Velocity determination apparatus

• US 8,560,180 B2
• Filed: 09/07/2009
• Issued: 10/15/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 09/09/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: TRUMPF Photonic Components GmbH (TRUMPF SE + Co. KG)
• Original Assignee: Koninklijke Philips N.V.
• Inventors: Moench, Holger, Carpaij, Mark, Van Der Lee, Alexander
• Primary Examiner(s): Tarcza, Thomas
• Assistant Examiner(s): Dunn, Alex C
• Application Number:
  US13/061,787
• Publication Number:
  US 20110160967A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,499 Days
• Field of Search: 701/45
• US Class Current: 701/45
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 7/22 initiated by contact of vehicle, e.g. bumper, with an external object, e.g. another vehicle , or by means of contactless obstacle detectors mounted on the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: G01P 3/366 by using diffraction of light for measuring speed of fluids G01P5/26
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 17/58 Velocity or trajectory determination systems; Sense-of-movement determination systems
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 17/931 of land vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/4916 using self-mixing in the laser cavity

Abstract

The invention relates to a velocity determination apparatus for determining a relative velocity between a first object (12), to which the velocity determination apparatus is attachable, and a second object (1). The velocity determination apparatus comprises a laser (3) having a laser cavity (4) for emitting first radiation (5), which is reflected by the second object (1), wherein the reflected radiation interferes with the first radiation (5) within the laser cavity (4). An interference signal detector (7) detects an interference signal depending on the interference within the laser cavity (4) and a velocity determination unit (8) determines the relative velocity based on the interference signal. A reliability value determination unit (9) determines a reliability value for indicating the reliability of the determined relative velocity based on at least one of the group consisting of the detected interference signal, the determined relative velocity and a characteristic of the laser.

Claims

1. A velocity determination apparatus for determining a relative velocity between a first object, to which the velocity determination apparatus is attachable, and a second object, wherein the velocity determination apparatus comprises:

a laser having a laser cavity for emitting first radiation for being reflected by the second object for generating reflected radiation being second radiation, wherein the first radiation and at least a part of the second radiation interfere within the laser cavity,

an interference signal detector for detecting an interference signal, which depends on the interference within the laser cavity,

a velocity determination unit for determining the relative velocity based on the interference signal,

a reliability value determination unit for determining a reliability value for indicating the reliability of the determined relative velocity, wherein the reliability value determination unit is adapted to determine the reliability value based at least in part on the detected interference signal,

wherein the first object is a vehicle and wherein the velocity determination apparatus further comprises a vehicle safety system for controlling a safety unit of the vehicle depending on the determined relative velocity and the determined reliability value.

2. The velocity determination apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the reliability value determination unit is adapted to determine the reliability value based on the signal-to-noise ratio of the interference signal.

3. The velocity determination apparatus as claimed in claim 2, wherein the velocity determination apparatus is adapted to apply a Fourier transformation on the interference signal and wherein the reliability value determination unit is adapted to determine the signal-to-noise ratio by determining the height of the peak of the fundamental frequency of the Fourier transformed interference signal, by determining the noise level of the Fourier transformed interference signal and by dividing the determined height by the determined noise level.

4. The velocity determination apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the velocity apparatus is adapted to apply a Fourier transformation on the interference signal and wherein the reliability value determination unit is adapted to determine the width of the peak of the fundamental frequency of the Fourier transformed interference signal and to determine the reliability value based on the determined width.

5. The velocity determination apparatus for determining a velocity of an object as claimed in claim 1, wherein the velocity apparatus is adapted to apply a Fourier transformation on the interference signal and wherein the reliability value determination unit is adapted to determine characteristics of multiple peaks of the Fourier transformed interference signal and to determine the reliability value based on the determined characteristics of multiple peaks of the Fourier transformed interference signal.

6. The velocity determination apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the reliability value determination unit is further adapted to determine the reliability value based at least in part on one or more characteristics of the laser.

7. The velocity determination apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the velocity determination apparatus comprises a storing unit for storing velocities of at least two velocity determinations, wherein the reliability value determination unit is adapted to determine the reliability value based on the velocities stored in the storing unit.

9. A vehicle comprising the velocity determination apparatus as claimed in claim 1 for determining a relative velocity between a first object being the vehicle, to which the velocity determination apparatus is attached, and a second object.

10. A velocity determination method for determining a relative velocity between a vehicle, to which a velocity determination apparatus as claimed in claim 1 is attached, and a second object, wherein the velocity determination method comprises following steps:

emitting first radiation for being reflected by the second object for generating reflected radiation being second radiation by a laser having a laser cavity, wherein the first radiation and at least a part of the second radiation interfere within the laser cavity,

detecting an interference signal, which depends on the interference within the laser cavity,

determining the relative velocity based on the interference signal,

determining a reliability value for indicating the reliability of the determined relative velocity, wherein the reliability value is determined based at least in part on the detected interference signal, and

controlling a safety unit of the vehicle depending on the determined relative velocity and the determined reliability value.

8. A velocity determination apparatus for determining a relative velocity between a first object, to which the velocity determination apparatus is attachable, and a second object, wherein the velocity determination apparatus comprises:

a laser having a laser cavity for emitting first radiation for being reflected by the second object for generating reflected radiation being second radiation, wherein the first radiation and at least a part of the second radiation interfere within the laser cavity,

an interference signal detector for detecting an interference signal, which depends on the interference within the laser cavity,

a velocity determination unit for determining the relative velocity based on the interference signal,

a reliability value determination unit for determining a reliability value for indicating the reliability of the determined relative velocity, wherein the reliability value determination unit is adapted to determine the reliability value based on at least one of the group consisting of the detected interference signal, the determined relative velocity and a characteristic of the laser, wherein the first object is a vehicle and wherein the velocity determination apparatus further comprises a vehicle safety system for controlling a safety unit of the vehicle depending on the determined relative velocity and the determined reliability value,

a further laser having a further laser cavity for emitting further first radiation for being reflected by the second object for generating further reflected radiation being further second radiation and wherein the further first radiation and at least a part of the further second radiation interfere within the further laser cavity,

a further interference signal detector for detecting a further interference signal, which depends on the interference within the further laser cavity,

wherein the velocity determination unit is adapted to determine a further relative velocity based on the further interference signal,

wherein the reliability value determination unit is adapted to compare the relative velocity and the further relative velocity yielding a comparison result and to determine the reliability value based on the comparison result.