardless of the inclination of the front ground surface. A laser distance measuring apparatus controls the scanning mechanism to performs two-dimensional scan which scan laser beam in an irradiation angle range of the right and left direction to the traveling direction of own vehicle and scans laser beam in an irradiation angle range of the up and down direction with respect to the traveling direction of own vehicle; detects a relative inclination information of the up and down direction of a ground surface in front of own vehicle with respect to a ground surface where own vehicle is located; and moves the irradiation angle range of the up and down direction to up side or down side according to the relative inclination information.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A laser distance measuring apparatus comprising:
a laser beam generator that emits a laser beam;
a movable mirror that changes an irradiation angle of the laser beam irradiated to a front of an own vehicle, between a right and left direction and an up and down direction, with respect to a traveling direction of the own vehicle;
a scanning controller that controls the movable mirror to perform a two-dimensional scan which scans the laser beam in an irradiation angle range of the right and left direction with respect to the traveling direction of the own vehicle and scans the laser beam in an irradiation angle range of the up and down direction with respect to the traveling direction of the own vehicle;
a light receiver that receives a reflected light of the laser beam reflected by an object in front of the own vehicle, and outputs a light receiving signal;
a distance calculator that calculates a distance to the object which exists at the irradiation angle, based on the emitted laser beam, the light receiving signal, and the irradiation angle; and
an inclination detector that detects a relative inclination information of the up and down direction of a ground surface in the front of the own vehicle with respect to a ground surface where the own vehicle is located,
wherein the scanning controller moves the irradiation angle range of the up and down direction to an up side or a down side according to the relative inclination information, and
wherein the inclination detector, about each irradiation angle of the up and down direction in a central part of the irradiation angle range of the right and left direction, based on an irradiation angle of the up and down direction with respect to an irradiation center line which is parallel to the traveling direction of the vehicle, and the calculated distance, calculates a height of a ground surface with respect to the irradiation center line; among the calculated results about respective irradiation angles of the up and down direction in the central part, selects two calculated distances which are close to a point located ahead by a determination distance from the own vehicle, and selects two heights of the ground surface with respect to the irradiation center line corresponding to the selected two calculated distances; calculates a height of the ground surface corresponding to the determination distance with respect to the irradiation center line, based on the selected two calculated distances and the two heights; and calculates, as the relative inclination information, a relative height obtained by subtracting a height of the ground surface where the own vehicle is located with respect to the irradiation center line, from the height of the round surface corresponding to the determination distance with respect to the irradiation center line.

2. A laser distance measuring apparatus comprising:
a laser beam generator that emits a laser beam;
a movable mirror that changes an irradiation angle of the laser beam irradiated to a front of an own vehicle between a right and left direction and an up and down direction with respect to a traveling direction of the own vehicle;
a scanning controller that controls the movable mirror to perform a two-dimensional scan which scans the laser beam in an irradiation angle range of the right and left direction with respect to the traveling direction of the own vehicle and scans the laser beam in an irradiation angle range of the up and down direction with respect to the traveling direction of the own vehicle;
a light receiver that receives a reflected light of the laser beam reflected by an object in front of the own vehicle, and outputs a light receiving signal;
a distance calculator that calculates a distance to the object which exists at the irradiation angle, based on the emitted laser beam, the light receiving signal, and the irradiation angle; and
an inclination detector that detects a relative inclination information of the up and down direction of a ground surface in the front of the own vehicle with respect to a ground surface where the own vehicle is located,
wherein the scanning controller moves the irradiation angle range of the up and down direction to an up side or a down side according to the relative inclination information, and
wherein the inclination detector, about each irradiation angle of the up and down direction in a central part of the irradiation angle range of the right and left direction, based on an irradiation angle of the up and down direction with respect to an irradiation center line which is parallel to the traveling direction of the vehicle, and the calculated distance, calculates a height of a ground surface with respect to the irradiation center line; among the calculated results about respective irradiation angles of the up and down direction in the central part, selects two calculated distances which are close to a point located ahead by a determination distance from the own vehicle, and selects two heights of the ground surface with respect to the irradiation center line corresponding to the selected two calculated distances, and calculates, as the relative inclination information, an inclination angle of a straight line which connects the selected two points, with respect to the irradiation center line.

Assignees

• Mitsubishi Electric Corp
• Mitsubishi Electric Cornoration

Inventors

• Kawai Masahiro
• Takagawa Yosuke
• Kameyama Shumpei

Classifications

• G01S17/42

  Simultaneous measurement of distance and other co-ordinates (indirect measurement G01S17/46) · CPC title

• G01S17/89

  for mapping or imaging · CPC title

• G01S17/931 Primary

  of land vehicles · CPC title

• G01S7/4972

  Alignment of sensor · CPC title

• G01S17/10

  using transmission of interrupted, pulse-modulated waves (determination of distance by phase measurements G01S17/32) · CPC title