In-vehicle apparatus performing an operation based on a distance measured, and in-vehicle system including the in-vehicle apparatus
An in-vehicle apparatus installed in a first vehicle. The in-vehicle apparatus includes a first distance sensor measuring a distance to an object based on time to receive a reflection wave of an electro-magnetic transmission wave from the object after a transmission of the electro-magnetic transmission wave, with the first distance sensor being an electro-magnetic wave sensor. The in-vehicle apparatus also includes an inclination angle sensor that senses a first vehicle inclination angle representative of an inclination angle of the first vehicle that includes the first distance sensor, a radio communicator that receives a second vehicle inclination angle transmitted from a second vehicle that leads the first vehicle, an angle difference calculator that calculates an angle difference between the first vehicle inclination angle and the second vehicle inclination angle, and a processor that performs a preset operation based on the distance measured by the first distance sensor.
1. An in-vehicle apparatus installed in a first vehicle, the apparatus comprising:
a first distance sensor configured to measure a distance to an object based on time to receive a reflection wave of an electro-magnetic transmission wave from the object after a transmission of the electro-magnetic transmission wave, the first distance sensor being an electro-magnetic wave sensor;
a pitch angle sensor configured to sense a first vehicle inclination angle representative of a pitch angle of the first vehicle that includes the first distance sensor;
a radio communicator configured to receive a second vehicle inclination angle transmitted from a second vehicle that leads the first vehicle;
an angle difference calculator configured to calculate an angle difference between the first vehicle inclination angle and the second vehicle inclination angle; and
a processor configured to perform a preset operation based on the distance measured by the first distance sensor, wherein
when the angle difference calculator indicates the angle difference is greater than a preset threshold, the processor operates in an inclination mode, and wherein
when the angle difference calculator indicates the angle difference is less than the preset threshold, the processor operates in a flat mode, and wherein
a vehicle control performed by the processor based on the distance measured by the first distance sensor is performed less when the processor operates in the inclination mode than when the processor operates in the flat mode.
2. The in-vehicle apparatus of claim 1 , wherein
the processor operates in the inclination mode when (i) the angle difference calculated by the angle difference calculator is greater than the preset threshold, and (ii) the object reflecting the electro-magnetic transmission wave is determined as stationary based on a change of the distance measured by the first distance sensor.
3. The in-vehicle apparatus of claim 1 , wherein
the first distance sensor transmits the transmission wave in a pulse form, and
the processor operates in the inclination mode when (i) the angle difference calculated by the angle difference calculator is greater than the preset threshold, and (ii) a degree of acuteness of a wave form of the reflection wave of the transmission wave received by the first distance sensor is smaller than an acuteness threshold.
4. The in-vehicle apparatus of claim 1 , wherein
the processor operates in the inclination mode when (i) the angle difference calculated by the angle difference calculator is greater than the preset threshold, and (ii) a signal intensity of the reflection wave of the transmission wave is exceeding a preset control execution threshold.
5. The in-vehicle apparatus of claim 1 , wherein
the processor performs, as the preset operation, an arithmetic operation for executing the vehicle control based on the distance measured by the first distance sensor, and
the inclination mode aborts the vehicle control.
6. The in-vehicle apparatus of claim 1 further comprising:
a second distance sensor having a wider vertical detection angle than the first distance sensor, wherein
the processor calculates a weighted average of a first distance measured by the first distance sensor and a second distance measured by the second distance sensor, and
a weighted average of the first distance in the inclination mode is smaller than a weighted average of the first distance in the flat mode.
7. An in-vehicle system comprising:
an in-vehicle apparatus installed in a first vehicle, the apparatus comprising:
an electro-magnetic wave sensor configured to measure a distance to an object based on time to receive a reflection wave of an electro-magnetic transmission wave from the object after a transmission of the electro-magnetic transmission wave;
a pitch angle sensor configured to sense a first vehicle inclination angle representative of a pitch angle of the first vehicle that includes the electro-magnetic wave sensor;
a radio communicator configured to receive a second vehicle inclination angle transmitted from a second vehicle that leads the first vehicle;
an angle difference calculator configured to calculate an angle difference between the first vehicle inclination angle and the second vehicle inclination angle; and
a processor configured to perform a preset operation based on the distance measured by the electro-magnetic wave sensor, wherein
when the angle difference calculator indicates the angle difference is greater than a preset threshold, the processor operates in an inclination mode, and wherein
when the angle difference calculator indicates the angle difference is less than the preset threshold, the processor operates in a flat mode, and wherein
a vehicle control performed by the processor based on the distance measured by the first distance sensor is performed less when the processor operates in the inclination mode than when the processor operates in the flat mode.
8. The in-vehicle system of claim 7 , wherein
the radio communicator includes:
a receiver configured to receive the second vehicle inclination angle; and
a transmitter transmitting configured to transmit the first vehicle inclination angle sensed by the pitch angle sensor.