RADAR DEVICE, CALIBRATION SYSTEM AND CALIBRATION METHOD

• US 20120293360A1
• Filed: 05/09/2012
• Published: 11/22/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 05/17/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Original Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Inventors: Shimizu, Koji, Hasegawa, Yutaka
• Granted Patent: US 8,816,900 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 342/146
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/34 using transmission of continuous, frequency-modulated waves while heterodyning the received signal, or a signal derived therefrom, with a locally-generated signal related to the contemporaneously transmitted signal
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/42 Simultaneous measurement of distance and other co-ordinates indirect measurement G01S13/46
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/48 using multiple beams at emission or reception
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/931 of land vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2013/93185 Controlling the brakes
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2013/9321 Velocity regulation, e.g. cruise control
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2013/9325 for inter-vehicle distance regulation, e.g. navigating in platoons
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 3/74 Multi-channel systems specially adapted for direction-finding, i.e. having a single antenna system capable of giving simultaneous indications of the directions of different signals systems in which the directions of different signals are determined sequentially and displayed simultaneously G01S3/04, G01S3/14
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/4026 Antenna boresight

Abstract

In an environment inspection mode of a calibration system, a radar device executes a signal analysis process to calculate an eigenvalue ratio of each comparison eigenvalue. The eigenvalue ratio has a small value when a pair of eigenvalues corresponding to arrival radar waves has a strong correlation. On the other hand, the eigenvalue ratio has a large value when the eigenvalue ratio is calculated between an eigenvalue and thermal noise. When there is no eigenvalue which is not more than a reference threshold value, the radar device indicates a notice that the current environment is suitable for the calibration of the radar device. On the other hand, when there is presence of at least one eigenvalue of not more than the reference threshold value, the radar device indicates a notice that the current environment is unsuitable for the calibration of the radar device.

Claims

1. A radar device comprising:

a transmitting antenna which transmits radar waves toward an object in front of the radar device;

a receiving antenna comprising a plurality of antenna elements, each antenna element receiving arrival radar waves reflected by the object; and

a signal processing unit which estimates at least an arrival azimuth and an object distance on the basis of information of the arrival radar waves received by the antenna elements, and generates object information which contains the arrival azimuth of the arrival radar wave and the object distance per object by which the radar wave is reflected, the arrival azimuth is an azimuth of the arrival radar waves received by the antenna elements, and the object distance is a distance between the radar device and the object,

wherein the signal processing unit comprises;

an eigenvalue calculation means for calculating a correlation matrix which indicates a correlation between received signals in each pair of the antenna elements in the receiving antenna, and calculating an eigenvalue of the correlation matrix;

a ratio calculation means for calculating an eigenvalue ratio which indicates a ratio between the maximum eigenvalue in the eigenvalues calculated by the eigenvalue calculation means and a comparison eigenvalue which is an eigenvalue other than the maximum eigenvalue; and

an environment judgment means for judging whether or not a current environment is, in which the radar device is located, suitable for the calibration of the radar device on the basis of the eigenvalue ratio calculated by the eigenvalue calculation means.

2. The radar device according to claim 1, wherein the environment judgment means judges whether or not a current environment is suitable for the calibration of the radar device on the basis of a comparison result of comparing the eigenvalue calculated by the eigenvalue calculation means with a predetermined reference threshold value.

3. The radar device according to claim 2, wherein the environment judgment means counts the number of the eigenvalue ratios which satisfy a predetermined condition, and the environment judgment means judges whether or not the current environment is, in which the radar device is installed, suitable for the calibration of the radar device on the basis of the counted value regarding the number of the eigenvalue ratios.

4. The radar device according to claim 3, wherein the environment judgment means outputs one of:

(a) the current environment is, in which the radar device is installed, suitable for the calibration of the radar device when the counted value regarding the number of the eigenvalue ratios is equal to a predetermined value or less than a different predetermined value; and

(b) the current environment is unsuitable for the calibration of the radar device when the counted value is not less than the predetermined value.

5. The radar device according to claim 1, wherein the environment judgment means outputs a suitable environment information which indicates that the current environment, in which the radar device is installed, suitable for the calibration of the radar device when the eigenvalue ratio indicates that the number of the arrival radar waves is one, and

the environment judgment means outputs an unsuitable environment information which indicates that the current environment is, in which the radar device is installed, unsuitable for the calibration of the radar device when the eigenvalue ratio indicates that the number of the arrival radar waves is not less than two.

6. The radar device according to claim 5, wherein the ratio calculation means calculates, as the eigenvalue ratio, a logarithm of a ratio of the maximum eigenvalue to the comparison eigenvalue,

the environment judgment means determines that the number of the arrival radar waves is one when the calculated eigenvalue ratio of not more than a predetermined reference threshold value is zero, and

the environment judgment means determines that the number of the arrival radar waves is not less than two when the calculated eigenvalue ratio of not more than the predetermined reference threshold value is not less than one.

7. The radar device according to claim 5, wherein the ratio calculation means calculates, as the eigenvalue ratio, a ratio of the maximum eigenvalue to a sum of the comparison eigenvalues, and

the environment judgment means determines that the number of the arrival radar waves is one when the calculated eigenvalue ratio of not more than a predetermined reference threshold value is zero, and

the environment judgment means determines that the number of the arrival radar waves is not less than two when the calculated eigenvalue ratio of not more than the predetermined reference threshold value is not less than one.

8. A calibration system which inspects an environment in which a radar device is located, comprising:

the radar device according to claim 1;

a switching means for instructing, when receiving a predetermined instruction, the ratio calculation means in the radar device to calculate an eigenvalue ratio and to judge whether or not a current environment is, in which the radar device is located, suitable for the calibration of the radar device; and

a notice means for receiving the judgment result obtained by the environment judgment means and transmitted from the radar device, and the notice means providing the judgment result to outside.

9. A method of inspecting whether or not a current environment is, in which a radar device is installed, suitable for the calibration of the radar device, the radar device transmitting radar waves toward an object in front of the radar device, and receiving arrival radar waves which are reflected by objects, estimating at least an arrival azimuth and an object distance on the basis of information of the arrival radar waves, and generating object information which contains the arrival azimuth of the arrival radar wave and the object distance per object by which the radar wave is reflected, the arrival azimuth being an azimuth of the arrival radar waves, and the object distance being a distance between the radar device and the object, the method comprising steps of:

calculating a correlation matrix which indicates a correlation between received signals of the arrival radar waves, and calculating an eigenvalue of the correlation matrix;

calculating an eigenvalue ratio which represents a ratio between the maximum eigenvalue in the eigenvalues and a comparison eigenvalue which is an eigenvalue other than the maximum eigenvalue; and

judging whether or not a current environment is, in which the radar device is located, suitable for a calibration of the radar device on the basis of the eigenvalue ratio.

10. The method according to claim 9, wherein in the step of judging whether or not the current environment is suitable for the calibration of the radar device on the basis of the eigenvalue ratio,

the number of the eigenvalue ratios which satisfies a predetermined condition is counted, and one of the following processes (a) and (b) is selected:

(a) it is output that a current environment is suitable for the calibration of the radar device when the counted value regarding the number of the eigenvalue ratios is equal to a predetermined value or less than a different predetermined value; and

(b) it is output that a current environment is unsuitable for the calibration of the radar device when the counted value is not less than the predetermined value.