METHOD FOR MULTI-MODE OBSTACLE DETECTION USING RADAR, AND APPARATUS FOR SAME

• US 20140240167A1
• Filed: 11/08/2011
• Published: 08/28/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 10/18/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Metabuild Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Metabuild Company Limited
• Inventors: Cho, Poong Youn
• Granted Patent: US 9,488,724 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 342/104
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/52 Discriminating between fixed and moving objects or between objects moving at different speeds
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/5244 Adaptive clutter cancellation specially adapted for airborne MTI, G01S13/5242
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/58 Velocity or trajectory determination systems; Sense-of-movement determination systems
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/867 Combination of radar systems with cameras
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/92 for velocity measurement
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/292 Extracting wanted echo-signals
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/414 Discriminating targets with respect to background clutter
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/01 Detecting movement of traffic to be counted or controlled G08G1/07 - G08G1/14 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/048 with provision for compensation of environmental or other condition, e.g. snow, vehicle stopped at detector
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/052 with provision for determining speed or overspeed speed measuring in general G01P

Abstract

The present invention relates to a method for multi-mode obstacle detection using radar, including the steps of: determining whether an object moves by acquiring radar information on the object; discriminating between a stationary object and a moving object according to whether the object moves; executing a first detecting mode for detecting the stationary object or a second detecting mode for detecting the moving object; and transmitting location information on the stationary object obtained through the first detecting mode, or location and speed information on the moving object obtained through the second detecting mode, to an external terminal. According to the method for multi-mode obstacle detection using radar, and to the apparatus for same, multi-detection modes can be provided to separately detect a stationary object and a moving object using the radar information on the object obtained using radar, thereby increasing location tracking efficiency for each object.

Claims

1. A method for multi-mode obstacle detection using radar, the method comprising:

determining whether an object moves by acquiring radar information on the object;

discriminating between a stationary object and a moving object according to whether the object moves;

executing a first detecting mode for detecting the stationary object or a second detecting mode for detecting the moving object; and

transmitting location information on the stationary object obtained through the first detecting mode, or location and speed information on the moving object obtained through the second detecting mode, to an external terminal.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the executing of the first detecting mode comprises:

removing radar information on the moving object;

if the radar information on the stationary object exceeds a threshold for detecting the stationary object stored in a reference map obtained based on statistical values of past radar information, determining that the stationary object is valid; and

obtaining location information on the stationary object using the radar information on the stationary object.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the executing of the second detecting mode comprises:

removing the radar information on the stationary object;

if the radar information on the moving object is less than a predetermined doppler threshold, determining the moving object as a low-speed object;

if the radar information on the low-speed object exceeds a threshold for detecting the low-speed object stored in the reference map, determining the low-speed object to be valid; and

obtaining location information and speed information on the low-speed object using the radar information on the low-speed object.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

if the radar information on the moving object exceeds the predetermined doppler threshold, determining the moving object as a high-speed object;

if radar information on the high-speed object exceeds a threshold for detecting the high-speed object stored in the reference map, determining the high-speed object to be valid; and

obtaining location information and speed information on the high-speed object using the radar information on the high-speed object.

5. The method of claim 3, further comprising, after location information and speed information on the moving object are obtained, driving a tracking camera on a road where the moving object is placed, so as to receive a captured image on the moving object.

6. The method of claim 4, further comprising, after the location information or speed information on the stationary object or moving object is obtained:

obtaining permittivity information on the road where the object is placed;

if the obtained road permittivity information is within a predetermined normal range, transmitting the location information or speed information to an external server or the external terminal; and

if the obtained permittivity information exceeds the normal range, transmitting the location information or speed information, and state information on the road corresponding to permittivity of the road to the server or the external terminal.

7. An apparatus for multi-mode obstacle detection using radar, the apparatus comprising:

a movement determining unit determining whether an object moves using a radar apparatus that acquires radar information on the object;

an object discriminating unit discriminating between a stationary object and a moving object according to whether the object moves;

a mode executing unit executing a first detecting mode for detecting the stationary object or a second detecting mode for detecting the moving object; and

a transmitting unit transmitting location information on the stationary object obtained through the first detecting mode, or location and speed information on the moving object obtained through the second detecting mode, to an external terminal.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the mode executing unit removes radar information on the moving object when the first detecting mode is executed, and if the radar information on the stationary object exceeds a threshold for detecting the stationary object stored in a reference map obtained based on statistical values of past radar information, the mode executing unit determines that the stationary object is valid and obtains location information on the stationary object using the radar information on the stationary object.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the mode executing unit removes the radar information on the stationary object when the second detecting mode is executed, and if the radar information on the moving object is less than a predetermined doppler threshold, the mode executing unit determines the moving object as a low-speed object, and if the radar information on the low-speed object exceeds a threshold for detecting the low-speed object stored in the reference map, the mode executing unit determines the low-speed object to be valid and obtains location information and speed information on the low-speed object using the radar information on the low-speed object.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein, if the radar information on the moving object exceeds the predetermined doppler threshold, the mode executing unit determines the moving object as a high-speed object, and if radar information on the high-speed object exceeds a threshold for detecting the high-speed object stored in the reference map, the mode executing unit determines the high-speed object to be valid and obtains location information and speed information on the high-speed object using the radar information on the high-speed object.

11. The apparatus of claim 9, further comprising an image receiving unit receiving a captured image on the moving object by driving a tracking camera on a road where the moving object is placed.

12. The apparatus of claim 19, further comprising a road surface information obtaining unit obtaining permittivity information on the road where the object is placed, after the location information or speed information on the stationary object or moving object is obtained,

wherein, if the obtained road permittivity information is within a predetermined normal range, the transmitting unit transmits the location information or speed information to an external server or the external terminal, and

if the obtained permittivity information exceeds the normal range, the transmitting unit transmits the location information or speed information, and state information on the road corresponding to permittivity of the road to the server or the external terminal.