Method for detecting a wheel of a vehicle

• US 9,117,369 B2
• Filed: 06/27/2013
• Issued: 08/25/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 07/06/2012
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Kapsch TrafficCom AG (Datax Handelsgmbh)
• Original Assignee: Kapsch TrafficCom AG (Datax Handelsgmbh)
• Inventors: Nagy, Oliver
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Phung
• Application Number:
  US13/929,446
• Publication Number:
  US 20140009310A1
• Time in Patent Office: 789 Days
• Field of Search: 340/935, 340/933, 340/937, 340/928, 342/99, 342/153, 342/405, 342/418
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/50 Systems of measurement based on relative movement of target
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/82 wherein continuous-type signals are transmitted
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/86 Combinations of radar systems with non-radar systems, e.g. sonar, direction finder
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/867 Combination of radar systems with cameras
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/872 Combinations of primary radar and secondary radar
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/91 for traffic control G01S13/93 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/415 Identification of targets based on measurements of movement associated with the target
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/056 with provision for distinguishing direction of travel

Abstract

A rotating wheel of a vehicle is detected by evaluating the Doppler shift of a measuring beam, which is emitted by a detector unit passed by the vehicle, and is reflected by the wheel and returned in Doppler-shifted form. In a relative position to the wheel, the vehicle comprises an onboard unit, which can establish radio communication with a transceiver having a known location in the detector unit. The direction and distance of the onboard unit from the transceiver are measured on the basis of at least one radio communication between the same. The radiation direction or radiation position of the measuring beam is controlled in accordance with the measured direction and distance and taking into consideration the aforementioned relative position and location.

Claims

1. A method for detecting a rotating wheel of a vehicle by evaluating the Doppler shift of a measuring beam, which is emitted by a detector unit passed by the vehicle, reflected by the wheel and returned in Doppler-shifted form, wherein, in a relative position to the wheel, the vehicle comprises an onboard unit, which can establish a radio communication with a transceiver having a known location in the detector unit, the method comprising:

measuring the direction and distance of the onboard unit from the transceiver on the basis of at least one radio communication between the onboard unit and the transceiver; and

controlling the radiation direction or radiation position of the measuring beam in accordance with the measured direction and distance and taking into consideration the aforementioned relative position and location;

wherein the relative position is measured by a stationary or mobile control device and stored in the onboard unit by way of a radio communication, and the relative position that is stored in the onboard unit is read out by way of a radio communication for the aforementioned consideration.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the measurement of the relative position is carried out by creating a scan image of the vehicle using a scanner of the control device, by radio triangulation of the onboard unit with a transceiver of the control device, and by referencing the radio triangulation with the scan image.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein the radio triangulation takes place by way of phase measurements in an antenna array of the transceiver of the control device.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the measurement of the relative position is carried out by creating a frontal image of the vehicle using a camera and by optical recognition of the position of the onboard unit in the frontal image.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the direction and distance of the onboard unit from the transceiver are measured by radio triangulation over the course of the radio communication between the unit and the transceiver.

6. The method according to claim 5, wherein the radio triangulation takes place by way of phase measurements in an antenna array of the transceiver of the detector unit.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein the measuring beam is a radar beam, and the radiation direction thereof is controlled by phase control of an antenna array of the detector unit.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein the measuring beam is a radar beam, and the radiation position thereof is controlled by switching between a plurality of antennas of the detector unit.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein a wheel is detected when a progression over time of the Doppler shift indicates a jump, an increase, a drop or a spread spectrum above a respective threshold value.

10. The method according to claim 1, wherein the detector unit is configured as a control vehicle.

11. A method for detecting a rotating wheel of a vehicle by evaluating the Doppler shift of a measuring beam, which is emitted by a detector unit passed by the vehicle, reflected by the wheel and returned in Doppler-shifted form, wherein, in a relative position to the wheel, the vehicle comprises an onboard unit, which can establish a radio communication with a transceiver having a known location in the detector unit, the method comprising:

measuring the direction and distance of the onboard unit from the transceiver on the basis of at least one radio communication between the onboard unit and the transceiver; and

controlling the radiation direction or radiation position of the measuring beam in accordance with the measured direction and distance and taking into consideration the aforementioned relative position and location,

wherein the relative position is measured by a stationary or mobile control device and stored in a database, and the relative position that is stored in the database is looked up for the aforementioned consideration.

12. The method according to claim 11, wherein the measurement of the relative position is carried out by creating a scan image of the vehicle using a scanner of the control device, by radio triangulation of the onboard unit with a transceiver of the control device, and by referencing the radio triangulation with the scan image.

13. The method according to claim 12, wherein the radio triangulation takes place by way of phase measurements in an antenna array of the transceiver of the control device.

14. The method according to claim 11, wherein the measurement of the relative position is carried out by creating a frontal image of the vehicle using a camera and by optical recognition of the position of the onboard unit in the frontal image.

15. The method according to claim 11, wherein the direction and distance of the onboard unit from the transceiver are measured by radio triangulation over the course of the radio communication between the unit and the transceiver, and the radio triangulation takes place by way of phase measurements in an antenna array of the transceiver of the detector unit.

16. The method according to claim 11, wherein the measuring beam is a radar beam, and the radiation direction thereof is controlled by phase control of an antenna array of the detector unit.

17. The method according to claim 11, wherein the measuring beam is a radar beam, and the radiation position thereof is controlled by switching between a plurality of antennas of the detector unit.

18. The method according to claim 11, wherein a wheel is detected when a progression over time of the Doppler shift indicates a jump, an increase, a drop or a spread spectrum above a respective threshold value.

19. The method according to claim 11, wherein the radio communication takes place according to the CEN-DSRC standard or the ITS-WAVE standard.

20. A detector unit configured to detect a rotating wheel of a vehicle by evaluating a Doppler shift of a measuring beam emitted by the detector unit, reflected by the wheel, and returned in Doppler-shifted form, the detector unit comprising:

a transceiver configured to conduct at least one radio communication with an onboard unit of the vehicle in a relative position to the wheel to measure the direction and distance of the onboard unit from the transceiver, the transceiver having a known location in the detector unit; and

the detector unit is configured to control the radiation direction or radiation position of the measuring beam in accordance with the measured direction and distance and taking into consideration the relative position and location; and

wherein the relative position is measured by a stationary or mobile control device, and for the aforementioned consideration, the relative position is read by the detector unit from the onboard unit by way of a radio communication or is looked up in a database.