Apparatus and sensor for adjusting sensor vertical alignment

1. An apparatus for adjusting sensor vertical alignment, the apparatus comprising:

a surface reflected wave measuring unit measuring signal intensity of a surface reflected wave reflected from a road surface on a basis of the reflected wave received by a sensor signal transmitted from a sensor;

a vertical misalignment determining unit determining that vertical misalignment of the sensor occurs when the measured signal intensity of the surface reflected wave exceeds a reference signal intensity; and

a vertical alignment adjusting unit automatically correcting the vertical misalignment of the sensor, in response to a determination by the vertical misalignment determining unit that vertical misalignment of the sensor occurs, by controlling a tilting motor, switching one of a plurality of transmitting antennas set to different radiating angles to one set to the radiating angle required to correct the vertical misalignment, or switching one of a plurality of receiving antennas set to different receiving angles to one set to the receiving angle required to correct the vertical misalignment.

2. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the surface reflected wave measuring unit detects the reflected wave received by the transmitted sensor signal and, when the reflected wave exceeding a predetermined signal intensity on a specific frequency region is detected for a preset time as a result of the detection, determines the detected reflected wave to be the surface reflected wave, and measures the signal intensity of the surface reflected wave.

3. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising a target sensing distance measuring unit measuring a sensible maximum distance from a target as a target sensing distance on a basis of the received reflected wave,

wherein the vertical misalignment determining unit determines that the vertical misalignment of the sensor occurs when the measured signal intensity of the surface reflected wave exceeds the reference signal intensity and when the measured target sensing distance is less than a reference target sensing distance.

4. The apparatus as claimed in claim 3 , wherein the vertical alignment adjusting unit corrects the vertical misalignment of the sensor

by calculating an angle of the vertical misalignment of the sensor on a basis of the measured signal intensity of the surface reflected wave, the reference signal intensity, the measured target sensing distance, and the reference target sensing distance when it is determined that the vertical misalignment of the sensor occurs, and

by controlling the tilting motor, switching one of the plurality of transmitting antennas set to different radiating angles to one set to the radiating angle required to correct the vertical misalignment, or switching one of the plurality of receiving antennas set to different receiving angles to one set to the receiving angle required to correct the vertical misalignment, on a basis of the calculated misalignment angle; and

as a result of the correction, the signal intensity of the surface reflected wave becomes lower than the reference signal intensity, and the target sensing distance does not become less than the reference target sensing distance.

5. An apparatus for adjusting sensor vertical alignment, the apparatus comprising:

a reflected wave measuring unit measuring signal intensity of a reflected wave received by a sensor signal transmitted from a sensor;

a vertical misalignment determining unit determining that vertical misalignment of the sensor occurs when the measured signal intensity of the reflected wave is lower than a reference signal intensity; and

a vertical alignment adjusting unit automatically correcting the vertical misalignment of the sensor, in response to a determination by the vertical misalignment determining unit that vertical misalignment of the sensor occurs, by controlling a tilting motor, switching one of a plurality of transmitting antennas set to different radiating angles to one set to the radiating angle required to correct the vertical misalignment, or switching one of a plurality of receiving antennas set to different receiving angles to one set to the receiving angle required to correct the vertical misalignment.

6. The apparatus as claimed in claim 5 , further comprising a target sensing distance measuring unit measuring a sensible maximum distance from a target as a target sensing distance on a basis of the received reflected wave.

7. The apparatus as claimed in claim 6 , wherein the vertical misalignment determining unit determines that the vertical misalignment of the sensor occurs in a downward direction when the measured signal intensity of the reflected wave is lower than the reference signal intensity and when the measured target sensing distance is less than a reference target sensing distance;

the vertical alignment adjusting unit corrects the vertical misalignment of the sensor

by calculating an angle of the downward vertical misalignment of the sensor on a basis of the measured signal intensity of the reflected wave, the reference signal intensity, the measured target sensing distance, and the reference target sensing distance, and

by controlling the tilting motor, switching one of the plurality of transmitting antennas set to different radiating angles to one set to the radiating angle required to correct the vertical misalignment, or switching one of the plurality of receiving antennas set to different receiving angles to one set to the receiving angle required to correct the vertical misalignment, on a basis of the calculated downward misalignment angle; and

as a result of the correction, the signal intensity of the reflected wave becomes higher than the reference signal intensity.

8. The apparatus as claimed in claim 6 , wherein the vertical misalignment determining unit determines that the vertical misalignment of the sensor occurs in an upward direction when the measured signal intensity of the reflected wave is lower than the reference signal intensity and when the measured target sensing distance is not less than a reference target sensing distance;

the vertical alignment adjusting unit corrects the vertical misalignment of the sensor

by calculating an angle of the upward vertical misalignment of the sensor on a basis of the measured signal intensity of the reflected wave, the reference signal intensity, the measured target sensing distance, and the reference target sensing distance, and

by controlling the tilting motor, switching one of the plurality of transmitting antennas set to different radiating angles to one set to the radiating angle required to correct the vertical misalignment, or switching one of the plurality of receiving antennas set to different receiving angles to one set to the receiving angle required to correct the vertical misalignment, on a basis of the calculated upward misalignment angle; and

as a result of the correction, the signal intensity of the reflected wave becomes higher than the reference signal intensity.

9. A sensor comprising:

a plurality of transmitting antennas set to different radiating angles;

a switch selecting the transmitting antenna set to the radiating angle nearest a desired radiating angle from the transmitting antennas such that a sensor signal is transmitted at the desired radiating angle;

a plurality of receiving antennas receiving a reflected wave of the sensor signal transmitted through the transmitting antenna selected by the switch; and

an apparatus for adjusting sensor vertical alignment that:

measures signal intensity of a reflected wave reflected and received from at least one of an object and a road surface by the sensor signal,

determines whether or not vertical misalignment of the sensor occurs on a basis of the measured signal intensity of the reflected wave and a reference signal intensity, and

automatically corrects the vertical misalignment of the sensor, in response to a determination that vertical misalignment of the sensor occurs, by controlling a tilting motor, switching one of a plurality of transmitting antennas set to different radiating angles to one set to the radiating angle required to correct the vertical misalignment, or switching one of a plurality of receiving antennas set to different receiving angles to one set to the receiving angle required to correct the vertical misalignment.

10. The sensor claimed in claim 9 , wherein the plurality of receiving antennas are set to receiving angles corresponding to the different radiating angles set for the plurality of transmitting antennas.

11. The sensor claimed in claim 9 , wherein the plurality of receiving antennas has a single beam region that covers all beam regions of the plurality of transmitting antennas variably selected by the switch.

12. A sensor comprising:

a plurality of transmitting antennas transmitting a sensor signal;

a plurality of receiving antennas set to different receiving angles;

a switch selecting the receiving antenna set to the receiving angle nearest a specific radiating angle from the receiving antennas such that one of the plurality of transmitting antennas receives a reflected wave of the sensor signal transmitted at the specific radiating angle; and

an apparatus for adjusting sensor vertical alignment that:

measures signal intensity of a reflected wave reflected and received from at least one of an object and a road surface by the sensor signal,

determines whether or not vertical misalignment of the sensor occurs on a basis of the measured signal intensity of the reflected wave and a reference signal intensity,

and automatically corrects the vertical misalignment of the sensor, in response to a determination that vertical misalignment of the sensor occurs, by controlling a tilting motor, switching one of a plurality of transmitting antennas set to different radiating angles to one set to the radiating angle required to correct the vertical misalignment, or switching one of a plurality of receiving antennas set to different receiving angles to one set to the receiving angle required to correct the vertical misalignment.

13. The sensor claimed in claim 12 , wherein the plurality of transmitting antennas are set to radiating angles corresponding to the different receiving angles set for the plurality of receiving antennas.

14. The sensor claimed in claim 12 , wherein the plurality of transmitting antennas has a single beam region that covers all beam regions of the plurality of receiving antennas variably selected by the switch.