DEVICE AND METHOD FOR SELECTING SIGNAL, AND RADAR APPARATUS

• US 20130187806A1
• Filed: 01/24/2013
• Published: 07/25/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 01/25/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Furuno Electric Co, Ltd
• Original Assignee: Furuno Electric Co, Ltd
• Inventors: Takemoto, Sae
• Granted Patent: US 9,075,142 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 342/90
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/582 adapted for simultaneous range and velocity measurements
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/589 measuring the velocity vector
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/72 for two-dimensional tracking, e.g. combination of angle and range tracking, track-while-scan radar
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/726 Multiple target tracking
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/937 of marine craft

Abstract

A signal selecting device is provided. The signal selecting device includes a transceiver for repeatedly transceiving electromagnetic waves, a target candidate detecting module for detecting a plurality of objects based on echo signals received by the transceiver, a phase change amount calculating module for calculating a phase change amount between two echo signals from two positions of which distances from the transceiver are substantially the same but azimuths from the transceiver are different, and an object selecting module for selecting a predetermined object among the plurality of objects detected by the target candidate detecting module in a first scan based on a phase change amount of the object, the predetermined object being the same object as an object selected by the object selecting module in a second scan that is performed before the first scan.

Claims

1. A signal selecting device, comprising:

a transceiver for repeatedly transceiving electromagnetic waves;

a target candidate detecting module for detecting a plurality of objects based on echo signals received by the transceiver;

a phase change amount calculating module for calculating a phase change amount between two echo signals from two positions of which distances from the transceiver are substantially the same but azimuths from the transceiver are different; and

an object selecting module for selecting an object among the plurality of objects detected by the target candidate detecting module in a first scan based on a phase change amount for the object, the object being the same object as an object selected by the object selecting module in a second scan that is performed before the first scan.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein the object selecting module selects the same object as the object selected in the second scan based on a correlation value of a phase change amount of each object detected in the first scan with a phase change amount of the object selected in the second scan.

3. The device of claim 1, wherein the object selecting module selects the same object as the object selected in the second scan based on a correlation value of a phase change amount of each object detected in the first scan with a phase change amount of the object selected in the second scan, and a correlation value of an observed position of each object detected in the first scan with an observed position of the object selected in the second scan.

4. The device of claim 1, further comprising a relative speed calculating module for calculating a relative speed between the device and each object based on a phase change amount of each object, wherein the object selecting module selects the same object as the object selected in the second scan based on a calculated relative speed of the object.

5. The device of claim 4, further comprising an absolute speed calculating module for calculating an absolute speed of each object based on the calculated relative speed of each object and an absolute speed of the device,

wherein the object selecting module selects the same object as the object selected in the second scan based on an absolute speed of the object.

6. The device of claim 4, wherein a distance direction component of either one of the relative speed and the absolute speed is calculated by either one of the relative speed calculating module and the absolute speed calculating module.

7. The device of claim 1, further comprising a relative speed calculating module for calculating a relative speed between the device and each object based on a phase change amount of each object;

and

a movement estimating module, wherein the movement estimating module comprises;

an estimated speed calculating module for calculating an estimated speed of the object in the first scan based on an observed position and a predicted position of the object in the first scan, and an estimated speed of the object in the second scan;

an estimated position calculating module for calculating an estimated position of the object in the first scan based on the observed position and the predicted position of the object in the first scan; and

a predicted position calculating module for calculating the predicted position of the object in the first scan based on the estimated position and the estimated speed of the object in the second scan, and

wherein the object selecting module selects the same object as the object selected in the second scan based on a correlation value of a relative speed and the observed position of the object detected in the first scan with a relative speed of the object selected in the second scan and the predicted position of the object in the first scan.

8. The device of claim 7, wherein the movement estimating module is configured with an α

β

tracker.

9. The device of claim 1, wherein the transceiver repeatedly transceives the electromagnetic waves via an antenna revolving in a single plane.

10. The device of claim 1, further comprising a Doppler speed calculating module for calculating a Doppler speed of each object based on a phase change amount for each object,

wherein the object selecting module selects the same object as the object selected in the second scan based on the Doppler speed of the object.

11. A method for selecting a signal, comprising:

repeatedly transceiving electromagnetic waves;

detecting a plurality of objects based on received echo signals;

calculating a phase change amount between two echo signals from two positions of which distances from an own ship are substantially the same but azimuths from the own ship are different; and

selecting an object among the plurality of objects detected by a target candidate detecting module in a first scan based on a phase change amount of the object, the object being the same object as an object selected in a second scan that is performed before the first scan.

12. A radar device, comprising:

a transceiver for repeatedly transceiving electromagnetic waves via an antenna;

a target candidate detecting module for detecting a plurality of objects based on echo signals received by the transceiver;

a phase change amount calculating module for calculating a phase change amount between two echo signals from two positions of which distances from the transceiver are substantially the same but azimuths from the transceiver are different;

an object selecting module for selecting an object among the plurality of objects detected by the target candidate detecting module in a first scan based on a phase change amount of the object, the object being the same object as an object selected by the object selecting module in a second scan that is performed before the first scan; and

a display unit for displaying a radar image showing positions of the plurality of objects.