Vehicle radar system having multiple operating modes

• US 7,400,290 B2
• Filed: 12/30/2005
• Issued: 07/15/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 12/30/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Raytheon Company (Rtx Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Valeo Raytheon Systems, Inc. (Valeo SE)
• Inventors: Woodington, Walter Gordon, Hunt, Dennis
• Primary Examiner(s): Black; Thomas G.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Chen; Shelley
• Application Number:
  US11/324,035
• Publication Number:
  US 20070152870A1
• Time in Patent Office: 928 Days
• Field of Search: 342/84
• US Class Current: 342/84
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/528 with elimination of blind speeds
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/931 of land vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2013/0272 Multifunction radar
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2013/9315 Monitoring blind spots
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2013/93274 on the side of the vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/414 Discriminating targets with respect to background clutter

Abstract

A vehicle radar system includes a processing system which operates in one of a plurality of operating modes which are selected based upon an environment (or changes to an environment) surrounding the vehicle radar system. In one exemplary embodiment, the vehicle radar system is provided as a vehicle radar system which operates in one of: a highway traffic mode and a city traffic mode depending upon whether a vehicle in which the vehicle radar system is disposed is traveling along a highway or through a city.

Claims

1. A method of operating a vehicle radar system, the method comprising:

determining an environment in which the vehicle radar system is disposed;

selecting a mode of operation for the vehicle radar system based upon the determined environment; and

generating a chirp signal based upon the determined environment,

wherein the environment comprises one of a highway environment or a city environment, the city environment comprises vehicles moving at less relative velocities than the highway environment,

wherein generating the chirp signal comprises;

generating a first chirp signal in the city environment; and

generating a second chirp signal in a highway environment, the second chirp signal having a shorter period than the first chirp signal.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein determining the environment comprises determining velocities of other vehicles relative to the vehicle in which the vehicle radar system is disposed.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein determining the environment comprises determining a velocity of a vehicle in which the vehicle radar system is disposed.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the city environment comprises a velocity of the vehicle being less than a velocity of the vehicle in the highway environment.

5. A vehicle radar system comprising:

a detection system configured to;

detect vehicles;

determine an environment surrounding a vehicle in which the detection system is disposed based upon at least a number of detected vehicles; and

operate in one of a plurality of operating modes which are selected based upon the determined environment,

wherein the detection system is provided as a chirp radar system and said detection system changes operating modes by adjusting a characteristic of a chirp waveform,

wherein a first operating mode corresponds to a highway operating mode and a second operating mode corresponds to a city operating mode,

wherein the detection system provides a first chirp waveform in the city operating mode and a second chirp waveform in a highway operating mode,

wherein the second chirp waveform has a shorter period than the first chirp signal.

6. The system of claim 5 wherein the operating modes are object detection modes.

7. The system of claim 5 wherein in response to changes in the environment surrounding the detection system, the detection system dynamically changes the operating mode of the chirp radar system by changing the radar chirp.

8. The system of claim 5 wherein the detection system automatically detects changes in the environment.

9. The system of claim 5 wherein further comprising means for manually setting the operating mode of the detection system.

10. The system of claim 5 wherein the operating modes of the detection system are changed by changing a characteristic of the system other than a chirp waveform.

11. The system of claim 5 wherein the operating modes of the detection system are changed by changing at least one of a plurality of different detection parameters.

12. The system of claim 5 wherein the detection system dynamically adjusts operating modes of the detection system in response to changes in an environment in which the detection system is being used.

13. A vehicle radar system disposed in a vehicle, the vehicle radar system comprising:

a detection system configured to;

detect vehicles;

operate in one of a plurality of detection modes,

wherein a particular detection mode in which to operate is selected based upon an environment surrounding the vehicle in which the vehicle radar system is disposed and at least a number of detected vehicles detected,

wherein the detection system comprises a chirp radar system and wherein the operating modes of the detection system are changed by adjusting a characteristic of a chirp waveform provided by the chirp radar system,

wherein the environment comprises one of a city environment or a highway environment,

wherein the detection system provides a first chirp waveform in the city environment and a second chirp waveform in a highway environment,

wherein the second chirp waveform has a shorter period than the first chirp signal.