Switching between object detection and data transfer with a vehicle radar

• US 10,175,340 B1
• Filed: 04/27/2018
• Issued: 01/08/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 04/27/2018
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Woven By Toyota US Incorporated
• Original Assignee: LYFT Incorporated
• Inventors: Abari, Farzad Cyrus Foroughi, Clement, Romain, Lurie, Helen Ruth
• Primary Examiner(s): Bythrow, Peter M
• Application Number:
  US15/965,796
• Time in Patent Office: 256 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/003 Bistatic radar systems; Multistatic radar systems
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/86 Combinations of radar systems with non-radar systems, e.g. sonar, direction finder
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/862 Combination of radar systems with sonar systems
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/865 Combination of radar systems with lidar systems
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/867 Combination of radar systems with cameras
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/931 of land vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2013/0254 Active array antenna
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2013/9316 combined with communication equipment with other vehicles or with base stations
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2013/932 using own vehicle data, e.g. ground speed, steering wheel direction
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2013/93271 in the front of the vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2013/93272 in the back of the vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2013/93275 in the bumper area
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/006 using shared front-end circuitry, e.g. antennas G01S13/765, G01S13/825 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0257 using a radar radar systems designed for anti-collision purposes between land vehicles or between land vehicle and fixed obstacles G01S13/931
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/028 using a RF signal
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/10028 Range image; Depth image; 3D point clouds
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/10044 Radar image
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/30242 Counting objects in image
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/30252 Vehicle exterior; Vicinity of vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/70 Determining position or orientation of objects or cameras camera calibration G06T7/80
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/58 : Recognition of moving objects or obstacles, e.g. vehicles or pedestrians; Recognition of traffic objects, e.g. traffic signs, traffic lights or roads

Abstract

In one embodiment, a method includes accessing an operational status of a vehicle that is coupled to a radar antenna array, accessing sensor data that includes a count of and a location of a plurality of objects within a vicinity of the vehicle, accessing signal strength data associated with one or more base station antennas located within the vicinity of the vehicle, and determining to switch at least some of a plurality of radar resources of the radar antenna array from an object detection mode to a data transfer mode. The determination is based on the operational status, the sensor data, or the signal strength data.

Claims

1. A method comprising, by a computing system:

accessing an operational status of a vehicle, a radar antenna array being coupled to the vehicle;

accessing sensor data to determine a count of a plurality of objects within a vicinity of the vehicle and a location of the plurality of objects within the vicinity of the vehicle;

accessing signal strength data associated with one or more base stations located within the vicinity of the vehicle, the signal strength data indicating a strength of a communication signal between the radar antenna array and the one or more base stations;

determining to switch at least one radar resource of the radar antenna array from an object detection mode to a data transfer mode, wherein the determination is based on at least one of the operational status, the sensor data, or the signal strength data, and

causing the at least one radar resource of the radar antenna array to switch from the object detection mode to the data transfer mode.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising providing instructions to transfer vehicle data associated with the vehicle to the one or more base stations.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising providing prioritization instructions for transferring the vehicle data, wherein the prioritization instructions comprise instructions to transfer data associated with vehicle diagnostics before sensor data.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising providing instructions to maintain the at least one radar resource in an object detection mode during a transfer of vehicle data.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one or more antennas of the one or more base stations is located on a second vehicle.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the determining to switch the at least one radar resource from the object detection mode to the data transfer mode is made based on a determination that the count of objects within the vicinity of the vehicle is below a threshold number.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the determining to switch the at least one radar resource from the object detection mode to the data transfer mode is made based on a determination that the signal strength data indicates that the strength of the communication signal is above a threshold signal strength.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the determining to switch the at least one radar resource from the object detection mode to the data transfer mode is made based on a determination that the operational status of the vehicle indicates that the vehicle is driving below a threshold speed.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining that the count of objects within the vicinity of the vehicle is above a threshold number; and

determining to switch the at least one radar resource back to the object detection mode.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one radar resource is:

a radar antenna;

or

a radio-frequency front end of the vehicle.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the vehicle is an autonomous vehicle.

12. A system comprising:

one or more processors; and

one or more computer-readable non-transitory storage media coupled to one or more of the processors and comprising instructions operable when executed by one or more of the processors to cause the system to;

access an operational status of a vehicle, wherein a radar antenna array is coupled to the vehicle;

access sensor data that comprises a count of and a location of a plurality of objects within a vicinity of the vehicle;

access signal strength data associated with one or more base stations located within the vicinity of the vehicle, the signal strength data indicating a strength of a communication signal between the radar antenna array and the one or more base stations;

determine to switch at least one radar resource of the radar antenna array from an object detection mode to a data transfer mode, wherein the determination is based on at least one of the operational status, the sensor data, or the signal strength data, and

cause the at least one radar resource of the radar antenna array to switch from the object detection mode to the data transfer mode.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the instructions are further operable when executed by one or more of the processors to cause the system to provide instructions to transfer vehicle data associated with the vehicle to the one or more base stations.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the instructions are further operable when executed by one or more of the processors to cause the system to provide prioritization instructions for transferring the vehicle data, wherein the prioritization instructions comprise instructions to transfer data associated with vehicle diagnostics before sensor data.

15. The system of claim 12, wherein the instructions are further operable when executed by one or more of the processors to cause the system to provide instructions to maintain the at least one radar resource in an object detection mode during a transfer of vehicle data.

16. The system of claim 12, wherein at least one or more antennas of the one or more base stations is located on a second vehicle.

17. The system of claim 12, wherein the determining to switch the at least one radar resource from the object detection mode to the data transfer mode is made based on a determination that the count of objects within the vicinity of the vehicle is below a threshold number.

18. The system of claim 12, wherein the determining to switch the at least one radar resource from the object detection mode to the data transfer mode is made based on a determination that the signal strength data indicates that the strength of the communication signal is above a threshold signal strength.

19. The system of claim 12, wherein the determining to switch the at least one radar resource from the object detection mode to the data transfer mode is made based on a determination that the operational status of the vehicle indicates that the vehicle is driving below a threshold speed.

20. The system of claim 12, wherein the instructions are further operable when executed by one or more of the processors to cause the system to:

determine that the count of objects within the vicinity of the vehicle is above a threshold number; and

determine to switch the at least one radar resource back to the object detection mode.

21. The system of claim 12, wherein one or more of the plurality of radar resources are:

radar antennas;

or

a radio-frequency front end of the vehicle.

22. The system of claim 12, wherein the vehicle is an autonomous vehicle.

23. One or more computer-readable non-transitory storage media embodying software that is operable when executed to:

access an operational status of a vehicle, wherein a radar antenna array is coupled to the vehicle;

access sensor data that comprises a count of and a location of a plurality of objects within a vicinity of the vehicle;

access signal strength data associated with one or more base stations located within the vicinity of the vehicle, the signal strength data indicating a strength of a communication signal between the radar antenna array and the one or more base stations;

determine to switch at least one radar resource of the radar antenna array from an object detection mode to a data transfer mode, wherein the determination is based on at least one of the operational status, the sensor data, or the signal strength data, and

causing the at least one radar resource of the radar antenna array to switch from the object detection mode to the data transfer mode.

24. The media of claim 23, wherein the software is further operable when executed to provide instructions to transfer vehicle data associated with the vehicle to the one or more base stations.

25. The media of claim 24, wherein the software is further operable when executed to provide prioritization instructions for transferring the vehicle data, wherein the prioritization instructions comprise instructions to transfer data associated with vehicle diagnostics before sensor data.

26. The media of claim 23, wherein the software is further operable when executed to provide instructions to maintain the at least one radar resource in an object detection mode during a transfer of vehicle data.

27. The media of claim 23, wherein at least one or more antennas of the one or more base stations is located on a second vehicle.

28. The media of claim 23, wherein the determining to switch the at least one radar resource from the object detection mode to the data transfer mode is made based on a determination that the count of objects within the vicinity of the vehicle is below a threshold number.

29. The media of claim 23, wherein the determining to switch the at least one radar resource from the object detection mode to the data transfer mode is made based on a determination that the signal strength data indicates that the strength of the communication signal is above a threshold signal strength.

30. The media of claim 23, wherein the determining to switch the at least one radar resource from the object detection mode to the data transfer mode is made based on a determination that the operational status of the vehicle indicates that the vehicle is driving below a threshold speed.

31. The media of claim 23, wherein the software is further operable when executed to:

determine that the count of objects within the vicinity of the vehicle is above a threshold number; and

determine to switch the at least one radar resource back to the object detection mode.

32. The media of claim 23, wherein the at least one radar resource is:

a radar antenna;

or

a radio-frequency front end of the vehicle.

33. The media of claim 23, wherein the vehicle is an autonomous vehicle.