Vehicle Environment Scanning by a Phase-Controlled Laser

• US 20160146941A1
• Filed: 11/23/2015
• Published: 05/26/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 11/24/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Conti Temic Microelectronic GmbH (Continental AG)
• Original Assignee: Conti Temic Microelectronic GmbH (Continental AG)
• Inventors: Hassenpflug, Christoph, Hegemann, Stefan
• Granted Patent: US 10,215,860 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/865 Combination of radar systems with lidar systems
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/867 Combination of radar systems with cameras
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/931 of land vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 17/42 Simultaneous measurement of distance and other co-ordinates indirect measurement G01S17/46
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 17/86 Combinations of lidar systems with systems other than lidar, radar or sonar, e.g. with direction finders
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 17/931 of land vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2007/4977 including means to prevent or remove the obstruction
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/4815 using multiple transmitters
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/4817 relating to scanning

Abstract

A driver assistance system (106) of a vehicle (100) includes a laser scanner (101) with a phase-controlled laser (102), a sensor unit (104) and an evaluation unit (103). The phase-controlled laser is configured to produce a controllable laser beam by beam forming and to direct the laser beam into an environment outside of the vehicle. The sensor unit (104) is configured to detect a retroreflection caused by the laser beam. The evaluation unit (103) produces driver assistance data by evaluating the detected retroreflection.

Claims

1. A driver assistance system (106) for a vehicle (100), comprising:

a laser scanner (101) comprising a phase-controlled laser (102), a sensor unit (104) and an evaluation unit (103);

wherein the phase-controlled laser (102) is configured to produce a controllable and directed laser beam by beam forming;

wherein the sensor unit (104) is configured to detect a retroreflection caused by the laser beam; and

wherein the evaluation unit (103) is configured to produce driver assistance data for the driver assistance system by evaluating the detected retroreflection.

2. The driver assistance system (106) according to claim 1,

wherein the laser scanner is configured to scan a vehicle environment (100) with the produced laser beam.

3. The driver assistance system (106) according to claim 2,

wherein the laser scanner (101) is configured to scan the vehicle environment at a scanning speed, a scanning resolution, a scanning range and/or a scanning angle range;

wherein the scanning speed, the scanning resolution, the scanning range and/or the scanning angle range are dependent on a vehicle speed of the vehicle.

4. The driver assistance system (106) according to claim 3,

wherein the scanning resolution in a close range of the vehicle environment is lower than in a far range of the vehicle environment.

5. The driver assistance system (106) according to claim 2,

wherein a scanned region of the vehicle environment is dependent on the vehicle speed such that the scanned region is larger at a smaller vehicle speed than at a higher vehicle speed.

6. The driver assistance system (106) according to claim 2,

wherein the laser scanner (101) is configured to scan the vehicle environment with horizontal scanning motions (701), vertical scanning motions (703), sinusoidal scanning motions, meandering scanning motions (802) and/or randomly distributed scan points (706).

7. The driver assistance system (106) according to claim 1, further comprising:

a camera (302, 312, 402, 403, 413, 414) with a camera resolution configured and arranged to record images of a vehicle environment outside of the vehicle;

wherein the laser scanner (301, 311, 401, 411) is configured to scan the vehicle environment recorded by the camera with a scanning resolution that corresponds to the camera resolution.

8. The driver assistance system (106) according to claim 1, further comprising:

a radar sensor (313, 412) and/or a camera (302, 312, 402, 403, 413, 414);

wherein the laser scanner and the radar sensor, or the laser scanner and the camera, are integrated in a sensor unit;

and

wherein the evaluation unit (103) of the laser scanner is configured to process data detected by the radar sensor or the camera to produce the driver assistance data.

9. A vehicle (100) comprising a driver assistance system (106) according to claim 1 installed in a motor vehicle.

10. A method of using a phase-controlled laser for a driver assistance system of a motor vehicle, comprising:

with the phase-controlled laser (102), producing a controllable laser beam by beam forming and directing the laser beam into a vehicle environment outside the vehicle;

with a sensor unit (104), detecting a retroreflection caused by the laser beam reflecting from an object in the vehicle environment; and

with an evaluation unit (103), producing driver assistance data for the driver assistance system by evaluating the detected retroreflection.