Control apparatus, radar detection system, and radar detection method

• US 8,593,336 B2
• Filed: 11/14/2011
• Issued: 11/26/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 12/17/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
• Original Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
• Inventors: Kajiki, Junko
• Primary Examiner(s): Keith, Jack W
• Assistant Examiner(s): BYTHROW, PETER M
• Application Number:
  US13/295,879
• Publication Number:
  US 20120154200A1
• Time in Patent Office: 743 Days
• Field of Search: 342 70- 72, 342165-174
• US Class Current: 342/173
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/91 for traffic control G01S13/93 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/4017 of HF systems
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/04 using optical or ultrasonic detectors

Abstract

In a control apparatus, an acquisition unit acquires the coordinates of a detection starting position and detection ending position detected by a radar, for each of a plurality of moving vehicles moving along a road. A calculation unit calculates an average value of the coordinates of the detection starting positions and an average value of the coordinates of the detection ending positions, and stores information of radar detection including the calculated average values in a radar detection storage unit. A comparison unit compares the average values of the coordinates of the detection starting positions and detection ending positions with respective determined reference values. An abnormality determination unit determines based on the comparison results whether or not an abnormality has occurred in the radar, and outputs, if determining that an abnormality has occurred, information indicative of the occurrence of the abnormality.

Claims

1. A control apparatus comprising:

a radar detection storage unit which stores information of radar detection;

an acquisition unit which acquires coordinates of a detection starting position and coordinates of a detection ending position detected by a radar, for each of a plurality of moving vehicles moving in a moving direction on a road, the radar provided so as to have a detection area in the moving direction on the road;

a calculation unit which calculates an average value of the coordinates of the detection starting positions acquired by the acquisition unit and an average value of the coordinates of the detection ending positions acquired by the acquisition unit and which stores the information of radar detection including the calculated average values in the radar detection storage unit;

a comparison unit which compares the average value of the coordinates of the detection starting positions indicated by the information of radar detection stored in the radar detection storage unit with a determined reference value for the detection starting positions and which compares the average value of the coordinates of the detection ending positions indicated by the information of radar detection stored in the radar detection storage unit with a determined reference value for the detection ending positions; and

an abnormality determination unit which determines on the basis of results of the comparisons by the comparison unit whether or not an abnormality has occurred in the radar.

2. The control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein each time a determined number of moving vehicles are detected, the calculation unit calculates the average value of the coordinates of the detection starting positions acquired by the acquisition unit and the average value of the coordinates of the detection ending positions acquired by the acquisition unit, and stores the information of radar detection including the calculated average values in the radar detection storage unit.

3. The control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein each time a determined period of time elapses, the calculation unit calculates the average value of the coordinates of the detection starting positions acquired by the acquisition unit and the average value of the coordinates of the detection ending positions acquired by the acquisition unit, and stores the information of radar detection including the calculated average values in the radar detection storage unit.

4. The control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:

the acquisition unit acquires, for each of the plurality of moving vehicles moving in the moving direction on the road, the coordinates of the detection starting position and the coordinates of the detection ending position detected by the radar and receiving power of radio waves reflected from said each of the plurality of moving vehicles;

the calculation unit calculates the average value of the coordinates of the detection starting positions acquired by the acquisition unit, the average value of the coordinates of the detection ending positions acquired by the acquisition unit, and an average value of the receiving power acquired by the acquisition unit, and stores the information of radar detection including the calculated average values in the radar detection storage unit; and

the comparison unit compares the average value of the coordinates of the detection starting positions indicated by the information of radar detection stored in the radar detection storage unit with the determined reference value for the detection starting positions, compares the average value of the coordinates of the detection ending positions indicated by the information of radar detection stored in the radar detection storage unit with the determined reference value for the detection ending positions, and compares the average value of the receiving power indicated by the information of radar detection stored in the radar detection storage unit with a determined reference value for the receiving power.

5. The control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the comparison unit calculates an average range of vehicle detection distance which is an absolute value of a difference between the average value of the coordinates of the detection starting positions and the average value of the coordinates of the detection ending positions indicated by the information of radar detection stored in the radar detection storage unit, compares the average value of the coordinates of the detection starting positions indicated by the information of radar detection stored in the radar detection storage unit with the determined reference value for the detection starting positions, compares the average value of the coordinates of the detection ending positions indicated by the information of radar detection stored in the radar detection storage unit with the determined reference value for the detection ending positions, and compares the calculated average range of vehicle detection distance with a determined reference value for the average range of vehicle detection distance.

6. The control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:

the determined reference value for the detection starting positions is based on a detection starting position set at the time of mounting the radar; and

the determined reference value for the detection ending positions is based on a detection ending position set at the time of mounting the radar.

7. The control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:

the determined reference value for the detection starting positions is based on an average value of detection starting positions calculated in the past by the calculation unit; and

the determined reference value for the detection ending positions is based on an average value of detection ending positions calculated in the past by the calculation unit.

8. The control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the abnormality determination unit:

determines on the basis of the results of the comparisons by the comparison unit whether or not a variation of angle of the radar has occurred; and

outputs, in the case of determining that a variation of angle of the radar has occurred, information which indicates that the variation of angle of the radar has occurred.

9. The control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the abnormality determination unit:

determines on the basis of the results of the comparisons by the comparison unit whether or not there is dirt on a radome of the radar; and

outputs, in the case of determining that there is dirt on the radome of the radar, information which indicates that there is dirt on the radome of the radar.

10. A radar detection system comprising:

a radar which has a detection area in a moving direction on a road;

a control apparatus including;

a radar detection storage unit which stores information of radar detection;

an acquisition unit which acquires coordinates of a detection starting position and coordinates of a detection ending position detected by the radar, for each of a plurality of moving vehicles moving in the moving direction of the road;

a calculation unit which calculates an average value of the coordinates of the detection starting positions acquired by the acquisition unit and an average value of the coordinates of the detection ending positions acquired by the acquisition unit and which stores the information of radar detection including the calculated average values in the radar detection storage unit;

a comparison unit which compares the average value of the coordinates of the detection starting positions indicated by the information of radar detection stored in the radar detection storage unit with a determined reference value for the detection starting positions and which compares the average value of the coordinates of the detection ending positions indicated by the information of radar detection stored in the radar detection storage unit with a determined reference value for the detection ending positions; and

an abnormality determination unit which determines on the basis of results of the comparisons by the comparison unit whether or not an abnormality has occurred in the radar and which outputs, in the case of determining that an abnormality has occurred in the radar, information indicative of occurrence of the abnormality, and

a monitoring apparatus which stores, at the time of receiving the information indicative of the occurrence of the abnormality from the abnormality determination unit, information indicative of the abnormality in the radar.

11. A radar detection method which causes a computer to perform:

acquiring coordinates of a detection starting position and coordinates of a detection ending position detected by a radar, for each of a plurality of moving vehicles moving in a moving direction on a road, the radar provided so as to have a detection area in the moving direction on the road;

calculating an average value of the coordinates of the detection starting positions acquired and an average value of the coordinates of the detection ending positions acquired and storing the calculated average values;

comparing the stored average value of the coordinates of the detection starting positions with a determined reference value for the detection starting positions and comparing the stored average value of the coordinates of the detection ending positions with a determined reference value for the detection ending positions; and

determining on the basis of results of the comparisons whether or not an abnormality has occurred in the radar.