Method for detecting precipitation using a radar locating device for motor vehicles

• US 8,581,774 B2
• Filed: 12/01/2009
• Issued: 11/12/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 01/29/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
• Original Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
• Inventors: Bechler, Dirk, Heilmann, Stefan
• Primary Examiner(s): Keith, Jack W
• Assistant Examiner(s): BYTHROW, PETER M
• Application Number:
  US13/138,164
• Publication Number:
  US 20120013503A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,442 Days
• Field of Search: 342/26.R, 342/26.A, 342/26.B, 342/26.C, 342/26.D, 342 70- 72, 342 89- 93, 342159-164
• US Class Current: 342/26.R
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/931 of land vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/95 for meteorological use
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/41 using analysis of echo signal for target characterisation; Target signature; Target cross-section
• 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 using a radar locating device for motor vehicles, that is designed to locate objects in the surroundings of the vehicle, in which method a locating signal (42), which is an index for the received power density as a function of the distance (R), is integrated over a first distance range (INT1), which is below a limit distance (R_lim) for the detection of precipitation, wherein the locating signal (42) is additionally integrated over a second distance range (INT2), which is above limit distance (R_lim), and for the detection of precipitation, the integrals over the first and second distance range are compared with each other.

Claims

1. A method for detecting precipitation using a radar locating device for motor vehicles, that is designed to locate objects in the surroundings of the vehicle, comprising:

integrating, by a computer processor, a locating signal over a first distance range, which is below a limit distance;

integrating, by the computer processor, the locating signal over a second distance range, which is above the limit distance; and

comparing, by the computer processor, the integrals over the first and second distance ranges with each other for the detection of the precipitation;

wherein the limit distance is a distance from the vehicle beyond which clutter due to the precipitation is not differentiable and non-clutter objects are detectable.

2. The method as recited in claim 1, in which the locating signal is subjected to a filtering prior to the integration, which suppresses peaks caused by located objects, so that the filtered signal forms an index for the noise level as a function of the distance.

3. The method as recited in claim 2, in which the filtered signal is a detection threshold, which makes it possible to decide, with the aid of the criterion that a peak in the locating signal exceeds the detection threshold, whether the peak represents a located object.

4. A radar locating device for motor vehicles, which is designed to locate objects in the area in front of the vehicle, comprising a detection device, in which the method as recited in claim 1 is implemented.

5. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the locating signal is an intermediate frequency signal.

6. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the locating signal is a time signal.

7. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising responsive to a comparison in which a first integral formed over the first distance range is greater than a second integral formed over the second distance range, determining that precipitation is present.