Blind-zone target discrimination method and system for road vehicle radar
First Claim
1. In a road vehicle radar system capable of detecting the presence of one or more targets in proximity to a vehicle moving at a velocity in a first lane of traffic, a method for discriminating a target which presents a hazard to the vehicle from a target which does not present a hazard to the vehicle, the method comprising:
- producing a radar beam having a sufficient beamwidth to illuminate a target in a second lane which is adjacent to the first lane, at least a portion of the radar beam being produced along a first axis which is perpendicular to the direction of motion of the vehicle;
receiving a reflected signal from the illuminated target;
estimating a velocity of the illuminated target, relative to the velocity of the vehicle, in the direction of a second axis which is parallel to the direction of motion of the vehicle based on the reflected signal;
measuring the velocity of the vehicle using at least one velocity sensor;
determining that the illuminated target is hazardous if the sum of the measured vehicle velocity and the estimated parallel target velocity is greater than a first predetermined threshold; and
determining that the illuminated target is not hazardous if the sum of the measured vehicle velocity and the estimated parallel target velocity is less than a second predetermined threshold.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A method and system for discriminating a target which presents a hazard to a motor vehicle moving in a first lane of traffic from a target moving in a second adjacent lane of traffic which does not present a hazard to the vehicle. The method includes the steps of utilizing an antenna mounted flush to a side of the vehicle to produce a radar beam having a beamwidth greater than 5-10 degrees to illuminate the target. At least a portion of the radar beam is produced along a first axis which is perpendicular to the direction of motion of the vehicle. The reflected signal is received from the illuminated target and a velocity of the illuminated target is estimated with a Kalman filter relative to the velocity of the vehicle in the direction of a second axis which is parallel to the direction of motion of the vehicle based on the reflected signal. The method also includes the steps of measuring the velocity of the vehicle using at least one velocity sensor and determining that the illuminated target is hazardous if the sum of the measured vehicle velocity and the estimated parallel target velocity is greater than a predetermined threshold. The illuminated target is determined not to be hazardous if the sum of the measured vehicle velocity and the estimated parallel target velocity is less than a predetermined threshold.
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Citations
18 Claims
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1. In a road vehicle radar system capable of detecting the presence of one or more targets in proximity to a vehicle moving at a velocity in a first lane of traffic, a method for discriminating a target which presents a hazard to the vehicle from a target which does not present a hazard to the vehicle, the method comprising:
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producing a radar beam having a sufficient beamwidth to illuminate a target in a second lane which is adjacent to the first lane, at least a portion of the radar beam being produced along a first axis which is perpendicular to the direction of motion of the vehicle; receiving a reflected signal from the illuminated target; estimating a velocity of the illuminated target, relative to the velocity of the vehicle, in the direction of a second axis which is parallel to the direction of motion of the vehicle based on the reflected signal; measuring the velocity of the vehicle using at least one velocity sensor; determining that the illuminated target is hazardous if the sum of the measured vehicle velocity and the estimated parallel target velocity is greater than a first predetermined threshold; and determining that the illuminated target is not hazardous if the sum of the measured vehicle velocity and the estimated parallel target velocity is less than a second predetermined threshold. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. A road vehicle radar system for detecting the presence of one or more targets in proximity to a vehicle moving at a velocity in a first lane of traffic, and for discriminating a target which presents a hazard to the vehicle from a target which does not present a hazard to the vehicle, the system comprising:
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a radar signal generator; an antenna, coupled to the radar signal generator, for producing a radar beam having a sufficient beamwidth to illuminate a target in a second lane which is adjacent to the first lane, at least a portion of the radar beam being produced along a first axis which is perpendicular to the direction of motion of the vehicle; a receiver, coupled to the antenna, for receiving a reflected signal from the illuminated target; estimating means for estimating the velocity of the illuminated target in the direction of a second axis which is parallel to the direction of motion of the vehicle based on the reflected signal; a sensor for measuring the velocity of the vehicle; and a comparator, coupled to the estimating means and the sensor, for determining that the illuminated target is hazardous if the sum of the measured vehicle velocity and the estimated parallel target velocity is greater than a first predetermined threshold and for determining that the illuminated target is not hazardous if the sum of the measured vehicle velocity and the estimated parallel target velocity is less than a second predetermined threshold. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
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Specification