Placement structure for peripheral information detecting sensor, and self-driving vehicle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016282155-A1
Application number	US-201615007930-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jan 27, 2016
Priority date	Mar 24, 2015
Publication date	Sep 29, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

A sensor placement structure has: a vehicle skeleton member of a vehicle, the vehicle skeleton member having a hollow cross-section; a peripheral information detecting sensor that is mounted to a vehicle outer side of the vehicle skeleton member, the peripheral information detecting sensor having a detecting section that detects information about a periphery of the vehicle; and a cover that covers the peripheral information detecting sensor from a vehicle outer side of the peripheral information detecting sensor, the cover being composed of a material that is transmissive of a detection medium that is detected by the detecting section.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A sensor placement structure comprising:
a vehicle skeleton member of a vehicle, the vehicle skeleton member having a hollow cross-section; a peripheral information detecting sensor that is mounted to a vehicle outer side of the vehicle skeleton member, the peripheral information detecting sensor having a detecting section that detects information about a periphery of the vehicle; and a cover that covers the peripheral information detecting sensor from the vehicle outer side of the peripheral information detecting sensor, the cover being composed of a material that is transmissive of a detection medium that is detected by the detecting section.

2 . The sensor placement structure of claim 1 , wherein the vehicle skeleton member is formed by a member that is electrically conductive.

3 . The sensor placement structure of claim 1 , wherein
the peripheral information detecting sensor detects the information about the periphery of the vehicle by transmitting and receiving radio waves at the detecting section, and the cover is opaque and transmissive of the radio waves.

4 . The sensor placement structure of claim 3 , wherein the cover is a same color as a body of the vehicle.

5 . The sensor placement structure of claim 1 , further comprising:
a wire harness extending from the peripheral information detecting sensor and disposed along an outer surface of the vehicle skeleton member, wherein a guide groove, in which the wire harness is placed, is formed in the outer surface of the vehicle skeleton member.

6 . The sensor placement structure of claim 1 , wherein the peripheral information detecting sensor is disposed at a vehicle inner side of a fender panel.

7 . The sensor placement structure of claim 1 , wherein the peripheral information detecting sensor is disposed at an upper portion of a front pillar of the vehicle.

8 . The sensor placement structure of claim 1 , wherein the cover is transmissive of radio waves.

9 . The sensor placement structure of claim 1 , wherein the cover is transmissive of ultrasonic waves.

10 . The sensor placement structure of claim 1 , wherein the cover is transmissive of visible light.

11 . The sensor placement structure of claim 1 , wherein the cover is transmissive of laser light.

12 . A self-driving vehicle comprising:
the sensor placement structure of claim 1 ; and a processor, coupled to the peripheral information detecting sensor, and that controls traveling of the vehicle based on the information about the periphery of the vehicle detected by the peripheral information detecting sensor.

13 . A sensor placement structure comprising:
a roof rail disposed on a roof panel of a vehicle, the roof rail having a hollow cross-section; a peripheral information detecting sensor that is mounted to a vehicle transverse direction outer side of the roof rail, the peripheral information detecting sensor having a detecting section that detects information about a periphery of the vehicle; and a cover that covers the peripheral information detecting sensor from the vehicle transverse direction outer side, the cover being composed of a material that is transmissive of a detection medium that is detected by the detecting section.

Assignees

• Toyota Motor Co Ltd

Inventors

• Hara Yasuhiro

Classifications

• G01S2013/93274

  on the side of the vehicles · CPC title

• G01D11/30 Primary

  Supports specially adapted for an instrument; Supports specially adapted for a set of instruments · CPC title

• B62D25/04

  Door pillars {; windshield pillars} · CPC title

• G01S7/4813

  Housing arrangements · CPC title

• G01S17/931 Primary

  of land vehicles · CPC title