| Patent application number | Description | Published |
|---|
| 20080224567 | Ultrasonic sensor having piezoelectric element and acoustic matching member - An ultrasonic sensor according to the present invention is used, for example, for detecting an obstacle positioned in front of an automotive vehicle. The ultrasonic sensor includes an piezoelectric element connected to an acoustic matching member and a processing circuit, all contained in a casing. Ultrasonic waves reflected on an object are received by the acoustic matching member and converted into electrical signals in the piezoelectric element. The electrical signals are processed in the processing circuit to thereby detect a distance to the object and/or positions of the object. A surface of the acoustic matching member connected to the piezoelectric element is made larger than the piezoelectric element to form an overhang area on a conductive layer formed on the acoustic matching member. In this manner, electrical connection in the ultrasonic sensor is easily made, and detection sensitivity of the ultrasonic sensor is enhanced. | 09-18-2008 |
| 20080307888 | ULTRASONIC SENSOR - An ultrasonic sensor includes an ultrasonic detector for detecting an ultrasonic wave, an acoustic matching member joined to the ultrasonic detector, a housing in which the ultrasonic detector and the acoustic matching member are accommodated, a vibration isolator located between the acoustic matching member and an inner side wall of the housing to damp an unwanted vibration from outside, and a cushion member located between the ultrasonic detector and an inner bottom wall of the housing to absorb external force applied to the ultrasonic sensor The cushion member is not in contact with the acoustic matching member. | 12-18-2008 |
| 20090015105 | Ultrasonic sensor and method of making the same - An ultrasonic sensor includes a piezoelectric element and an acoustic matching member that are joined together to form an ultrasonic detector base. The ultrasonic detector base is sectioned by a clearance extending in an ultrasonic propagation direction to form multiple ultrasonic detectors arranged in an array. The clearance does not entirely section the ultrasonic detector base so that the ultrasonic detectors are joined together by a portion of the ultrasonic detector base. | 01-15-2009 |
| 20090028002 | Ultrasonic sensor - An ultrasonic sensor includes a sending device and a receiving device. The sending device has a sending surface for sending an ultrasonic wave into a sending area. The receiving device has a receiving surface for receiving the ultrasonic wave reflected by an external object from a receiving area. The sending area has an overlapping area with the receiving area. The overlapping area is offset to one of the sending area and the receiving area. | 01-29-2009 |
| 20090054784 | Ultrasonic sensor - An ultrasonic sensor for detecting an object includes: a piezoelectric element having a piezoelectric body and first and second electrodes for sandwiching the piezoelectric body; an acoustic matching element having a reception surface, which receives an ultrasonic wave reflected by the object; and a circuit electrically coupled with the piezoelectric element via a wire. The piezoelectric element is embedded in the acoustic matching element so that the acoustic matching element covers at least the first electrode, a part of a sidewall of the piezoelectric element and a part of the wire between the circuit and the piezoelectric element, and the sidewall of the piezoelectric element is adjacent to the first electrode. | 02-26-2009 |
| 20090071255 | Ultrasonic sensor and self diagnostic method of the same - In an ultrasonic sensor, a first receiving device is configured to be sendable and receivable an ultrasonic wave. The ultrasonic wave sent from the first receiving device is transmitted through a vibration-reducing member disposed between the first receiving device and a second receiving device, and the second receiving device detects the ultrasonic wave. The ultrasonic sensor self diagnoses whether the second receiving device is operated without malfunction based on a detection signal of the second receiving device. | 03-19-2009 |
| 20090085439 | Ultrasonic sensor - An ultrasonic sensor is disclosed. The ultrasonic sensor includes a plurality of sensor elements arranged in an array. Each sensor element includes an ultrasonic sensing element and an acoustic matching member. The ultrasonic sensor further includes a bonding member having a thickness approximately equal to a space interval between adjacent ultrasonic sensing elements. The bonding member adhesively fixes the plurality of sensor elements, and includes a portion contacting each ultrasonic sensing element. An elastic modulus of the portion is smaller than that of each ultrasonic sensing element. | 04-02-2009 |
| 20090107243 | Ultrasonic sensor having transmission device and reception device of ultrasonic wave - An ultrasonic sensor for detecting an object includes: a substrate; a transmission device for transmitting an ultrasonic wave; a plurality of reception devices for receiving the ultrasonic wave; and a circuit for processing received ultrasonic waves, which are received by the reception devices after the ultrasonic wave transmitted from the transmission device is reflected by the object. The transmission device and the reception devices are integrated into the substrate. The dimensions of the sensor are minimized, and detection accuracy of the sensor is improved. | 04-30-2009 |
| 20090135672 | Direction detecting device and direction detecting system - In a direction detecting device, a transmitting wave generator encodes a transmitting signal with a code having a high autocorrelation so as to generate a transmitting wave. A transmitter transmits the transmitting wave and a plurality of receiver elements receives a reflected wave reflected by an object. A direction calculating unit calculates a direction of the object based on a phase difference between a correlation value calculated based on the reflected wave received by one of the receiver elements and a correlation value calculated based on the reflected wave received by another one of the receiver elements, a distance between the one of the receiver elements and the another one of the receiver elements, and a wavelength of the transmitting wave. | 05-28-2009 |
| 20090168603 | Ultrasonic sensor - An ultrasonic sensor includes a transmitting device, receiving devices arranged in an array, and a circuit device. One receiving device is configured as a reference receiving device. The circuit device includes a reference signal generator and first and second synchronous detectors. The reference signal generator generates a reference signal by using a received signal of the reference receiving device. The first synchronous detector performs synchronous detection of a received signal of one of the receiving devices based on the reference signal to detect a distance to an object. The second synchronous detector performs synchronous detection of received signals of the receiving devices except the reference receiving device based on the reference signal to detect a direction of the object. | 07-02-2009 |
| 20090260422 | Ultrasonic sensor - An ultrasonic sensor includes a transmitting device, a receiving device, and a circuit device. The circuit device determines that the receiving device receives an ultrasonic wave reflected from an object, when an output voltage of the receiving device is equal to or greater than a first threshold. The circuit device includes a humidity detection section configured to detect an ambient humidity of the transmitting and receiving devices and a threshold adjustment section configured to calculate, based on the detected ambient humidity, a sound pressure of the ultrasonic wave that is received by the receiving device after propagating over a round-trip distance between the ultrasonic sensor and the object. The threshold adjustment section reduces the first threshold, when the output voltage corresponding to the calculated sound pressure is less than a second threshold that is greater the first threshold. | 10-22-2009 |
