Vehicle detection of external objects

• US 10,408,921 B2
• Filed: 10/28/2016
• Issued: 09/10/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 10/28/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Inventors: Mcquillen, Michael, Makled, Daniel A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Windrich, Marcus E
• Application Number:
  US15/336,969
• Publication Number:
  US 20180120415A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,047 Days
• Field of Search: 342 70- 72
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/09 Taking automatic action to avoid collision, e.g. braking and steering
• 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 2013/932 using own vehicle data, e.g. ground speed, steering wheel direction
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2013/93275 in the bumper area
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/4026 Antenna boresight
• 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

Abstract

A vehicle computer is programmed to receive reflections of radio-magnetic beams transmitted by an antenna mounted to a vehicle body, and, when it is determined that the vehicle is moving, determine whether the vehicle body has changed shape based on the received reflections and a predetermined base reflection pattern. The computer is further programmed to generate a second base reflection pattern based at least on the received reflections and the predetermined base reflection pattern. The computer can then use the received reflections as vehicle sensor data.

Claims

1. A computer, comprising a processor and a memory, the memory storing instructions executable by the processor such that the computer is programmed to:

receive reflections of radio-magnetic beams transmitted by an antenna mounted to a vehicle body, and, when it is determined from vehicle camera data that an area proximate to the vehicle is changing, determine that the-received reflections of the vehicle body have changed based on a predetermined base reflection pattern;

generate a second base reflection pattern based at least on the received reflections and the predetermined base reflection pattern; and

then use the received reflections as vehicle sensor data.

2. The computer of claim 1, wherein the antenna is mounted between an exterior surface of the vehicle body and a bumper mounted to the exterior surface.

3. The computer of claim 2, wherein the predetermined base reflection is defined based on a shape of the bumper, a material of which the bumper is formed, a distance of the bumper from the antenna, a shape of the antenna, and a frequency of transmitted radio-magnetic beams.

4. The computer of claim 1, wherein the computer is further programmed to use the received reflections as the vehicle sensor data by detecting one or more objects in a field of view of the antenna based on the received reflections, wherein a detection of a vehicle element as an object is prevented based at least on the predetermined base reflection pattern.

5. The computer of claim 1, wherein the computer is further programmed to use the received reflections as the vehicle sensor data by detecting one or more objects in a field of view of the antenna based on the received reflections, wherein a detection of the vehicle body that has changed shape as an object is prevented based at least on the generated second base reflection pattern.

6. The computer of claim 1, wherein the computer is programmed to determine whether the vehicle body has changed shape by at least:

determining an expected reflection of the transmitted radio-magnetic beams from the vehicle body including a vehicle bumper based at least on the predetermined base reflection pattern; and

determining whether a reflection received from the vehicle body is different from the expected reflection and the received reflection from the vehicle body is unchanged for at least a predetermined time threshold.

7. The computer of claim 6, further programmed to determine whether the reflection is received from the vehicle body based at least on a distance of vehicle body elements from the antenna.

8. The computer of claim 1, wherein determining whether the vehicle body has changed shape further includes determining whether a vehicle bumper has one of a dent-in, a dent-out, and an irregular dent.

9. The computer of claim 8, wherein determining whether the vehicle bumper has one of the dent-in, the dent-out, and the irregular dent based on a time of travel of the received reflections.

10. The computer of claim 1, wherein the computer is programmed to determine whether the vehicle body has changed shape by at least:

determining an expected reflection of the transmitted radio-magnetic beams from the vehicle body including a vehicle bumper based at least on the predetermined base reflection pattern; and

determining whether a confidence level associated with a change of the vehicle body is greater than a confidence threshold.

11. The computer of claim 1, wherein the computer is programmed to determine whether the vehicle is moving by determining that a time interval of continuous vehicle movement exceeds a predetermined time duration threshold and a speed of the vehicle is greater than a minimum speed threshold during the time interval.

12. The computer of claim 1, wherein one or more additional antennas are mounted to, and directed in a plurality of directions away from, the vehicle body, wherein the computer is programmed to receive reflections of radio magnetic beams transmitted by the one or more additional antennas.

13. The computer of claim 1, further comprising a radio-magnetic amplifier, a digital to analog converter, and an analog to digital converter electrically coupled to the antenna.

14. A method, comprising:

receiving, in a computer, reflections of radio-magnetic beams transmitted by an antenna mounted to a vehicle body;

when it is determined from vehicle camera data that an area proximate to the vehicle is changing, determining that the-received reflections of the vehicle body have changed based on a predetermined base reflection pattern;

generating a second base reflection pattern based at least on the received reflections and the predetermined base reflection pattern; and

then using the received reflections as vehicle sensor data.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein using received reflections as vehicle sensor data further includes:

detecting one or more objects in a field of view of the antenna based on the received reflections, wherein a detection of a vehicle element as an object is prevented based at least on the predetermined base reflection pattern; and

causing an action based on the detected one or more objects.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein using received reflections as vehicle sensor data further includes detecting one or more objects in a field of view of the antenna based on the received reflections, wherein a detection of a vehicle element as an object is prevented based at least on the predetermined base reflection pattern.

17. The method of claim 14, wherein using received reflections as vehicle sensor data further includes detecting one or more objects in a field of view of the antenna based on the received reflections, wherein a detection of the vehicle body that has changed shape as an object is prevented based at least on the generated second base reflection pattern.

18. The method of claim 14, wherein determining whether the vehicle body has changed shape further includes:

determining an expected reflection of the transmitted radio-magnetic beams from the vehicle body including a vehicle bumper based at least on the predetermined base reflection pattern; and

determining whether a reflection received from the vehicle body is different from the expected reflection and the received reflection from the vehicle body is unchanged for at least a predetermined time threshold.

19. The method of claim 14, wherein determining whether the vehicle body has changed shape further includes determining whether a vehicle bumper has one of a dent-in, a dent-out, and an irregular dent.