Triple-function vehicle safety sensor system

• US 8,106,755 B1
• Filed: 02/14/2008
• Issued: 01/31/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 02/14/2008
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Epsilon Lambda Electronics Corporation
• Original Assignee: Epsilon Lambda Electronics Corporation
• Inventors: Knox, Robert M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Tweel, Jr., John A
• Application Number:
  US12/069,927
• Time in Patent Office: 1,447 Days
• Field of Search: 340/439, 340/435, 340/436, 340/903, 342/27, 180/271, 701/301
• US Class Current: 340/439
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 9/008 for anti-collision purposes
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 1/00 Optical viewing arrangements; Real-time viewing arrangements for drivers or passengers using optical image capturing systems, e.g. cameras or video systems specially adapted for use in or on vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 1/23 with a predetermined field of view
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2300/105 using multiple cameras
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2300/8046 for replacing a rear-view mirror system
• 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 13/87 Combinations of radar systems, e.g. primary radar and secondary radar
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/931 of land vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2013/9316 combined with communication equipment with other vehicles or with base stations
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2013/93274 on the side of the vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/027 Constructional details of housings, e.g. form, type, material or ruggedness
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/03 Details of HF subsystems specially adapted therefor, e.g. common to transmitter and receiver
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/032 Constructional details for solid-state radar subsystems
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/166 for active traffic, e.g. moving vehicles, pedestrians, bikes
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/3233 particular used as part of a sensor or in a security system, e.g. for automotive radar, navigation systems

Abstract

A vehicle safety sensor system (VSSS) includes driver-side and passenger-side sensor means. The VSSS implements multiple safety functions as forward collision warning (or avoidance) and side/rear object detection. Subsystems of both sensor means are placed in the location normally occupied by side-view mirrors providing the driver an unobstructed view of both sensor means. The VSSS includes: (1) driver-side and passenger-side three-dimensional forward radar sensor; driver-side and passenger-side forward two dimensional video sensor; (2) driver-side and passenger-side side/rear two-dimensional radar sensor; driver-side and passenger-side side/rear two-dimensional video sensor; (3) data processor combining four outputs from the radar sensor and video sensor on driver-side and the passenger-side using data fusion for forward hazardous obstacle detection and validation; data processor also combining two outputs from the radar sensor and video sensor on driver side and passenger side using data fusion for side/rear hazardous obstacle detection and validation on respective sides of the vehicle.

Claims

1. A method of operating a system for providing safety for a driver of a vehicle using a low cost vehicle safety system, said method comprising the steps of:

a. said system detecting and redundantly validating by means of multiple sensors including radar, video and multi-mode signal processing, objects and potential hazards ahead of the vehicle using three-dimensional radar and video imaging and providing a report of such hazards for driver response,

b. said system detecting and redundantly validating, by means of multiple sensors including radar, video, and multi-mode signal processing, objects and potential hazards in lanes of traffic adjacent to said vehicle using two-dimensional radar and video imaging and providing a report of such hazard for driver response, and

said system for providing safety for said driver of said vehicle comprising driver-side sensor means and passenger-side sensor means including,

three-dimensional millimeter radar transmitter/receiver subsystem means having object location capability to a range of at least 150 meters forward of said vehicle,

two-dimensional video subsystem means having object location capability forward of said vehicle to the range of at least 150 meters,

two-dimensional millimeter wave radar transmitter/receiver system means having object location capability to a range of at least 20 meters to the side/rear of said vehicle,

two-dimensional video subsystem means having object location capability to the range of at least 20 meters to the side/rear of said vehicle,

video display screen operatively connected to said driver-side sensor means to present to said driver views of said roadway to the side/rear of the vehicle on driver-side of said vehicle as provided by said driver-side two-dimensional video subsystem, and

video display screen operatively connected to said passenger-side sensor means to present to said driver views of said roadway to the side/rear of said vehicle on passenger-side of said vehicle as provided by said passenger-side two-dimensional video subsystem.

2. Driver-side sensor means and passenger-side sensor means as described in claim 1 and further characterized by each sensor means including,

a transmitter/receiver assembly having a transmitter/oscillator to originate an electromagnetic signal of chosen frequency and connected antenna switching for alternating respectively between a forward antenna array and a side/rear antenna array.

3. Driver sensor means and passenger-side sensor means as described in claim 2 and further characterized by said forward antenna array including,

a transmitter antenna connected to transmitter switching, and

a set of receivers antennas connected by switching to receiver mixers having means for alternatively and sequentially scanning in both horizontally and vertical planes of said forward field-of-view for generation of IF signals containing azimuth and elevation angle information of objects in said field-of view forward of said driver-side and said passenger-side sensor means to detect and locate said objects in the horizontal and the vertical plane.

4. Driver-side sensor means and passenger-side sensor means as described in claim 2 and further characterized by said side/rear antenna array including,

a transmitter antenna connected to transmitter switching, and

a set of antennas connected by switching to said receiver mixers for generation of IF signals containing the azimuth angle information of objects in said side/rear field-of view.

5. Driver-side sensor means and passenger-side sensor means as described in claim 2 and further characterized by said transmitter/receiver assembly including,

independent mixer channels capable of down-converting to an intermediate frequency the radio frequency of the electromagnetic signal transmitted by said transmitter/oscillator through said forward and said side/rear sets of antennas and backscattered from objects in respective antenna field-of-view of said respective antenna sets.

6. Driver-side sensor means and passenger-side sensor means as described in claim 3 and further characterized by said set of forward antennas including,

multiple narrow beam patch array antennas arrayed in a single plane including a forward transmitter patch array antenna that radiates a chosen frequency of transmitter oscillator electromagnetic energy received via said transmitter switching to said forward field-of-view of said vehicle and including forward receiver patch array antennas that then receive backscatter electromagnetic energy from obstacles in said field-of-view of said antennas forward of said vehicle, said receiver antennas being connected to switching connected in pairs to independent receiver mixers to allow determination, by a processor using a monopulse method, of the vertical angle position of objects in said forward field-of-view and horizontal angle position of said objects in said forward field-of-view.

7. Driver-side sensor means and passenger-side sensor means as described in claim 4 and further characterized by said set of narrow beam side/rear antennas including,

multiple narrow beam patch array antennas arrayed in a single plane aligned perpendicular to the axis of motion of the vehicle and including said transmitter antenna having a horizontal beam covering a desired side and rear field-of-view (for example a horizontal angle of 0 degrees) connected by transmitter switching to said transmitter/oscillator and N multiple receiver antennas each having an azimuth angle of 0/N degrees connected by side/rear receiver antenna switching to said receiver antennas, and being squinted from the boresight direction by N successive azimuth angles such that the total of approximately 0 degrees is encompassed by said N receiver antennas.

8. A system for providing safety for a driver of a vehicle as described in claim 1 and further characterized by,

a processor capable of modulating a transmitter/oscillator, determining location information with respect to the range of multiple objects in a forward field-of-view, determining location information with respect to the elevation angle of multiple objects in said forward field-of-view using a monopulse phase comparison of two receiver channels, determining location information with respect to the azimuth angle of said multiple objects in said forward field-of-view using said monopulse phase comparison of said receiver channels, determining location determination with respect to the amplitude of return backscatter from each said object in said forward field-of-view, determining information with respect to the relative velocity of each said object in said forward field-of-view by the Doppler frequency shift of said return backscatter, determining from said information on each said object whether said object in said forward field-of-view is one of interest for subsequent reporting as a driver warning, determining location information with respect to the range of multiple objects in the side/rear field-of-view, determining location information with respect to the azimuth angle of said objects in said side/rear field-of-view, determining location information with respect to the amplitude of backscatter from each said object in said side/rear field-of-view, determining information with respect to the relative velocity of each said object in said side/rear field-of-view by Doppler frequency shift of said return backscatter, and determining from said information on each said object whether said object in said side/rear field-of-view is one of interest for subsequent reporting as a driver warning.