METHOD FOR DETECTING PRECIPITATON USING A RADAR LOCATING DEVICE FOR MOTOR VEHICLES

• US 20120013503A1
• Filed: 12/01/2009
• Published: 01/19/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 01/29/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
• Original Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
• Inventors: Heilmann, Stefan, Bechler, Dirk
• Granted Patent: US 8,581,774 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 342/26.R
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/931 of land vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/95 for meteorological use
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/41 using analysis of echo signal for target characterisation; Target signature; Target cross-section
• CPC Class Codes: Y02A 90/10 Information and communication technologies [ICT] supporting adaptation to climate change, e.g. for weather forecasting or climate simulation

Abstract

A method for detecting precipitation using a radar locating device for motor vehicles, that is designed to locate objects in the surroundings of the vehicle, in which method a locating signal (42), which is an index for the received power density as a function of the distance (R), is integrated over a first distance range (INT1), which is below a limit distance (R_lim) for the detection of precipitation, wherein the locating signal (42) is additionally integrated over a second distance range (INT2), which is above limit distance (R_lim), and for the detection of precipitation, the integrals over the first and second distance range are compared with each other.

Claims

1-4. -4. (canceled)

5. A method for detecting precipitation using a radar locating device for motor vehicles, that is designed to locate objects in the surroundings of the vehicle, comprising:

integrating a locating signal over a first distance range, which is below a limit distance for the detection of precipitation, the locating signal being an index for the received power density as a function of the distance;

integrating the locating signal over a second distance range, which is above limit distance; and

comparing the integrals over the first and second distance range with each other for the detection of precipitation.

6. The method as recited in claim 5, in which the locating signal is subjected to a filtering prior to the integration, which suppresses peaks caused by located objects, so that the filtered signal forms an index for the noise level as a function of the distance.

7. The method as recited in claim 6, in which the filtered signal is a detection threshold, which makes it possible to decide, with the aid of the criterion that a peak in the locating signal exceeds the detection threshold, whether the peak represents a located object.

8. A radar locating device for motor vehicles, which is designed to locate objects in the area in front of the vehicle, comprising a detection device, in which the method as recited in claim 5 is implemented.