Object detection system and method of estimating object size

• US 6,794,987 B2
• Filed: 07/01/2002
• Issued: 09/21/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 07/01/2002
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Aptiv Technologies Limited (Aptiv PLC)
• Original Assignee: Delphi Technologies, Inc. (Aptiv PLC)
• Inventors: Humm, Lawrence A, Schiffmann, Jan K.
• Primary Examiner(s): Tweel, John
• Application Number:
  US10/186,784
• Publication Number:
  US 20040000991A1
• Time in Patent Office: 813 Days
• Field of Search: 340/435, 340/903, 340/917, 701/301, 701/302
• US Class Current: 340/435
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/505 using Doppler effect for determining closest range to a target or corresponding time, e.g. miss-distance indicator
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/931 of land vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2013/93271 in the front of the vehicles

Abstract

A collision detection system and method of estimating a miss distance of an object and estimating length and width of the object are provided. The collision detection system includes a sensor for sensing an object within a field of view and measuring range and range rate of the sensed object. The collision detection system further includes a controller for estimating a miss distance of the object and further estimating length and width of the object as a function of the range and the range rate.

Claims

1. A detection system for detecting a size dimension of an object, said system comprising:

a sensor for sensing an object in a field of view and measuring range to the object and determining range rate of the object; and

a controller for estimating a size dimension of the object as a function of the range and range rate, wherein the controller estimates the size dimension absent an azimuth angle measurement of the object.

2. The detection system as defined in claim 1, wherein the size dimension comprises length of the object.

3. The detection system as defined in claim 2, wherein the controller further computes a mathematical square of the range and computes a mathematical square of the product of range and range rate for each of a plurality of measurements, said controller estimating the length of the object as a function of the computed squared range and the squared product of range and range rate for a plurality of measurements distributed about the object.

4. The detection system as defined in claim 3, wherein the controller estimates length of the object as a function of lengthwise deviation of the signals received from various locations on the distributed object.

5. The detection system as defined in claim 1, wherein the size dimension comprises width of the object.

6. The detection system as defined in claim 5, wherein the controller further computes a mathematical square of the range and computes a mathematical square of the product of range and range rate for each of the plurality of measurements, said controller estimating the width of the object as a function of the computed squared range and the squared product of range and range rate.

7. The detection system as defined in claim 6, wherein the controller determines a pair of squeezing lines defining a plurality of measurements, wherein the width of the object is estimated as a function of the pair of squeezing lines.

8. The detection system as defined in claim 1, wherein the sensor is located on a vehicle.

9. The detection system as defined in claim 1, wherein the sensor comprises a radar sensor.

10. The detection system as defined in claim 9, wherein the range rate is measured based on Doppler effect.

11. The detection system as defined in claim 1, wherein the controller further estimates miss distance of the object.

12. The detection system as defined in claim 11, wherein the controller computes miss distance as a function of the estimated size dimension of the object.

13. A method of estimating a size dimension of an object, said method comprising the steps of:

sensing the presence of an object;

tracking the object;

measuring range to the object;

determining range rate of the object; and

estimating a size dimension of the object as a function of the range and range rate, wherein the estimation of the size dimension is computed absent an azimuth angle measurement of the object.

14. The method as defined in claim 13, wherein the step of tracking the object comprises tracking the object relative to a vehicle.

15. The method as defined in claim 13, wherein the step of estimating a size dimension of the object comprises estimating length of the object.

16. The method as defined in claim 15 further comprising the steps of:

computing a mathematical square of range for each of the plurality of measurements; and

computing a mathematical square of the product of range and range rate for each of the plurality of measurements, wherein the length of the object is estimated as a function of lengthwise deviations taken at various locations on a distributed object.

17. The method as defined in claim 13, wherein the step of estimating a size dimension of the object comprises the step of estimating width of the object.

18. The method as defined in claim 17 further comprising the steps of:

computing a mathematical square of range for each of the plurality of measurements; and

computing a mathematical square of the product of range and range rate for each of the plurality of measurements, wherein the width of the object is estimated as a function of a pair of squeezing lines defining a plurality of measurements.

19. The method as defined in claim 13, wherein the step of determining range rate of the object comprises measuring range rate based on Doppler effect.

20. The method as defined in claim 13 further comprising the step of estimating miss distance of the object.

21. The method as defined in claim 20, wherein the step of estimating miss distance comprises estimating miss distance as a function of the estimated size dimension of the object.