Multimode radar for road vehicle blind-zone target discrimination

• US 5,325,097 A
• Filed: 06/01/1993
• Issued: 06/28/1994
• Est. Priority Date: 06/01/1993
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Delphi Technologies, Inc. (BorgWarner Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Delco Electronics Corporation (Motors Liquidation Co. GUC Trust)
• Inventors: Liem, Fie A., Zhang, Zhaohong, Shorkey, Michael J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hellner, Mark
• Application Number:
  US08/069,470
• Time in Patent Office: 392 Days
• Field of Search: 342/70, 342/71, 342/72, 342/83, 342/128, 342/129, 342/130
• US Class Current: 342/71
• 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 13/345 using triangular modulation
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/584 adapted for simultaneous range and velocity measurements
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/931 of land vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2013/9315 Monitoring blind spots
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2013/932 using own vehicle data, e.g. ground speed, steering wheel direction
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2013/9322 using additional data, e.g. driver condition, road state or weather data
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2013/93272 in the back of the vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2013/93274 on the side of the vehicles

Abstract

A road vehicle radar system for discriminating between hazard and non-hazard targets within a predetermined zone uses a pair of frequency modulated continuous wave radar cycles (FM-CW) and a single continuous wave cycle (CW) in the generation of radar quantities for measuring target range and apparent target velocity. Measured quantities from the FM-CW and CW cycles are compared with predetermined quantities for discriminating between hazard and non-hazard targets.

Claims

1. A road vehicle radar system for discriminating between hazard and non-hazard targets within a predetermined zone, the system comprising in combination:

means for transmitting a pair of FM-CW radar signals;

means for transmitting a CW radar signal;

means for receiving the transmitted FM-CW and CW radar signals reflected from the target;

means for determining a first apparent relative velocity of the target from the received FM-CW radar signals;

means for determining a second apparent relative velocity of the target from the received CW radar signal; and

means for comparing the first and second apparent relative velocities in magnitude to thereby determine from the difference therebetween whether the target is a hazard.

2. A road vehicle radar system for discriminating between hazard and non-hazard targets within a predetermined zone, the system comprising in combination:

transmitting means for means for transmitting a pair of FM-CW radar signals and a CW radar signal;

receiving means for receiving said transmitted FM-CW and CW radar signals reflected from a current target;

means for determining a FM-CW doppler quantity from the received FM-CW radar signals and a CW doppler quantity from the received CW radar signal; and

means for identifying contradictory FM-CW and CW doppler quantities to thereby establish the current target as a non-hazard.

3. A road vehicle radar system according to claim 2 wherein said FM-CW radar signals are linearly modulated.

4. In a road vehicle radar system, a method for discriminating between hazard and non-hazard targets within a predetermined zone, comprising the steps of:

transmitting a pair of FM-CW radar signals and a CW radar signal;

receiving said transmitted FM-CW and CW radar signals reflected from a current target;

determining a FM-CW doppler quantity from the received FM-CW radar signals and a CW doppler quantity from the received CW radar signal; and

identifying contradictory FM-CW and CW doppler quantities to thereby establish the current target as a non-hazard.