Radar apparatus and computer-readable storage medium

• US 9,411,043 B2
• Filed: 11/26/2013
• Issued: 08/09/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 03/18/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
• Original Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
• Inventors: Ikeya, Tomonori, Kajiki, Junko, Shite, Kazuhiko, Ochi, Mitsuru
• Primary Examiner(s): Bythrow, Peter
• Application Number:
  US14/090,631
• Publication Number:
  US 20140266855A1
• Time in Patent Office: 987 Days
• Field of Search: 342/27, 342 70- 72, 342/115, 342/175, 342/190, 342/195
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/345 using triangular modulation
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/931 of land vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/354 Extracting wanted echo-signals Doppler systems G01S13/50

Abstract

A radar apparatus to detect an object includes a detecting unit configured to detect the object based on a reflected wave received in response to transmitting a transmission wave, in order to output a detection result of the object, a storage unit including a first storage part to store the detection result, and a second storage part to store a copy of information stored in the first storage part based on a copy command, and a selecting unit configured to select one of the first storage part and the second storage part as an access destination, in order to output the detection result stored in one of the first storage part and the second storage part selected as the access destination.

Claims

1. A radar apparatus to detect an object by transmitting a transmission wave, comprising:

a detecting unit configured to detect the object based on a reflected wave of the transmission wave that is reflected from the object, to output a detection result of the object;

a storage unit including a first storage part configured to store the detection result, and a second storage part configured to store a copy of information stored in the first storage part based on a copy command; and

a selecting unit configured to select one of the first storage part and the second storage part as an access destination, to output the detection result stored in one of the first storage part and the second storage part selected as the access destination,

wherein the selecting unit outputs the copy command when a number of detection results stored in the first storage part exceeds a number outputtable at one transfer timing, and selects the second storage part as the access destination when the copy command is output.

2. The radar apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the selecting unit

sets, as output targets, a predetermined number of detection results starting from a first detection result, amongst the detection results stored in the first storage part, when the first storage part is selected as the access destination, and

sets, as the output targets, a predetermined number of detection results starting from a detection result that is not yet selected as the output target, amongst the detection results stored in the second storage part, when the second storage part is selected as the access destination.

3. The radar apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the selecting unit judges whether to output the copy command, depending on the number of detection results output from the detecting unit and stored in the first storage part.

4. A radar apparatus to detect an object, comprising:

a storage unit including a first storage part configured to successively update stored contents thereof based on a detection result that is obtained according to a radar scan, and a second storage part configured to store a copy of information stored in the first storage part based on a copy command; and

an output control unit configured to copy and store a first detection result that is obtained by a first radar scan in the second storage part before stored contents of the first storage part are updated based on a second detection result that is obtained according to a second radar scan next to the first radar scan, and to read and output stored contents from one of the first storage part and the second storage part storing the first detection result during both time periods before and after the update,

wherein the output control unit outputs the copy command when a number of first detection results stored in the first storage part exceeds a number outputtable at one transfer timing, and selects the second storage part as an access destination when the copy command is output.

5. The radar apparatus as claimed in claim 4, wherein the output control unit

sets, as output targets, a predetermined number of first detection results starting from a first detection result at a start, amongst the first detection results stored in the first storage part, when the first storage part is selected as the access destination, and

sets, as the output targets, a predetermined number of second detection results starting from a second detection result that is not yet selected as the output target, amongst the second detection results stored in the second storage part, when the second storage part is selected as the access destination.

6. The radar apparatus as claimed in claim 4, wherein the output control unit judges whether to output the copy command, depending on the number of first detection results that are obtained by the first radar scan and stored in the first storage part.

7. The radar apparatus as claimed in claim 4, wherein the output control unit copies the second detection result from the first storage part to the second storage part immediately after the first detection result is written in the first storage part.

8. The radar apparatus as claimed in claim 4, wherein the output control unit copies the first detection result to the second storage part immediately before the second storage part is next updated.

9. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having stored therein a program which, when executed by a computer of a radar apparatus, causes the computer to perform a process comprising:

detecting an object based on a reflected wave of a transmission wave that is transmitted from an antenna part of the radar apparatus and is reflected from the object, to output a detection result of the object; and

selecting one of a first storage part configured to store the detection result, and a second storage part configured to store a copy of information stored in the first storage part based on a copy command, as an access destination, to output the detection result stored in one of the first storage part and the second storage part selected as the access destination,

wherein the selecting outputs the copy command when a number of detection results stored in the first storage part exceeds a number outputtable at one transfer timing, and selects the second storage part as the access destination when the copy command is output.

10. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium as claimed in claim 9, wherein the selecting includes

setting, as output targets, a predetermined number of detection results starting from a first detection result, amongst the detection results stored in the first storage part, when the first storage part is selected as the access destination, and

setting, as the output targets, a predetermined number of detection results starting from a detection result that is not yet selected as the output target, amongst the detection results stored in the second storage part, when the second storage part is selected as the access destination.

11. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium as claimed in claim 9, wherein the selecting judges whether to output the copy command, depending on the number of detection results output by the detecting and stored in the first storage part.