Cued automobile sensor fusion

• US 10,641,888 B2
• Filed: 11/06/2017
• Issued: 05/05/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 11/06/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Veoneer US LLC (Magna International Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Veoneer US Inc. (SSW Partners LP)
• Inventors: Fetterman, Matthew, Carlsen, Aret
• Primary Examiner(s): Krasnic, Bernard
• Application Number:
  US15/804,821
• Publication Number:
  US 20190137619A1
• Time in Patent Office: 911 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/66 Radar-tracking systems; Analogous 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 17/66 Tracking systems using electromagnetic waves other than radio waves
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 17/86 Combinations of lidar systems with systems other than lidar, radar or sonar, e.g. with direction finders
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 17/931 of land vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2013/93271 in the front of the vehicles
• 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

Methods and systems for remote detection of objects involving cued sensor fusion. In some implementations, a first set of sensed data may be generated using a first object sensor and a second set of sensed data generated using a second object sensor. An object may then be detected using the sensed data from the first object sensor. Upon detecting the object using the sensed data from the first object sensor, a setting associated with the second object sensor may be changed to increase the probability of detecting the object using the second set of sensed data from the second object sensor.

Claims

1. A method for detecting remote objects from within a host vehicle, the method comprising the steps of:

generating a first set of sensed data using a first object sensor;

generating a second set of sensed data using a second object sensor;

detecting an object using the sensed data from the first object sensor;

upon detecting the object using the sensed data from the first object sensor, changing a setting associated with the second object sensor to increase a probability of detecting the object using the second set of sensed data from the second object sensor, wherein the step of changing a setting associated with the second object sensor to increase the probability of detecting the object using the second set of sensed data from the second object sensor comprises reducing at least one of a detection threshold and a tracker threshold associated with the second object sensor only within an angle range associated with the detected object to increase the probability of detecting the object using the second set of sensed data from the second object sensor.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the first object sensor comprises an object sensor of a different type than the second object sensor.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein one of the first object sensor and the second object sensor comprises a RADAR sensor, and wherein the other of the first object sensor and the second object sensor comprises a camera.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of changing a setting associated with the second object sensor to increase the probability of detecting the object using the second set of sensed data from the second object sensor comprises reducing at least one of a detection threshold of a detection module and a tracking threshold of a tracking module.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the step of changing a setting associated with the second object sensor to increase the probability of detecting the object using the second set of sensed data from the second object sensor comprises changing at least one of a signal-to-noise ratio of the detection module and a threshold of the tracking module for initiating or maintaining a track of an object detected by the detection module.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising, upon detecting an object using the sensed data from the second object sensor, changing a setting associated with the first object sensor to increase a probability of detecting the object using the first set of sensed data from the first object sensor.

7. A system for remote detection of objects from within a host vehicle, comprising:

a first object sensor configured to receive a first set of sensed data;

a second object sensor configured to receive a second set of sensed data;

an object detection module configured to receive data from the first object sensor, wherein the object detection module is configured to use sensed data from the first object sensor and the second object sensor to identify remote objects from within the host vehicle, wherein the system for remote detection is configured to, upon detection of an object by the object detection module using the first set of sensed data from the first object sensor, change a setting associated with the second object sensor to increase a probability of the object detection module detecting the object using sensed data from the second object sensor,

wherein the system for remote detection is configured to, upon detection of an object by the object detection module using the first set of sensed data from the first object sensor, reduce at least one of a detection threshold and a tracker threshold associated with the second object sensor to increase the probability of the object being detected using sensed data from the second object sensor, and wherein the system for remote detection is configured to, upon detection of an object by the object detection module using the first set of sensed data from the first object sensor, reduce at least one of the detection threshold and the tracker threshold associated with the second object sensor only within an angle range associated with the detected object.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the object detection module is part of a first sensor module comprising the first object sensor.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the first sensor module further comprises a first tracking module configured to receive processed data from the object detection module to track remote objects identified by the object detection module.

10. The system of claim 9, further comprising a second sensor module, wherein the second sensor module comprises the second object sensor, wherein the second sensor module further comprises a second object detection module configured to receive data from the second object sensor, wherein the second object detection module is configured to use the data from the second object sensor to identify remote objects from within the host vehicle, and wherein the second sensor module further comprises a second tracking module configured to receive processed data from the second object detection module to track remote objects identified by the second object detection module.

11. The system of claim 10, further comprising a fusion tracking module configured to receive data from both the first tracking module and the second tracking module to track objects detected by both the first tracking module and the second tracking module.

12. The system of claim 7, wherein the first object sensor comprises a camera, and wherein the second object sensor comprises a RADAR sensor.

13. The system of claim 7, wherein the system for remote detection is further configured to, upon detection of an object by the object detection module using the second set of sensed data from the second object sensor, change a setting associated with the first object sensor to increase a probability of the object detection module detecting the object using data from the first object sensor.