Method for detecting a vehicle type, a vehicle speed and width of a detecting area by a vehicle radar sensor

• US 8,299,957 B2
• Filed: 07/15/2010
• Issued: 10/30/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 03/19/2010
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: CAI Cheng Technology Company Limited, Ming-Te Tseng
• Original Assignee: CAI Cheng Technology Company Limited, Ming-Te Tseng
• Inventors: Tseng, Ming-Te
• Primary Examiner(s): Keith, Jack W
• Assistant Examiner(s): BYTHROW, PETER M
• Application Number:
  US12/837,073
• Publication Number:
  US 20110227782A1
• Time in Patent Office: 838 Days
• Field of Search: 342 70- 72, 342/90, 342/104, 342/114, 342/115, 342/179
• US Class Current: 342/70
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/91 for traffic control G01S13/93 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/92 for velocity measurement
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/415 Identification of targets based on measurements of movement associated with the target
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/04 using optical or ultrasonic detectors
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/052 with provision for determining speed or overspeed speed measuring in general G01P

Abstract

A method for detecting a vehicle type, a vehicle speed and width of a detecting area by a vehicle radar sensor is disclosed. A radio wave is transmitted to a tracked vehicle. Subsequently, the reflective radio wave from the vehicle is received. The Doppler frequency versus time distribution is generated from the reflective radio wave. Because the reflective radio wave is influenced by the Doppler Effect, a parallelogram or a shape close to a parallelogram of a consecutive motion diagram is shown in the Doppler frequency versus time distribution of the vehicle. According to the consecutive motion diagram, certain information, such as the length and speed of the tracked vehicle and the width of the detecting area, can be acquired.

Claims

1. A method for detecting a vehicle type, a vehicle speed and width of a detecting area by a vehicle radar sensor, comprising steps of:

sending radio waves into said detecting area upon at least one road;

generating at least one reflective signal from said detecting area while a vehicle passing through said detecting area of said road;

generating a Doppler frequency versus time distribution based on said reflective signal, and said distribution is a consecutive motion diagram, said consecutive motion diagram is a parallelogram; and

computing said vehicle speed, said vehicle length and said width of said detecting area according to said consecutive motion diagram.

2. The method for detecting a vehicle type, a vehicle speed and width of a detecting area by a vehicle radar sensor according to claim 1, further comprising a step of:

determining said vehicle type according to said vehicle length.

3. The method for detecting a vehicle type, a vehicle speed and width of a detecting area by a vehicle radar sensor according to claim 1, wherein four apices of said parallelogram have four time values and Doppler frequency differences among said four apices that represent a front part of said vehicle enters into said detecting area, a front part of said vehicle leaves said detecting area, a rear part of said vehicle enters into said detecting area or said rear part of said vehicle leaves said detecting area.

4. The method for detecting a vehicle type, a vehicle speed and width of a detecting area by a vehicle radar sensor according to claim 3, wherein in said step of computing said vehicle speed, said vehicle length and said width of said detecting area according to said consecutive motion diagram, a Doppler Effect equation

5. The method for detecting a vehicle type, a vehicle speed and width of a detecting area by a vehicle radar sensor according to claim 3, wherein in said step of computing said vehicle speed, said vehicle length and said width of said detecting area according to said consecutive motion diagram, said vehicle speed and a time difference between said rear part of said vehicle entering into and leaving said detecting area are utilized to compute said width of said detecting area.

6. The method for detecting a vehicle type, a vehicle speed and width of a detecting area by a vehicle radar sensor according to claim 3, wherein in said step of computing said vehicle speed, said vehicle length and said width of said detecting area according to said consecutive motion diagram, a Doppler Effect equation

7. The method for detecting a vehicle type, a vehicle speed and width of a detecting area by a vehicle radar sensor according to claim 3, wherein in said step of computing said vehicle speed, said vehicle length and said width of said detecting area according to said consecutive motion diagram, said vehicle speed and said time difference between said front part of said vehicle entering into and leaving said detecting area are utilized to compute said width of said detecting area.

8. The method for detecting a vehicle type, a vehicle speed and width of a detecting area by a vehicle radar sensor according to claim 3, wherein said vehicle speed and said time difference, which is between said front part of said vehicle entering into said detecting area and said rear part of said vehicle entering into said detecting area or between said front part of said vehicle leaving said detecting area and said rear part of said vehicle leaving said detecting area, are utilized to compute said vehicle length.

9. The method for detecting a vehicle type, a vehicle speed and width of a detecting area by a vehicle radar sensor according to claim 1, wherein two points intersected by said parallelogram with a Doppler frequency zero axis have two time values that said front part of said vehicle at a shortest distance to said vehicle radar sensor and said rear part of said vehicle at a shortest distance to said vehicle radar sensor and a Doppler frequency difference between said points.

10. The method for detecting a vehicle type, a vehicle speed and width of a detecting area by a vehicle radar sensor according to claim 9, wherein said vehicle length is computed according to said vehicle speed, and said time difference of said time values that said front part of said vehicle at a shortest distance to said vehicle radar sensor and said rear part of said vehicle at a shortest distance to said vehicle radar sensor.