Method and device for determining a detection range of a traffic route

• US 10,281,563 B2
• Filed: 02/11/2014
• Issued: 05/07/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 02/22/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Smart Microwave Sensors GmbH
• Original Assignee: Smart Microwave Sensors GmbH
• Inventors: Mende, Ralph
• Primary Examiner(s): Bythrow, Peter M
• Assistant Examiner(s): Pervin, Nuzhat
• Application Number:
  US14/769,140
• Publication Number:
  US 20150378009A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,911 Days
• Field of Search: 342165
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/91 for traffic control G01S13/93 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/93 for anti-collision purposes
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/40 Means for monitoring or calibrating
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/04 using optical or ultrasonic detectors
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/065 by counting the vehicles in a section of the road or in a parking area, i.e. comparing incoming count with outgoing count
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/08 according to detected number or speed of vehicles

Abstract

The invention relates to a method for determining a detection range (12) of a traffic route (2) in which traffic participants can be detected by a transmitting and receiving device (4), wherein the transmitting and receiving device (4) is arranged at a device position in a device orientation and is designed to emit a transmitted radiation and to receive reflected transmitted radiation, wherein the method comprises the following steps: a) calculating a spatial detecting range of the transmitting and receiving device (4) at least also from the device position and the device orientation by means of a 3D model, b) determining an aerial detecting range in a measurement plane (10) from the spatial detecting range, and c) determining the detecting range (12) from the areal detecting range.

Claims

1. A method for determining a detection region of a traffic route in which traffic participants can be detected by a transmitting and receiving device,

wherein the transmitting and receiving device

is arranged at an installation position in an installation orientation and

is installed such as to emit a transmitted radiation and to receive reflected transmitted radiation,

wherein the method comprises the following steps:

a) calculation of a spatial detection region of the transmitting and receiving device at least also from a device position and a device orientation by means of a 3D model,

b) determination of an area detection region in a measurement plane from the spatial detection region and

c) determination of the detection region from the area detection region

wherein, a radiation lobe shape and/or parameters of the transmitting and receiving device that determine a shape of the radiation lobe are used as variables in the 3D model.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein at least one transmission lobe and at least one reception lobe of the transmitting and receiving device are taken into account in the 3D model.

3. The method as claimed in claim 2, wherein the spatial detection region comprises all those positions for which an intensity of the radiation exceeds a predetermined limit value which

was emitted by the transmitting and receiving device,

was reflected by a test body, in particular a standard body, located at the respective position, and

was detected by the transmitting and receiving device.

4. The method as claimed in claim 1 wherein the spatial intensity distribution of the transmitted radiation that can be emitted by the transmitting and receiving device is calculated as the spatial detection region, and an area intensity distribution is determined from the spatial intensity distribution as the area detection region.

5. The method as claimed in claim 1 wherein a point in the measurement plane can unambiguously be assigned to each point of the traffic route, and the detection region is that region in which the area intensity distribution determined, or the value of the area detection region, exceeds or reaches a predetermined limit value at the assigned points of the measurement plane.

6. The method as claimed in claim 1 wherein the measurement plane is shifted parallel to the traffic route.

7. The method as claimed in claim 6, wherein a distance between the traffic route and the measurement plane is between 10 cm and 140 cm.

8. The method as claimed in claim 1 wherein the traffic route comprises a junction and/or a traffic light installation.

9. A method for determining a required position and a required orientation of at least one transmitting and receiving device, in which the detection region satisfies at least one predetermined criterion, wherein the method comprises the following steps:

a) determination of the detection region according to a method as claimed in claim 1 for the transmitting and receiving device in a test position and in a test orientation,

b) acceptance of the test position as the required position and the test orientation as the required orientation, provided the detection region determined satisfies the at least one criterion, and changing the test position and/or the test orientation if the detection region determined does not satisfy the at least one criterion,

c) repetition of steps a) and b) until the detection region determined satisfies the at least one predetermined criterion.

10. The method as claimed in claim 9, wherein required positions and the required orientations of a plurality of transmitting and receiving devices are determined.

14. The method as claimed in claim 7 wherein the distance is between 20 cm and 100 cm.

11. An apparatus with an electrical or electronic controller that is designed for determining a detection region of a traffic route in which traffic participants can be detected by a transmitting and receiving device,

wherein the transmitting and receiving device

is arranged at an installation position in an installation orientation and

is installed such as to emit a transmitted radiation and to receive reflected transmitted radiation,

wherein the electronic controller implements the following steps:

a) calculation of a spatial detection region of the transmitting and receiving device at least also from a device position and a device orientation by means of a 3D model,

b) determination of an area detection region in a measurement plane from the spatial detection region and

c) determination of the detection region from the area detection region

wherein the electronic controller utilizes a radiation lobe shape and/or parameters of the transmitting and receiving device that determine the shape of the radiation lobe as variables in the 3D model.

12. The apparatus as claimed in claim 11, wherein the apparatus is a portable or stationary data-processing device.

13. The apparatus as claimed in claim 12 wherein the apparatus is portable and is selected from the group consisting of a laptop, tablet computer or smartphone.