Radar, Lidar and camera enhanced methods for vehicle dynamics estimation

• US 20100017128A1
• Filed: 06/05/2007
• Published: 01/21/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 06/05/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC (General Motors Company)
• Original Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations Incorporated (General Motors Company)
• Inventors: Zeng, Shuqing
• Granted Patent: US 8,855,848 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/301
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2050/0033 Single-track, 2D vehicle model, i.e. two-wheel bicycle model
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2420/408 Radar; Laser, e.g. lidar
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2420/52 Radar, Lidar
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 40/105 Speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 40/107 Longitudinal acceleration
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/60 wherein the transmitter and receiver are mounted on the moving object, e.g. for determining ground speed, drift angle, ground track G01S13/64 takes precedence
• 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 2013/932 using own vehicle data, e.g. ground speed, steering wheel direction

Abstract

A system for estimation vehicle dynamics, including vehicle position and velocity, using a stationary object. The system includes an object sensor that provides object signals of the stationary object. The system also includes in-vehicle sensors that provide signals representative of vehicle motion. The system also includes an association processor that receives the object signals, and provides object tracking through multiple frames of data. The system also includes a longitudinal state estimation processor that receives the object signals and the sensor signals, and provides a correction of the vehicle speed in a forward direction. The system also includes a lateral state estimation processor that receives the object signals and the sensor signals, and provides a correction of the vehicle speed in the lateral direction.

Claims

1. A system for estimating vehicle dynamics in a vehicle, said system comprising:

an object detection sensor for detecting stationary objects relative to vehicle motion, said object sensor providing object detection signals for tracking the object;

a plurality of in-vehicle sensors providing sensor signals representative of the vehicle motion;

an association processor responsive to the object signals, said association processor matching the object signals of consecutive views to track the object, and providing object tracking signals;

a longitudinal state estimation processor responsive to the object tracking signals and the sensor signals, and providing an estimation of vehicle speed in a forward direction relative to the vehicle motion; and

a lateral state estimation processor responsive to the object tracking signals and the sensor signals, said lateral state estimation processor estimating vehicle speed in a lateral direction relative to the vehicle motion.

2. The system according to claim 1 wherein the object detection sensor is selected from the group consisting of radar devices, lidar devices, cameras and vision systems.

3. The system according to claim 1 wherein the object detection sensor is a long range radar sensor.

4. The system according to claim 3 wherein the long range sensor is mounted at the center of gravity of the vehicle.

5. The system according to claim 1 wherein the object detection sensor detects the position of the object by employing a bicycle model.

6. The system according to claim 1 wherein the in-vehicle sensors are selected from the group consisting of steering wheel angle sensors, yaw-rate sensors, longitudinal speed sensors, longitudinal acceleration sensors and lateral acceleration sensors.

7. The system according to claim 1 wherein the longitudinal state estimation processor and the lateral state estimation processor employ Kalman filters for determining the longitudinal and lateral speed of the vehicle.

8. The system according to claim 7 wherein the longitudinal state estimation processor receives object and sensor signals of the vehicle longitudinal position, the vehicle longitudinal speed, the vehicle longitudinal acceleration and vehicle speed, and uses the Kalman filter and an auto-regression noise model to provide a corrected longitudinal acceleration, a corrected vehicle speed and a wheel slippage signal.

9. The system according to claim 7 wherein the lateral state estimation processor receives object and sensor signals of azimuth angle and lateral offset of an object and steering wheel angle, yaw-rate and lateral acceleration of the vehicle, and uses the Kalman filter and an auto-regression noise model to provide a yaw-rate correction, a lateral acceleration correction and a lateral velocity of the vehicle.

10. The system according to claim 1 wherein the object detection sensor is a monocular camera.

11. The system according to claim 1 wherein the system is part of a micro-electromechanical system based inertia measurement unit.

12. A system for determining the speed of a vehicle, said system comprising:

an object detection sensor for detecting stationary objects relative to the vehicle motion; and

a processor responsive to the object detection signals, said processor tracking the objects and employing a model for determining the longitudinal and lateral speed of the vehicle relative to the stationary object, said processor employing Kalman filtering.

13. The system according to claim 12 wherein the object detection sensor is selected from the group consisting of radar devices, lidar devices, cameras and vision systems.

14. The system according to claim 12 wherein the object detection sensor detects the position of the object by employing a bicycle model.

15. The system according to claim 12 further comprising in-vehicle sensors for providing signals indicative of the vehicle motion, said processor being responsive to the signals from the in-vehicle sensors to determine the longitudinal and lateral speed of the vehicle.

16. A method for estimating vehicle dynamics of a vehicle, said method comprising:

detecting stationary objects relative to the motion of the vehicle and providing object detection signals;

measuring various vehicle states using in-vehicle sensors and providing sensor signals;

using the object signals and the sensor signals to provide a corrected longitudinal acceleration and vehicle speed of the vehicle; and

using the object detection signals and the sensor signals to provide a corrected lateral acceleration and yaw-rate of the vehicle.

17. The method according to claim 16 wherein detecting stationary objects includes using a radar device, a lidar device and/or a camera device.

18. The method according to claim 16 wherein measuring the various vehicle states using in-vehicle sensors includes using steering wheel angle sensors, yaw-rate sensors, longitudinal speed sensors, longitudinal acceleration sensors and lateral acceleration sensors.

19. The method according to claim 16 wherein providing a corrected longitudinal acceleration and vehicle speed includes receiving the object signals and the sensor signals that identify vehicle longitudinal position, vehicle longitudinal speed, vehicle longitudinal acceleration and vehicle speed, and using a Kalman filter and an auto-regression noise model to provide the corrected longitudinal acceleration, vehicle speed and wheel slippage.

20. The method according to claim 16 wherein providing a corrected lateral acceleration and yaw-rate includes using the object signals that identify object azimuth angle and object lateral offset and the sensor signals that identify steering wheel angle, yaw-rate and lateral acceleration, and using a Kalman filter and an auto-regression noise model to provide the lateral acceleration correction, a lateral velocity correction and the yaw rate.