Automotive radar system

• US 7,532,152 B1
• Filed: 11/26/2007
• Issued: 05/12/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 11/26/2007
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Toyota Motor Corporation
• Original Assignee: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America Incorporated (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Yonak, Serdar H.
• Primary Examiner(s): Gregory; Bernarr E
• Application Number:
  US11/944,824
• Publication Number:
  US 20090135050A1
• Time in Patent Office: 533 Days
• Field of Search: 342/21, 342/22, 342/27, 342/28, 342 70- 72, 342 82-103, 342/175, 342/176, 342/179, 342/182, 342/183, 342189-197, 340/425.5, 340/435, 340/436, 340/500, 340/540, 340/541, 340552-554, 340901-904, 235/462.15, 375130-153, 375/316, 375/340, 375/343
• US Class Current: 342/70
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/93 for anti-collision purposes
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/411 Identification of targets based on measurements of radar reflectivity G01S7/415 takes precedence

Abstract

An automotive radar system having a high frequency radio transmitter which generates a radar signal in a known direction. A high frequency radio receiver receives echoes from the radar signal in which each echo represents a reflection of the radar signal from an object. A processor then identifies animate objects, if any, from the received echoes within a range of interest and generates an alert signal for each such identified animate object.

Claims

1. An automotive radar system comprising:

a high frequency radio transmitter which generates a radar signal in a known direction,

a high frequency radio receiver which receives echoes from said radar signal, each said echo representing a reflection of the radar signal from an object,

a processor which identifies animate objects from said echoes within a range of interest, and

said processor generating an alert signal for each identified animate object.

2. The invention as defined in claim 1 wherein said radar system further comprises a video display screen and wherein said alert signal comprises a figure display on said display screen.

3. The invention as defined in claim 1 wherein said radio transmitter generates said radar signal in the range of 76 GHz to 81 GHz.

4. The invention as defined in claim 1 wherein said processor identifies each animate object by comparing each object with a matched set filter.

5. The invention as defined in claim 1 wherein said processor identifies each animate object by detecting amplitude modulation of the received echoes over a period of time.

6. The invention as defined in claim 1 wherein said processor identifies each animate object by Fourier analysis.

7. A method for utilizing an automotive radar system comprising the steps of:

transmitting a high frequency radar signal in a known direction,

receiving echoes from said radar signal, each echo representing a reflection of the radar signal from an object,

identifying animate objects within a range of interest as a function of said echoes,

generating an alert signal for each identified animate object.

8. The invention as defined in claim 7 wherein said generating step comprises the step of displaying a symbol on a video screen.

9. The invention as defined in claim 7 wherein said identifying step comprises the step of detecting amplitude modulation of the received echoes from the animate object over a period of time.

10. The invention as defined in claim 7 wherein said identifying step comprises the step of comparing the received echoes from each object with a matched set filter.

11. The invention as defined in claim 7 wherein said identifying step comprises the step of disregarding received echoes greater than a predetermined threshold.

12. The invention as defined in claim 7 wherein said identifying step comprises the step of disregarding received echoes less than a predetermined threshold.