Radar system

• US 20070115169A1
• Filed: 04/06/2006
• Published: 05/24/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 11/22/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Mitsubishi Denki Kabushiki Kaisha (Mitsubishi Electric Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Mitsubishi Denki Kabushiki Kaisha (Mitsubishi Electric Corporation)
• Inventors: Kai, Koichi, Okamura, Atsushi, Hara, Rokuzou
• Granted Patent: US 7,443,335 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 342/174
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/931 of land vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2013/9321 Velocity regulation, e.g. cruise control
• 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 2013/9325 for inter-vehicle distance regulation, e.g. navigating in platoons
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2013/9329 cooperating with reflectors or transponders
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/4026 Antenna boresight
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/403 in azimuth, i.e. in the horizontal plane
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/4091 during normal radar operation
• 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

Abstract

To obtain a radar system capable of obtaining an appropriate angular precision by calculating an angle error based on distributions of relative speeds and angles of reflecting points, and of obtaining the appropriate angular precision including an axis deviation angle by simultaneously calculating the angle error and the axis deviation angle. A radar system mounted on a movable body is provided with a radar device that calculates relative speeds and azimuth angles of plural reflecting points; an azimuth angle error estimating device that estimates an error of the azimuth angle calculated by the radar device based on the relative speeds and the azimuth angles of the plural reflecting points; and a correcting device that corrects the azimuth angle calculated by the radar device by using the azimuth angle error estimated by the azimuth angle error estimating device.

Claims

1. A radar system to be mounted on a movable body, comprising:

a radar device for calculating relative speeds and angles-of plural reflecting points; and

an angle error estimating device for estimating errors of the angles calculated by the radar device based on the relative speeds and the angles of the plural reflecting points.

2. A radar system according to claim 1, wherein:

the angle error estimating device comprises;

a storage section for storing the relative speeds and the angles of the plural reflecting points calculated by the radar device;

a reflecting-point selecting section for selecting at least two reflecting points from among the plural reflecting points stored in the storage section; and

an angle error calculating section for calculating an angle error based on the relative speeds and the angles of the at least two reflecting points selected by the reflecting-point selecting section.

3. A radar system according to claim 2, wherein:

the reflecting-point selecting section selects, from the plural reflecting points stored in the storage section, at least two reflecting points having substantially equal relative speeds.

4. A radar system according to claim 2, wherein:

the reflecting-point selecting section sets the relative speeds of at least one of the reflecting points as a reference speed, and selects, from the plural reflecting points stored in the storage section, at least two reflecting points having relative speeds which fall within a range having a predetermined width with the reference speed set at the center.

5. A radar system according to claim 2, wherein:

the reflecting-point selecting section sets a median in a distribution of the relative speeds of the plural reflecting points as a reference speed, and selects, from the plural reflecting points stored in the storage section, at least two reflecting points having relative speeds which fall within a range having a predetermined width with the reference speed set at the center.

6. A radar system according to claim 2, wherein:

the reflecting-point selecting section sets a maximum value in a distribution of the relative speeds of the plural reflecting points as a reference speed, and selects, from the plural reflecting points stored in the storage section, at least two reflecting points having relative speeds which fall within a range having a predetermined width with the reference speed set at the center.

7. A radar system according to claim 2, wherein:

the reflecting-point selecting section obtains a range of relative speed in which the number of reflecting points is larger than a predetermined value, in a distribution of the relative speeds of the plural reflecting points, and selects, from the plural reflecting points stored in the storage section, at least two reflecting points having relative speeds which fall within the range.

8. A radar system according to claim 2, wherein:

the reflecting-point selecting section selects, from the plural reflecting points stored in the storage section, at least two reflecting points which are detected within a fixed period of time and have substantially equal relative speeds.

9. A radar system according to claim 2, wherein:

the reflecting-point selecting section selects, from the plural reflecting points stored in the storage section, at least two reflecting points which are detected within a predetermined range of changes in speed of the movable body and have substantially equal relative speeds.

10. A radar system according to claim 2, wherein:

the angle error estimating device further comprises a true angle-error value estimating section for estimating a true angle-error value by using plural angle errors when the angle error calculating section calculates plural angle errors.

11. A radar system according to claim 10, wherein:

the true angle-error value estimating section calculates a mean value of the plural angle errors and estimates the mean value as a true angle-error value.

12. A radar system according to claim 10, wherein:

the true angle-error value estimating section calculates an angle error that minimizes a mean square error of the plural angle errors and estimates the calculated angle error as a true angle-error value.

13. A radar system according to claim 1, further comprising a correcting device for correcting the angle calculated by the radar device by using the angle error estimated by the angle error estimating device.

14. A radar system according to claim 1, wherein the radar device corrects an antenna direction based on the calculated angle error.

15. A radar system according to claim 2, wherein the angle error calculating section judges that a failure occurs when the calculated angle error exceeds a predetermined range.

16. A radar system to be mounted on a movable body, comprising:

a radar device for calculating relative speeds and angles of plural reflecting points; and

an angle error estimating device for estimating errors of the angles calculated by the radar device and an axis deviation angle in a radar reference direction, based on the relative speeds and the angles of the plural reflecting points.