System and method for determining of and compensating for misalignment of a sensor

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10024955-B2
Application number	US-201414229178-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 28, 2014
Priority date	Mar 28, 2014
Publication date	Jul 17, 2018
Grant date	Jul 17, 2018

Abstract

Methods and systems for determining a misalignment angle for a sensor in a vehicle are provided. The method, for example, may include, but is not limited to determining, by a processor, when an object detected in sensor data acquired by the sensor is a stationary object, and calculating, by the processor, the misalignment angle of the sensor based upon sensor data associated with the stationary object.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A vehicle, comprising:
a first sensor configured to acquire sensor data; and
a speed sensor configured to output speed data corresponding to the vehicle, and
a processor communicatively coupled to the first sensor and the speed sensor, wherein the processor is configured to:
determine when an object detected in the acquired sensor data is a stationary object based upon object information detected by the first sensor and the speed data;
calculate a misalignment angle α of the first sensor according to:

α
=

arccos
⁡

(

-

(

r
v

)

)

-

Θ
′

,

 where r is a range rate between the stationary object and the vehicle acquired by the first sensor, Θ′ is an angle between the stationary object and the vehicle acquired by the first sensor, and v is based upon the speed data corresponding to the vehicle;
determine when the misalignment angle is greater than a predetermined threshold;
determine a compensated position of each object detected by the first sensor relative to the vehicle by rotating the position of each detected object by an angle equal to the calculated misalignment angle when the misalignment angle is determined to be less than the predetermined threshold to improve the accuracy of the first sensor; and
control movement of the vehicle based upon the compensated position of each object detected by the first sensor.

2. The vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the processor is further configured to:
calculate misalignment angles for at least one stationary object at least two different times; and
determine an average misalignment angle of the first sensor based upon the calculated misalignment angles.

3. The vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the processor is further configured to indicate a fault when the misalignment angle is determined to be greater than the predetermined threshold.

4. The vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the vehicle further comprises:
a yaw sensor communicatively coupled to the processor and configured to output yaw data corresponding to the vehicle, and
the processor is further configured to calculate the misalignment angle of the first sensor based upon sensor data associated with the stationary object and the yaw data corresponding to the vehicle.

5. A method for determining a misalignment angle for a first sensor in a vehicle, comprising:
determining, by a processor, a speed of the vehicle based upon data received from a speed sensor;
determining, by a processor, when an object detected in sensor data acquired by the first sensor is a stationary object based upon object information detected by the first sensor and the speed data;
calculating, by the processor, the misalignment angle α of the first sensor according to:

α
=

arccos
⁡

(

-

(

r
v

)

)

-

Θ
′

,

 where r is a range rate between the stationary object and the vehicle acquired by the first sensor, Θ′ is an angle between the stationary object and the vehicle acquired by the first sensor, and v is based upon the speed data corresponding to the vehicle;
determining, by the processor, when the misalignment angle is greater than a predetermined threshold;
determining, by the processor, a compensated position of each object detected by the first sensor relative to the vehicle by rotating the position of each detected object by an angle equal to the calculated misalignment angle when the misalignment angle is determined to be less than the predetermined threshold to improve the accuracy of the first sensor; and
controlling, by the processor, movement of the vehicle based upon the compensated position of each object detected by the first sensor.

6. The method of claim 5 , further comprising:
calculating, by the processor, misalignment angles for at least one stationary object at least two different times; and
determining, by the processor, an average misalignment angle of the first sensor based upon the calculated misalignment angles.

7. The method of claim 5 , further comprising:
indicating, by the processor, a fault when the misalignment angle is determined to be greater than the predetermined threshold.

8. The method of claim 5 , wherein the vehicle further comprises a yaw sensor communicatively coupled to the processor and configured to output yaw data corresponding to the vehicle, and
the method further comprises calculating, by the processor, the misalignment angle of the first sensor based upon sensor data associated with the stationary object and the yaw data corresponding to the vehicle.

9. A non-transitory computer readable medium comprising instructions, which when executed by a processor in a vehicle comprising a first sensor, cause the processor to:
determine a speed of the vehicle based upon data received from a speed sensor;
determine when an object detected in sensor data acquired by the first sensor is a stationary object based upon object information detected by the first sensor and the speed data; and
calculate the misalignment angle α of the first sensor according to:

α
=

arccos
⁡

(

-

(

r
v

)

)

-

Θ
′

,

 where r is a range rate between the stationary object and the vehicle acquired by the first sensor, Θ′ is an angle between the stationary object and the vehicle acquired by the first sensor, and v is based upon the speed data corresponding to the vehicle;
determine when the misalignment angle is greater than

Assignees

• Gm Global Tech Operations Llc

Inventors

• Song Xiaofeng Frank
• Zeng Shuqing

Classifications

• G01S2013/932

  using own vehicle data, e.g. ground speed, steering wheel direction · CPC title

• G01S2013/9323

  Alternative operation using light waves · CPC title

• G01S17/931

  of land vehicles · CPC title

• G01S2013/9324

  Alternative operation using ultrasonic waves · CPC title

• G01S7/52004

  Means for monitoring or calibrating (short-range imaging G01S7/5205) · CPC title