Denso Corporation

Naoki Yoshimoto

Taro Beppu

In a ranging device, a background light calculation unit calculates, for each of a plurality of bearing regions, a background light level parameter related to a level of background light arriving from the bearing region. A coefficient calculation unit calculates multiplier coefficients for the bearing regions such that the multiplier coefficient for each peripheral bearing region around a subject bearing region is negatively correlated with a difference in the background light level parameter between the subject bearing region and the peripheral bearing region. A coefficient-multiplied waveform generation unit generates, for each of the subject bearing region and the peripheral bearing regions, coefficient-multiplied waveform data acquired by multiplying ranging waveform data by the corresponding multiplier coefficient. An integrated waveform generation unit generates integrated waveform data by integrating the coefficient-multiplied waveform data for the subject bearing region and the peripheral bearing regions.

Ranging device with improved sensitivity

A combined radar and lighting unit includes a laser radar apparatus, a lighting device, and a controller. The laser radar apparatus is mounted to a vehicle, emits laser light toward an outside of the vehicle, and detects reflected light. The lighting device is mounted to the vehicle and emits visible light toward the outside of the vehicle. The controller controls the lighting device to cause the lighting device to alternately operate in a first emission mode to perform emission of the visible light, and in a second emission mode to stop emission of the visible light or reduce a quantity of the visible light. The controller controls the laser radar apparatus to interrupt the measurement of the distance while the lighting device is operating in the first emission mode, and executes the measurement of the distance while the lighting device is operating in the second emission mode.

Growing community of inventors

Kariya, Japan

Naoki Yoshimoto