Patent ID: 6896082
Filing Date: 2005-05-24
Classification: B60K,B60W,G01S

Abstract:
1. A road surface detection apparatus, mounted on a vehicle, for gathering information about a road surface, comprising: transmitting/receiving means for projecting a radar beam signal onto the road surface on which the vehicle is traveling, and for receiving a signal containing a reflected signal of the radar beam signal; gradient detecting means for detecting a gradient of the road on which the vehicle is traveling; and axis displacement determining means for correcting the level of the reflected signal, reflected from the road surface and contained in the signal received by the transmitting/receiving means, based on the gradient of the road detected by the gradient detecting means, for comparing the corrected reflected signal level with a predetermined reference level and for determining that an axis defining a projection direction of the radar beam signal is displaced, if the result of the comparison lies outside a predefined range.