A retainer member is equipped with a microphone facing portion, a drain path, and a stamped wall portion. The microphone facing portion is formed in a cylindrical shape matching an ultrasonic microphone is disposed outside the ultrasonic microphone in a radial direction extending radially from a longitudinal center line. The microphone facing portion extends from a body retaining portion toward a base side in an axial direction. The drain path extends through the microphone facing portion in the radial direction and is capable of discharging water from an inner space in the microphone facing portion. The stamped wall portion is formed in the microphone facing portion and faces the drain path through the longitudinal center line.

An object detection device includes: a transmission unit transmitting a first transmission wave; a reception unit receiving a first reception wave reflected by an object; a signal processing unit sampling a first processing target signal according to the first reception wave and acquiring a difference signal based on a difference between the first processing target signal for at least one sample at a certain detection timing, and the first processing target signal for a plurality of samples in at least one of first and second periods; a threshold setting unit setting a threshold as a comparison target with the value of the difference signal, based on variation in the values of the first processing target signal for the plurality of samples; and a detection unit detecting information about the object at the detection timing based on a comparison result between the value of the difference signal and the threshold.

An ultrasonic sensor installable to a vehicle includes a magnetic body capable of ultrasonic vibration and an electric-magnetic converter having a conversion function between an oscillating magnetic field corresponding to the ultrasonic vibration of the magnetic body and an electric signal. The magnetic body is located on an outer surface side of an outer plate of the vehicle, which is the surface facing an external space of the vehicle. The electric-magnetic converter is located to face the magnetic body with the outer plate interposed therebetween on an inner surface side, which is a back surface of the outer surface of the outer plate.

Provided is a receiving/transmitting device for vehicle that inhibits applied cleaning liquid from spoiling an outer appearance of a vehicle. A receiving/transmitting device for vehicle of the present invention includes: a receiver/transmitter configured to receive and/or transmit a radio wave; a transmissive cover positioned so as to be fixed relative to the receiver/transmitter; a receiver/transmitter moving unit configured to cause the cover and the receiver/transmitter to reciprocate between a receiving/transmitting position and a cleaning position; and a nozzle device configured to eject cleaning liquid toward the surface of the cover when the receiver/transmitter is at the cleaning position.

An ultrasonic sensor includes: an element storage case including a case-side diaphragm having a thickness direction along a directional axis; and an ultrasonic element accommodated in the element storage case and spaced apart from the case-side diaphragm. The ultrasonic element includes an element-side diaphragm having the thickness direction along the directional axis and provided by a thin part of a semiconductor substrate. The semiconductor substrate is arranged to provide a closed space between the case-side diaphragm and the element-side diaphragm. The semiconductor substrate is fixed and supported by the element-storage case.

An object detection device that detects an object existing around a moving body moving on a road surface by transmitting and receiving ultrasonic waves, includes: a first acquisition unit configured to acquire reflection intensity information indicating an intensity of a reflected wave from the object; a first generation unit configured to generate object information indicating existence of a predetermined detection target when the reflected wave having an intensity exceeding a threshold value is received; an estimation unit configured to estimate a wind speed based on a road surface reflection intensity, which is an intensity of a reflected wave from the road surface; and a setting unit configured to change the threshold value according to the wind speed.

An object detection device includes: a transmission unit transmitting a first transmission wave; a reception unit receiving a first reception wave reflected by an object; a signal processing unit sampling a first processing target signal according to the first reception wave and acquiring a difference signal based on a difference between the first processing target signal for at least one sample at a certain detection timing, and the first processing target signal for a plurality of samples in at least one of first and second periods; a threshold setting unit setting a threshold as a comparison target with the value of the difference signal, based on variation in the values of the first processing target signal for the plurality of samples; and a detection unit detecting information about the object at the detection timing based on a comparison result between the value of the difference signal and the threshold.

A sensor receptacle for receiving a sensor of a motor vehicle is disclosed. The receptacle includes a wall enclosing a cavity with a first opening and a second opening and which defines a longitudinal axis (L), wherein the sensor can be introduced into the cavity by a movement along the longitudinal axis (L) through the first opening and/or through the second opening. A joining flange is arranged in the region of the first opening and the sensor receptacle is connected by way of the joining flange to a trim component of the motor vehicle by forming a cavity between the sensor receptacle and the trim component, such that the sensor receptacle can be connected to the trim component by way of a filling and fastening agent that fills the cavity, and wherein a protrusion is arranged on the joining flange and extending along the longitudinal axis (L). The joining flange and the protrusion are formed such that the filling agent is displaced away from the cavity when connecting the sensor receptacle with the trim component.

A method for detecting a ground echo signal of an ultrasonic sensor of a vehicle. The ultrasonic sensor emits a signal at a first frequency or having a first frequency profile, the signal is reflected by a roadway surface and the reflected signal is received by the ultrasonic sensor and/or by an additional ultrasonic sensor. The received echo signal is filtered with the aid of a matched filter, the matched filter being adapted to the emitted signal and having a characterizing frequency. In this way a ground echo signal is determined from the filtered signal. The instantaneous vehicle speed is determined and an expected Doppler shift of the reflected signal is determined as a function of the instantaneous vehicle speed. The first frequency or the first frequency profile and/or the characterizing frequency of the matched filter is/are adapted as a function of the Doppler shift to be expected.

The present disclosure relates to a method of more accurately tracking a tracking-target vehicle entering or exiting a dangerous area in a blind spot using ultrasonic sensors disposed on the front and rear portions of a subject vehicle. According to the present disclosure, it is possible to distinguish the case in which a tracking-target vehicle in a blind spot passes a subject vehicle from the case in which the subject vehicle passes the tracking-target vehicle, and it is also possible to effectively determine, in each of the cases, the point of time at which the tracking-target vehicle enters a dangerous area in the blind spot and the point of time at which the tracking-target vehicle exits the dangerous area.