Method and device for detecting precipitation by radar

• US 8,558,730 B2
• Filed: 09/17/2007
• Issued: 10/15/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 11/17/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
• Original Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
• Inventors: Hassen, Alebel Arage
• Primary Examiner(s): GREGORY, BERNARR E
• Application Number:
  US12/093,472
• Publication Number:
  US 20100309041A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,220 Days
• Field of Search: 342 26 R- 26 D, 342/27, 342/28, 342/59, 342/89, 342/90, 342/175, 342/188, 342192-197, 342/118, 342128-133, 342 70- 72, 342/91, 342/145, 343/700.R, 343/757
• US Class Current: 342/26.R
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/87 Combinations of radar systems, e.g. primary radar and secondary radar
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/931 of land vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/956 mounted on ship or other platform
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2013/93271 in the front of the vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/411 Identification of targets based on measurements of radar reflectivity G01S7/415 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: Y02A 90/10 Information and communication technologies [ICT] supporting adaptation to climate change, e.g. for weather forecasting or climate simulation

Abstract

A method for detecting precipitation in a region monitored by radar beams includes ascertaining a first average power of a first backscattered radar signal, ascertaining a second average power of a second backscattered radar signal, and detecting an existence of a homogenous medium when the average powers conform.

Claims

1. A method for detecting precipitation in a region monitored by radar beams, the method comprising:

transmitting at least two radar signals;

ascertaining a first average power of a first backscattered radar signal;

ascertaining a second average power of a second backscattered radar signal; and

detecting an existence of precipitation by comparing the ascertained first average power and the ascertained second average power to each other.

2. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising:

ascertaining an additional average power of an additional backscattered radar signal, the first, second and additional backscattered radar signals being generated by reflecting radar signals that are transmitted by adjacently disposed radar antennas or transmitters.

3. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein at least one weighting factor is taken into account when comparing the first average power and the second average power, the at least one weighting factor being designed to compensate for different radar antenna characteristics.

4. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the first average power and the second average power are respectively ascertained for one object-free section of the monitored region.

5. The method as recited in claim 4, wherein the steps of ascertaining comprise:

detecting one spectral power density respectively for each backscattered radar signal; and

integrating the spectral power densities respectively across the object-free section to obtain the average powers.

6. The method as recited in claim 5, wherein the object-free section is determined by analyzing the spectral power densities of the backscattered radar signals, the object-free section corresponding to a shared subsection of the spectral power densities in which none of the spectral power densities has a peak that projects above a background noise of the respective spectral power densities.

7. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the comparison of the first average power and the second average power includes detecting a conformity of the first average power and the second average power using a correlation.

8. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising:

evaluating an increase in the background noise of at least one of the spectral power densities in order to determine a density of precipitation or a radar signal damping.

9. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the precipitation is rain, hail, or snowfall whose main direction movement is orthogonal to the radar beams.

10. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein a long-range radar FMCW radar transmitter is used to produce radiation cones that partially overlap or that are located next to each other, it being possible to assign the backscattered radar signals to one radiation cone respectively.

11. A device for detecting precipitation in a region monitored by radar beams, the device comprising:

a transmitting arrangement configured to transmit at least two radar signals;

an ascertaining arrangement configured to ascertain a first average power of a first backscattered radar signal and to ascertain a second average power of a second backscattered radar signal; and

a detection arrangement configured to detect an existence of precipitation by comparing the ascertained first average power and the ascertained second average power to each other.

12. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing a computer program, which is executable by a computer, comprising:

a program code arrangement having program code for performing the following;

controlling a transmitting arrangement to transmitting at least two radar signals;

ascertaining a first average power of a first backscattered radar signal;

ascertaining a second average power of a second backscattered radar signal; and

detecting an existence of precipitation by comparing the ascertained first average power and the ascertained second average power to each other.

13. A computer program product having a computer program stored on a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium, which is executable by a computer, comprising:

a program code arrangement having program code for performing the following;

controlling a transmitting arrangement to transmit at least two radar signals;

ascertaining a first average power of a first backscattered radar signal;

ascertaining a second average power of a second backscattered radar signal; and

detecting an existence of precipitation by comparing the ascertained first average power and the ascertained second average power to each other.