System and method for detecting improper sensor installation within a vehicle to mitigate hazards associated with object detection

• US 10,452,067 B2
• Filed: 02/23/2017
• Issued: 10/22/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 02/23/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC (General Motors Company)
• Original Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC (General Motors Company)
• Inventors: Adam, Paul A., Song, Xiaofeng F., Feldman, Dmitriy, Hoang, Kevin K.
• Primary Examiner(s): Black, Thomas G
• Assistant Examiner(s): Thomas, Ana D
• Application Number:
  US15/440,348
• Publication Number:
  US 20180239354A1
• Time in Patent Office: 971 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 16/0232 for measuring vehicle parameters and indicating critical, abnormal or dangerous conditions
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/723 by using numerical data
• 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 13/87 Combinations of radar systems, e.g. primary radar and secondary radar
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/931 of land vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 15/931 of land vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 17/931 of land vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2013/9323 Alternative operation using light waves
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2013/9324 Alternative operation using ultrasonic waves
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2013/93272 in the back of the vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2013/93274 on the side of the vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/4021 of receivers
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/4026 Antenna boresight
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/4972 Alignment of sensor
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/52004 Means for monitoring or calibrating short-range imaging G01S7/5205
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0077 using redundant signals or controls
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/0816 Indicating performance data, e.g. occurrence of a malfunction

Abstract

A system according to the principles of the present disclosure includes a current object position module, an expected position module, and an object position comparison module. The current object position module can determine a first position of an object with respect to a position of a vehicle based upon sensor data generated by a first object detection sensor within the vehicle and determines a second position of the object with respect to the position of the vehicle based upon sensor data generated by a second object detection sensor. The expected object position module can determine an expected position of the object with respect to the position of the vehicle based upon the first position of the object. The object position comparison module can determine whether at least one object detection sensor is improperly installed within the vehicle based upon comparing the second position of the object with the expected position.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

a current object position module configured to determine a first position of an object with respect to a position of a vehicle based upon sensor data generated by at least a first object detection sensor of a plurality of object detection sensors disposed within the vehicle and determines a second position of the object with respect to the position of the vehicle based upon sensor data generated by a second object detection sensor of the plurality of object detection sensors;

an expected object position module configured to determine an expected position of the object with respect to the position of the vehicle based upon the first position of the object and sensed data corresponding to overlapping detection regions;

an object detection orientation database configured to maintain expected orientation parameters representing an expected angular deviation of the second object detection sensor with respect to the first object detection sensor, wherein the expected object position module is configured to determine the expected position of the object with respect to the position of the vehicle based upon at least the first position of the object and the expected angular deviation; and

an object position comparison module configured to determine that at least one object detection sensor of the plurality of object detection sensors is improperly installed within the vehicle when a comparison of at least the second position of the object with the expected position of the object indicates that the second position deviates from the expected position,

wherein the first position comprises a first X-coordinate and a first Y-coordinate indicative of a relative position of the object detected by the first object detection sensor and the second position comprises a second X-coordinate and a second Y-coordinate indicative of a relative position of the object detected by the second object detection sensor and the expected position comprises a first expected relative change between the second X-coordinate and the first X-coordinate and a second expected relative change between the second Y-coordinate and the first Y-coordinate.

2. The system as recited in claim 1 wherein respective sensors of the plurality of object detection sensors comprises at least one of short-range radars, medium-range radars, long-range radars, image capture devices, light detection and ranging devices, and ultrasound devices.

3. The system as recited in claim 1 further comprising:

an alert module configured to generate an alert when the object position comparison module determines that at least one object detection sensor of the plurality of object detection sensors is improperly installed.

4. The system as recited in claim 3 wherein the alert comprises at least one of an on-board diagnostic alert and a digital trouble code.

5. The system as recited in claim 1 further comprising a vehicle control module configured to generate a vehicle control signal to modify at least one operational state of the vehicle when the object position comparison module determines that at least one object detection sensor of the plurality of object detection sensors is improperly installed.

6. The system as recited in claim 1 wherein the expected object position module is further configured to generate an expected object position table that defines the expected position of the object with respect to the position of the vehicle.

7. The system as recited in claim 6 wherein the expected object position table is generated based upon an orientation parameter of the first object detection sensor.

8. A method comprising:

determining a first position of an object with respect to a position of a vehicle based upon sensor data generated by a first object detection sensor of a plurality of object detection sensors disposed within the vehicle and determines a second position of the object with respect to the position of the vehicle based upon sensor data generated by a second object detection sensor of the plurality of object detection sensors;

determining an expected position of the object with respect to the position of the vehicle based upon at least the first position of the object;

determining whether at least one object detection sensor of the plurality of object detection sensors is improperly installed within the vehicle based upon comparing at least the second position of the object with the expected position of the object,

wherein the first position comprises a first X-coordinate and a first Y-coordinate indicative of a relative position of the object detected by the first object detection sensor and the second position comprises a second X-coordinate and a second Y-coordinate indicative of a relative position of the object detected by the second object detection sensor and the expected position comprises a first expected relative change between the second X-coordinate and the first X-coordinate and a second expected relative change between the second Y-coordinate and the first Y-coordinate; and

determining that at least one object detection sensor of the plurality of object detection sensors is improperly installed within the vehicle when at least one of (1) the first expected relative change does not correspond to a first actual change comprising a difference between the second X-coordinate and the first X-coordinate and (2) the second expected relative change does not correspond to a second actual change comprising a difference between the second Y-coordinate and the first Y-coordinate.

9. The method as recited in claim 8 wherein respective sensors of the plurality of object detection sensors comprises at least one of short-range radars, medium-range radars, long-range radars, image capture devices, light detection and ranging devices, and ultrasound devices.

10. The method as recited in claim 8 further comprising:

generating an alert upon determining that at least one object detection sensor of the plurality of object detection sensors is improperly installed.

11. The method as recited in claim 10 wherein the alert comprises at least one of an on-board diagnostic alert and a digital trouble code.

12. The method as recited in claim 10 further comprising generating a control signal to modify at least one operational state of the vehicle upon determination that at least one object detection sensor of the plurality of object detection sensors is improperly installed.

13. The method as recited in claim 8 further comprising generating an expected object position table that defines the expected position of the object with respect to the position of the vehicle.

14. The method as recited in claim 13 wherein generating the expected object position table further comprises generating the expected object position table based upon an orientation parameter of the first object detection sensor.

15. The method as recited in claim 14 wherein determine the expected position of the object further comprises generating the expected position of the object with respect to the position of the vehicle based upon at least the first position of the object and an expected angular deviation of the second object detection sensor with respect to the first object detection sensor.