The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Dec. 10, 2002
Filed:
May. 08, 2001
Yukio Nishimoto, Tokyo, JP;
Naoki Miyamoto, Tokyo, JP;
Mitsubishi Denki Kabushiki Kaisha, Tokyo, JP;
Abstract
Extraneous matter such as snow or mud sticking to an ultrasonic sensor is detected. An obstacle ( ) reflects transmitted waves from an ultrasonic sensor ( ), and the indirect waves (k) are received by an ultrasonic sensor ( ), whereby the obstacle ( ) is detected. The ultrasonic sensor ( ) generates direct waves (t) directly received by the ultrasonic sensors ( ) and ( ), and therefore the ultrasonic sensors ( ) and ( ) are arranged to monitor also the direct waves (t). The direct waves (t) are attenuated when extraneous matter ( ) such as snow or mud sticks to the ultrasonic sensor ( ), and the presence of the extraneous matter is detected according to this attenuation.