Systems and methods for adaptive sensor angle positioning in vehicles

• US 9,835,719 B2
• Filed: 04/18/2016
• Issued: 12/05/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 04/18/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Denso International America Incorporated (DENSO Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Denso International America Incorporated (DENSO Corporation)
• Inventors: Nguyen, Trong Duy
• Primary Examiner(s): Beaulieu, Yonel
• Assistant Examiner(s): Mahne, Kevin P
• Application Number:
  US15/131,540
• Publication Number:
  US 20170299707A1
• Time in Patent Office: 596 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 2300/322 Road curvature
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 2201/022 Collision avoidance systems
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 2210/32 Vehicle surroundings
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 2250/06 Sensor zero-point adjustment; Offset compensation
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 7/12 for automatic initiation; for initiation not subject to will of driver or passenger limiting speed of vehicles other than rail vehicles B60K31/00
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 7/18 operated by wayside apparatus
• 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: B60T 8/171 Detecting parameters used in the regulation; Measuring values used in the regulation
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/095 Predicting travel path or likelihood of collision
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 40/105 Speed
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 6/00 Arrangements for automatically controlling steering depending on driving conditions sensed and responded to, e.g. control circuits means for initiating a change in direction B62D1/00; steering valves B62D5/06; combined with means for inclining the vehicle body or wheels on bends B62D9/00
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/02 Systems using reflection of radio waves, e.g. primary radar systems; Analogous systems
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/862 Combination of radar systems with sonar systems
• 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 13/89 for mapping or imaging
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/931 of land vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 15/02 using reflection of acoustic waves G01S15/66 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 15/89 for mapping or imaging
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 15/931 of land vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 17/02 : Systems using the reflection of electromagnetic waves other than radio waves G01S17/66 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 17/89 : for mapping or imaging
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 17/931 : of land vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/13 : Receivers
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2013/932 : using own vehicle data, e.g. ground speed, steering wheel direction
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2013/93273 : on the top of the vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/4026 : Antenna boresight
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/403 : in azimuth, i.e. in the horizontal plane
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/4091 : during normal radar operation
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/4972 : Alignment of sensor
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/52004 : Means for monitoring or calibrating short-range imaging G01S7/5205

Abstract

A system and method are provided and include a subject vehicle having a sensor that senses information about an environment of the subject vehicle. An actuator rotates the sensor according to a commanded angle. A controller determines a position and a trajectory path of the subject vehicle, determines an adaptive point along the determined trajectory path based on the position, and generates the commanded angle for the actuator to rotate the sensor towards the adaptive point.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

a sensor that senses information about an environment of a subject vehicle;

an actuator that rotates the sensor according to a commanded angle;

a controller that determines a position and a trajectory path of the subject vehicle, that determines an adaptive point along the determined trajectory path based on the position, and that generates the commanded angle for the actuator to rotate the sensor towards the adaptive point;

wherein

the position determined by the controller includes coordinates of a location of the subject vehicle and a direction of the subject vehicle, and wherein the controller stores a preset distance, determines a preset point located the preset distance from the subject vehicle in the direction of the subject vehicle, and determines the adaptive point as a closest point to the preset point along the determined trajectory path.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the sensor includes at least one of a camera, a Lidar sensor, a radar sensor, and an ultrasonic sensor.

3. The system of claim 1, further comprising a global positioning system, wherein the controller determines the position of the subject vehicle based on data from the global positioning system.

4. The system of claim 1, further comprising a vehicle speed sensor that determines a speed of the subject vehicle, wherein the controller determines the trajectory path of the subject vehicle based on the speed of the subject vehicle.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the controller generates a map of an area surrounding the subject vehicle based on data from the sensor and determines the position of the subject vehicle based on the map of the area surrounding the subject vehicle.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the controller receives feedback data from the sensor, determines a feedback angle of the sensor based on the feedback data, determines an angle error based on the commanded angle and the feedback angle, and adjusts the commanded angle based on the angle error.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the controller controls at least one of a steering system, a throttle system, a transmission system, and a braking system of the subject vehicle based on data from the sensor.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the controller generates an alert based on the information sensed by the sensor about the environment of the subject vehicle.

9. A method comprising:

sensing, with a sensor, information about an environment of a subject vehicle;

determining, with a controller, a position and a trajectory path of the subject vehicle;

determining, with the controller, an adaptive point along the determined trajectory path based on the position;

generating, with the controller, a commanded angle for an actuator of the sensor to rotate the sensor towards the adaptive point;

rotating, with the actuator, the sensor according to the commanded angle;

wherein

the position determined by the controller includes coordinates of a location of the subject vehicle and a direction of the subject vehicle, the method further comprising;

storing, with the controller, a preset distance;

determining, with the controller, a preset point located the preset distance from the subject vehicle in the direction of the subject vehicle; and

determining, with the controller, the adaptive point as a closest point to the preset point along the determined trajectory path.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the sensor includes at least one of a camera, a Lidar sensor, a radar sensor, and an ultrasonic sensor.

11. The method of claim 9, further comprising determining, with the controller, the position of the subject vehicle based on data from a global positioning system of the subject vehicle.

12. The method of claim 9, further comprising determining, with the controller, the trajectory path of the subject vehicle based on a speed of the subject vehicle as sensed by a vehicle speed sensor that determines the speed of the subject vehicle.

13. The method of claim 9, further comprising generating, with the controller, a map of an area surrounding the subject vehicle based on data from the sensor and determining, with the controller, the position of the subject vehicle based on the map of the area surrounding the subject vehicle.

14. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

receiving, with the controller, feedback data from the sensor;

determining, with the controller, a feedback angle of the sensor based on the feedback data;

determining, with the controller, an angle error based on the commanded angle and the feedback angle; and

adjusting, with the controller, the commanded angle based on the angle error.

15. The method of claim 9, further comprising controller, with the controller, at least one of a steering system, a throttle system, a transmission system, and a braking system of the subject vehicle based on data from the sensor.

16. The method of claim 9, further comprising generating, with the controller, an alert based on the information sensed by the sensor about the environment of the subject vehicle.