Radar sensor platform

• US 7,095,361 B2
• Filed: 03/16/2002
• Issued: 08/22/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 03/20/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
• Original Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
• Inventors: Moritz, Rainer, Mattes, Bernhard
• Primary Examiner(s): Gregory, Bernarr E.
• Application Number:
  US10/296,074
• Publication Number:
  US 20030160717A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,620 Days
• Field of Search: 701/300, 701/301, 180167-169, 342/23, 342/24, 342/27, 342/28, 342/59, 342/70, 342/71, 342/72, 342/118, 342128-133, 342/175, 342/195, 342 73- 81, 342165-174
• US Class Current: 342/70
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 2201/10 Automatic or semi-automatic parking aid systems
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/87 Combinations of radar systems, e.g. primary radar and secondary radar
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/931 of land vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2013/9314 Parking operations
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2013/9315 Monitoring blind spots
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2013/9317 Driving backwards
• 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 2013/93275 in the bumper area
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2015/936 for measuring parking spaces extending transverse or diagonal to the driving direction, i.e. not parallel to the driving direction

Abstract

A radar sensor platform for clearance measurement in a vehicle has at least four radar sensors, an input being entered if necessary using an input device indicating that a width measurement of a parking space is desired and the four radar sensors then enlarging their horizontal beam angle and the arrangement for acoustic and/or visual output emitting a signal as a function of the measurement of the parking space width. This signal is, for example, the parking space width or a warning. The horizontal beam angle for the parking space measurement is at least 170°. The side clearances of the vehicle in the parking space may also be displayed. Furthermore, centered parking is possible using the acoustic and visual aids. The radar sensor platform may be installed either in the front and/or rear of the vehicle.

Claims

1. A radar sensor platform in a vehicle to perform a measurement of a parking space width, the radar sensor platform being connected to a processor that controls the outputting at least one of an acoustic warning and a visual warning, the radar sensor platform comprising:

at least four radar sensors configured on one side of the vehicle; and

an input device to activate the measurement of the parking space width;

wherein in the event of the activation of the measurement of the parking space width, the at least four radar sensors are electronically adjusted to increase a horizontal beam angle as compared to another horizontal beam angle of the at least four radar sensors when used as precrash sensors, and the outputting of the at least one of the acoustic warning and the visual warning is a function of the measurement of the parking space width.

2. The radar sensor platform according to claim 1, wherein the horizontal beam angle is at least 170°

.

3. The radar sensor platform according to claim 1, wherein a vehicle-specific threshold value for the parking space width is stored in a memory which is connected to the processor, and the arrangement for outputting the at least one of the acoustic warning and the visual warning emits the signal as a function of a comparison of the threshold value with the measured parking space width.

4. The radar sensor platform according to claim 1, wherein the arrangement for outputting the at least one of the acoustic warning and the visual warning includes a display configured to display the measured parking space width as the signal.

5. The radar sensor platform according to claim 4, wherein side clearances of the vehicle in a parking space are displayed.

6. The radar sensor platform according to claim 1, wherein the processor controls the arrangement for outputting the at least one of the acoustic warning and the visual warning to allow centered parking.

7. The radar sensor platform according to claim 1, wherein the radar sensor platform is installed in at least one of a front and a rear of the vehicle.

8. A system to perform a measurement of a parking space width for a vehicle, comprising:

an input arrangement to activate the measurement; and

at least four radar sensors arranged on one side of the vehicle, wherein in the event of the activation of the measurement of the parking space width, the at least four radar sensors are electronically adjusted to increase a horizontal beam angle as compared to another horizontal beam angle of the at least four radar sensors when used as precrash sensors, and the outputting of the at least one of the acoustic warning and the visual warning is a function of the measurement of the parking space width.

9. The system according to claim 8, wherein the system is connected to a processor to output at least one of an acoustic warning and a visual warning as a function of the measurement of the parking space width when the measurement is activated.