Method and apparatus for analysis of a vehicle environment, and vehicle equipped with such a device

• US 10,823,844 B2
• Filed: 04/12/2018
• Issued: 11/03/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 04/12/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Inventors: Arndt, Christoph, Gussen, Uwe, Stefan, Frederic
• Primary Examiner(s): Bythrow, Peter M
• Application Number:
  US15/951,410
• Publication Number:
  US 20180299545A1
• Time in Patent Office: 936 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/4454 phase comparisons monopulse, i.e. comparing the echo signals received by an interferometric antenna arrangement
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/867 Combination of radar systems with cameras
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/878 Combination of several spaced transmitters or receivers of known location for determining the position of a transponder or a reflector G01S13/874 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/9023 combined with interferometric techniques
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/931 of land vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2013/93271 in the front of the vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2013/93272 in the back of the vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2013/93274 on the side of the vehicles

Abstract

A method to analyze of a vehicle'"'"'s surroundings is specified. The method includes: arranging a first sensor group with at least two radar sensors on a vehicle, emitting radar waves using the radar sensors into the vehicle environment, reflecting the emitted radar waves at objects in the vehicle'"'"'s environment, receiving the reflected radar waves using the radar sensors, identifying information about the vehicle'"'"'s environment from the received radar waves and outputting the radar information. In order to improve the analysis of the carriageway environment, the radar sensors are arranged on the vehicle such that the emitted and received radar waves interfere. Radar information is obtained by taking account of the resulting interference data. In addition, a vehicle apparatus to analyze a vehicle'"'"'s surroundings.

Claims

1. A method to analyze a vehicle environment, comprising:

arranging a first sensor group, having at least two radar sensors, on a vehicle such that emitted and received radar waves interfere;

emitting radar waves to a vehicle environment via the radar sensors;

receiving reflected radar waves via the radar sensors to generate interference data indicative of the vehicle environment;

detecting an object via the reflected radar waves and via one or more camera sensors;

outputting radar information, determined by the interference data, about the vehicle environment from received radar waves;

outputting a longitudinal position of the object relative to the vehicle based on the reflected radar waves; and

outputting a transverse position of the object relative to the vehicle based on data from the one or more camera sensors.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the emitted radar waves are reflected from a carriageway and provide radar information indicative of the carriageway.

3. The method as claimed in claim 1 further comprising merging additional radar information from at least one additional sensor group having at least two radar sensors with the radar information from the first sensor group.

4. The method as claimed in claim 3 further comprising comparing merged sets of radar information from the additional radar information and the radar information with each other for verification such that only verified information is output.

5. The method as claimed in claim 1 further comprising generating, with an external processing and storage unit, a map indicative of a carriageway condition from the radar information.

6. A vehicle apparatus to analyze an environment, comprising:

a first sensor array having two radar sensors to emit and receive radar waves arranged such that the waves generate an interference pattern as radar information;

a second sensor array having two camera sensors arranged to generate camera information;

a processing unit configured to store environment information including the radar and camera information; and

an output unit designed to output the environment information, a longitudinal position of a detected object relative to the vehicle based on the radar information, and a transverse position of the detected object relative to the vehicle based the camera information.

7. The vehicle apparatus as claimed in claim 6, wherein the processing unit is configured to control a vehicle driving system based on the environment information.

8. The vehicle apparatus as claimed in claim 6, wherein the processing unit is configured to merge the radar information and the camera information to generate the environment information.

9. The vehicle apparatus as claimed in claim 6 further comprising a third sensor array having two radar sensors that generate additional radar information, wherein the processing unit is configured to merge the radar information and the additional radar information as merged information.

10. The vehicle apparatus as claimed in claim 9, wherein the processing unit is configured to compare the merged information with the environment information for verification such that only verified information is output.

11. The vehicle apparatus as claimed in claim 6 further comprising a data transmission device configured to transmit the environment information to an external processing unit that generates a map indicative of a carriageway condition.

12. A vehicle comprising:

a processing unit configured to,

in response to radar information derived from an interference pattern of emitted and received radar waves from two radar sensors of a first sensor array being stored as environment information, output the environment information to a display; and

in response to the radar information and camera information derived from at least two camera sensors, output a longitudinal position of a detected object relative to the vehicle based on the radar information and a transverse position of the detected object relative to the vehicle based the camera information to the display.

13. The vehicle as claimed in claim 12, wherein the processing unit is configured to merge the radar information and the camera information to generate the environment information.

14. The vehicle as claimed in claim 12 further comprising a second sensor array having two radar sensors that generate additional radar information, wherein the processing unit is configured to merge the radar information and the additional radar information as merged information.

15. The vehicle as claimed in claim 14, wherein the processing unit is configured to compare the merged information with the environment information for verification such that verified information is output.

16. The vehicle as claimed in claim 15 further comprising a data transmission device configured to transmit the verified information to an external processing unit that generates a map indicative of a carriageway condition.

17. The vehicle as claimed in claim 16, wherein the processing unit is configured to control over vehicle system based on the map.